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Open Source•8 min read

Why We Made Aelira Open Source (And Why That Matters for Universities)

By Aelira Team•


When we started building Aelira, we faced a critical decision: closed-source SaaS or open source?


Most accessibility tools choose the first path. Blackboard Ally costs $160K/year for enterprise licenses. YuJa Panorama charges $10K-$50K/year. Both are closed-source, proprietary, and expensive.


We chose a different path: 100% open source under the MIT license.


Here's why—and why it matters for your university.


The Problem with Closed-Source Accessibility Tools


Universities face a unique challenge: accessibility is a legal requirement, not a nice-to-have.


The April 24, 2026 WCAG 2.1 deadline means every university must comply or face:

  • Loss of federal funding
  • ADA lawsuits from students
  • OCR investigations
  • Department chair accountability meetings

    • But existing closed-source tools create vendor lock-in:


  • Expensive: $10K-$160K/year per institution
  • No transparency: You can't see what the software actually does
  • No customization: You're stuck with their features (or lack thereof)
  • Data privacy concerns: Your student data goes to their servers
  • No exit strategy: Switching vendors means starting over

    • Why We Chose the MIT License


    The MIT license is one of the most permissive open source licenses. It means universities can:


    ✅ Use Aelira Commercially (100% Free)

    Download, install, and use Aelira for free—forever. No usage limits, no time restrictions, no hidden fees.


    Cost: $0 for the software itself


    What this means: A small liberal arts college with limited budget can use the same platform as Harvard.


    ✅ Modify the Code However You Want

    Need to integrate with your proprietary LMS? Want to add custom reports? Need to support a rare LaTeX package?


    You can modify the code yourself.


    With closed-source tools, you're stuck filing feature requests and waiting months (or years). With Aelira, your IT team can make changes immediately.


    ✅ Keep Modifications Private

    Unlike GPL (copyleft), the MIT license lets you keep modifications private. You're not required to share your custom features with anyone.


    Why this matters: Some universities have proprietary systems they can't open source. MIT license respects that.


    ✅ Deploy On Your Own Servers

    Self-hosted deployment means:

  • Student data never leaves your servers (FERPA compliance)
  • No reliance on our uptime (you control availability)
  • No vendor lock-in (you own your deployment)
  • No subscription fees (just optional support)

    • Privacy-first universities (especially international) can use Aelira without sending data to US cloud providers.


    ✅ Audit the Code

    Closed-source tools are black boxes. You can't verify:

  • What data they collect
  • How their AI works
  • Whether they have security vulnerabilities
  • If they comply with WCAG standards themselves

    • With Aelira, you can read every line of code on GitHub. Security teams can audit. Accessibility experts can verify. Faculty can trust.


    Our Business Model: Support, Not Software


    "If it's free, how do you make money?"


    Great question. Here's our model:


    Free Tier: Self-Hosted (MIT License)

  • Cost: $0
  • What you get: Complete platform (PDF, PowerPoint, LaTeX, Image, Video, Website, Code scanners)
  • What you provide: Your own infrastructure (servers, storage, backups)
  • Support: Community (GitHub issues, Discord)

    • Best for: Universities with IT resources who want maximum control and privacy.


    Paid Tier: Support & Hosting

    We make money by selling support and hosting, not software licenses:


    Self-Hosted Department ($299/mo):

  • Installation assistance (1-day setup)
  • Email support (72hr response)
  • Priority bug fixes
  • Quarterly check-ins

    • Cloud Department ($1,299/mo):

  • We host everything (99.5% uptime SLA)
  • Automatic backups & SSL
  • 24-48hr email support
  • No IT required

    • Institution Plans ($2,999-$7,999/mo):

  • Unlimited departments
  • Dedicated support engineer
  • Monthly check-ins (not quarterly)
  • Institution-wide SSO & analytics

    • Why This Model Works


    Our incentives align with yours:


  • Closed-source SaaS: Makes money by locking you in (hard to switch, annual contracts, price increases)
  • Open source support: Makes money by helping you succeed (happy customers renew support, refer others)

    • If Aelira doesn't work for you, you can:

  • Fork the code and maintain it yourself (MIT license allows this)
  • Hire another company to support it
  • Switch to a different tool without losing your data

    • We succeed when you succeed. That's the open source promise.


    Real Example: Mid-Size University


    Institution: Mid-size state university, 10,000 students, 5 departments


    Challenge: April 2026 deadline, limited budget ($50K/year for accessibility)


    Option 1: Closed-Source (Blackboard Ally)

  • Cost: $160K/year (over budget)
  • Features: Scanning only (no fixes)
  • LaTeX support: None
  • Exit strategy: Locked in (proprietary format)

    • Option 2: Manual Work

  • Cost: $500K+ (way over budget)
  • Time: 2+ years (too slow)
  • Faculty time: Hundreds of hours unpaid

    • Option 3: Aelira (Self-Hosted + Support)

  • Software cost: $0 (open source)
  • Support cost: $299/mo × 5 departments = $1,495/mo = $17,940/year
  • Features: All 8 tools (PDF, PPT, LaTeX, Image, Video, Website, Code, Compliance)
  • LaTeX support: YES (only platform with this)
  • Exit strategy: You own your deployment, can switch support providers anytime

    • Result: 89% cost savings vs Ally, 97% vs manual work.


    What You Can Do with Aelira (MIT License)


    Here are real use cases universities have told us about:


    1. Integration with Proprietary Systems

    Scenario: University has a custom-built course management system (not Canvas/Blackboard)


    With closed-source tools: Can't integrate (APIs are limited or non-existent)


    With Aelira (open source): Modify the code to integrate directly with your system


    2. Custom Compliance Reports

    Scenario: University needs reports in a specific format for accreditation bodies


    With closed-source tools: File a feature request, wait 6-12 months (maybe)


    With Aelira (open source): Add custom report templates yourself (or hire us to do it for $200-350/hr)


    3. Multi-University Collaboration

    Scenario: 5 universities in a consortium want to share infrastructure costs


    With closed-source tools: Each needs a separate license ($160K × 5 = $800K/year)


    With Aelira (open source): Deploy once, all 5 universities use it (split hosting costs only)


    4. Research & Development

    Scenario: Computer science department wants to research AI accessibility


    With closed-source tools: Can't access the AI models or training data


    With Aelira (open source): Full access to Ollama models, training pipeline, and source code


    The Transparency Advantage


    Open source isn't just about cost savings. It's about transparency.


    WCAG Compliance You Can Verify

    Aelira claims to generate WCAG 2.1 AA compliant fixes. With closed-source tools, you have to trust them.


    With Aelira, you can verify:

  • Read the WCAG checking code on GitHub
  • Run your own compliance tests
  • Modify the rules to match your interpretation of WCAG
  • Contribute improvements back to the community

    • AI Models You Can Audit

    Aelira uses Ollama (open source AI) for:

  • Alt text generation
  • LaTeX natural language descriptions
  • Code fix generation

    • You can:

  • See exactly which models we use (Llama 3.2, Qwen 2.5 Coder)
  • Swap in different models if you prefer
  • Run models on your own hardware (no data to OpenAI/Google)
  • Audit the prompts we use for AI generation

    • Privacy-first universities love this: student data never leaves your servers.


    Community Contributions

    Open source means the community can contribute:

  • Bug fixes (don't wait for us)
  • New features (LaTeX packages, LMS integrations)
  • Translations (internationalization)
  • Documentation improvements

    • Real example: A university in Germany contributed support for German language alt text descriptions. Now all universities benefit.


    The Counter-Argument: "What If You Go Out of Business?"


    Fair question. If Aelira (the company) shuts down:


    Closed-source tools: You're screwed. Software stops working, support disappears, data exports might not exist.


    Aelira (open source):

  • Software keeps working (you own your deployment)
  • Code stays on GitHub (MIT license, can't be revoked)
  • Community can fork and maintain it
  • You can hire another company to support your deployment

    • Open source is insurance against vendor failure.


    How to Get Started


    Option 1: Self-Host for Free

    1. Clone from GitHub: `git clone https://github.com/aelira/aelira-core.git`

    2. Run Docker Compose: `docker-compose up -d`

    3. Access at `http://localhost:3000`


    Support: Community (GitHub issues, Discord)


    Option 2: Paid Support Plans

    Self-Hosted Department ($299/mo):

  • Installation help (1-day setup)
  • Email support (72hr response)
  • Priority bug fixes

    • Cloud Department ($1,299/mo):

  • We host everything
  • 24-48hr support
  • 99.5% uptime SLA

    • Institution Plans ($2,999-$7,999/mo):

  • Unlimited departments
  • Dedicated support engineer
  • Monthly check-ins

    • View full pricing or contact sales


    The Bottom Line


    We made Aelira open source because:


    1. Accessibility is a human right, not a profit center

    2. Universities deserve transparency, not vendor lock-in

    3. Community collaboration produces better software than closed development

    4. Privacy matters, especially for student data

    5. Open source aligns incentives: we succeed when you succeed


    The April 2026 deadline is 5 months away. Universities need affordable, transparent solutions—not expensive black boxes.


    That's why Aelira is open source.


    Try Aelira for free or join the pilot program.


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