Freeware Software Defined
Freeware Software is a type of software whose copyright owner has decided to give it away for free. But the trick is that the copyright owner still owns the copyright on the product and can establish at any time, the terms under which it can be used and distributed. Hence, it's quite often that such freeware programs often come with some information (during the installation phase) concerning how the product can be used and if there are any restrictions associated with it. As a user, you will be legally bound to follow those terms and conditions which the owner requires.
The thing is that with so many different definitions, people get confused as to what's freeware, trial, shareware. Trial, shareware and freeware software are three totally different things and one must be able to clearly point out the differences. As oppose to trial software, Freeware software is completely free for anyone to use or pass along to others. So simply put, the main difference between trial and freeware software is that the second one is completely free to use, you never have to pay for it and you can freely pass it other users. This the big advantage of freeware software. On the other hand, trial software is only free to use for a limited time, a month at most. This is the trial period during which you can try the product and decide whether you want to buy it or not. Another thing is that trial software products usually have some feature limitations and trial programs are rarely available with all the features.
Shareware software is an older term which stands for programs that are but on a trial basis letting the users know that there may be a small charge by the author to continue to use it. So shareware and trial are quite similar definitions.
But it's not all good when it comes to freeware software. Since there is no charge involved, developers might stop improving the given product. As a result of that, if you like a given freeware software and use it regularly, you can't be certain that this product will evolve in the future, so it's a good idea to email the developer to check if he is will be making updates in the future. Another drawback related to Freeware is that usually there is no customer support for it, or any help regarding how to use it.
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