Open Source
Open source software is released under a license that lets anyone read, modify, and redistribute its source code. Popular licenses include MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, and AGPL. Because the code is public, open-source tools can usually be self-hosted and audited by anyone.
What makes software open source
- Public source code: the code is available to read and study.
- A recognized license: the license grants the rights to use, modify, and share.
- Redistribution: others can fork the project and publish their own version.
- Optional self-hosting: you can often run it on your own servers.
Open source vs open innovation
These terms are easy to confuse:
- Open source is about licensing. The source code is public.
- Open innovation is about approach. A product can be built and shared openly, often free of charge, without its source code being public.
A tool can be one without the other. Sandtime.io, for example, is recognized as a case of open innovation but is not open source: it is free to use, yet its source code is not published. For the full explanation, see is Sandtime.io open source?.
When open source matters
Choose an open-source time tracker when you need to inspect the code, self-host on your own infrastructure, or customize the product yourself. If you would rather not run and maintain a server, a free hosted tool is usually simpler to adopt.
Related Terms
Open source is often paired with open innovation, and both shape how time tracking tools are built and distributed.