Why Pay for Software? 10 Free Open-Source Alternatives
10 Free and Open-source SaaS Alternatives You Must Know
Decades ago, buying software meant owning it forever. You’d walk into a store, buy a box with a CD, and it was yours forever. But then came SaaS — Software as a Service — where you rent software for a monthly fee. This model has skyrocketed profits for companies.
But, let’s stop underestimating our dev community who are always thriving to clone those big softwares and provide it for free to the people. These cloned/alternative softwares are generally called “Open-source”, which basically means that the source code is open to all. You can escape subscription hell by using free and open-source software alternatives.
I’ve curated a list of TOP open-source SaaS alternatives that will help you stop wasting your money every month on something you can get for free — and slightly better.
Microsoft Office
A great open-source alternative to Microsoft Office is LibreOffice. It offers a similar experience for free. It handles Word, Excel, and PowerPoint formats without the need for constant internet connections or privacy invasions.
Notion
Notion is popular for note-taking and organization, but AppFlowy, built with Rust and Flutter, offers a beautiful UI and similar features for FREE. Plus, you can choose your own AI provider which Notion does not provide us with that feature — how cool is that?
Salesforce
Salesforce is a giant in CRM, but ERPNext is an open-source powerhouse that handles CRM, accounting, and more. It’s written in Python, and is a comprehensive tool that won’t cost you a penny.
Slack
Slack is great for team communication, but Mattermost provides similar features with total data control. Mattermost is built with Go and TypeScript, and supports chat, voice, and video, all while keeping your data completely safe.
Zoom
Why pay for Zoom when Jitsi offers an excellent video calling experience for free? With features like mobile apps, virtual backgrounds, and polls, it’s a fantastic alternative to Zoom.
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Jira
Developers often face Jira for project management, but Plane offers a free, open-source experience. It’s built by developers, for developers, to make your workflow smoother.
Firebase Alternatives
Firebase will ultimately ask you for bucks, but alternatives like Supabase, Appwrite, and the newcomer Instant offer freedom. Instant is perfect for real-time chat and collaboration tools.
Cloud Platforms Alternatives
Stop overpaying for hosting services like Vercel or Heroku. Coolify and Dokku provide the same functionality on a single virtual private server, with no-fee required.
Adobe Alternatives
Adobe products are pricey, but you can trade Premiere for DaVinci Resolve, Illustrator for Krita, and After Effects for Blender. These tools offer powerful features at no cost.
Keep in mind that, every SaaS product on Earth has a free and open-source alternative. Embrace these tools and never pay for software again. This is the beauty of being a developer; don’t forget to show gratitude to the dev community who are trying to bring free solutions.
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