What is the difference?
In 1983, the free software movement started as a response to the restrictive practices that some software companies implemented. These software companies began charging for licenses and imposed many restrictions, such as copyrights and trademarks. Richard Stallman founded the GNU Project in 1983 so that people could use computers using only free software so that people could modify software programs. However, the "free software" term became confused because people believed that free meant free of charge instead of free to modify. A new term, "Open Source," was coined to overcome this confusion and be friendly with business. Both words, "free software" and "open-source software," are interchangeable for most contexts. However, the difference can be significant if you are looking to develop software and get it out to the public. Free software respects the rights of individuals to use, modify, and distribute copies.
On the other hand, open-source software focuses on quality and reliability. Also, there is some open-source software with a restrictive license. Open source software doesn't embrace the same original values that the "free software" communities value. I believe that both terms are closely related but have different values.
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