Open Source Concept

Softwares are mainly categorized into the following categories based on their licenses:  

Open Source Software

Open Source Software (OSS) is the software that gives the users the freedom to run/use the software for any purpose and in any manner. They can be used, modified, and even redistributed. The source code is freely available to the customer. Python, Linux, etc are examples of Open Source Software.

Proprietary Software

We pay a supplier for a copy of the software which may be supplied on physical media or downloaded from the Internet. We get permission to use the software on one or sometimes more than one machine. Examples of this type of software include Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows.

Freeware

Freeware software is free of cost and is usually bundled up with some operating system or any other software. Examples of freeware include Microsoft Internet Explorer which comes bundled up with any Microsoft operating system. People may use it for free. The source code is not available, so no modifications can be done.

Shareware

Shareware is basically a software for the trial purposes that the user is allowed to try for free, for a specified period of time. It is usually downloaded from the internet. When the trial period ends, the software must be purchased or uninstalled.