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7 open-source apps I’d easily pay money for (because they’re that good) – December 2025

Author/Source: Jack Wallen / ZDNET See the full link here

Takeaway

This article highlights seven exceptionally high-quality open-source applications that are so good, the author would gladly pay for them despite them being free. It demonstrates that free and open-source software can compete with, and often surpass, proprietary alternatives in terms of features and reliability.

Technical Subject Understandability

Beginner

Analogy/Comparison

Think of it like a fantastic community garden where volunteers grow a wide variety of delicious fruits and vegetables, freely sharing their harvest with everyone. Even though you don’t have to pay for the produce, its quality is so exceptional that you’d be happy to contribute money to support the garden because you value what it provides.

Why It Matters

It matters because these applications offer powerful, free alternatives to expensive proprietary software, making professional-grade tools accessible to everyone. For instance, a small business or a student on a tight budget can use LibreOffice for documents and spreadsheets, GIMP for image editing, and Blender for 3D graphics without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars, allowing them to allocate resources elsewhere.

Related Terms

Open-source: Software with its source code freely available for anyone to view, modify, and distribute. Proprietary software: Software that is legally owned by an individual or company and typically requires a license fee to use. FOSS (Free and Open Source Software): An acronym for software that is both free (as in freedom and typically no cost) and open-source. GIMP: GNU Image Manipulation Program, a free and open-source raster graphics editor. Krita: A free and open-source raster graphics editor designed primarily for digital painting and animation. Blender: A free and open-source 3D computer graphics software toolset. VLC: A free and open-source portable cross-platform media player. Inkscape: A free and open-source vector graphics editor. LibreOffice: A free and open-source office suite. Thunderbird: A free and open-source email client.

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