Open-sourcing a platform you have spent years building is not the obvious move. Most platforms keep their code private. It is their competitive advantage. Their moat.

I believe the opposite. I believe the moat is trust — and you cannot build trust behind a closed door.

The decision

The decision to open-source Wapka came from a simple question: if I disappear tomorrow, do the people who trusted this platform lose everything?

If the answer is yes, then the platform failed. Regardless of features. Regardless of user count. Regardless of revenue. If someone’s work depends on you and you become a single point of failure, you have not built a platform — you have built a dependency.

Open source is the answer to that question. The code is public on GitHub at wapka-web. Anyone can audit it. Fork it. Improve it. If the managed service stopped existing, the software would continue. The community would continue.

What open source enables

  • Trust: anyone can verify what the platform does with their data
  • Self-hosting: Docker compose up, your server, your rules
  • Community contributions: developers around the world can fix bugs, add features, improve documentation
  • Longevity: the code outlasts any individual or company

People from different countries, different backgrounds, different skill levels have contributed to Wapka. Bug fixes from a developer in one timezone. Documentation improvements from a student in another. Feature ideas from a long-time user who understands the platform better than anyone.

Open source is not a marketing strategy. It is a commitment to the community that built this platform with me.

The counterargument

Some people told me: if the code is open, competitors will copy it. Users will self-host instead of paying. You will lose control.

They were wrong. Competitors have not copied it — because the technical architecture is harder to replicate than the code. Users do self-host — and they are some of the most loyal members of the community. And control? You never had it. The moment someone builds their site on your platform, they are trusting you. Control is an illusion. Trust is real.

Continue reading: You can leave anytime → The responsibility of hosting data →