Editing Shareware (section)

{{Short description|Proprietary software whose full use is limited in time}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2022}}

'''Shareware''' is a type of [[proprietary software]] that is initially shared by the owner for trial use at little or no cost.<ref>Bink, Thomas (April 4, 1996). "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/732335892/ Shareware Profitable and Popular]". ''The Kingston Whig-Standard'' (Kingston, Ontario, Canada). p. 17.</ref> Often the software has limited functionality or incomplete documentation until the user sends payment to the software developer.<ref>Gnoffo Jr., Anthony (July 4, 1993). "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/534984546/ The Shareware Computer Industry, A Growing World Of Innovation, Trust]". ''Night-Ridder Newspapers''. Rutland Daily Herald (Rutland, Vermont). p. 8D.</ref> Shareware is often offered as a [[download]] from a [[website]]. Shareware differs from [[freeware]], which is fully-featured software distributed at no cost to the user but without source code being made available; and [[free software|free]] and [[open-source software]], in which the source code is freely available for anyone to inspect and alter.

There are many types of shareware and, while they may not require an initial up-front payment, many are intended to generate revenue in one way or another. Some limit use to personal non-[[commercial software|commercial]] purposes only, with purchase of a license required for use in a business enterprise. The software itself may be time-limited, or it may remind the user that payment would be appreciated.