Celebrate SFD on Saturday 16 September 2023

Why use Free Software?

Free and open source software (or FOSS) is software that respects your freedoms and makes its source code available. Chances are you’re already using free and open-source software without even knowing it. In case you need more convincing, here are the undeniable reasons why you should start using FOSS now.


There are definitely a lot of reasons why we should use FOSS and GNU/Linux Systems:

  • Freedom matters! (freedom to create, share, invent, collaborate, learn and modify).
  • Free of cost (not always but you always have choice).
  • Lots of choice, not only what to use but also how to use it.
  • No vendor lock in.
  • FOSS encourages open standards (odt, png ..).
  • Fewer viruses (for GNU/Linux systems).
  • It's the best way to avoid piracy.
  • It Builds Community
  • Computers last longer
  • Ethical
  • Everybody can try and play.
  • Promote transparency and accountability, you (can) know what you are installing and using.
  • Free software gives you back control over your computer.
  • Lots of community support, you can even get to talk to the people who developed the software.
  • Cross-platform.
  • Foster real innovation and creativity.
  • Promote honesty as there are lots of honest quality referees.
  • Fight monopoly.
  • Promote free market competition and creates lots of business opportunities.
  • Keen competition helping to keep things move forward.
  • It doesn't belong to any company, it belongs to us.
  • Brings together people from all over the world.
  • The most powerful way to build software as anybody can join in.
  • Has passionate communities full of passionate people.
  • Reward skill, ingenuity and willingness to learn.
  • An outcome of cooperation and collaboration.
  • It succeeds on its own merits – even marketing cannot save crappy software.
  • It doesn't exclude anybody and its door is always open.
  • Lots of free tutorials you to learn from.
  • It accommodates everybody, from beginner to expert, from children to elder.
  • It promotes knowledge sharing and allows everybody to learn from each other.
  • It encourages easy customization, as we don't believe one product suits everybody.
  • It doesn't sacrifice quality as there is no deadline – developers keep working until their product is perfect.
  • NASA uses FOSS as it allows them to do things on a massive scale at little cost.
  • You are free to localize it and share it with your country.
  • GNU/Linux systems are famous for reliability and stability.
  • Governments choose FOSS for its high level of security.
  • Derivative works allow people to package software so that it interacts more seamlessly.
  • Provide cheap and accessible platforms to prototype new ideas.
  • Reduce the gap between software "producers" and "consumers".
  • A great learning platform for students.
  • It can stop 95% of computer users from being called 'pirates'.
  • Open standards benefit everyone.
  • Knowledge is meant to be shared.
  • Weave your own code.
  • No Windows, no Gates. Just open doors to a free world.
  • Some things are simply beyond profit-alone approaches.
  • Not prone to virii, crashes, instability.
  • The corporate world uses it. Big time.
  • It's there everywhere in, the internet infrastructure space.
  • If you have no language solutions for your computers, you can create it.
  • It doesn't encourage the culture of dependency and helplessness.
  • The sharing culture promotes learning.
  • It creates a meritocracy, where racism, class, geography have no place.
  • IT promotes amazing diversity in global computing, like no corporate can.
  • It promotes affordable computing, specially critical in the Third World.
  • Doesn't place legal computing power beyond the reach of the bulk of the planet.

Happy Software Freedom Day!