I think it’s safe to venture that most of the people reading this pay for some sort of software solution. If you’re a designer, a photographer, or a film-maker, you probably pay for Adobe. If you’re an Engineer you probably pay for Fusion 360, something by Autodesk, or for Solidworks. If you’re in any sort of business you probably pay for some Microsoft application. Whether your company pays for it, or you pay for it, you are likely involved in the trade of software. If you’re involved in this trade, you no longer own your skill-set, your expertise, or your experience, but a company does.
Long before I got into programming or using any of this software, I was of the belief that this was a necessary evil. It sucks that I have to pay for these items, but they need the money to maintain them, right? Having gone through the development cycle, while that is not necessarily untrue, it is for the most part something that companies have tried to convince us of. If you need evidence, look into the plethora of free software that is well maintained despite that,
And there’s a lot more examples where that came from. The point is, it is not impossible to make a program without charging users for it. The programs I listed aren’t even without sophistication; Blender for instance implements a very sophisticated and industry standard 3D renderer1. No matter what kind of program you are making, you can make it free for anyone to use, and it will still hold up. In fact, most of these programs are perceived as better than their paid alternatives.
So, if it is possible to make software available for free, why isn’t everyone doing this? I don’t think I have to tell anyone this, but it comes down to profits. You can make software for free in a sustainable way, but not often in a way that generates any profit. Most of these programs are made by non-profit organizations that simply work to maintain a pool of contributors, which may or may not be paid, as they all work together to make a product that can benefit all of us. While I do think we’d be better off if every company was non-profit, we’re pretty much locked in a system that encourages that. So, as always, the problem comes down to greed.
You may be asking, if other companies get to charge for their products, why don’t software companies? The problem is that once a company charges you to run their software, they own your workflow. Want to improve your resume while you’re in between jobs? Want to work on projects in college that will make you a better candidate once you graduate? Want to just make something for the hell of it? Companies want you to pay industry pricing, and if you’re not willing to pay, go learn some other software instead of mastering what you know. While I’m not against the idea of making companies pay for commercial licenses, no average person should have to pay those same prices. It hurts the people who use the software and it hurts those who might have been interested in getting into a new hobby but who feel blocked by a pay wall.
So, what’s the solution? Greedy corporations aren’t just going to change their bottom line overnight. The best way to combat this problem is to work around it. Go out of your way to avoid learning, and using, paid software; chances are, there is an alternative, and it’s probably better than the thing your were going to pay for. More importantly, though, try to support these projects whenever you can. A lot of free software is open source, and simply maintained by a bunch of people who like working on it in their spare time. If you are a developer, try contributing to the cause; if you use the software yourself, you will be better at contributing to it. However, even if you are not a developer there are still ways to help. Lots of these projects need help maintaining their documentation, tutorials, and learning resources. With enough experience you can help teach others how to use your favorite free software and make it more available to others just starting out. If you have some money to spare, some projects do accept donations. I know I just went on about how you shouldn’t pay for software2, but if you think something is so good it deserves compensation then go ahead and support the creators. Lastly, never forget, you can always pirate something.
Check out the movie Flow to see just how well it is able to operate first hand. This movie was able to win an Academy Award, all while being produced entirely using free software. If Blender can do that, it can do anything. ↩
I should mention, that I do like the payment optional way of doing things. I’m always ready to support a project if I feel that it deserves some money, but I always believe it should be free upfront. Furthermore, the thing I most despise is subscription models. Paying for a lifetime license still sucks but it’s better than paying for the rest of your life. ↩