A Guide to Free Software, Open Source & Freeware
What are the Differences Between Free Software Download Solutions?
Oct 8, 2009
Any consumer looking for a free software download just has to do a simple online search to realise that there are a lot of zero cost options to choose from. Dig a little deeper, however, and it soon becomes clear that there are some differences between the options on offer. Most programs that do not incur any costs will either be designated as freeware, free software or Open Source. What are the differences and do they actually matter to the user?
What is Freeware?
Freeware software programs can be downloaded and used free of charge. These programs are often built by individuals or companies that want to offer a solution to a specific user issue or need. Generally, these packages are stand-alone products that do a simple job or set of tasks.
The user cannot necessarily change what they do and will have to rely on the programmer to update, upgrade and make changes in the future. Freeware solutions may also sometimes come with license requirements or limited functionality that may restrict how the user can use them.
What is Free Software?
Free software is also free to download and to use. There are, however, some differences between it and freeware. Many of the people who produce this kind of package are part of the Free Software Movement and work on projects such as the GNU Project. The aim here is to provide software solutions at no cost and without restriction.
Although many systems produced here are also small stand-alone applications, many mimic larger and more commercial products. So, for example, the GNU produced GIMP free photo editing software package comes with no user costs but is robust and comprehensive enough to be considered a viable alternative to commercial programs such as Photoshop.
What is Open Source?
Open Source, once again, looks to offer free solutions and is also well known for producing products that can stand alongside commercial software packages. One of the most commonly used options here is the desktop software package OpenOffice which competes with Microsoft Office.
The lines between the Free Software Movement and Open Source are often blurred and it can be sometimes hard to see the difference between the two. They do, however, consider themselves to be separate entities in some ways. Many think that the difference between Open Source and free software is the fact that the source code of any program that is produced on Open Source principles is accessible to any user.
Lines do, however, blur here because this is also often true with free software products as well. The main difference that can sometimes be seen between the two is in restrictions. Free software, in principle, should come free of restriction, Open Source sometimes comes with some limits to the user (i.e. there may be licensing agreements).
What Does This Mean to Users?
The differences between freeware, free software and Open Source products may not actually mean much to the general user at the end of the day. If they are simply looking for a free software solution to use on their own computer as an alternative to a commercial program, then they could find a solution in any of these areas.
For most users, the primary driver here is the fact that they do not have to pay for the solution they are given and any restrictions or limits that are set may not be an issue to them.
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