Editing Shareware (section)

== Types of shareware ==
=== Trialware ===
Trialware or {{visible anchor|Demoware|text=demoware}} is a program that limits the time that it can be effectively used, commonly via a built-in time limit, number of uses, or only allowing progression up to a certain point (e.g. in video games, see [[Game demo]]).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.ludoscience.com/files/ressources/EtudeIDATE08_UK(1).pdf|title=Serious Games: Advergaming, edugaming, training and more|last1=Alvarez|first1=Julian|last2=Michaud|first2=Laurent|publisher=[[DigiWorld by IDATE|IDATE]]|date=July 2008|access-date=2022-06-04|page=45|isbn=978-2-84822-169-4}}</ref> The user can try out the fully featured program until the trial period is up, and then most trialware reverts to either a reduced-functionality (freemium, nagware, or crippleware) or non-functional mode, unless the user purchases a full version.<ref>Flynn, Laurie (November 14, 1993). "[https://www.newspapers.com/image/744036070 Cheap, Easy Shareware Big Business]". ''Knight-Ridder Newspapers''. Sun Herald (Biloxi, Mississippi). p. C7.</ref> Trialware has become normalized for online Software as a Service (SaaS).{{Citation needed|reason=Who says so? No mention of freeware or trial periods in SaaS page.|date=March 2020}} [[WinRAR]] is a notable example of an unlimited trialware, i.e. a program that retains its full functionality even after the trial period has ended.

The rationale behind trialware is to give potential users the opportunity to try out the program to judge its usefulness before purchasing a license.  According to industry research firm Softletter, 66% of online companies surveyed had free-trial-to-paying-customer conversion rates of 25% or less. SaaS providers employ a wide range of strategies to nurture leads, and convert them into paying customers.

=== Freemium ===
{{Main|Freemium}}

Freemium works by offering a product or service free of charge (typically digital offerings such as software, content, games, web services or other) while charging a premium for advanced features, functionality, or related products and services. For example, a fully functional feature-limited version may be given away for free, with advanced features disabled until a license fee is paid. The word ''freemium'' combines the two aspects of the business model: "free" and "premium".<ref>{{cite thesis|title=Freemium for large enterprises|last1=Jepson|first1=Anna|last2=Lundin|first2=Elin|publisher=[[KTH Royal Institute of Technology]]|date=2009-04-03|page=14|id={{URN|nbn|se:kth:diva-99781}}}}</ref> It has become a popular model especially in the [[antivirus]] industry.

=== Adware ===
{{Main|Adware}}

Adware, short for "advertising-supported software", is any software package which automatically renders advertisements in order to generate revenue for its author. Shareware is often packaged with adware to lower the shareware fees or eliminate the need to charge users a fee. The advertisements may take the form of a [[web banner|banner]] on an application window. The functions may be designed to analyze which [[website]]s the user visits and to present advertising pertinent to the types of goods or services featured there. The term is sometimes used to refer to software that displays unwanted advertisements, which typically are more intrusive and may appear as [[pop-up advertisement|pop-ups]], as is the case in most ad-oriented [[spyware]].<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nMwy2y_4VFcC&pg=PT302|chapter=Adware and Spyware|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nMwy2y_4VFcC|title=Steal This Computer Book 4.0: What They Won't Tell You About the Internet|last=Wang|first=Wallace|publisher=[[No Starch Press]]|date=2006|access-date=2022-06-04|page=285|isbn=1-59327-105-0}}</ref> During the installation of the intended software, the user is presented with a requirement to agree to the terms of click through an [[end-user license agreement]] or similar licensing which governs the installation of the software.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The Ethical and Legal Concerns of Spyware|last1=Sipior|first1=Janice C.|last2=Ward|first2=Burke T.|last3=Roselli|first3=Georgina R.|journal=Information Systems Management|date=Spring 2005|volume=22|issue=2|page=43|doi=10.1201/1078/45099.22.2.20050301/87276.5|s2cid=26291227 }}</ref>

=== Crippleware ===
{{Main|Crippleware}}

Crippleware has vital features of the program, such as printing or the ability to save files, disabled or unwanted features like watermarks on [[screencasting]] and [[video editing software]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Principles of Computer Science|last=Franceschetti|first=Donald R.|publisher=[[Salem Press]]|date=2016|pages=112–114|isbn=978-1-68217-139-4}}</ref> until the user buys the software. This allows users to take a close look at the features of a program without being able to use it to generate output. The distinction between freemium and crippleware is that an unlicensed freemium program has useful functionality, while crippleware demonstrates its potential but is not useful on its own.

=== Donationware ===
{{Main|Donationware}}

Donationware is a licensing model that supplies fully operational unrestricted software to the user and requests an optional donation be paid to the programmer or a third-party beneficiary (usually a [[non-profit]]).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/06/13/subscription.donations/|title=Reading apps sell subscriptions to fuzzy feelings|last=Milian|first=Mark|work=[[CNN]]|date=2011-06-13|access-date=2014-05-22|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522090519/http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/06/13/subscription.donations/|archive-date=2014-05-22}}</ref> The amount of the donation may also be stipulated by the author, or it may be left to the discretion of the user, based on individual perceptions of the software's value. Since donationware comes fully operational (i.e. not [[crippleware]]) with payment optional, it is a type of [[freeware]].  In some cases, there is a delay to start the program or "nag screen" reminding the user that they haven't donated to the project.  This nag feature and/or delayed start is often removed in an update once the user has donated to (paid for) the software.

=== Nagware ===
Nagware (also known as begware, annoyware or a nagscreen) is a pejorative term for shareware that persistently reminds the user to purchase a license.<ref>{{cite conference | first = Ian | last = Parberry | title = The Internet and the Aspiring Games Programmer | book-title = Proceedings of DAGS 95, "Electronic Publishing and the Information Superhighway" | publisher = Birkhauser | location = Boston | page = 2 | url = http://larc.unt.edu/ian/pubs/dags95g.pdf | date = June 1995 | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065316/https://larc.unt.edu/ian/pubs/dags95g.pdf | archive-date = 2016-03-04 }}</ref> It usually does this by popping up a message when the user starts the program, or intermittently while the user is using the application. These messages can appear as windows obscuring part of the screen, or as message boxes that can quickly be closed. Some nagware keeps the message up for a certain time period, forcing the user to wait to continue to use the program. Unlicensed programs that support printing may superimpose a [[Digital watermarking|watermark]] on the printed output, typically stating that the output was produced by an unlicensed copy.<!--examples of trialware that continues to work fully: Total Commander (nag screen)-->

Some titles display a [[dialog box]] with payment information and a message that paying will remove the notice, which is usually displayed either upon startup or after an interval while the application is running. These notices are designed to annoy the user into paying.

=== Postcardware ===
Postcardware, also called just cardware, is a style of software distribution similar to shareware, distributed by the author on the condition that users send the author a [[postcard]]. A variation of cardware, emailware, uses the same approach but requires the user to send the author an [[email]]. Postcardware, like other novelty software distribution terms, is often not strictly enforced. Cardware is similar to [[beerware]].

The concept was first used by [[Aaron Giles]], author of [[JPEGView]].<ref name="history">{{cite web |url=http://aarongiles.com/history/index.html |title=Aaron's Computing History |access-date=2006-08-07 |last=Giles |first=Aaron |author-link=Aaron Giles |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316204036/http://www.aarongiles.com/history/index.html |archive-date=2012-03-16 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Another well-known piece of postcardware is the [[roguelike]] game ''[[Ancient Domains of Mystery]]'', whose author collects postcards from around the world. [[Orbitron (software)|Orbitron]] is distributed as postcardware. [[Exifer]] is a popular application among [[digital photography|digital photographers]] that has been postcardware.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Exifer for Windows|url = http://www.friedemann-schmidt.com/software/exifer/|website = www.friedemann-schmidt.com|access-date = 2016-01-18|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061112003949/http://www.friedemann-schmidt.com/software/exifer/|archive-date = 2006-11-12|url-status = dead}}</ref> Caledos Automatic Wallpaper Changer is a "still alive" project cardware. "Empathy" is a postcardware for password-protected executables. [[Dual Module Player]] and [[Linux kernel|Linux]] were also postcardware for a long time.<ref>{{cite book|last=Torvalds|first=Linus|author-link=Linus Torvalds|title=Just for Fun|date=May 2001|publisher=HarperCollins Publishers|location=New York|isbn=0-06-662072-4|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/justforfun00linu}}</ref> An example for emailware is the [[video game]] ''[[Jump 'n Bump]]''.<ref>[http://brainchilddesign.com/Bottom.php?Page=Games&SubPage=JnB Jump 'n Bump] ({{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222075555/http://brainchilddesign.com/Bottom.php?Page=Games&SubPage=JnB |date=2015-12-22 }}). readme.txt: "JUMP 'N BUMP by Brainchild Design in 1998 Jump 'n Bump is e-mailware. That means you're supposed to send us an e-mail. Write for example where you're from and what you thought about this game. If you do that, you will greatly encourage us to make more games for you!"</ref> Another popular postcardware company is the Laravel package developers from Spatie, which has released over 200 open-source packages to the [[Laravel|Laravel framework]], which are postcardware licensed, and all shown at their website.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://spatie.be/open-source/postcards | title=Postcards }}</ref>