“Free software” means different things to different people. Here’s a clear breakdown of the categories you’ll encounter on AppVault.

Free (Gratis)

Costs zero dollars. No payment required to use all features. Examples: Discord, Spotify (free tier), Zoom (free tier). The software may or may not be open-source.

Open Source

The source code is publicly available. You can inspect it, modify it, and redistribute it. Usually also free, but not always. Examples: VS Code, Blender, Firefox, Linux.

The terms “open source” and “free software” (as in freedom) overlap but come from different philosophical traditions. Open source emphasizes the practical benefits; free software emphasizes user freedom.

Freemium

A free tier with paid upgrades. The free tier should be genuinely useful on its own — not a crippled demo. Examples: Notion, Figma, Bitwarden, Linear.

AppVault only recommends freemium apps where the free tier is genuinely useful without paying.

Free Trial

Temporarily free, then requires payment. AppVault does NOT include free trials. If an app requires payment after 7 or 30 days, it’s not free.

What AppVault Means by “Free”

On this site, “free” means you can use the app indefinitely without paying. It might be open-source, ad-supported, or freemium with a generous free tier — but there’s no clock ticking toward a paywall.