# free software

> software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change and distribute it and modified versions

**Wikidata**: [Q341](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q341)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/free-software

## Summary
Free software is software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it, including modified versions. It is a software category associated with the free software movement and is often discussed alongside open-source software and free and open-source software (FOSS).

## Key Facts
- Free software is defined as software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it and modified versions.
- Free software is an instance of a **software category** and is a facet of a **computer program**.
- Free software has the characteristic known as the **four freedoms**.
- Free software is part of the **open source movement** and is associated with the **free software movement**.
- Free software is the opposite of **proprietary software**.
- Free software is described as a subclass of **freely redistributable software**, **source-available software**, and **open-source software**.
- Free software is stated to be the same as **open-source software** and **free and open-source software** (per “said to be the same as”).
- Free software is different from **freeware**, **freely redistributable software**, **open-source software**, and a **free software license** (per “different from”).
- Wikimedia resources exist for the topic, including a Commons category (“Free software”) and a main Wikipedia title (“Free software”).

## FAQs
### Q: What is free software?
A: Free software is software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change, and distribute it, including modified versions. It is a software category associated with the free software movement.

### Q: Is free software the same as open-source software?
A: The provided data includes a “said to be the same as” relationship linking free software to open-source software and free and open-source software (FOSS). It also separately lists “different from: open-source software,” indicating the terms can be treated differently depending on context.

### Q: Is free software the same as freeware?
A: No. The data explicitly lists free software as “different from: freeware.” Free software is defined by freedoms to run, study, change, and distribute, including modified versions.

### Q: What is the opposite of free software?
A: The opposite of free software is listed as **proprietary software**. Proprietary software is contrasted with free software in the provided classification data.

## Why It Matters
Free software matters because it is defined around user permissions: the ability to run, study, change, and distribute software, including modified versions. This framing makes free software a distinct category in computing and a central concept within the free software movement, and it is also positioned within the broader open source movement. In practice, the “four freedoms” characteristic highlights that free software is not just about access, but about what users are allowed to do with the software. The topic is also important for clarity: the dataset explicitly distinguishes free software from related but different concepts such as freeware and free software licenses, while also showing that it is frequently discussed as equivalent to open-source software and FOSS in some contexts. As the opposite of proprietary software, free software provides an alternative model for distributing and evolving computer programs—one that emphasizes redistribution and modification rights rather than restricting them.

## Notable For
- Defined by permissions to **run, study, change, and distribute** the software and modified versions.
- Characterized by the **four freedoms**.
- Explicitly positioned as the **opposite of proprietary software**.
- Classified as a **software category** and a facet of a **computer program**.
- Frequently linked to **open-source software** and **FOSS** (while also being explicitly distinguished from several adjacent terms, including freeware).

## Body
### Definition and Core Idea
- Free software is software distributed under terms that allow users to:
  - freely run it
  - study it
  - change it
  - distribute it and modified versions

### Classification
- Instance of: **software category**
- Facet of: **computer program**
- Subclass of:
  - **freely redistributable software**
  - **source-available software**
  - **open-source software**

### Movements and Conceptual Placement
- Movement: **free software movement**
- Part of: **open source movement**
- Opposite of: **proprietary software**

### Terminology and Distinctions
- Aliases include: libre software, programa libre, código libre, logiciels libres, and others.
- “Different from” includes:
  - **freeware**
  - **freely redistributable software**
  - **open-source software**
  - **free software license**
- “Said to be the same as” includes:
  - **open-source software**
  - **free and open-source software**

### Related Entities (examples from provided list)
- Buildroot — described as **free software**.
- Other related items listed include tools, libraries, and applications such as Minikube, urllib, pdfjam, GNUnet, and GitHub CLI.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "free software",
  "description": "Software distributed under terms that allow users to freely run, study, change and distribute it and modified versions.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_software"
  ],
  "additionalType": "software category"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://github.com/JohnMarkOckerbloom/ftl/blob/master/data/wikimap)
2. Nuovo soggettario
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. [Registros de autoridad de "Materia" de la Biblioteca Nacional de España. Spain open data portal](https://www.bne.es/media/datosgob/catalogo-autoridades/materia/materia-UTF8.zip)
5. YSO-Wikidata mapping project
6. BabelNet
7. National Library of Israel
8. GF WordNet