Harold Mansfield
04-16-2018, 10:32 AM
Starting a business is expensive. Many people don't account for the cost of all the tools and software needed to run a daily operation or how easy it is to get nickle and dimed to death.
I'm compiling a list of some of my favorite free or open source tools that I use or have used over the years that have worked just fine and saved me money over purchasing or subscribing to more expensive options. Suggestions are welcomed.
Free software
Free software is software that comes with permission for anyone to use, copy and distribute, either verbatim or with modifications, either gratis or for a fee.
Open source software
Open source software is software with its source code made available under a certain license to its licensees. It can be used and disseminated at any point, the source code is open and can be modified as required. The Linux operating system is one of the best known examples of a collection of open source software.
Accounting & Finance
GnuCash (https://www.gnucash.org/) - Personal and small-business financial-accounting software.
InvoicePlane (https://invoiceplane.com/) - A self-hosted open source application for managing your quotes, invoices, clients and payments.
Simple Invoice (http://www.simpleinvoices.org/) - Web based invoicing developed by the community, for the community.
Design & Development
Blender (https://www.blender.org/download/)- Free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.
FreeCAD (https://www.freecadweb.org/)- Open source 3D CAD software.
GIMP (https://www.gimp.org/) - Image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more operating systems.
Inkscape (https://inkscape.org/en/) - Open-source vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand, or Xara X.
LibreCad (http://librecad.org/cms/home.html) - Open source 2D CAD software.
Scribus (https://www.scribus.net/)- A page layout program for Linux, FreeBSD, PC-BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OpenIndiana, Debian GNU/Hurd, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp 4, eComStation, Haiku and Windows. S
Operating Systems
Productivity
Google Docs (https://www.google.com/docs/about/) - Productivity suite which included Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms, & Google Slides
Open Office (https://www.openoffice.org/) -Free and open productivity suite from the Apache Software Foundation. Compatible with MS Office.
Security
Let's Encrypt (Free SSL./TLS) (https://letsencrypt.org/) - Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA), run for the public’s benefit.
I'm compiling a list of some of my favorite free or open source tools that I use or have used over the years that have worked just fine and saved me money over purchasing or subscribing to more expensive options. Suggestions are welcomed.
Free software
Free software is software that comes with permission for anyone to use, copy and distribute, either verbatim or with modifications, either gratis or for a fee.
Open source software
Open source software is software with its source code made available under a certain license to its licensees. It can be used and disseminated at any point, the source code is open and can be modified as required. The Linux operating system is one of the best known examples of a collection of open source software.
Accounting & Finance
GnuCash (https://www.gnucash.org/) - Personal and small-business financial-accounting software.
InvoicePlane (https://invoiceplane.com/) - A self-hosted open source application for managing your quotes, invoices, clients and payments.
Simple Invoice (http://www.simpleinvoices.org/) - Web based invoicing developed by the community, for the community.
Design & Development
Blender (https://www.blender.org/download/)- Free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.
FreeCAD (https://www.freecadweb.org/)- Open source 3D CAD software.
GIMP (https://www.gimp.org/) - Image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more operating systems.
Inkscape (https://inkscape.org/en/) - Open-source vector graphics editor similar to Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Freehand, or Xara X.
LibreCad (http://librecad.org/cms/home.html) - Open source 2D CAD software.
Scribus (https://www.scribus.net/)- A page layout program for Linux, FreeBSD, PC-BSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, OpenIndiana, Debian GNU/Hurd, Mac OS X, OS/2 Warp 4, eComStation, Haiku and Windows. S
Operating Systems
Productivity
Google Docs (https://www.google.com/docs/about/) - Productivity suite which included Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms, & Google Slides
Open Office (https://www.openoffice.org/) -Free and open productivity suite from the Apache Software Foundation. Compatible with MS Office.
Security
Let's Encrypt (Free SSL./TLS) (https://letsencrypt.org/) - Let’s Encrypt is a free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA), run for the public’s benefit.