Open Source Alternatives: Ditch Proprietary Software for Free

At KEYS GALAXY, we believe in providing fast and digital delivery of genuine software licenses. In the spirit of empowering users with choices, we explore open-source alternatives to popular proprietary software in this article.

Many of us have heard recommendations to replace Photoshop with GIMP or Microsoft Office with LibreOffice. While these are valid options, they are somewhat overplayed. What about other popular proprietary apps like Obsidian, Notion, Microsoft Teams, or Slack? Let’s dive into viable, free, and open-source alternatives.

Note-Taking and Knowledge Management

Obsidian vs. Logseq

Obsidian is a great tool with bi-directional linking, Markdown support, and a plugin ecosystem. However, it’s proprietary. KEYS GALAXY knows many users prefer open source software. Logseq, under the AGPL license, offers all the key features of Obsidian. It supports Markdown, has 150+ plugins, themes, mobile apps, linking, and knowledge graphs. You can create queries for tables based on links and data. Logseq is suitable for basic note-taking as well as complex workflows. Notes are stored as plain text, allowing sync using cloud storage of your choice. The app also features a whiteboard for organizing thoughts. While some features may not be identical, Logseq is an ideal alternative for most Obsidian users.

Notion vs. AppFlowy/Anytype

Notion is a visual workspace app for notes, to-do lists, boards, and wikis. While free, it is proprietary and lacks an official Linux version. If you’re looking for open-source alternatives, AppFlowy and Anytype are great choices.

AppFlowy is an open-source option, available on Linux via FlatHub. It allows you to create your own structure with pages, subpages, and various page types like calendars, boards, and documents. While it has fewer templates than Notion, it provides significant formatting options for text notes and supports AI for draft creation. However, it does not yet have mobile apps or full wiki capabilities.

Anytype is a more feature-rich open-source alternative that also supports Linux and mobile apps. It has a more complex interface than AppFlowy but offers a robust roadmap for the future. It supports all AppFlowy features and more. Anytype allows you to work offline or sync online via encrypted peer-to-peer syncing. If you’re heavily using Notion for involved workflows, Anytype is the better option.

Team Communication and Collaboration

Slack/Microsoft Teams vs. Mattermost

Many organizations impose the use of Slack or Microsoft Teams. However, if you have the decision-making power, Mattermost is a fully open-source alternative. Mattermost can be self-hosted via Docker and offers channels, threads, file sharing, screen sharing, and audio calls. It integrates with developer tools, has Markdown formatting, and archived messages with full history search. If self-hosting isn’t your preference, Mattermost offers paid plans with support and advanced features. The main difference from Slack is that Mattermost doesn’t include video calls by default. However, third-party tools like Jitsi can be integrated to add this functionality.

Project Management and Board-Based Tools

Trello vs. Focalboard

If you are using Trello for managing projects, Focalboard is a free and open-source alternative. You can either self-host it or use the personal app for Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. Focalboard includes templates for project planning, content strategy, and more. Features include real-time collaboration, comments on cards, mentions, and permissions. It supports board, list, calendar, and gallery views. Focalboard allows unlimited boards, custom attributes, backups, and file sharing. While it may lack some features like mobile apps and integrations, it remains a strong alternative to Trello.

PDF Editing and Management

Adobe Acrobat vs. Open Source Solutions

For PDF creation, any document app with an export feature will suffice. However, editing existing PDFs can be tricky. Tools like Inkscape or LibreOffice Draw can open PDFs, but this may disrupt formatting. If you have all the necessary fonts installed on your system, LibreOffice Draw can do a decent job of opening PDFs, however, text editing is not its strong suit. Often, the best solution is to edit the original document format or ask the sender for an editable version.

Code Editing and Development

Visual Studio Code vs. VSCodium

While Visual Studio Code is licensed under MIT, the binary from Microsoft includes telemetry and tracking. VSCodium provides an alternative which is built on VS Code’s open-source components, excluding tracking and proprietary parts. It maintains the same interface, features, and plugin compatibility but offers an open-source alternative. This makes VSCodium a no-brainer for most developers.

Additional Open Source Recommendations

Nextcloud

Nextcloud is a comprehensive open-source alternative to Google Workspace or Office 365. It handles file storage, sharing, collaboration, chat, and video calls. It integrates with open-source office suites like Collabora Online and OnlyOffice. It’s modular and gets frequent updates.

Thunderbird

If you are using Outlook for emails, consider Thunderbird, which offers a redesigned interface, handles tasks, calendars, and emails efficiently. It also integrates with exchange servers and other plugins.

At KEYS GALAXY, we are committed to providing you with the best software solutions. This includes exploring open source alternatives to commercial software. We hope that you have gained a valuable insight by reading this article.

Key Takeaways:

Keywords

Open Source, Software Alternatives, Obsidian, Logseq, Notion, AppFlowy, Anytype, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Mattermost, Trello, Focalboard, Adobe Acrobat, PDF Editor, Visual Studio Code, VSCodium, Nextcloud, Thunderbird, free software, digital licenses