In the evolving world of open-source software (OSS), it’s becoming more common for widely used packages to shift from free offerings to subscription-based models. For software teams, especially senior developers, team leads, and architects, this trend introduces new considerations when evaluating which libraries to adopt.
As engineers, our primary responsibility is to balance these decisions and do so in a systematic way, so that we build trust within the development organization and with our partner teams and customers. So, let’s approach this as engineers and not just make emotional decisions based on fear and uncertainty.
Relying on OSS has always been about trust and risk mitigation, but now sustainability and monetization strategies are equally vital to understand. Here is a practical guide that I use to evaluate OSS packages before taking a dependency on them, including a decision-making rubric.
1. Project Maturity and Maintenance
Why it matters: A package that is no longer maintained introduces long-term risk. Bugs go unpatched, security issues accumulate, and compatibility with newer frameworks breaks.
Questions to ask:
- Is the project actively maintained?
- How frequently are commits made?
- Are issues triaged and closed regularly?
- How many maintainers or contributors are involved?
Look for a healthy commit history and evidence that the maintainers respond to community feedback.
2. Community and Ecosystem
Why it matters: Strong communities reduce the burden on your team when issues arise. Popular packages often have Stack Overflow answers, GitHub discussions, and articles that save debugging time.
Questions to ask:
- Is there an active community of users?
- Are questions answered in forums or GitHub?
- Are there well-documented use cases and third-party integrations?
A vibrant ecosystem is a sign of package maturity and usability.
3. Governance and Licensing
Why it matters: License terms directly affect your ability to use the software legally in production or commercial environments.
Questions to ask:
- What is the license type (MIT, Apache 2.0, GPL, AGPL, SSPL)?
- Does it include commercial-use restrictions?
- Has the license changed recently?
Be wary of restrictive licenses or changes from permissive to dual-license models.
4. Commercial Model and Sustainability
Why it matters: Knowing how the project is funded gives insight into its long-term future. Projects backed by businesses or supported through sponsorships are less likely to be abandoned.
Questions to ask:
- Is the project backed by a company or foundation?
- Are there signs of monetization plans (e.g., SaaS offerings, paid features)?
- What happens if the project becomes paid in the future?
Understand whether you’re at risk of sudden paywalls or feature gating.
5. Security and Risk Management
Why it matters: OSS is not immune to security vulnerabilities. You need a plan for assessing and responding to them.
Questions to ask:
- Are vulnerabilities tracked and patched promptly?
- Is there a responsible disclosure policy?
- Has the code been audited?
Security-conscious projects will document their policies and have a track record of timely fixes.
6. Package Footprint and Integration Risk
Why it matters: A deep or unstable dependency tree can cause bloat, increase attack surface, and complicate upgrades.
Questions to ask:
- Is the package modular and focused?
- How many transitive dependencies does it bring in?
- Does it work well with your existing architecture?
Use tools like npm ls or dotnet list package to inspect transitive dependencies.
7. Exit Strategy
Why it matters: No dependency is forever. You need to plan for the possibility of replacing a package.
Questions to ask:
- How hard would it be to remove or replace this package?
- Can it be wrapped in an abstraction layer?
- Would migration take days or months?
Design for flexibility. Consider writing adapters or wrappers around third-party code.
8. Documentation and Usability
Why it matters: Good documentation reduces the learning curve and enables correct usage of the package.
Questions to ask:
- Is the documentation comprehensive and current?
- Are there examples or quick-start guides?
- Are APIs clearly explained and versioned?
Poor docs are a red flag, especially if the package is complex or critical.
9. Usage Guarantees and SLAs (for paid or hosted components)
Why it matters: If a package involves hosted services or commercial components, availability and cost are part of your risk profile.
Questions to ask:
- Are there SLAs or uptime guarantees?
- What happens if the service becomes unavailable or unaffordable?
- Can you self-host or switch to an OSS fallback?
Avoid vendor lock-in where the service is critical-path and cannot be replicated.
10. Strategic Fit and Long-Term Alignment
Why it matters: Even a technically great package might be wrong if it doesn’t align with your team’s direction. By reading the package documentation and seeing how they handle GitHub issues, you can see if their long-term plans align with your company.
Questions to ask:
- Does this package align with your technology stack and goals?
- Will it continue to serve your needs 1–3 years from now?
Favor packages that align with your architecture patterns and language ecosystem.
OSS Dependency Evaluation Rubric
To help make objective decisions, create a scoring rubric like the one below. Customize weights based on your organization’s risk tolerance.
| Category | Weight | Score (1–5) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maintenance / Activity | High | ||
| License Risk | High | ||
| Community / Ecosystem | Medium | ||
| Documentation / Usability | Medium | ||
| Security / Stability | High | ||
| Commercial Risk / Lock-in | High | ||
| Strategic Fit | Medium | ||
| Exit Strategy | High |
How to Score Each Category
Each category should be scored from 1 to 5, where 1 represents a high-risk or low-quality score, and 5 represents a strong, low-risk attribute. Evaluate each question outlined in the relevant section of this guide, then use your judgment to assign a score:
- 5: Exceptional: fully meets criteria with little or no concern.
- 4: Strong: meets most criteria, with minor concerns.
- 3: Adequate: some gaps or moderate risk.
- 2: Weak: important deficiencies present.
- 1: High Risk: fails to meet expectations or has significant red flags.
Multiply each score by its weight (e.g., High = 3, Medium = 2, Low = 1), then sum the results. A higher total indicates a more dependable package. Total the weighted score and document your rationale. This is especially useful during architecture reviews or technical design documents.
Interpreting Scores
Here are the thresholds I have used to interpret the category scores calculated above:
| Total Score Range | Evaluation | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 90–110 | Excellent | Strongly consider using the package |
| 70–89 | Good but review risks | Acceptable, but note any weak categories |
| 50–69 | Moderate risk | Use with caution; look for alternatives or mitigation strategies |
| Below 50 | High risk | Avoid unless absolutely necessary, and only with proper isolation |
These interpretations are based on my risk profile and the needs of our teams and code. You will have to adjust the acceptable score ranges for your particular usage. Some companies are willing to take higher risks at the start, so packages in the 60s may be great for you. In those cases, you may want to pay close attention to the Exit Strategy because risk that is acceptable today, may not be as the company grows… and you may need to exercise that Exit Strategy one day.
Conclusion
Open source is an essential part of modern development, but that doesn’t mean it’s without risk. By evaluating OSS packages through the lens of sustainability, governance, and long-term value (not just features), you position your team for long-term success. Taking dependency on external packages has always been a risk to your product, but it may have been hidden behind a false understanding of these libraries. The recent changes in OSS sustainability brings more of the risk to light, so it is a good time to review what your risks are.
This process might take an extra hour up front, but it can save weeks of effort (and budget) later when a package goes unmaintained, breaks your build, or suddenly requires a subscription. Choose wisely and plan for change.
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