Top 5 Reasons to Opt for Open Source Platforms for App Development

Whether you are planning a full digital transformation or just looking to solve one specific workflow issue, a custom business application can help. And building your app on an open-source low-code platform is a great option for many reasons. 

While we’ve discussed the benefits of low-code development elsewhere in our blog, here we want to discuss 5 reasons that you may want to choose an open-source platform to meet your needs.

Easy to customize

Open source platforms allow you to access their code. You can get at every part of the software and can even take the code and change it to your specifications. 

While this freedom makes open-source software (OSS) attractive to programmers and professional software developers, it’s also versatile for non-programmers. There are a number of open-source no-code platforms that feature a drag-and-drop interface that’s easy to use.

As Opensource.com puts it, “Users who aren’t programmers also benefit from open-source software, because they can use this software for any purpose they wish—not merely the way someone else thinks they should.”

Open source integration platforms make it easy to make your new app work with your existing software. Open source solutions tend to use standard file types and other widely recognized means to help them work together. 

Freedom

Proprietary software is designed to keep you using it. Many of these systems utilize special file types or prevent easy integration with other software. Some software is even designed to use specific hardware, which keeps you locked into that ecosystem into the future. 

With proprietary software, you may need to wait or pay for updates, subscribe to special plans to meet compliance requirements, or be at the mercy of the business decisions of the vendor. Business2Community writes that “open source systems allow users to be in control of many of these decisions. It allows them to do what they want with the software.”  

Quality

Another benefit of being untethered from proprietary systems is that your business app development platform will be built by coders in the open-source community. A big part of the open-source movement involves a commitment to quality and development.

Secure

Security is another benefit of the communal atmosphere of open source. TechChannel says “Security issues get fixed because thriving communities are looking at the source code as it’s being written.”

Large open-source projects have thousands of people working on them, and everyone can see the code and deal with problems. With closed source software, you are dependent on their development team.

Cost-effective

But perhaps the biggest benefit of open source platforms for your app development is that they are often free. While some open source users benefit from hiring a consultant to integrate the software, train their team in using the software, or manage a complicated installation, with open source platforms these are options and not requirements.

To learn more about how formsflow.ai version 4.0 utilizes open source software, or to start using it yourself,  talk to us today.