What is open-source software?

Open-source software is provided under a licence granting rights to use, modify and redistribute it, alongside access to source code. Code merely being visible online is insufficient. The licence establishes rights and obligations.

Are free-of-charge software and open-source licensing the same?

A product may cost nothing to use while keeping its source closed. Open-source offerings can charge for support, hosting or enterprise services. Some licences require preserved notices; others impose additional conditions such as sharing source for distributed derivatives. Combining or distributing code therefore requires evaluating licence compatibility. Being able to download a file does not automatically grant unrestricted rights to resell it or claim ownership. The applicable version and components matter as well as the licence name.

How should community, security and maintenance be assessed?

Inspectable source supports independent review without guaranteeing that every line has been reviewed. Update activity, responses to issues, continuity of maintainers and dependencies matter. Community projects may govern decisions differently from a single company, and a fork can establish a separate development branch whose reliability still requires evaluation. Open source does not remove responsibility for backups, access control or security updates. A free download and low long-term operating costs are also different things.