If you’ve ever used an archiver or installed a software you would know what WinRAR is. It is one of the most popular archiving softwares in the world and is used by a lot of software companies and organizations worldwide. Even the underground piracy scene widely utilizes WinRAR for compressing software or games into RAR archives for easy sharing.
WinRAR: An Unending Trial Software?
That’s all well and good but there’s always been an important question regarding WinRAR. The thing is, WinRAR is only available for trial usage. This means you are given a time period to “test” WinRAR after which you will have to buy the software. Other trial based software stop functioning as soon as the trial period expires and do not let you access any of their features unless you pay for the software.
WinRAR comes with a 40 day trial period. The problem is that even after the trial period of 40 days expires, you can still continue to use the software. In other words, install WinRAR trial, forget about paying for it.
Which begs the question – how does WinRAR make money?
The Developer’s Viewpoint
WinRAR’s compression algorithm was made by Eugene Roshal, a Russian software engineer. He has given the copyrights and ownership rights for the RAR compression algorithm to his brother Alexander Roshal. Eugene did this because he has,
‘No time to concern himself with software development and copyright-related issues at the same time.’
At least, this is what he said in his discussion on Google Groups.
Why does RARlabs (the company behind WinRAR) charge money for using it then? If you can use it for however long you want with no features or options missing, what’s the point?
How RARlabs Makes Money
Software companies and multinationals always buy software. Meaning they will also buy WinRAR for usage. Open-source software is often a no-no for these companies because they are supported by the community and updates and changes to the code are very inconsistent. With WinRAR, they can be sure that the software will indeed be upgraded and updated with time plus it offers better compression algorithms thanks to Eugene Roshal. This is enough for them to throw their money to get WinRAR for commercial uses.
WinRAR is also one of the most popular and widely used compression and archiving software in the world. The companies will not need to use a specific version of Windows or a different OS altogether to use it. Ubiquity is on its side hence the wide scale adaptation.
Wrap Up
RARlabs makes money by selling WinRAR to corporate organizations and software companies. They rely on the fact that it will be consistently updated, improved and supported because the companies pay for it. While most personal computer users won’t pay for a WinRAR license, commercial organizations on the other hand do.
Conclusion: Personal computer users won’t pay for a WinRAR license, commercial organizations on the other hand do.
In a nutshell, yeah.
just like all other softwares… :/
Conclusions: they get paid by commercial license. and 1 in a thousand would pay personally would be their bonus.
whats the strange point here… all of are common software are used same way and they make money by selling somehow to organisations and some different extents…!!
thinking to unsubscribe after reading that useless things…!!
Exactly my thoughts, what a crap article. First of all, I have never seen anybody who is concerned with License – in Pakistan even majority of people use pirated software for their entire life such as IDM and Microsoft Windows itself.
The author has post a poor article.
Plus, I would like to add that they make money from EU because people at EU buys software. Piracy is everywhere but coming to point. Author wrote a bad article.
writer seems to be a newbie in IT industry and he knows this thing first time in his life, better to treat him like a child and also encourage him to do good in future.
Hahahahah finally someone else having the same view of things as I… As far as written articles on this site are concerned.
maybe you are right but my thought was for propakistani team… they got to take care of it other wise with this behaviour they gonna lose their subscribers..
I occasionally visit this site unless something better comes in, otherwise propakistani is as bakwas as one can be.
why? Do you think that you are the only one living in Pakistan? Might be old for you, but new for thousands
lol most funiest thing to me…!! obviously it will be a new thing for thousands and that is why mark got to represents Pakistan with kind of donkeys photos back in past… come on guys GROW UP…!!
You’re supposed to pay for using software, same for WinRAR. They expect you to pay out of the goodness of your heart (obviously individual customers don’t). They only rely on corporate customers and let individual customers do as they please, even when they openly demand a $40 price for it.
Microsoft for example sells millions of copies of Windows to individual customers which in turn generates revenue for the company. Not everyone relies on corporate customers to generate revenue.
the way you talk took me really deep conversation with you but sorry dude dont get alot of time to talk about things which are not necessary for now..!! i said what i wanted to said and its okay to me if anyone agree on it or no..!! :)
u guys sometimes forget that the value of KNOCKING THE DOOR depends on whether a random person knocking your door and your favorite celebrity knocking your door. Everybody has this question about how they earn after a TRAIL PERIOD EXPIRES. Well know all know. Other common software shutsdown after trial period ends.
i hope you dont forget that value and open the the door yourself when you got need to…!! :)
Goodluck not being a chawal next time.
Good luck for yourself… !! and remember the value of KNOCKING THE DOOR… dont waste that opportunity..!
and from my side to you is just …. GROW UP
I moved over to 7zip a long time ago.
Same here, I know many organizations have moved to 7zip, safe, secure and reliable. I don’t see much software being available as rar archive, except Torrents and Sharing sites. Not sure where the Author got his information.
Open source is a no-no? That seriously made me laugh. There are so many companies I know that use the unarchiver which is FOSS free and open source software.
maybe it provides better compression algos and other under the hood features for license holders .
Whats new in it. Thanx for wasting tim
This means personal Computer users are product of RarLab not users. On internet, if you are getting something free that means you are also product. Like google, Facebook etc. these companies sell you. :D
lol. Bari information di hay bhai nay
i like their model