Difference Between Freeware, Shareware and Open Source Software
If you often download software from the internet you must have come across the terms freeware, shareware and open source. Though they all seem synonymous, there are subtle but important differences that you should be aware of before you go about distributing them or posting them on your website to be downloaded. The differences have more to do with licensing and availability of source code, than the permission to distribute. Most such software are free to download and distribute, however you must always check the licensing before doing any of these.
A freeware is free for download and distribute. Often the software is owned by an individual and not by any company or organization. The source code of the software is not revealed, however it can be used by one and all. These are generally trial software created by newbies or professionals trying their hands on something new. Such software may be experimental, where its success in performing the task it is supposed to perform is not guaranteed by the creator. In most cases the software are good and occupy very less space. Common freeware software include music players, small games, photo viewers etc.
A shareware is similar to freeware in that it is free for download. However, it comes with a trial period, where you must buy the software in case you want to use it further. Not all shareware are available as trial, some are full versions however some features of the software are disabled, and are made available only when you buy the software. Shareware too can be distributed freely, and source code is not available to the user. Thus, shareware is more of a sample program, where full version is made available once you pay for it.
Open source software sound very similar to freeware. The difference is that the source code of the software is available to users and software developers. The software may or may not be associated with a company; however it comes with support, documentations as well as services, almost like paid software. Such software help developers collaborate with each other and make improvements and enhance features of the software. This also helps normal users, as they get upgrades of free software, without purchasing it. Whether you download these files for personal use or for programming purposes, it is best to check the terms and conditions given by the owner.