I have a problem with purchasing subscriptions to things I think I need instead of using free business software.
This is not wise for small business owners.
I did my taxes early this year because I wanted to get my post-COVID stimulus money as soon as possible.
In the process, I realized that my overhead was way higher than it should be.
Embarrassingly high.
I won’t mention how much, but I will say: I am spending way too much money on my copywriting side business when it’s not taking in as much.
I’m in the red this year, and it’s because of too many software subscriptions.
(And I guess I need to take on more clients.)
Researching Open Source software, I found that almost everything small businesses need can be done for free.
It doesn’t even take a lot of extra work.
Aside from the slight adjustment from one software to another.
Usually, with Open Source software, it’s not even much different from the paid alternative it’s imitating.
I’m also going to mention a few free software options that are not Open Source.
Here are some of my favorite free and Open Source business tools that are saving me money.
What is Open Source? What does it mean?
Open Source software is any software where the programming code is available for anyone to use for any reason.
Open Source software is “free” as in “free speech.”
Most of the time, it’s also “free” as in “free beer.”
You don’t have to worry about dealing with any of the code.
You don’t have to be a programmer to use most Open Source software.
None of the software I’m sharing in this guide requires technical proficiency above what you should already have.
If you have the technical prowess to navigate to and read this blog post, you can use the software I’m sharing with you.
Free Business Accounting Software
GnuCash is said to do one thing, and one thing well: accounting.
A couple years ago I wrote a post about how I use a pretty simple spreadsheet to manage my finances.
I have replaced that spreadsheet with GnuCash.
My favorite thing about GnuCash is that it can be as simple or as complicated as you need.
I’ve met a few AIBD members who seem to be masters of accounting. They will find this software useful.
But if you’re anything like me, you like to keep it stupid simple.
You will also find this software useful.
The more popular paid alternatives are Quickbooks and Zoho Books.
Image Editing
Best Open Source Image Editing Software for PC – Glimpse
Glimpse comes from another Open Source software, the GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), and has a lot of improvements.
GIMP is great in it’s own right, and it’s mentioned below for Mac because Glimpse is not yet available on Apple’s platform.
Glimpse and GIMP are more focused on photo editing, but you can really do any sort of image editing in them.
They are a bit limited as far as creating and editing vector images, but the solution to that is Inkscape (mentioned later on).
The paid alternative to Glimpse and GIMP is Adobe Photoshop, which is \$20.99 per month subscription like any other single Adobe software subscription.
Best Open Source Image Editing Software for Mac – GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP)
As stated above, GIMP is the best Open Source image editing software for Mac OS X.
Glimpse would be, if it were available on Mac.
But GIMP can hold its own without any issues.
If you’ve worked in Photoshop, you’ll find GIMP familiar.
Image Creation (Logos, etc)
If you need to create any sort of vector art, like logos, designs, or illustrations, the go-to for paid software is Adobe Illustrator (\$20.99 per month subscription).
However, there is a free and Open Source software that I prefer anyway, called Inkscape.
I find it as powerful as Illustrator and easier to use.
Plus, it works on Windows PC, Mac, and Linux.
It’s a super powerful image creation program and has been used by lots of professionals across various industries.
Software like Inkscape makes me wonder why I ever paid to use something else.
Digital Painting
If you’re creating any of your own custom assets that match your own art style, you probably find yourself doing some digital painting.
Adobe Photoshop has been a professional go-to for this for a while, and there’s also Affinity Designer (\$50 one time fee).
For free and Open Source, Krita is the best you can get.
Aside from having everything you need for digital painting, the website also provides fantastic training to get you up and running with the software very quickly.
Video Editing
Best Open Source Video Editing Software for PC – Kdenlive
If you’re using a Windows PC (or Linux), and you want something simple to use, I highly recommend Kdenlive.
As far as Open Source video editing software goes, Kdenlive is the one that most closely resembles paid professional software such as Apple’s Final Cut Pro (\$299.99 one time fee), Adobe’s Premier Pro (\$20.00/mo subscription), and Blackmagic Designs’s DaVinci Resolve (\$0 – \$295 one time fee).
Best Open Source Video Editing Software for Mac – OpenShot
I’ve been able to get a lot done very quickly with OpenShot.
It runs fast, exports in a reasonable time, and editing basic videos is quick and simple.
I recommend OpenShot as the best Mac Open Source video editing software because it is really the only good option for Mac if you’re going Open Source.
Kdenlive isn’t available on Mac (yet), otherwise that’s what I would recommend..
OpenShot also isn’t great for Windows PC because, as many reviewers on AlternativeTo said, it seems to crash a lot on Windows.
I haven’t had any issues with it on Mac.
Best Free Video Editing Software (Closed Source) for PC and Mac – DaVinci Resolve
Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve has been used to edit at least one movie you’ve seen in the last year.
And it’s free.
Of course, the movies you’re seeing are using the paid version, which is still only \$300. Not bad.
The reason I mention this software last, despite being the most powerful, is because it’s also the most complicated.
If you’re just a small business owner creating your own content for YouTube and social media, this is far more powerful and complicated than anything you need.
But if you’re really serious about your video production, this is the best free video editing software you can get.
Audio Editing
It seems like everyone has a podcast these days, and you probably should, too.
There’s only one software to mention for free audio editing: Audacity.
Audacity is the best across the board, between free and Open Source, Mac, Windows PC, and Linux.
It is completely free, continuously updated with new features, easy to use, and has everything you need to record and edit audio.
It is the go-to for many podcasters.
As a building designer, I don’t know how much music you’re producing for your business, but it can do that too.
The most common paid audio editor is Adobe’s Audition, which has a \$20.99 per month subscription.
Free Video Conferencing Software
A lot of our members are really into Zoom these days.
Personally, I never liked Zoom.
Early in 2020 they had some serious security flaws.
Plus, their free plan has limits that I found unsatisfactory.
And I was unwilling to upgrade to the paid version (starting at \$149.90/year/license).
That’s why I’ve been a big fan of Jitsi Meet.
The free version of Jitsi Meet allows up to 100 people in a meeting, for free, forever.
No time limit on your meetings, either.
Everything is end-to-end encrypted for safety and security.
One of my favorite things is multiple participants can share their screens at the same time.
Obviously it’s annoying to have a bunch of them up at once, but having 2 up to compare something is extremely useful.
And as all video conference softwares need, it has a mobile app available on both iOS and Android.
Website
Unless you’re comfortable with some level of technical involvement in your site, there are no good options for website hosting and domain names.
You will have to pay for hosting, and you will have to pay for your domain name.
But, you don’t have to pay for the website software itself.
WordPress, and it doesn’t matter whether you have a Windows PC, Apple Mac, or Linux computer. It runs on everything.
All AIBD websites run on WordPress (hosted and maintained by Homelink Computer Services).
Most of my personal sites run WordPress, too. The ones that don’t are running a static site generator, which is also free and Open Source, but more technical than this blogpost needs to get into.
Free Building Design Software: CAD and BIM
I’m not a building designer and that’s mostly because software like Autodesk Revit (\$2,545 per year subscription) and SoftPlan (\$2,585 one time fee, or $95 per month subscription) cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars.
There are also some other more affordable alternatives than Revit, but between the cost of the software, plus the cost of training to learn to be a building disigner, it’s just not feasible for most people.
And that’s why I personally believe there are so few young people in our industry.
Thankfully, there are people working on a free Open Source software called FreeCAD.
FreeCAD is mostly used by people building 3D models for their 3D printers.
But, it has everything one needs to start designing buildings.
It even integrates with BIM Workbench (AKA Arch Workbench) to integrate BIM.
Reviews say that it’s only as complicated as any other CAD software, so there’s going to be a learning curve.
Software like FreeCAD, with the other mentioned free and Open Source software, and AIBD’s dedication to protecting building designers, we could have more young people entering the industry.
We just need to get the word out that they can get this software for free.
They can start learning for free.
And they don’t need an architectural license or degree to start designing homes today.
If this is something that interests you, contact us and ask how you can get involved.
Images via:
- Leon on Unsplash
- Mimi Thian on Unsplash