Employee Scheduler Freeware vs. Free Trial

The point of this article is to clarify the difference between these two formulations which mean the same sort of software (used to manage working time and tasks at enterprises), but critically differ in their distributional models. Let’s consider this in details:

• Scheduler Freeware – this term means a program that is completely free of charge. Such a solution may operate using any possible technologies, for example being an online tool (a web-based Internet solution) or a desktop one (working within IT facilities of your company without a need to reach Internet).

Very often such freeware products are just specially reduced versions (editions) of their “parental” commercial products, so they work like an advertisement for the more powerful congener software that is sold at certain price yet. When users download such freeware, they may find out that some helpful options & functions are present among capabilities of the software’s interface, but they are locked down (not active) and a message with an offer to buy a more advanced version to unlock these features pops-up every time they try to use them. This approach can be called a “masked employee scheduler demo-version” that is different from a free trial one described in the paragraph below.

•   Free Trial – such products initially are not positioned as free of charge, but they allow you to do an free downloads in order of examining and testing them out during a free trial period (usually 30 days). Providing users with free trial versions is a deliberately better position of developers who don’t try to attract more of downloaders exposing a label “freeware”, but instead of these tricks honestly introduce their products as commercial (paid ones), and give you a fair possibility to check out if their products really work for your needs. 

 Good example of such a product (providing every user with 30 days of free trial period) is VIP Task Manager that works using a client-server technology (real-time collaboration) to interconnect a workgroup of multiple co-workers in terms of managing and sharing their timesheets, tasks, calendars and project plans. Besides the possibility of software free download, you are able to watch the on-line demo tour, and get free support by the email or live-chat.