Difference between Freeware and Shareware software

The key difference between freeware and shareware is, Freeware is free software distributed under terms that allow anyone to download and use it for any purpose without paying a fee or providing any support. Shareware is free software distributed under conditions requiring the user to pay a fee or provide support.

In this article, we will highlight all the points that differentiate freeware from shareware software. Let’s start with some basics of freeware and shareware software.

What is Freeware Software?

Freeware is free software distributed under terms that allow anyone to download and use it for any purpose without paying a fee or providing any support. Freeware is often developed by individuals who want to share their work with others.

There are many reasons why people develop freeware, they may have created the program out of personal interest or they may have been paid to create the program. Freeware programs are not always well-written, however, some are quite good.

What is Shareware Software?

Shareware software is free software that is distributed under a license agreement that permits users to copy and distribute the software freely as long as they don’t change any files or charge money for using the software.

Freeware software is available free for first-time use and after the trial duration, the users will pay for it if they continue to use it. Shareware programs are often provided without technical support and may have limitations on how many times the program can be run.

Freeware vs Shareware software

The main difference between freeware and shareware software is given below:

Freeware	Shareware
Freeware is software that is free to use and download.	It provides the tail to use it before purchasing it.
All the features of freeware software are free.	It provides limited features for free.
This software can be distributed free of cost.	This software can be or not be distributed free of cost.
They have no time limit.	They work for short duration like 30 days etc.
It is discovered by Andrew Fluegelman.	Jerry Pournelle discovers it.
The source code of freeware software is not available to the users.	The source code of shareware software is not available to the users.
Examples: Adobe PDF Google Talk Yahoo messenger MSN messenger	Examples: Winzip CuteFTP Getright