Assuming there wasn't significant interest as a free service then charging for it won't solve the current problems. I think a better alternative to open sourci

Assuming there wasn't significant interest as a free service then charging for it won't solve the current problems. I think a better alternative to open sourcing it would be to try and sell it for a couple thousand dollars. Take that money and make a weekend trip somewhere. Open sourcing it won't get much more mileage than being able to point future employers to the project as a reference for your work. But that's a strategy with little risk and effort that maybe better than nothing.