Knowledge · clear, considered reading
Choosing open-source software for an organisation
Compare open-source tools by need, licence, maintenance, support and data portability.
Open source describes licence rights to use, study, modify and share software code. It does not automatically mean that a product is free to manage, fits your needs or stays secure without updates.
Ask whether it solves a defined problem, whether the licence fits your intended use, who maintains the project and how security updates arrive. Check how you can export data, and what support, documentation and skills are available.
A migration also involves accounts, data transfer, backups, training and compatibility. Test with a limited group and keep an owner and fallback plan.
The European Commission describes open source as part of a wider digital ecosystem and notes the importance of long-term maintenance and sustainability.EU Open Source Strategy
Open source can support choice; actual control also depends on where data is stored, who manages the system and how easily you can switch.