Open-source technology, by definition, is software anyone can use and modify for free. It gets developed by a community of programmers with no other goal than to create something awesome. So in a world where most of the tech industry orients towards making a profit, open-source technology is truly worth celebrating. It speaks to the passion that IT professionals share for building applications. And whether you’re looking for something for recording your voice or helping you build the top mobile casinos Canada, there’s free software for pretty much all purposes. But, obviously, some of them are more beneficial than others. Here’s our top open-source technology list to help you pick the best software for your various tasks. Let’s dive in.
1. WordPress – Open-source Technology to Build a Fully Functional Website
One of the top reasons why we use open-source technology is that it’s better than similar editions of paid software. That’s the case with WordPress. The platform that started as a blogging site now offers both frontend and backend management, handy eCommerce features, and lots more. Plus, WordPress has thousands of available plugins to cater to all types of online pages. So it’s no wonder that over one billion websites are using it.
2. Krita – for Those Who Enjoy Getting Creative
If you’re someone who enjoys creating digital art, and maybe you even do it professionally, discovering Krita will be a treat. You can use this open-source technology for web development tasks like editing graphics, digital painting, color management, etc.
Plus, if you’ve always wanted to try your hand at 2D animation, you can do that also with Krita.
3. KeePass – a Password Manager like No Other
What makes KeePass stand out from all the other password managers? Firstly, it’s super easy to install the software. But most importantly, it comes with all the industry-standard features that keep your accounts 100% secure. You’ll get two-factor authentication and AES encryption to protect all your stored details. And the cool thing about KeePass is that you can double-guard your database by carrying the program with all the passwords on a USB stick. That way, even the best hacker in the world won’t be able to access your details.
4. The Ever-Popular VLC Media Player
With this open-source technology, the introduction is unnecessary. We’ve all probably used the VLC player at some point in our lives. Whenever there’s a video or audio format that no other media player can play, VLC mostly does the trick.
Other than playing all imaginable types of files, VLC also enables you to add subtitles from pretty much any source. And it also works as a server to stream all sorts of media from DVDs to MPEG-4 or MPEG-2 files. So if you’re looking for software that can receive network streams, VLC is a tried and working solution for that endeavor.
5. Audacity to Make Sounds
The thing is that sound recording software is often pretty expensive. So people who are interested in processing audio as a hobby are not too keen to purchase it. Luckily, Audacity offers an excellent free alternative. It comes with a multi-track sound recorder you can use to tape your music, conversations, or any other audio. The program also enables you to slice, cut, and mix the sounds and then tweak the result to make it sound as pleasant as possible to the ears.
6. Advanced Video Editing With Shortcut
With open-source technology, the advantages come from the developers’ teams keeping working on the product even long after its release. So in time, they’ll update the software, add new features, and hone the software to perfection. That’s what has happened with Shortcut. When it first came out, the interface was pretty bland. However, it now has an intuitive timeline, lockable panels, and lots more. The latest edition even lets you add numerous effects to your videos without losing any quality. Plus, you can use it for some top-class color grading.
7. Python Makes Coding Easier
Python is an open-source technology platform used for coding. And because of its extensive list of standard libraries, it has become many developers’ first choice for a programming language. The libraries make coding much easier since they give you ready-made code snippets to use in your projects. So even some of the most prominent tech companies like Facebook and Google use Python for their programming.
8. Use PyTorch to Build Deep Learning Software
This one is a machine learning framework for super-advanced tasks like deep learning research computing via tensors. But what makes it noteworthy is that PyTorch is the platform big companies like Tesla use to build deep learning software for their autopilot feature. PyTorch comes with a plethora of libraries and features that make this free tool an invaluable asset to all tech research labs.
9. Build LEGO on Your Computer via Stud.io
We’ve all probably played with LEGOs when we were children. However, as the sets were pretty expensive, most of us probably never got to build our dream LEGO projects. But you can now do it digitally via the Stud.io platform. And once you’re happy with the results, Stud.io even directs you to the nearest shops where you can buy all the necessary parts for your ultimate LEGO construction.
10. Compose Documents with LibreOffice
LibreOffice is compatible with most formats, displays a dynamic word count, and keeps the interface simple and traditional. It’s nothing too flashy, but you wouldn’t expect that from an office platform anyhow. LibreOffice is reliable, constantly updated, and completely free. And that’s enough to make it one of the best software of its kind.
11. GIMP – a Tool to Edit Images
Gimp is an open-source tool you can use for photo editing. With a customizable interface, and extra support for filters and layers, its flexibility is quite close to Adobe Photoshop. But so is its complexity. So it can take quite some time to learn to use all the advanced editing tools, masks, additional plug-ins, etc.
In Summary
So this was our overview of the best available open-source mobile technology in 2021. Whether you need to edit your videos, write code for web development, or build your dream LEGO project, there are tools available for all of that. And the best part is that they’re free of charge.
What are some of the best open-source technology examples we missed? Let readers know your favorites in the comments.
