The idea behind shareware distribution is letting clients try the software before buying the full version, by downloading a trial version from your website.The complete program. The client can try it and then keep using it forever. However, the shareware author requires that the client registers the program and pays a fee, which is usually lower than the price of software bought in high street stores.

Shareware sales have their disadvantages too. Sometimes customers may find it hard to determine which products are good, wasting their time instead of saving it. Another feature, or rather lack of it, may irritate customers: the absence of uninstall programs. Clients may find themselves stuck with a program they can no longer use. For shareware authors, danger lies in the fact that some users may keep "forgetting" to register and pay, preferring to keep deactivating reminder screens.