Can
open
source tools replace
all closed source software?
That is, are open source tools – freely
downloadable software – really just as good as software you have to
pay for?
In
a lot of cases, the answer is yes. In fact, in some cases, open
source tools offers features or performance benefits that surpass
their commercial counterparts.
Want
proof? Below you'll find a list of 100 open source tools that offer
viable alternatives to popular closed-source applications.
The list
also refers you to comparable commercial software so that you can
compare for yourself and see which option best meets your needs and
offers the best value.
For
this list, we've included a smattering of the best open source tools
from a wide range of categories. Whether you're a large enterprise
user, a small business owner, a home user, or even an educational
institution, you'll probably find quite a few tools on this list that
could replace the commercial software you use every day.
Open Source Tools: Audio, music players
1 Amarok Replaces: iTunes
This
audio player lets you listen to music, creates playlists, displays
lyrics and cover art, and integrates with a number of Web services.
The interface seems a little text-heavy, but easy to use, though not
as attractive as iTunes. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
You
can't use Songbird on your iPhone or iPad, but you can use it on your
PC or smartphone to set up playlists, listen to audio, stream video,
and more. It also notifies users of upcoming concerts and allows you
to purchase tickets right from the app. Operating System: Windows,
Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: Backup
This
simple yet flexible backup manager offers both compression and
encryption capabilities, and it archives files locally, over a
network, or online via FTP or FTPS. It offers most of the same
features as Ghost, except it doesn't integrate with a full security
suite, and it doesn't support Blu-Ray. Operating System: Windows,
Linux.\
Open
Source Tools: Browsers
The
big advantage Google's browser offers over the one from Microsoft is
speed. It's fast to start up, fast to load pages, and fast to run Web
apps. Unlike other browsers, it uses a combination Web address/search
bar and simplifies the browsing experience in other ways as well.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
While
not as fast as Chrome, Firefox offer faster performance than Internet
Explorer, as well as excellent security features. It includes a lot
of personalization features and more than 6,000 add-ons so that you
can make your browser work the way you want it to. Operating System:
Windows, Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: Compression
While
WinZip offers a fancier interface and more menu options, 7-zip lets
you create 7z files with a higher compression rate, which means it
creates smaller files. 7-zip also reads and writes WinZip files, as
well as a number of other popular compression formats. Operating
System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Unlike
WinZip, PeaZip can save files in seven different formats and reads an
astounding 123 different compressed file types. It also includes
strong encryption capabilities. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS
X.
Open
Source Tools: Content Management
Like
SharePoint, Alfresco combines document management, web content
management, records management, image management, and a content
repository. In addition to the free community edition, it's also
available as an enterprise subscription with support. Operating
System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Forrester
research has called MindTouch the "Best product alternative to
Microsoft Sharepoint and IBM Lotus." The Core edition is
available for free, while the commercial Standard, Enterprise, and
Cloud editions add more features. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
Open
Source Tools: Customer Relationship
Management(CRM)
Like
SalesForce.com, SugarCRM is cloud-based and combines sales,
marketing, customer service and reporting features. While the free
community edition include basic functionality, in order to use the
more advanced features, you'll need to pay for a subscription to the
professional or enterprise edition. Operating System: Windows, Linux,
OS X.
Open
Source Tools: Database
It's
not as well-known as MySQL (see below), but Firebird also provides an
alternative to commercial closed-source RBDMSs. First developed in
1981, it offers a mature, stable code base, but doesn't have
corporate backing like MySQL. Operating System: Windows, Linux/Unix,
OS X, Solaris.
Making
no secret of it's intended competition, Kexi's Web site boldly
proclaims it "Microsoft Access for Linux." In fact, Kexi
offers all of the same features and functionality as Access, and it's
also available for Windows and OS X, as well as Linux. Operating
System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Downloaded
or distributed more than 100 million times, MySQL (now owned by
Oracle) is the most popular open source database software in the
world. It's used by a number of well-known companies, including
Yahoo!, Alcatel-Lucent, Google, Nokia, YouTube, and Zappos.com.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS X
Open
Source Tools: Desktop Publishing
While
most desktop publishing programs cost a lot of money, Scribus offers
professional layout features like CMYK color separations, Spot
Colors, ICC color management, and PDF creation—all for free.
However, because of the complexity involved in desktop publishing,
Scribus cannot open or edit files created with similar programs.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: E-mail/Collaboration/Groupware
This
cloud-based Web app includes project management, instant messaging,
file and document management, timetracking, and reporting. It also
imports Basecamp files, and if you don't want to host it yourself,
you can purchase hosting and other services from Collabtive.
Operating System: OS Independent.
Often
called "the Outlook of Linux," Evolution combines e-mail,
calendar, and addressbook capabilities. However, this app only works
with the Linux Gnome desktop. Operating System: Linux.
Group-Office
includes a calendar, file sharing, basic CRM capabilities, e-mail,
project management, and some billing features. In addition to the
free community version, Group-Office also offers a paid professional
version, which adds synchronization with mobile phones and Outlook,
and a hosted version. Operating System: OS Independent.
This
GNU project includes more than 50 applications, most notably e-mail,
shared calendar, contact management, Web content management, document
management, and project management. It scales for small groups and
large enterprises. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
The
Thunderbird e-mail client boasts tabbed browsing and easy search—much
like the Firefox browser also made by Mozilla. Unlike Outlook, this
app only includes e-mail capabilities, but if you want to add
calendar functionality, you can add Mozilla's Lightning/Sunbird.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Zimbra
messaging and collaboration suite comes in desktop, server, and
hosted Web client versions. It includes e-mail, contact management,
shared calendaring, and voice communications capabilities. Operating
System: Linux
Open
Source Tools: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
With
its modular design, Open ERP makes it easy to add just the
functionality your company needs. The Web site also
includes comparisons with
other open-source ERP solutions, as well as SAP and Microsoft
Dynamics. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
Web-based,
Openbravo offers ERP functionality with a minimal upfront investment.
While the community version source code is available for download,
most enterprises purchase Openbravo as a hosted app from one of the
Openbravo vendors. Operating System: OS Independent
With
a very active community and developer group, ADempiere boasts more
than the usual amount of documentation and resources for an open
source project. However, it doesn't have quite as many features and
isn't quite as polished as some of the other ERP solutions. Operating
System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.
Open
Source Tools: File Transfer
FileZilla
allows users to send large files via regular FTP and the more secure
FTPS and SFTP protocols. While the client version works with all
operating systems, the server version only works on Windows.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Downloaded
more than 13 million times, FireFTP is a Firefox add-on that turns
your browser into an FTP client. Like WinSCP (below), it only
includes a client, no server software. Operating System: Windows,
Linux, OS X.
For
Windows only, WinSCP is an file transfer client only—that is, it
allows you to download files securely, but does not allow you to set
up your own FTP server. It supports FTP, SFTP, and SCP. Operating
System: Windows.
Open
Source Tools: Financial Management
Extremely
simple, Buddi lacks many of the fancy features you'll find in
commercial financial software. However, it's easy to use and lets you
set up accounts and budgets, enter transactions, and run reports.
Operating System: OS Independent
Although
slightly more robust than Buddi, Money Manager still lacks the more
attractive interface you'll find in Quicken or Money. However, it
does offer the unique feature of allowing you to download the
software to your PC and then access it via the Web on your phone or
another PC. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
TurboCash
invites small business owners to compare it to commercial accounting
packages with a handy checklist that compares features. While it
doesn't have some of the features you'll find in QuickBooks, like
check printing and multi-currency capabilities, it offers some
features its more well-known competitor doesn't have, like XML
support and remote access. Operating System: Windows.
Open
Source Tools: Games
With
realistic worldwide terrain, more than 20,000 real airports, and lots
of aircraft to choose from, FlightGear provides real competition to
Microsoft's Flight Simulator, and it doesn't require as many system
resources. In fact, it provides such realistic flight operations that
it has been used by universities, aerospace companies, and the FAA
for research. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.
FreeCol
doesn't have the intense graphics of the newest versions of
Civilization, but then again it doesn't require as much memory or CPU
either. It offers a similar style of game play and a similar
storyline as the popular series. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS
X.
Frets
on Fire is so much like Guitar Hero that you can even import Guitar
Hero songs. While you can use a guitar controller if you have one,
you can also play the game with your keyboard. Operating System:
Windows, Linux, OS X.
If
you've played any Mario Brothers game (and you know you have), you'll
find this game very familiar. It has the sort of 2D graphics you
might remember from a couple of decades ago, and you progress from
level to level by running, jumping, collecting coins, etc. Operating
System: Windows, Linux.
34 StepMania Replaces:
Dance Dance Revolution
StepMania
works a lot like Dance Dance Revolution. If you have dance pads, you
can use them (or buy them from the site); otherwise, you use your
fingers to tap the keyboard in rhythm to the music. Operating System:
Windows, Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: Gateway Security Appliances
Like
the closed-source Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliances on the
market, Endian combines anti-virus, anti-spam, firewall, intrusion
detection, and other security functions into a single package. You
can download the free community software to turn an old PC into a
Linux-based appliance, or you can buy an appliance right from Endian.
Operating System: Linux.
Similar
to Endian, Untangle combines a whole bunch of open-source apps for
anti-virus, anti-spam, Web filetering, etc. With Untangle, you have
three deployment options: as a router/UTM appliance on a separate PC,
as a transparent bridge (if you already have a firewall/router), or
as a software solution that runs in the background on any Windows PC
connected to your network. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
Open
Source Tools: Graphics/Drawing
Like
AutoCAD, Archimedes creates 2D and 3D design renderings, but
Archimedes was designed primarily for architects. Thus, it's not as
good for mechanical engineering, but does offer architects some
benefits over AutoCAD. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X,
others.
Dia
creates diagrams—for flowcharts, org charts, and more. It doesn't
have as many options for art work and styles of boxes as Visio, but
it's good enough for most casual users. Operating System: Windows,
Linux/Unix.
Gimp
makes it easy to edit photos and other images—just like you would
with Photoshop. Suitable for professionals, it includes features like
layers, gradients, photo enhancement, color manipulation, digital
retouching, and much more. For the Windows installer, see Gimp-win.
Operating System: Windows, Linux
A
vector drawing program, Inkscape offers professional-quality features
(markers, clones, alpha blending, etc.) for graphic designers. The
site now also features an open clip art gallery that you can use in
your drawings. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: Instant Messaging
One
of the best reasons to use an open-source IM client is that it lets
you talk with friends on lots of different networks at once. Adium
lets you connect with AIM, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo, and others from your
Mac. Operating System: OS X
This
chat client works almost exactly like MSN Messenger (now known as
Windows Live Messenger). Key features include offline messaging,
custom emoticons, multi-language support, webcam support, tabbed
windows, and more. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X
One
of the most popular open-source IM clients, Pidgin connects with 17
different chat networks. While the basic download doesn't offer some
of the capabilities that the closed source IM clients have (for
example, support for Facebook and Twitter), its large collection of
plug-ins fills in most of the missing features. Operating System:
Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: Mapping
Open
Source Tools: Office Productivity
The
AbiWord word processor offers most of the features you use every day
in Microsoft Word, and the interface looks a lot like the older
versions of Word. It even opens and saves files in Word and
WordPerfect formats. While it lacks some of the more sophisticated
features, that means you can run it on an older system, and many of
the more advanced features can be added as plug-ins if you really
need them. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.
Both
of these mind mapping programs let you create unique diagrams showing
the relationship between ideas—kind of like you would with a white
board during a brainstorming session. The biggest difference between
the two is that the commercial program offers some online
collaboration and Sharepoint integration capabilities that aren't
available in the open-source version. On the other hand, FreeMind
claims to offer faster performance than MindJet. Operating System: OS
Independent.
This
spreadsheet app boasts that it includes all of the functions in
Microsoft Excel, plus 154 others. It imports files from Excel, Lotus,
QuattroPro, and other programs, and it can export to Excel, XML, PDF,
and several other formats. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
Although
it's not as popular as OpenOffice.org, this office productivity suite
from KDE also offers a viable alternative to Microsoft Office. It
includes a word processor/desktop publisher, spreadsheet,
presentation, database, project planner, flowchart, vector drawing,
and a photo editing app. Operating System: Windows, Linux.
NeoOffice
is a variation of OpenOffice.org (see below) that's tailored for the
Mac. While OpenOffice.org does work on OS X, NeoOffice menus and
features look and feel more like typical Mac software. Operating
System: OS X.
One
of the best applications for people who have never used open-source
before, OpenOffice.org includes a word processor, spreadsheet,
presentation creator, and database that read and create
Microsoft-compatible files. Unlike Office, it also comes with a
drawing program and a mathematical equation creator, and of course,
it's free. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.
For
users who would like to try an open-source productivity suite but who
don't want to go without support, StarOffice offers exactly the same
programs as OpenOffice.org with paid support from Oracle. Prices
start at $49.95, with discounts available for volume purchasers.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.
Open
Source Tools: Project Management
Downloaded
more than 1.2 million times, OpenProj provides nearly identical
project management capabilities as Microsoft Project and even opens
Microsoft Project and Primavera files. It's also available in a
cloud-based version called "Projects On Demand" for $20 per
month per user. Operating System: Windows, Linux, Unix, OS X.
Like
OpenProj, GanttProject opens Microsoft Project files and offers much
of the same functionality. However, it's not quite as polished as
either OpenProj or Microsoft Project. Operating System: Windows,
Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: School Management
Both
of these course management systems make it easy for instructors to
conduct online courses, but Moodle offers the distinct advantage of
being available for free. It's currently used on nearly 50,000 sites
in more than 200 countries. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Some
school districts claim to have lowered their TCO by 75 percent or
more when switching from PowerSchool to openSIS. It includes modules
for student demographics, attendance, gradebooks, scheduling, report
cards, and more. Operating System: Windows (Linux coming soon).
Open
Source Tools: Text Editor
This
Java-based replacement for the standard Windows text editor includes
a number of helpful features for developers. For example, it indents
automatically and highlights syntax for 130 different programming
languages, and it has convenient keyboard shortcuts for many
functions. Operating System: OS Independent
Open
Source Tools: Utilities
64 Launchy Replaces:
Windows Start Menu
Instead
of hunting through your Windows start menu or file manager, just type
a couple of letters and Launchy will find the application or file
you're looking for. It's fast and very easy to use. Operating System:
Windows, Linux, OS X
If
you're looking for text in a document, DocFetcher can find it
quickly. It doesn't search application and system files, but it does
find text within documents very quickly. Operating System: Windows,
Linux
This
utility offers a couple of benefits over the Windows Disk
Defragmenter. Most notably, it offers better speed, lets you schedule
your defrag, and can automatically turn off your system when it's
done. Operating System: Windows
This
screensaver works like the "My Pictures Slideshow" in
Windows, except that it lets you decide which pictures should be
used. It can also play video clips or run a slideshow as your desktop
wallpaper. Operating System: Windows
Open
Source Tools: Video Tools
Although
it doesn't have nearly the wealth of features available with Adobe
Premiere, Avidemux performs simple video cutting, filtering, and
encoding tasks well. It also includes some scripting and job queue
capabilities so that you can automate some repetitive tasks.
Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.
This
meida player supports most audio and video file formats, and it can
play from files, physical media (DVDs, CDs, etc.), TV cards, and
streaming media. It can also convert files from one format to another
and act as a streaming server—all without the need for external
codecs. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X, others.
Winner
of numerous awards, XBMC plays nearly all types of audio and video
files—and looks great doing it. Designed to work with home theater
PCs (HTPCs), it supports most remote controls, and it automatically
creates a personal library, including cover art, for all of your
audio and video files. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: VoIP
Formerly
known as "WengoPhone," QuteCom offers free calling to other
SIP-based VoIP software users, and if you have a SIP service
provider, you can also call landlines, mobile phones, etc.
Unfortunately, documentation for QuteCom is scarce, so if you want
ease of use, Skype may offer a better option. However, if you want to
be able to choose your own service provider, the open-source software
is the way to go. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X.
Open
Source Tools: Web Site Creation
While
it's not quite as user-friendly as its commercial competitors or the
other open-source options listed here, Bluefish offers a very fast
WYSIWYG HTML editor that doesn't use a lot of system resources. Aimed
at coders more than designers, it also includes support for a number
of other programming languages. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS
X, others.
NVU
claims to be "the number one free Web authoring system."
While it's definitely aimed more at novices than professionals, it
inlcudes many of the same features as the commercial HTML tools, and
the Web site also helps newbies register a domain name and find
hosting for their sites. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X,
others.
Loosely
supported by Mozilla, SeaMonkey includes a Web browser, feedreader,
e-mail client, and IRC chat client, as well as an HTML authoring
tool. Unlike the commercial tools, SeaMonkey doesn't offer an easy
way to convert graphic files to Web pages, but it does include some
advanced CSS capabilities and a built-in Java de-bugger. Operating
System: Windows, Linux.
If
you're looking for a basic XML editor with maximum speed, give XML
Copy Editor a try. However, if you need a more full-featured solution
or integration with SharePoint, Visual Studio, or Eclipse, the
commercial software offers a better option. Operating System:
Windows, Linux.
Shared by Prince Kpasra
kpasra@gmail.com
References
This article was originally posted on datamation.com. We will update the list soon
http://www.datamation.com
Sourceforge.net
http://www.agbari.net/
