Open source tools are great. I use a lot of open source software in my day-to-day life as a web developer. From back-end frameworks, to code editors, libraries, tools, and the list goes on. There’s been a plethora of great open source software written over the decades which has changed the way software is developed forever, and helped it become more accessible to everyone.
If you are a web developer, this article will be useful. Here we are going to talk about Best Open Sources Software For Developers. In recent years, the greatest number of open source tools for web developers have appeared. This is a good thing, because it helps us save a lot of time and money. Fresh Best Opensource tools are released every day. But what tools fit best for your business? A tool for one company can be not so useful for another company.
The Best Open Source Software For Developers is designed to be a comprehensive listing of predominantly open source software programmer tools, which dont change much from year to year because they are available from a stable repository or version-controlled source, and are mature enough not to break easily.
One of the best things about the software development industry is that a lot of the software we use on a daily basis is completely free (or at least has an open source version available). Whether you’re doing HTML, CSS, or PHP development, there are open source tools that can help you.
What makes for a good development tool?
Although the term “developer tool” is very general and can apply to a wide range of services, there are a few key features that your top developer tools should have.
It saves you time
As previously mentioned, software developers have an endless list of tasks to complete, so the more time a tool saves us, the better.
Good documentation
Software development is complicated, and some software development tools are complex. I can accept this, and I can take a lousy UI and, in some cases, bad UX, but if the docs are lacking, I’m not going to use the tool.
It integrates well with other tooling
Most developers rely on a particular workflow to complete their tasks. These workflows can include several tools, including Github, Slack, AWS, etc. Therefore, it’s critical when deciding on a dev tool you consider its integrations and how it will fit within your workflow – and improve it!
Good community
Sometimes you may get confused or run into an issue using your new open source development tool. A helpful community is often the answer to your problems. On top of that, a good community can propel a development tool forward, creating a plethora of plugins, themes, etc., with it.
Regular releases and updates
There are several open source development tools out there that are simply not active or maintained. Also, when requesting new features or reporting a bug, you want to be confident the maintainers are around to push a release.
Why open source tools?
The reason we’ve chosen open source tools is that they are available to everyone. I’ll not drive into the importance of open source – I’ve touched on this before in the following post Open source low code platforms .
Below we’ll cover the top open-source development tools you should be using in 2021. Without these types tools, the work we do, the deadlines we hit, the bugs we find and squash before release would be impossible. With these tools, we are better, faster, and happier.
Open source development tools
VS Code
Visual Studio Code is a lightweight but powerful source code editor which runs on your desktop and is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It comes with built-in support for JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js and has a rich ecosystem of extensions for other languages (such as C++, C#, Java, Python, PHP, Go).
Why VS Code is in our top 10
Personally, it’s been my go-to editor for over three years. I moved from Sublime to Atom to VS Code, and I’d never looked back. Feature-wise, UX-wise, and extensions-wise, it’s the best. In addition, the team behind VS Code releases new features and functionality through monthly updates . It’s been exciting to watch the editor grow from strength to strength, and I’d like to thank the team and community behind the product for their effort. These are the reasons why VS Code is the best editor and worth a try if you’ve never developed with it before.
Time-saving: 8/10
Documentation: 9/10
Integrations: 10/10
Community: 8/10
Release/Updates: 10/10
Budibase
Budibase is an open source low-code platform, bringing together everything required to build internal tools and custom business apps, such as; dashboards, admin panels, approval apps, customer portals, and everything in between. Within minutes, transform data and processes into powerful internal tools.
Why Budibase is in our top 10
Budibase is the leading open source low code platform. Low code platforms are trending at the moment and for sound reasoning. As previously mentioned, the demand for software development is proliferating, with no sign of stopping. Low code platforms, such as Budibase, allow IT professionals and developers to deliver internal tools and CRUD apps in a fraction of the time. They also remove a lot of the repetition and grunt work experienced when developing such tools, leading to a more satisfying dev process in some cases.
Budibase outshines its competition for several reasons:
- users can self-host their apps on their own infrastructure
- users can create internal and external tools
- Budibase has an automation layer, allowing users to automate tasks such as email notifications, triggering webhooks, sending a report
- Budibase exports real single-page applications providing end-users with a better, more performant experience.
If you’ve not tried Budibase, give it a try – it’s simple to get started .
Time-saving: 10/10
Documentation: 6/10
Integrations: 8/10
Community: 7/10
Release/Updates: 10/10
LibreOffice
A real open source alternative to Microsoft Office
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, LinuxTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Full set of office apps+Supports Microsoft files+Lots of templates
REASONS TO AVOID
-Not cloud-based
With support for documents, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, diagrams, and mathematical formulae, LibreOffice is essentially a free version of the world’s most popular office productivity suite, Microsoft 365.
Some would actually argue that LibreOffice is the more fully-featured of the two, thanks to its dedicated developer community which is adding new tools and tricks all the time. For example, in the latest update, LibreOffice added a QR code generator tool so you can quickly create mobile-friendly links.
An alternative well-known open source office tool is Open Office, which offers many similar features to LibreOffice. The reason that LibreOffice has taken the top spot today is that it is much better at preserving Microsoft file formats. In other words, your formatting won’t get screwed up if you need to modify a document originally written in Microsoft Word.
The only downside to this awesome free office software is that editing documents collaboratively online is a bit tricky. Recently, an online editing option has been added but it still requires some technical know-how to implement.
AngularJS
AngularJS is a structural, open-source, and javascript-based framework to design web applications dynamically.
Key Features:
- fully expandable
- works well with data-driven applications
- Advanced features of AngularJS are localization, Directives, reusable components, dependency injection, form validation, data binding, deep linking, etc.
- It is 100% client-based and works on both desktop and mobile browsers like iOS, Safari, Firefox, IE, Chrome, etc.
Atom
Atom is an open-source and free editor cum Source code editor that’s hackable, friendly, and up-to-date. Atom helps cross-platform editing and functions for multiple operating systems like Windows, Linux, and OS X. Atom is a customizable tool where you can edit the look & feel of the User Interface, add several crucial attributes, etc., without modifying the configuration file.
Key Features:
- Essential features include a built-in package manager, file system browser, multiple panes, smart autocomplete, find & replace feature, etc.
- Build cross-platform applications with web technologies
VLC Media Player
An open source media player than can play virtually anything
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOSTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Runs well on old hardware+Plays virtually any media file+Optimizes playback
REASONS TO AVOID
-Complex menu system
VLC (or VideoLAN Client) media player is a lightweight application created by an open source development group known as the VideoLAN project. This video and media player has been leading the industry for years in terms of popularity, and it’s not hard to see why. You can use VLC media player to open audio and video files in just about any format without having to hunt down extra codecs.
VLC also works for streaming media such as podcasts and online radio stations. But perhaps the greatest VLC media player feature is playback control. You can change almost everything about how your media is displayed from hardware optimization to adding subtitle files from third-party sources.
Like some of the other amazing open source offerings mentioned here, VLC is constantly being upgraded with new goodies and features to explore. The latest updates to the free video player have included the ability to stream to other devices (like Chromecasts) and 360-degree video support for VR headsets.
GIMP
A powerful open source photo and image editing tool
SPECIFICATIONS
Operating system: Windows, macOS, LinuxTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE
REASONS TO BUY
+Fully customizable interface+Layers, filters and masks+Advanced editing tools
REASONS TO AVOID
-May confuse first-time users
Beloved by Linux users since its original release in 1996, GIMP is one of the most famous and best-maintained open source software tools out there. This software is about as close to image editing power and flexibility of the Adobe Photoshop platform as you’re likely to get for free.
GIMP has built-in support for layers, filters, and automatic photo enhancement. It also makes it easy to create new graphic design elements and you can really take things to the next level by downloading plug-ins created by the broader GIMP open source community.
Just like Photoshop, GIMP has a fairly steep learning curve but anyone who puts in a bit of time is sure to appreciate its customizable interface and GPU hardware acceleration. However, if you’re looking for a simple free photo editor, check out Paint.NET instead. It’s not as powerful, but easier to get to grips with.
Open Source Software vs. Free Source Software
Very often free source software is used as a synonym with open source software.
Though similar, these two are different types of software.
Both of them offer similar licenses but share different ideologies.
Richard Stallman introduced the concept of free source software back in the 1980s. Its main goal was that all users have the right to operate, copy, share, study, change, and improve this software.
Open source software, on the other hand, was introduced in the late 1990s by a group of individuals as a reaction to the limitations of free source software.
The main difference they presented was that they changed the emphasis from freedom to security. And, they also brought other pragmatic benefits like transparency and cost savings.
All free source software can qualify as open source software. However, not all open source software can be free.
For instance, Open Watcom is an integrated development environment whose license cannot be modified and used privately.
Conversely, Velo by Wix, a full-stack development platform that allows brands and development agencies to create advanced websites and web apps, is an open development platform, so there’s zero cost involved.
Conclusion
Many people think that open source software is free, but it may not be. Open source software are free for use by individuals and organizations in computing systems of their own choice but it may have some limitations compared to for-profit proprietary software.
Developing applications for any project, environment or style requires the use of open source software. A lot of options are available, especially in the development space, and there are a number of considerations one will want to take into account when researching and evaluating the best open source tools for developers.