OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE VS CLOSED SOURCE SOFTWARE

Open source code is readily available to the general public. Closed source code is only available to a restricted audience, like classified information.

What is an Open Source Software?

Open source software, often abbreviated as OSS, is an intriguing part of the tech world. To fully understand it, we need to take a step back and explore the concept of ‘source code.’ Source code is the fundamental component of software. It’s the behind-the-scenes instruction set written in a human-readable programming language that tells software how to function.

The term ‘open source’ refers to software whose source code is freely available to the public. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) describes it as software that can be freely used, changed, and shared (in modified or unmodified form) by anyone.

What is a Closed Source Software?

This type of software can also be referred to as proprietary software.

The key difference between open and closed source is the accessibility of the source code. In the case of closed source software, the source code is not publicly available.