Shareware

Shareware is a marketing method for software, whereby a trial version is distributed without payment ahead of time as is common for proprietary software. Typically shareware software is obtained free of charge by downloading, thus allowing one to try out the program ahead of time. Shareware is also known as try before you buy, demoware, trialware and many other names. A shareware program is accompanied by a request for payment, and often payment is required per the terms of the license past a set period of time. The term shareware was coined by Bob Wallace to describe his word processor PC-Write in the mid-1980s.

Logistics

In using a shareware approach to distributing a program, a developer bypasses the normal distribution channel (eliminating the normal retail middleman markups) and directly markets to the end user. The end result is a relatively low end-user cost compared to the retail channel. Users of shareware are encouraged to copy & distribute unregistered versions of the software to friends, co-workers and other acquaintances. The hope is that users will find the program useful or entertaining and will register it (by paying a fee) to unlock a full suite of features.

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Nowadays, shareware is rarely found with large complex programs requiring many programmers because of the large costs associated with same. A shareware's program source, maintenance and extensibililty can sometimes be negotiated for a licensing fee with the author(s) similar to standard proprietary software.

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Pertaining more towards shareware games, large online distribution channels known as "Portals", such as Yahoo! Games and RealArcade, have emerged in recent years. These portals acts as a medium for the shareware developers, providing their audience base for a percentage of the software's sale.

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