Crippleware

Crippleware is another variant of shareware. It is often seen as the negative connotation of demoware . There are two types of crippleware.

The first type involves activating some, but not all features of the application. The rest of the features are activated upon registration or payment. Critics of this approach say users can ‚ t get a sufficient idea of whether the program meets their needs if only some of the features are available. The second type of crippleware allows the user to take advantage of all the features, but only for a few sessions, limited amount of time, or for a limited number of records. This is no different than demoware. Users refer to this type of demoware as crippleware because of its limitations.

This deployment method is sometimes used by developers deploying a custom application to a client when the developer isn ‚ t sure about the client ‚ s payment history. There are some legal issues with crippling a custom application. You need to inform the client upfront you are going to provide them with software containing a session, time, or record limit and it will be removed after full payment is made.

Pros: This deployment method gives clients and/or potential clients the chance to evaluate your application to see if it meets their needs. Our recommendation is to deploy with all features activated, but with limited sessions, time, or records.

Cons: Watch out for the legal ramifications . Make sure the client knows they are getting a limited version of the software.