Glossary · wares.gg

Pricing

Free: The core product is available without payment. This includes free and open-source software. Free describes the price, not the license.
Freemium: A useful free version or free tier exists, but additional features, usage, storage, support or services require payment.
Paid: Meaningful continued use generally requires payment, a subscription or a commercial license. A temporary trial does not make a product freemium.
Pricing notes: Extra details about cost, such as personal-use restrictions, usage limits or a separate charge for hosted service. Read these alongside the main pricing label.
Free trial: Free access for a limited time or amount of use. Continued use may require payment.
Subscription: A recurring payment, usually monthly or yearly, for continued access to a product or service.
One-time purchase: A single payment for a product or license. Later major upgrades or optional services may cost extra.

Source and licenses

Open source: Software whose license allows people to inspect, use, change and share its source code. Open source does not automatically mean every version or hosted service is free.
Proprietary / closed source: Software controlled by its maker without an open-source license. It can be free, freemium or paid. “Closed source” is the label used in comparisons.
Source available: Source code is published, but the license may restrict how it can be used, changed or shared. Being able to read the code alone does not make software open source.
License: The terms that describe how software may be used, changed and shared. Names such as MIT, GPL or Apache identify different licenses. Price and license are separate facts.
Free software: In a licensing context, software that gives users freedom to use, study, change and share it. This describes freedoms rather than a price of zero.

Platforms and how software runs

Platform: Where a product runs. A listing can support several platforms. Its platform badges link to the matching software lists.
Windows, macOS and Linux: Desktop and laptop operating systems. A badge means the listing supports that system, but a particular version or device may still be required.
Android and iOS: Mobile operating systems. Check the official store or developer page for device and version requirements.
Web / web application: Software used through a web browser. The Web platform describes where you use it; Web application under “How it runs” describes how it is delivered.
Hosted service: A service run by its provider. You use it online while the provider maintains the servers. Some services also have desktop or mobile apps.
Self-hosted: Software you run on a server or computer you control. You are responsible for setup, updates and maintenance; the software price does not include your hosting costs.
Browser extension: An add-on that gives a browser extra features. Store links show which browsers have a listed extension.
Command line: Software operated by typing commands in a terminal, rather than mainly using windows and buttons.
Downloadable app: Software you download and run on your device. A download can be an installer or a package that runs without installation.
Operating system: The base software that manages a device and runs its apps. Listings can include alternative operating systems and custom Android systems.
Portable app: An app designed to run without a usual installation, often from an extracted folder or removable drive. This does not by itself mean it works offline.

Accounts and internet access

Account required / account needed: The listed product needs a sign-in for its main use. Optional accounts for sync or extra features may be described in the listing.
No account needed: The main product can be used without signing in. Optional online features may still need an account.
Works offline: The product can do its main work without an active internet connection. Downloading, activating, syncing or using online features may still need internet.
Needs internet: The main use depends on an internet connection. Installing an app on your device does not necessarily make it usable offline.
Not stated: The catalog does not have a confirmed answer for that fact. It means unknown, rather than yes or no. Unknown facts may be omitted on a listing and shown explicitly in comparisons.

Finding and comparing software

Catalog / listing: The catalog is the full set of software on the site. A listing is one product’s page, with its description, details and links.
Category / section: A category groups software by purpose, such as password managers. A section groups related categories, such as Security. Each listing has one primary category and can belong to others.
Alternative: Software that can replace another product for an important task. Check the description and limitations to see what changes if you switch.
Similar software: Software with related features or uses. It is not necessarily a direct replacement.
Compare: A side-by-side view of two listings, including price, platforms, strengths, limitations, licensing, accounts and offline use.
Collection: A curated group of listings for a shared goal or theme.
AI picks: Existing catalog listings selected for a software request in Search. They use the catalog’s descriptions and facts. They are suggestions to compare, not proof that a product is universally best.
Best suited for: The main audience or task a product fits. It is a short guide to suitability rather than a promise that it fits every situation.
Strengths / limitations: Useful capabilities and practical trade-offs described in a listing. Comparisons show strengths with a plus and limitations with a minus.

Popularity and recommendations

Popular / most popular: An order based on listing views and outbound link clicks over the last 30 days, with extra weight for editorially selected software. Downloads count more than views. Category rankings and search matches can also affect list order.
Most viewed: Listings with the most page views from real visitors over the last 30 days.
Top downloads / most downloaded: Listings with the most counted outbound link clicks over the last 30 days. These are clicks, not confirmed file downloads or installations.
Views: Visits to a listing page. Listing-page badges show all-time counts when enough visits have been recorded; list badges use the last 30 days.
Downloads: Counted clicks from a listing to its website, download, source, store, documentation, mirror or package link. Repeat clicks to the same link by the same visitor on one day count once.
30-day counts: A recent window of activity rather than lifetime totals. Popularity counts update hourly and exclude identified bots and the site owner’s excluded visits.
Top picks / top 3: Stored category recommendations. The homepage shows three picks from its featured category. Their order is separate from the raw most-viewed and most-downloaded counts.
Trending category: The category featured in the homepage’s “Top 3 programs” section. News helps choose the category; a rotation is used when a fresh news-based choice is unavailable.
Software of the day / recommended: Editorial highlights on the homepage. The main feature rotates daily through eligible software; the Recommended card is a separate selection. Neither label is a user review or a paid placement.
Recently updated: A sort based on the software’s recorded release date. It does not mean the catalog listing was recently edited or verified.
Relevance: A search order based on how closely a listing matches the search words. It differs from an order based only on popularity.

Links, downloads and verification

Official website / download page: The maker’s own website or download destination. A button may open a page where you choose a version rather than immediately downloading a file.
App store: A store listing for installing a product or browser extension. Use the named store and check its platform requirements.
Source code: The files used to build and develop the software, usually in a repository. A source link is not necessarily a ready-to-run installer.
Documentation: The maker’s instructions, reference material or setup guide.
More ways to get it: Additional stores, mirrors and package-manager options when they are available. These destinations are outside this site.
Mirror: A third-party site that provides a download or a download page. Mirrors are separate from the maker’s official links; wares.gg does not host software files.
Package manager: A tool that installs and updates software using packages. A listing can show a package page and an installation command.
File hashes / checksums: Values calculated from a particular file’s contents. Comparing a downloaded file’s hash with the published value checks that its bytes match; a matching hash alone does not prove a file is safe.
Latest version / last updated: The version and release date recorded from a release source. They describe the software release, and may lag behind a new release.
Last verified: The date the listing’s facts were last checked against its sources. It is separate from the software’s release date and does not guarantee every fact is still current.
Added: The date a product was added to this catalog, rather than the date the software was first released.
Sources: The developer pages, repositories, documentation or store listings used to support the listing’s facts.
Provenance: Where the catalog entry originally came from, such as the TechWalrus Resource Hub. Sources identify the pages supporting its facts.
Affiliate link: A marked link that can earn wares.gg a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not decide whether a product is listed or how it ranks.

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