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by RandomBK 4131 days ago
Have you considered a hybrid of the two models? Have an open source framework, but build and sell closed source components?

I tend to find that business customers require a mixture of generic services and custom software. You can offer a basic set of functionality as open source, but sell customization or niche components.

1 comments

I was thinking on making it all GPL, and sell services/support, so that enterprises could use it internally or externally on GPLed software, but when they needed to build closed source external software, they'd buy a license.

There is a problem with GPL though: we cannot sell licenses if we merge in other contributors code, because we wouldn't have the copyright to license that under another license other than GPL. That wouldn't be a problem if we never accept contributions.

We could also sell support, consulting, build up entire software solutions... the problem then is time. At this moment there is only me and a friend in the project.