Should I Write Shareware?
To some people shareware is seen as too much work for too little return. To other people shareware is money for nothing. At least one of these views must be wrong – but which. For a developer considering shareware as a means of distributing software this is a problem. What follows is my view on this, which is that both points of view are wrong.
There are three established ways of distributing software and making money from it. These are as follows:
- Conventional packaged software distribution. People pay for a physical package although demonstration versions may be freely distributed.
- Open-source software distribution. The software and its source code is freely distributed and money is gained by other means (usually built in advertising or support charges).
- Shareware distribution. The software is freely distributed and is in some way limited or timed to expire and users pay to enable the software.
Each form of distribution has its pros and cons and which is the correct solution depends on the product. Packaged software requires considerable outlay for manuals, CD‘s and distribution. Most individual developers are not well placed to take on this degree of commitment on a product which hasn‘t been tested in the market. Open source software relies on factors external to the quality of the program – people‘s susceptibility to the built-in adverts or the degree of support an average user requires. In extreme cases a high quality program with good documentation will actually fail financially as little or no support is needed. Shareware offers an alternative which relates your success directly to the effort you invest and requires no large outlay to begin distribution.
This isn‘t to say that shareware production is easy money. People are warier of shareware than of packaged software and expect more support. If a user pays $20 for a CD-Rom in a shop and then decides, after a few days, not to persist with it, most will not expect a refund or even any support – it‘s money down the drain. If a shareware user is unhappy, they will more often expect support or a refund as it requires less effort to send an email than to return to a shop or mail a package back to the sender. When deciding whether you have time to develop shareware you should also decide whether you have time to support it. Support isn‘t merely an indication of failure on your own part – inexperienced users will often require help and giving this help freely will encourage the users to use your software and encourage you to provide better documentation or better software to reduce the number of repetitive support questions.
When deciding on a future in shareware you should also decide how many years you wish to devote to it. You will find that people will continue asking you about your software years after you stopped developing it or continue to ask about earlier versions which you have long since rendered obsolete.
For all these problems, shareware can be fun. You can work at your own pace and the positive feedback gets back to you rather than being kept by the sales department. It has its good days and its bad days like any job, but at least you get the whole picture.
If you have the time to commit and are happy devoting some years of your life to it, shareware can be a rewarding (if not easy) experience. You will make friends from across the world and your outlook on software development will be broadened and become more disciplined. You may make some money from it – how much will depend almost entirely on the effort you put into it. It‘s not money for nothing, but it‘s a lot better than all work and no reward.
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