58 Open Source Replacements for Commercial Communications Apps

Many years ago when Datamation first starting making lists of open source software, we sometimes found it tough to come up with 50 or even 25 quality apps in a particular category. Now it's more often the case that we have so many good candidates that we leave some of the slightly less mature options off.

That's certainly the case when it comes to open source communications software. We found literally hundreds of open source apps designed to help users communicate via audio, text, or video. We narrowed it down by picking the apps that offer the most viable alternatives to popular commercial communications tools.

The apps that remain give you a good idea of the depth and quality of open source communication apps available today. The list includes options aimed at individuals, small businesses and large enterprises, and it runs the gamut from blogging software to e-mail/groupware solutions to Web page design.

So without further ado, here are 58 open source replacements for popular commercial communications software:

Blogging

1) WordPress Replaces: TypePad Used by more than 25 million people, WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms available. It installs in just minutes and is easy enough for almost anyone to use. Operating System: OS Independent

2) MovableType Replaces: TypePad Formerly available under a commercial license, MovableType shares a lot of code with TypePad. In addition to blogging, it also includes some basic content management and social networking features. Operating System: OS Independent

3) LifeType Replaces: TypePad "Bloggers love it, administrators love it, geeks need it," proclaims the LifeType Web site. This multi-user blogging platform is suitable for large organizations and includes built-in spam filtering, integrated media management and mobile features. Operating System: OS Independent

Browsers

4) Firefox Replaces: Internet Explorer While both Firefox and IE are free, Firefox boasts better security, faster performance and more personalization capabilities. And according to NetApplications, about a quarter of all people browsing the Internet use Firefox. Operating System: Windows, Linux, OS X

5) K-Meleon Replaces: Internet Explorer Based on the same engine used by Firefox, K-Meleon offers speed, tabbed browsing, enhanced security, and a lot of customization features, including the ability to use IE Favorites, an Opera Hotlist, and/or Firefox bookmarks. The latest version adds better support for Windows 7. Operating System: Windows

Content Management and Wikis

6) Drupal Sitecore CMS, Kentico One of the best known open source Web CMS apps, Drupal includes modules for e-commerce, blogs, collaborative authoring, forums, newsletters, podcasts and more. It's list of users includes Fast Company, Popular Science, Yahoo! Research, MTV UK and many others. Operating System: OS Independent

7) Joomla Replaces: Sitecore CMS, Kentico Individuals and organizations download this extremely popular application an average of 20,000 times per day. Key features include user-based permissions, multi-language support, banner ad management, contact management, polls, syndication and newsfeed integration, integrated help and more. Operating System: OS Independent

8) Alfresco Replaces: SharePoint, Documentum, Open Text This enterprise-class content management system claims it can reduce your costs up to 96 percent compared to SharePoint, Documentum and Open Text. It includes document management, Web content management, records management and collaboration features. Operating System: Windows, Linux

9) DokuWiki Replaces: Confluence, SamePage This simplicity of this Wiki tool makes it a good choice for small organizations. It also includes a helpful Wizard to help you find the right wiki software for you. Operating System: OS Independent

10) Get Simple Replaces: Sitecore CMS, Kentico Another good option for smaller organizations, Get Simple boasts great security and usability. It's a "lite" XML-based CMS, that can be installed in just five minutes, without the need for a separate database. Operating System: Linux

11) Liferay Replaces: SharePoint, Open Text This enterprise portal creation tool includes built-in content management, collaboration and social networking features. It aims to be user-, business-, and developer-friendly. Operating System: OS Independent

12) Magnolia Replaces: SharePoint, Sitecore CMS, Kentico With a user list that features both governments and Fortune 500 companies, Magnolia is used in more than 100 countries and every continent. In addition to the free community edition, it's also available in fee-based Standard and Pro Enterprise editions. Operating System: Windows, Linux

13) MediaWiki Replaces: Confluence, SamePage Best known as Wikipedia's software, MediaWiki offers a very familiar interface to end users. It's really a tool for large organizations, as it was designed to run on a large server farm and requires some technical knowhow to set up. Operating System: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS X

14) MindTouch Replaces: Sharepoint, IBM Lotus Hailed as the "leading open source collaboration platform" by Forrester Research, MindTouch offers a true alternative to SharePoint and Lotus. In addition to the open source "Core" product, the company offers a variety of fee-based content management solutions, including an SaaS version. Operating System: Windows, Linux

15) Owl Intranet Knowledgebase Replaces: nGen Knowledgebase, Interspire Knowledge Manager While it offers multi-user capabilities suitable for enterprise operations, the Owl Knowledgebase is ideal for small groups and can even be used by individuals who want to publish their documents on the Web. It's also available in an "ultralite" version which doesn't require a separate database. Operating System: Windows, Linux