Is Umbraco open source and what does that mean for my business?

Is Umbraco CMS open source software?

In a nutshell: yes. But what does this actually mean, and why is this a good thing for your business?

 

What is open source?

Open source software is software which is public. Anyone - from developers, to security experts, to your twice-removed cousins - can freely view and use it at no cost. This means that open source software - compared to “closed source” or “proprietary software” - is transparent, auditable and trustworthy. And the best part: it’s completely free of any licensing fees.

You might be surprised to know that many of the most popular products in the world, from the servers which run the Internet, to the software running on smartphones, are open source for precisely these reasons.

 

Best of both worlds

Whilst the core product itself is open source, this doesn’t mean that it’s unsupported. Umbraco is backed by a commercial entity called Umbraco HQ. They provide regular security patches and a clear roadmap for new features - so they’re trusted by global brands and household names. Take a look at some of the brands that we’ve helped make the move to Umbraco.

 

How does Umbraco being open source benefit my business?

 

Cost-effective

The core Umbraco CMS product is completely free of any licensing fees making it ideal for all budgets. You’re free to spend your budget on more important things that really add value to your business, and realise your Return On Investment quicker.

 

No vendor lock-in

Since Umbraco CMS is freely available to anyone, you can choose to develop and host it inhouse if you have the relevant expertise, or choose your favourite agency - such as Yoyo - to take care of these things for you. You also retain complete control of the data you put into the system so you don’t need to worry about the company going bust or unexpectedly raising their prices. 

With Umbraco, you own the solution. You can take your website and host it anywhere, with any agency. You are in control.

 

Flexible

The open source nature of Umbraco goes hand-in-hand with its reputation for flexibility. Having full access to the code means the freedom to integrate with any provider you want to and even change the bits of the system you don’t like. With Umbraco, you can choose to extend the functionality of your CMS with official and community add-ons from the Marketplace or to write your own from scratch.

 

Transparent and secure

With open source software, transparency means security. Unlike with offerings by “closed source” and “proprietary software” you don’t have to take their word for it when they say it’s secure; you can rest assured knowing that the code can be audited and verified by a global community of developers and security experts.

 

Ready to learn more?

We’re big believers that the best work comes from great partnerships. If you want to hear more, just reach out to the team and let's chat about how we can help your brand make a real impact.