# Is Manager Software Open Source? **URL:** \ **Category:** Uncategorized\ **Created:** [January 13, 2021, 9:53am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561 "2021-01-13T09:53:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![snapstoit](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/snapstoit/32/28865_2.png) [@snapstoit](https://forum.manager.io/u/snapstoit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 9:53am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/1 "2021-01-13T09:53:55Z")
Hi, What scripting languages is your software built on and does it have an api etc for it be utilised with other platforms? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://forum.manager.io/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2021, 9:56am UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/2 "2021-01-13T09:56:31Z")
No it is not open source. Scripting is supported, via customisation - **Custom Fields:** [Use custom fields](https://www.manager.io/guides/8941) | [Add an image to a custom field](https://www.manager.io/guides/16188) | [Add custom fields for individual line items](https://www.manager.io/guides/10411) | [Move a custom field on transaction forms](https://www.manager.io/guides/17100) - **Themes:** [Change the look of forms with themes](https://www.manager.io/guides/10366) | [Customize themes](https://www.manager.io/guides/10368) and Batch operations - **Batch Operations:** [Use Batch Create and Batch Update functions](https://www.manager.io/guides/9572) | [Use the Batch Delete function](https://www.manager.io/guides/16464) For more advanced customization search for localisation > [@How to implement country-specific report in Manager](https://forum.manager.io/t/how-to-implement-country-specific-report-in-manager/30543): > > Manager includes programming framework which allows to create variety of highly-customizable reports. This framework is primarily used to implement country-specific reports. Currently, Manager includes [9 country-specific reports](https://www.manager.io/localizations/) but there are almost 200 countries and every country has several country-specific reports which businesses require. The goal of this framework is to allow community from around the world to author and submit these reports so they can be merged with the program (just li… An overview of the prior iteration is described here [Localisation: GST/VAT worksheet programming guide](https://forum.manager.io/t/localisation-gst-vat-worksheet-programming-guide/23644) Manager has an API, search for API on the forum [Search results for 'Api' - Manager Forum](https://forum.manager.io/search?q=Api) ---
**Author:** ![Xerus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/xerus/32/51927_2.png) [@Xerus](https://forum.manager.io/u/Xerus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 1:58pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/3 "2024-09-26T13:58:31Z")
A lot of threads have been opened to ask about open source, and I never found a reason why it is not - the cloud hosting is not impeded by it, and with an appropriate license you could also prevent others from making a competing offering but enable people to customize. Without open-source this software is immediately eliminated from the pool of considered software for our business network. ---
**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/4 "2024-09-26T15:08:31Z")
> [@Xerus](#): > > A lot of threads have been opened to ask about open source It is up to any developer of software to decide if it is proprietary or open-source. Microsoft, Apple, Quickbooks, Sage, etc all decided to be proprietary as did the Developer of Manager. Any such proprietor can decide on license fees. So for Cloud and Server these attract license fees and we all benefit from the free desktop version which code is almost 100% the same as Cloud and Server and if open-source would be easy to fork and transform to Cloud and Server versions by those without paying for the significant Intellectual Property. > [@Xerus](#): > > Without open-source this software is immediately eliminated from the pool of considered software for our business network. You are free to choose whatever you prefer. No-one is forced to use proprietary software and there are some good open-source accounting applications available that you can pick. ---
**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2024, 3:15pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/5 "2024-09-26T15:15:05Z")
You can also look at earlier posts on the forum such as: > [@Legality of manager](https://forum.manager.io/t/legality-of-manager/38987/5): > > As per my post it is Proprietary licensed. It follows the idea that the Developer / Company creates software and maintains control over its code, and therefore, its features and use. Update: From sites like [Software Licensing: Proprietary and Free and Open-Source Licenses - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com](https://study.com/academy/lesson/software-licensing-proprietary-and-free-and-open-source-licenses.html) one can learn that Proprietary software consists of software that is licensed by the copyright holder under very specific conditions. In general, you can use the software, but you are n… > [@Dedicated support for purchased manager.io](https://forum.manager.io/t/dedicated-support-for-purchased-manager-io/44837/17): > > All of that comes at a cost. But the purpose of this forum is not to debate NGSoftware’s business model. The simple fact is, dedicated service is not currently offered. > [@IT Audit on cloud edition](https://forum.manager.io/t/it-audit-on-cloud-edition/49499/3): > > Manager is proprietary software not community owned. Your Auditor is free to test the system as it is. No one other that the software owners are entitled to access the internal operation of the software. What was the auditor intending to test. From my experience user set up errors are far more common than inherent software errors.Both are best tested in simple test Manager businesses. ---
**Author:** ![Xerus](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/xerus/32/51927_2.png) [@Xerus](https://forum.manager.io/u/Xerus)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/6 "2024-09-28T14:49:29Z")
I understand those points, I am just adding a voice to the choir of putting the source code out there. Of course they can choose, but I do not see any downside yet I do see upsides. > if open-source would be easy to fork and transform to Cloud and Server versions by those without paying for the significant Intellectual Property. That is what licenses are for, an appropriate source-available license prevents that - see InvoiceNinja for one example, or what Elastic did now. ---
**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 3:21pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/7 "2024-09-28T15:21:26Z")
> [@Xerus](#): > > That is what licenses are for, an appropriate source-available license prevents that Did you ask Quickbooks, Xero, Sage, Microsoft Financials, Oracle financials, etc. the same question? What was their reply? Do not confuse that Manager seems to use Agile programming principles which have short code cycles and customer involvement with open source where customer involvement includes if wanted code development. The downside of open-source is code pollution. As mentioned earlier you are free to search google for some accounting open source applications and adopt one of these. I prefer the tight control over the source code that NGSoftware maintains as being proprietary. Most users do not want to be co-developers and looking at the thousands of posts on this forum it is far from having a: > [@Xerus](#): > > choir of putting the source code out there. ---
**Author:** ![Tut](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.manager.io/tut/32/3286_2.png) [@Tut](https://forum.manager.io/u/Tut)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 4:41pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/8 "2024-09-28T16:41:55Z")
> [@Xerus](#): > > A lot of threads have been opened to ask about open source, and I never found a reason why it is not The reason is simple, and a more thorough search would have revealed it, because it has been explained numerous times on this forum. NGSoftware is a for-profit business with more than a decade of development effort invested in the Manager platform. It has selected a “freemium” business model, under which the free, single-user desktop edition serves an advertising purpose, but income and profits are generated from multi-user server licenses and cloud subscriptions. You seem focused on the personal convenience for yourself in customizing software developed by someone else at their expense. The question is not whether open source code is technically feasible, but whether the developer wishes to give away intellectual property. NGSoftware chooses not to, and that really is not any of your business. Manager is not meant to function as a programming base for others’ development. Further, discussion of NGSoftware’s business model is not the purpose of this forum. Manager’s licensing model is already remarkably liberal. There are no limits or increased fees based on number of users or businesses created. Users’ data is never held hostage to ensure continued revenue generation. And the value for cost is considered by many to be the best in the industry. So, why not open source? Because the owner of the software decided to do things differently. And no explanation is owed to anyone. ---
**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/9 "2024-09-28T19:04:51Z")
I am going to close this topic as all views have been expressed, and if anything it is clear that Manager will not release its source code, ---
**Author:** ![eko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a8b319/32.png) [@eko](https://forum.manager.io/u/eko)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2024, 7:04pm UTC](https://forum.manager.io/t/is-manager-software-open-source/32561/10 "2024-09-28T19:04:55Z")