There's a lot of software on the Internet that I can download. Some is described as shareware and some as freeware.
Software distributed over the Internet comes in many varieties.
Two of the most popular are shareware and freeware. Rather, it is distributed with the understanding that if you use it, you will pay for it in whatever form the author requests. An advantage of shareware is that you can test the full working version or nearly full version of the product to see if it meets your needs. If you decide to keep the software and use it, then you are expected to comply with the author's directions. These directions can range from sending e-mail to sending money.