HeyForm is open-source! But why?

HeyForm is excited to announce that we are officially going open-source! You might be wondering, "Why would a form builder go open-source?" Well, it's a decision grounded in our commitment to our users and our belief in the power of community-driven development.

In this article, we'll dive deep into why we made this choice, how it benefits you, and what our future plans entail.

Why Open-Source?

At HeyForm, our users are at the core of everything we do. We believe open-sourcing our software is the best way to align our goals with yours. By sharing our codebase, we offer full transparency, allowing you to understand exactly how our software works and even contribute to its development.

Open-source thrives on community collaboration. By embracing this model, we invite developers worldwide to contribute to HeyForm, accelerating growth and ensuring the software continuously adapts to user needs.

One of the biggest benefits of open-source software is customization. With HeyForm's open-source version, you can tailor the code to suit your specific requirements—whether by adding new features, enhancing existing ones, or integrating it with your tools. The possibilities are limitless!

How We Structured Our Open-Source Offering

The AGPL License

HeyForm is licensed under the Affero General Public License (AGPL), a well-known and respected open-source license. The AGPL ensures that our software remains open-source, even if it's modified and used over a network. This means that any changes made to HeyForm must be shared with the community, fostering a spirit of collaboration and innovation.

Balancing Free and Paid Features

We understand that we need to generate revenue to sustain our operations and continue improving HeyForm. That's why we've adopted a balanced approach, combining elements of both freemium and open-core models.

Freemium Cloud-Hosted Version

Our cloud-hosted version of HeyForm will offer additional features and services that are not available in the open-source version. This includes AI copilot, advanced integrations, premium support, and enhanced security features. By charging for these premium features, we can generate the revenue needed to maintain and improve both the free and paid versions of HeyForm.

Generous Open-Source Version

The open-source version of HeyForm will include all the core features you need to create engaging conversational forms, surveys, questionnaires, quizzes, and polls. We'll ensure that it's easy to run and well-documented, making it accessible to everyone, from individual developers to large organizations.

Why We Chose the AGPL License

Transparency and Trust

The AGPL license is widely recognized and understood, providing clarity on what users can and cannot do with our software. This transparency builds trust, reassuring our users that HeyForm will remain open-source and that their contributions will be respected.

Ensuring Longevity

By choosing the AGPL license, we ensure that HeyForm's open-source version will remain open-source forever. This means that even if HeyForm were to cease operations, the software would still be available for the community to use, modify, and distribute.

Protecting Our Work

The AGPL license disincentivizes competitors from copying our software and selling it as their own. If they were to do so, they would have to open-source all their changes, making it less attractive for them to profit from our work.

Our Open-Source Strategy

Increasing Our User Base

Making HeyForm open-source lowers the barrier to entry, allowing more people to use and benefit from our software. Users can easily clone the repository, run a single command, and start creating forms without any financial commitment. This broader user base increases our visibility and helps us grow.

Enhancing Activation and Retention Rates

By allowing users to run HeyForm locally, we address concerns about data security and privacy. Users can test the software with their own data, behind their firewall, without needing to connect to the internet. This approach improves activation rates, leading to higher retention and more valuable feedback.

Crowdsourcing Innovation

Open-source development fosters innovation by allowing users to contribute new features, fix bugs, and suggest improvements. This collaborative effort results in a better product that evolves based on real user needs and experiences.

Building a Strong Community

A vibrant open-source community can provide invaluable support, from answering user questions to contributing code. This collective knowledge and experience make HeyForm more robust, reliable, and user-friendly.

What We Will Do

Maintain Transparency

We are committed to being transparent about our intentions, strategy, and roadmap. By openly sharing our plans and progress, we build trust with our users and foster a collaborative environment.

Provide Ongoing Support

We will continue to maintain and improve the open-source version of HeyForm. Our goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem where both the free and paid versions of HeyForm thrive, benefiting everyone involved.

Encourage Contributions

We actively encourage contributions from the community. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a newcomer, your input is valuable. Together, we can make HeyForm the best form builder available.

What We Will Not Do

Change the License

We will not change the license of the open-source version of HeyForm. The AGPL license ensures that our software remains open-source, and we are committed to upholding this principle.

Neglect the Open-Source Version

The open-source version of HeyForm is a core part of our strategy. We will not abandon it in favor of the paid version. Both versions will receive regular updates and improvements.

Compromise on Quality

We will not compromise the quality of our software to generate revenue. Our commitment to providing a high-quality, user-friendly form builder remains steadfast, regardless of our open-source or paid offerings.

Conclusion

Going open-source is a significant milestone for HeyForm, one that aligns with our values of transparency, collaboration, and user-centric development. By opening our codebase, we invite you to join us on this journey, contributing to and benefiting from a powerful, flexible, and community-driven form builder.

So, why not give HeyForm a try? Whether you're a developer looking to customize your forms or a business seeking a reliable form builder, HeyForm has something to offer. Dive into our open-source repository, explore our features, and become a part of our growing community. Together, we can create something truly remarkable.

FAQs

1. What is HeyForm?

HeyForm is an open-source, no-code form builder that allows users to create engaging conversational forms, surveys, questionnaires, quizzes, and polls without any coding skills.

2. Why did HeyForm go open-source?

HeyForm went open-source to foster community collaboration, increase transparency, and provide users with the flexibility to customize and improve the software.

3. What license is HeyForm using?

HeyForm is licensed under the Affero General Public License (AGPL), which ensures that the software remains open-source and transparent.

4. What are the differences between the open-source and cloud-hosted versions of HeyForm?

The open-source version includes all core features needed to create forms, while the cloud-hosted version offers additional premium features, integrations, and enhanced support for larger organizations.

5. How can I contribute to HeyForm?

You can contribute to HeyForm by cloning our repository on GitHub, making improvements or adding new features, and submitting pull requests. We welcome contributions from developers of all skill levels.