Open Source vs. Premium - Which should you choose?

It’s a common occurance. You’ll see a new person pop up on the user forums of your favorite open source project trying to figure out a way to solve their problem. But unfortunately, they know very little about the project and how it works, and lack the requisite skills to get the problem resolved. Thing is, they’re using an open source product that’s geared toward experienced users and developers, and they’re stumbling through how to fix their problem.

This is an issue for so many micro-entrepreneurs these days who have somehow come to the conclusion that just because they can get a "free" copy of WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, or any other open source platform that they can then install it, and it will be easy to do what they want. While some things will definitely be easy, others are not. Such is the dilemma of many who often end up discouraged with their internet efforts.

So the question is, when should you go the open source route, and when should you choose a premium platform?

Open Source

Open source platforms assume a basic level of knowledge. You need to understand some basic things about web technology and how to use it. While WordPress does a great job of making it easier for entry level users to use the platform, there are still things that you need to know about its strengths, weaknesses, limitations and capabilities. Same thing goes with other popular open source platforms like Drupal, Joomla, OSCommerce, and ZenCart. It's also helpful to know about their open source license so you can know what to expect regarding contributed content, third party plugins and themes.

You need to to know how to write HTML code and be at the very least familiar with CSS. “Why” you may ask? Well, because it may be that at some time you need to be able to be able to work with your content in its raw, coded form and if you’re not familiar with how to clean it up and correct it you could end up with something that looks questionable. You don’t need to know how to program PHP or write MySQL queries but you should at least know that your blog will almost certainly be using those technologies.

If you've got the time and motivation to learn the platform - whichever it is that you choose - then going the open source route would be a good idea. Keep this in mind regarding "free"/open-source projects: Free doesn't mean without cost. However, if you don't have the time - or desire - to learn the platform then you are best suited using a premium supported platform like Expression Engine, SquareSpace, DrupalGardens or Perch.

Premium Platforms

If you think you need a bit more help and don't want to get bogged down in the details then I suggest going with a premium platform like Expression Engine, SquareSpace, DrupalGardens or Perch. These all will do the very same thing that you want to do which is get a website up and running for you. These are all premium, paid platforms and with that kind of product comes a certain level of expectation regarding performance and support that may not be there with open-source platforms. If you're using beta (or previous alpha, or dev) versions of open source plugins or modules - which are never recommended for live production sites - there can be vulnerabilities and performance gaps that are much less common with premium products.

The biggest plus comes with the quality and timeliness of support. All of them offer premium support which is a huge plus when it comes to solving problems with your website. With a premium platform you’re not on your own, but instead are supported by the same folks who developed it originally. As with the previously mentioned open source projects you will have user forums to find help on your own, but being able to submit a support ticket for your particular issue with a reasonable expectation of an appropriate, and timely answer can sometimes make all the difference in the world.

E-commerce - Open Source vs. Premium

Even more important are premium platforms when it comes to e-commerce. Open source e-commerce is no place for the inexperienced or unfamiliar. Open source platforms can be incredibly challenging to learn and work with. If you’re not a programmer, or your not intimately familiar with the platform already, I’d suggest that you stay clear. There are plenty of reasonably priced premium platforms available like Volusion, Shopify, and BigCommerce that can take a lot of time and worry out of creating your web store where all you have to worry about is your products and the theme (for which you might consider hiring a designer or using a premium third party theme). When it comes to smaller e-commerce projects, spend a little money and go with one of the premium platforms and leave the hard-core stuff (security, programming, theming) to the professionals.

So think carefully before you rush out to go download the latest version of WordPress and install it on your account. There is a lot to take in to consideration and despite what some people think , WordPress is no the answer for all websites.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments below!