Difference between freeware and free websites?
Asked by
Narl (
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November 11th, 2010
There are some cool websites like Voki, Animoto, Photopeach, Creately etc. where a person can use their applications for free. Is this freeware? If it’s not, can someone give me examples of freeware?
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Those would be web apps with free features. Something that is “Ware” would be installed on your machine because it is classified as a software.
Correct.
However, there are some who would argue that monetary cost has nothing to do with whether software is free. It is the Gratis versus Libre debate. The Free Software Foundation objects fairly strongly to the use of the word “freeware” to describe software that is available at no cost, but is not free to use, study, or modify. In other words, if there are ANY restrictions on what you are allowed to do with a piece of software, it isn’t free.
Right. Freeware traditionally means a program you download and install on your computer. It’s free to obtain but (usually) not free to distribute or view the source code of. There are other terms used alongside “freeware” like “shareware,” which means an installable program that cripples itself after a predetermined trial period, then makes you pay for it. Websites that offer free features really wouldn’t be considered “freeware” per se because they’re not downloadable as desktop applications on your computer.
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