How to Make Money With Open Source

Instructions
1
** Ask for donations **
If your open source program is
widely used and enjoyed, some
people would be willing and
interested in giving you a
donation for your hard work.
Include a "donate" button on
your webpage as an easy way
to make money from open
source. Even if you do not get
many donations, this method
does not require much effort on
your part, so you do not have
much to lose.
2
** Include advertisements on
your download page **
Another method to profit from
open source software is by
including advertisements on
your website. You can include
Google Adwords as a quick way
to get advertisers, or you can
find advertisers yourself who
match the type of open source
software you have created.
3
** Create custom features for
companies **
Many companies who use open
source software require special
features. You can create special
features for the companies and
charge a per hour fee or a fee for
the whole project.
4
** Sell related software or
hardware **
Even if your open source
software is free, there might be
related software or hardware
that companies need in order to
use your program. You can sell
these to companies to make
money indirectly from your
open source. You can include
affiliate links to related hardware
or software on your website.
5
** Charge a maintenance fee **
While you may not be able to
actually charge for the software
you have written, you may be
able to charge users a
maintenance fee for using your
software. Your maintenance fee
could include fixing glitches or
making sure your software is
compatible with the user's
system.
6
** Charge a fee for commercial
use **
Depending on the type of open
source software, you may be
able to charge certain users for
use of your software. For
example, you can let private
users and non profit
organizations use your software
for free but charge commercial
companies for use of your
software.
7
** Gain job experience **
Another important way to make
money from open source
software is by getting
programming experience.
Creating a popular open source
project is a great way of getting
your name known and making a
good impression on a hiring
company.