What is “free software”?
What is “free software”?#
In open source, we use the term free software to mean:
Software that respects users’ freedom and community.
Users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change, and improve the software.
In short: Free software is a matter of liberty, not price.
These are some related terms you might hear:
libre software - A synonym of free software, borrowing the French or Spanish word for “free.”
nonfree or proprietary - The opposite of “free software,” meaning software in which the users don’t have any control or direct input.