Is going Open Source a bad idea?

Most customers looking for a new CMS website, company intranet or ecommerce system ask us if they should use an Open Source solution.

Of course we're slightly biased because we're naturally very proud of our great range products, but there's also a lot of myths out there regarding Open Source.

Based on research and our own experience with Open Source we've put together a quick comparison of both options to help you decide:

	Open Source	Webnetism Product
Licensing	Open source is not free! It often involves monthly or annual licence fees for corporate users.	No ongoing licence fees – much cheaper in the long term.
Flexibility	Generic software built to service a larger client base. You may need to change your practices to meet the requirements of the software.	It does exactly what you want it to do! The user interface designed for your requirements and business practices.
Security	All the code (including any vulnerabilities) is in the public domain.	A compiled "black box" – the source code is not available and inherently secure.
Future enhancements	You have very little influence over the development of the software. Some changes may be expensive or not even possible.	You are in control - changes can be implemented quickly.
Integration	Integration with your data (e.g. customer lists, order fulfilment or stock system) may be very expensive or impossible.	Seamless integration between your website and other applications.
Support	Support is usually slow and ticket based.	Unrivalled personal support. Talk directly to one of the Webnetism team.

So, what should you do?

Talk to us! We can discuss your requirements and help you find the best solution for you. We develop websites on Open Source as well as our own range of bespoke solutions.