Shareware is commercial software that is developed and made available, through whatever distribution method (Internet, magazine cover etc.), for free. When you install the software you agree to a license that gives you a free trial period to test the software for your purposes and that after the stated trial period that you must pay the stated shareware fee to the author to continue using it. Some shareware is fully functional during the trial period and some may have advanced features or functionality reduced. Commonly the trial period will be in terms of months with one month being the usual trial period. Once the trial period has elapsed it is common that the software has built in functionality to enable you to register it online. This is done by browsing to a certain website designated by the author where you pay for a serial number or other authorisation code that you can then enter into the software to unlock it to full functionality.

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