How software licensing works: free, subscription, and one-time purchase?

Software licensing controls who can use software and how. Some software is free (freeware), some requires a one-time purchase, some needs yearly subscriptions. Free software is safe. The model just means you use the app and the developer makes money another way.

A software license is a legal agreement that says you can use the software under certain rules. Free software makes money from ads or other sources. Subscriptions (like Microsoft 365) charge monthly or yearly. One-time purchases mean you buy it once and own it forever. All three are legitimate business models.