Because of the freedoms associated with it, this software is called free software . The low price of free software leads some English speakers to think that the word free in the phrase free software means they can obtain it without cost. This is not the definition, which is about freedom, but it is an easy misunderstanding. The English word free has several meanings. Spanish, on the other hand, distinguishes between gratis and libre .
Free software is libre software.
Since free software comes with the freedom to copy, manufacture, and redistribute, media containing free software are sold in a competitive, free market. This leads to low prices and even gratis distributions. Incidentally, Eric Raymond and Bruce Perens invented the phrase open source a few years ago as a synonym for free software . They wanted to work around the dislike many companies have of the word free . Software freedom comes from your right to copy , study , modify , and redistribute the software.