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Name-brand software for purchase exists for pretty much every activity under the sun, from building apps to creating animation. Businesses, entrepreneurs and creators have another option, too: Open source software. Available to download and in most cases, even customize, open-source software gets the job done. 
“With open-source software, anyone has the power to solve business problems, create more effective education programs, and even enact social change,” writes Walter Bender, CTO and co-founder at health-tech firm Sorcero, in a Built in blog post. 
Is it free? Sometimes, sometimes not. And there is discussion about the difference between free software and open-source software. The principles of freedom as a social value underpin free software, while open-source software is absent any philosophical or ethical underpinnings, states a 2022 post on GeeksforGeeks.org. Free software users can copy, disseminate and change the software; open-source software can be modified without running afoul of licensing agreements, the blog continues. 
Open source software is also not free in another sense: The development of much of it is supported by foundations, for example the Mozilla Foundation’s Mozilla Firefox and the Document Foundation’s LibreOffice. Upon finding the perfect open source software for your project, don’t be surprised to see a “donate” button on the home page. 
 
Audacity’s audio software edits multiple tracks and performs other functions for Windows, Mac, GNU/Linux and other operating systems, its website says. Users can record live audio, convert records and tapes into digital recordings and CDs, edit music files such as WAV, MP2 and MP3, mix and splice sound, add sound effects, change tempos and pitches and otherwise do nifty things with sound. Audacity, based in Renton, Washington, was launched in 1999. 
 
Babel, to quote its website, is a JavaScript compiler, used by Netflix, Yahoo, PayPal and other recognizable companies “somewhere in their organizations.” Babel changes edge JavaScript into ES5 JavaScript, which can run in old and new browsers, explains blogger Nicholas Johnson, who adds that Babel includes plug-ins for a variety of other tools, including Grunt, Webstorm and Rollup. Babel, based in France, was launched in 2012. It is operated by a volunteer staff and asks for contributions or sponsorships, at a variety of levels, from users. 
More on Open-Source Software7 Reasons to Get Serious About Your Open-Source Strategy
 
This Amsterdam-based organization offers open-source software for animators, artists, studios, scientists, students and anyone else who creates 3D images, according to its website. The latest version, Blender 3.2, helps users better control light sources in their work. Blender Institute, founded in 2007, employs about two dozen people who work on Blender software, including testing it in different environments, the website states. Blender was founded in 2002 by the nonprofit Blender Foundation. In 2019, it received a $1.2 million grant from Epic Games. 
 
Brave is a browser that protects users from third-party trackers and cookies, provides private and incognito searching, and even has a VPN, according to its website. Users can import bookmarks, extensions and saved passwords when they download Brave, the website says. The company offers users tokens as rewards for browsing and has an e-wallet, too. Brave is based in San Francisco, California, and was established in 2015. 
 
Practically anyone who’s worked in publishing in the 21st century has encountered a Drupal or Drupal-esque content management system, the mechanism for publishing stuff on the web. Its website offers options for hosting as well as a community-created tutorial. Drupal 10 is set to launch in December of 2022; the update will include upgrades to its Layout Builder and Media functions and offer tools for custom theme creation, according to the Drupal website. The Portland, Oregon-based organization was founded in 2001.  
 
Flutter, open-source UI software released by Google in 2017, enables users to build apps for any type of screen, be it mobile, web, desktop or embedded, according to information on its website. It claims to be “the most popular cross-platform framework in the world,” the website says, and its users number in the tens of thousands. Flutter’s website includes info on how to join a Flutter Meetup and it has its own version of an employee resource group, Flutteristas, for users who identify as women or non-binary. 
 
Gimp stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program, and it is image-editing software for use on a variety of operating systems, including Mac and Windows. Its website says it provides “sophisticated tools to get the job done” for photographers, illustrators, scientists and other people who need to create compelling graphics. The latest version became available on Microsoft Store in June of 2022; previously, it was available only as a download. Gimp is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was founded in 1996. It is funded by Gnome, a California-based nonprofit. 
 
Users of this tool can make charts and graphs for the web that are connecting to data sources. Users can create complex, custom dashboards with as many parts of their tech stack as they like; it can be managed via the cloud or self managed, according to its website. In recent news, its paging and scheduling app, Grafana OnCall, has been made available for use in on-premises IT environments. Before, it was available only via Grafana’s cloud service. It is based in New York City and was founded in 2014.
 
Users of Hazelcast, which describes itself as an in-memory computing platform, can build applications in the cloud quickly and securely, the website says. It can be used for retail banking, e-commerce, IoT, digital transformation, real-time streaming applications, fast batch processing and a host of other tasks, the website says. The San Mateo, California-based company was founded in 2020. 
 
Hugging Face, whose logo is a hugging emoji, bills itself as “the AI community building the future.” It is an open-source platform that provides tools for users to build and deploy machine-learning models based on open-source, according to a tech-industry post on the subject. The New York-based company, founded in 2016, was minted a unicorn in early 2022, thanks to a $100 million Series C funding round. 
More on Open-Source SoftwareThe Ultimate Guide to Open-Source Contribution
 
Joomla! is an open-source CMS (content management system) suitable for businesses, online magazines, nonprofits such as schools and churches, and families to publish web content, according to the Joomla! website. The basic Joomla! is available for download, as are extensions and upgrades. The nonprofit Joomla! is based in New York and was founded in 2005. 
 
This open-source password-management tool is transparent: Users can examine its full-source code to check security measures for themselves, the website says. The latest version, released in June of 2022, includes some new features, among them the dialog changes size when it senses it does not fit on a screen, and improvements such as an upgraded installer, the website says. KeePass is based in Germany. 
 
LibreOffice, offered by the nonprofit Document Foundation, is an office suite complete with applications for word processing, creating presentations, spreadsheets and databases, and formula editing, rather like the famous office suite that’s not open source. According to info on its website, it is the successor to OpenOffice, which was launched in 2014 by Apache. LibreOffice says it is used around the world by millions of people for use at home, in businesses, and in government settings. The latest version, 7.3, launched in February of 2022.
 
Arguably the most famous name in open source, Linux was launched in 1991 by Finnish engineer Linus Torvalds with the debut of the Linux kernel. Linux is an open-source operating system, meaning it is the software upon which all other software sits, according to OpenSource, an online resource for the open-source community. Linux is the base on which Android is built and is also used in vehicles, household appliances, the Internet, stock exchanges and supercomputers, according to its website. Its website offers robust user forums as well as tutorials. 
 
If you’ve used a browser, you’ve likely used or at least downloaded Mozilla Firefox. It’s the creation of the Mozilla Foundation, which exists to “ensure the internet remains a public resource open and accessible to all,” according to the foundation’s website. In addition to browsers, Firefox’s product lineup includes a tool to prevent social media from collecting personal data, a monitor to see if personal info has shown up in a data breach, and a VPN. A network protection tool is now in beta testing, according to Firefox’s website. Netscape, no longer in existence, launched Mozilla Firefox in 1998.
 
Odoo is an open-source business platform with apps that handle finance, sales, HR, marketing, productivity, inventory, website building (including e-commerce) and other necessary business functions, its website says. Users can collaborate on a Odoo forum and via Github. Odoo is based in Belgium and was launched in 2005. It raised 112 million Euros (about $118 million USD) in its latest funding round. 
 
According to its website, Openware allows the crypto crowd to create digital and crypto products, operate an NFT marketplace, facilitate the exchange of digital assets and cryptocurrencies, and create a trading platform for Blockchain-powered financial investments. The South San Francisco, California-based company was founded in 2006.
 
The popular coding language is an open-source product supported by the nonprofit Python Software Foundation. Python allows users to work quickly and effectively integrate systems, according to the website. The website offers tutorials, documentation, and sources and workshops focused on learning Python. The foundation is based in Wilmington, Delaware, and was founded in 1991. 
More on Software EngineeringThe 21 Best Coding Bootcamps
 
Fledgling filmmakers can edit their masterpieces for free with Shotcut, described as a cross-platform video editor on its website. It supports a variety of audio and video formats, as well as resolution up to 4K and captures from a variety of sources, including SDI, webcam and IP streams, the website says. The newest version, Glaxnimate, was introduced in June of 2022.
 
This free email platform, another Mozilla offering, offers users a setup wizard, an easy-to-access address book, tabbed email for ease of toggling between emails, a quick filter function to find emails, and an archive, according to its website. Customization is also available. In May of 2022, newsletter Android Headlines reported that Thunderbird was working on a mobile app for the product. 
 
Videolan’s VLC Media Player, an open-source, cross-multiple media player, plays most media files, plus DVDs, audio CDs and a variety of streaming protocols, its website says. Other options from Videolan, a nonprofit, include VLMC, for creating videos, and DVBLast, multicast and x264 for video professionals, according to website information. Videolan started as a student project in France in 1996. It is based in Paris. 
 
Webpack, a bundler for “Javascript and friends” that “packs many modules into a few bundled assets” enables users to write code and bundle it without configuration or with custom configuration, the website says. Users can contribute to documentation and the product’s core repository, the website says. The nonprofit is based in France. 

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Office 365 must be purchased first
SMB plans start at $5/user/month, including 1 TB of storage
Free plan: 10 GB limit
Starter: $5/month for 3-10 users, 100 GB limit
Business: $15/month per user, unlimited storage
Business Plus: $25/month per user, unlimited storage, additional collaboration features
Enterprise: $35/month per user, unlimited storage, features tailored to your specific needs
File sharing and co-authoring
Offline file sync
Customizable interface
Sync files between devices
Offline access to files
Automated workflows
Secure permissions
24-hour support
Extensive online FAQs and tutorials
Free tier offers standard support during business hours
Lower paid tiers offer dedicated support representatives
Higher paid tiers add additional training and customized support
Setup and installation can be challenging
Workflows often have extraneous steps
Intuitive workflows
Streamlined interface
Toolbars put most-used tasks front and center

For business document management, security and ease of adaptability are top concerns. Top software choices Box and Microsoft SharePoint lead the pack in document management.
So, if you’re wondering who comes out on top when it comes to Box versus Sharepoint, from features to integrations and usability, you’re in the right place.
Document retention software has two big names: Box and Microsoft Sharepoint. Both are widely used by many paperless businesses because of their name recognition, features, enhanced security, and flexibility to scale.
Box is an excellent choice for businesses that are upgrading their sharing and file storage. You can create multiple logins, customize security, and organize documents for a price that accommodates a small business budget.
It’s similar to SharePoint on just about every level, with the differences found in the details.
Like Box, Microsoft SharePoint is also made for small and medium-sized businesses and takes security seriously. It works with your existing framework and doesn’t require specialized knowledge to get set up.
A good document management software excels at document storage and sharing and builds upon that with an expanded set of offerings. Its core functions cover more than just document uploads and make each software more than the sum of its parts.
Beyond acting as an e-filing tool, Box lets you do more than upload and manage documents. You can create and track workflows and set up rules to automate tasks, including reminders to review documents or approve contracts right in the app.
You can also easily share documents in-app, download items, and create secure direct links. By adjusting viewing permissions, you can let a recipient download documents or allow full editing capabilities.
The sharing permissions also heighten security. You can require logins, email verification, or passwords to share documents externally. Internally, you’re able to monitor user activity from the admin dashboard.

Downloading, sharing, and editing is easy to do in Box. Image source: Author
Microsoft SharePoint implements document management best practices by having features for productivity and ease of use. You can co-author and share files within your team, live editing all at once. It’s also pretty customizable, so you can design the system to fit your needs and match your business.
Sharing files externally allows people outside of your organization to view and edit documents with ease. You can let them collaborate on just one piece, or grant them access to a full folder, keeping sensitive information, such as contracts or LLC documents, secure.

External users can have a number of permissions, set on a detailed level. Image source: Author
Though Box’s features are robust, Microsoft SharePoint has too many features to compete with, and it wins this round.
It’s one thing to use the system on your own, but when you run into problems, you need the right resources and the right people to talk to and help you solve issues.
Box has three tiers of support options. Standard support comes with all Box accounts and covers assistance during business hours. Premier Services gives you access to growth specialists and includes dedicated account representatives for support.
Platinum Services are available to the highest level, offering training and support tailored to your business, plus yearly onsite training and a dedicated support channel.
As part of the Microsoft family, SharePoint gives you top-tier resources, videos, and tutorials as part of your Office 365 package, so you know they are high quality.
SharePoint also has support associates available 24 hours a day who can help with all kinds of questions. Microsoft has a vast library of resources and a fleet of experts.
Because it’s a part of Microsoft, SharePoint naturally has more and better support available. While Box’s support is pretty good, it just can’t compete with Microsoft.
Whether you’re tech-savvy or still a newbie, everyone craves a system that’s easy to use. For efficiency and accuracy, a user-friendly setup is a must.
Box is fairly intuitive with a learning curve that’s easy to manage. The toolbars are easy to understand, and the navigation options aren’t overwhelming.
You can upload complete files, archive documents, edit files online, or create entirely new documents from scratch.
Designed to work with Google Docs and Office 365, editing is simple thanks to the familiar word processor setup.
On the other hand, Microsoft Sharepoint is a bit less intuitive. It’s not a crazy-complicated coding system or a logistical nightmare; still, it lacks the streamlined efficiency of Box and can get bogged down in itself.
Setup takes a great deal more effort, and adoption involves more steps on the user end. Though Microsoft is continuously working to make installation easier, customizing the solution is still time-consuming; the results sometimes don’t feel worth the effort.
Once it’s up and running, SharePoint works perfectly fine, but it requires more steps to do just about everything (search, download, edit) than are necessary, making it somewhat cumbersome. It organizes itself well, though, and categories are easy to grasp.
Box is the clear winner here, with its easy setup, integration with Microsoft 365, and intuitive nature.
No matter how much you like a product, there’s always the question of price. What are you willing and able to pay for software like SharePoint or Box?
Box stands out thanks to a long-term free option — aka, the Individual account. There is a 10 GB storage cap, and features are more menial, but it’s enough for solo users.
Paid plans start at $5/month per user for their starter option, allowing for three to 10 users, with enhanced features and a maximum 100 GB storage capacity.
The Business plan, at $15/month per user, has unlimited storage and stores up to 50 saved versions of a file, plus it displays enhanced analytics and reporting. Box Business Plus goes up to $25/month per user. It allows for external collaboration, complete activity tracking, creation of templates, and much more.
Box Enterprise pricing goes up to $35/month per user and lets you work with a team to build Box around your business’s needs.

Box pricing offers discounts for annual payments over monthly ones. Image source: Author
Microsoft SharePoint is a bit pricier. It requires an Office 365 subscription, even if you don’t plan on activating other software options.
After that, SharePoint starts at $5/month per user and goes up to $20/month per user. Base plans, though, do come with a full TB of storage.
Between the option of a long-term free plan and not needing to subscribe to any other software fleet, Box sets itself apart as the winner.
Especially for HR document management, you need a system that plays well with others so you can import and share files with minimal disruptions.
Box is easy to sync with existing apps, having built-in integrations for both Google and Microsoft Office right off the bat. Your Google account can be linked to your Box account at setup, too, for added simplicity.
Microsoft SharePoint works pretty seamlessly with Microsoft office. Your One Drive and Outlook can link directly to SharePoint for easy access. You can also opt to pair it with other tools, such as Google Drive or Gmail, almost as easily.
Both software options do very well here, making file sharing and uploading across tools simple. It’s a tie.
When working offline, the ability to sync makes using the software more intuitive and cuts down on the potential for lost data.
Box comes with a desktop app called Box sync that you can use offline to upload and download documents without logging in to Box via a browser. Changes made to documents on your desktop are automatically carried over to Box online as soon as it’s connected to the internet without you needing to do anything manually.
Microsoft SharePoint’s offline sync helps ensure that work done offline is transferred into the internal cloud database. Though there can be a bit of a lag time sometimes, it’s an overall convenient system for working on files on your desktop without going to the SharePoint site.
Both tools to sync documents work very well. Still, there can be some lag when updating entire team documents with Sharepoint, giving Box a slight edge.
Despite the name recognition of Microsoft, SharePoint simply isn’t as streamlined or intuitive as Box, making Box the overall winner. With a simple set up, a minimal-step approach to using it, and very affordable pricing, Box is going to be the best choice overall.
However, if your team is already deeply entrenched in a Microsoft workspace, or you need more customization and flexibility, SharePoint may be a better choice in the long run.
Rose Wheeler is a seasoned writer and content manager with more than 15 years of experience. She specializes in content related to digital marketing, small business, personal finance, and CMS. Her work has appeared on sites such as Selz, The Cheat Sheet, and Swaay. When she’s not working with her awesome clients, Rose enjoys cooking, playing games and curling up with a good book.
We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The Author and/or The Motley Fool may have an interest in companies mentioned.
The Ascent is a Motley Fool service that rates and reviews essential products for your everyday money matters.
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