How to Evaluate Open Source Tools for Your Team

Open source software can provide immense value to your organization—if you choose the right tools. With numerous options available, it’s easy to become overwhelmed or feel like you have to settle for a platform that doesn’t quite meet your needs.

Whether you’re adopting open source technology for the first time or reassessing your current tools, a thoughtful evaluation process can help your team avoid costly setbacks and make smarter, more strategic choices. Here are four questions you should ask yourself when evaluating open source technology:

1. Is the license compatible with your goals?

The critical first step is ensuring the software’s license aligns with your intended use. This is especially important if you’re building a product, embedding open source into a commercial solution, or modifying the source code. Permissive licenses, such as MIT, BSD, and Apache 2.0, offer fewer restrictions and are typically a safer bet for commercial scalability.

A compatible license not only ensures legal peace of mind but also gives you the freedom to build, modify, and distribute without unexpected roadblocks.

2. Does it do what you need?

While it may seem obvious, it’s an important question to ask yourself: Does the tool solve your problem? Review its features, performance benchmarks, and user success stories. If the software doesn’t do exactly what you need, the next question is: Can you make it work for you? Some platforms are designed to be extensible, while others may be more rigid. If modification is required, assess whether your team has the technical skills and time to implement those changes or whether you’ll need outside help.

Even the most advanced tool can slow progress if it doesn’t align with your existing infrastructure. Choosing software that plays well with your current systems reduces setup time, avoids integration headaches, and lets your team focus on building rather than troubleshooting. Compatibility is key to ensuring stability and efficiency across your workflows.

3. Is it sustainable?

Sustainability is often overlooked, but it’s one of the most important aspects of choosing an open source solution. You’re not just evaluating what the tool can do today, but whether it will continue to evolve and be supported tomorrow. If the original developers stopped maintaining this project, would your team be able—or willing—to take it over?

Your project might start small, but it won’t necessarily stay that way. A scalable and flexible tool also ensures your investment continues to pay off as your data grows, your team expands, or your objectives evolve. Platforms that can handle increased complexity or volume help you avoid technical roadblocks and future rebuilds.

Sustainability includes:

• Documentation that’s up-to-date and easy to follow
• Automated testing and CI/CD pipelines that reduce the risk of regressions
• An active and diverse community of contributors and maintainers
• Transparent development practices and regular releases

For a deeper dive into how to assess sustainability across documentation, community health, and long-term risks, check out our Software Sustainability Matrix framework. We also outline a method for assigning a sustainability score to open source projects in this follow-up article, using the SSM framework as a guide.

4. How does it compare to commercially licensed tools?

It is important to understand how the open source tools you’re evaluating compare to what’s available as commercially licensed software. For example, a licensed product might help you prototype quickly, but can become prohibitively expensive as usage increases. This is because open source tools come with a different cost structure than proprietary software, allowing you to scale your usage without increasing fees or facing restrictive deployment terms. This is a key reason why companies like Google, Amazon, and other tech leaders rely heavily on open source stacks and internal customizations.

While both commercially licensed and open source solutions will require investment in training, support, and integration, open source technology enables massive scaling and product flexibility without compounding licensing costs. If the software is core to your product or service offering, open source is often the better long-term strategy.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Open source software can offer tremendous value, but choosing the right solution takes careful consideration. Take the time to properly evaluate your options, weigh the pros and cons, and think beyond short-term needs. And don’t be afraid to ask for help—bringing in the right expertise early on can save time, reduce risk, and set your project up for long-term success.

With decades of experience developing and supporting open source software, Kitware has helped organizations across industries navigate these decisions with confidence. If you’re exploring open source options and want expert guidance tailored to your goals, we’re here to help.