Baitware

What Does Baitware Mean?

Baitware is a freely available software utility with very limited functionality. Often poorly coded, baitware allows a software developer to release a limited software version to lure target users into buying the full software version.

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Techopedia Explains Baitware

Baitware is a type of freeware, shareware or liteware with much lower quality and functionality than its full software counterpart. As with other types of freeware, vendors and developers target and "bait" end users with baitware versions of software. After downloading, installing and using the baitware version, the user is enticed into purchasing the paid version.

Baitware is also used by email spammers that distribute free software in exchange for email addresses.

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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…