No Freeware anymore?

I can’t find Toad for Oracle FreeWare anymore. The FreeWare download link leads me to the trial version.

And the previous version of Freeware is expired.

Does Quest officially stop provide Toad for Oracle Freeware?

Brs,

Rox

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They’ve been combined. Download the Trial and then after the trial period expires, if you choose not to renew/purchase, then it’ll switch to freeware.

Hi Rox,

All of our freeware now starts with a free 30-day trial of the full software. After 30 days it will revert directly to freeware.

“Please Note:This Freeware edition will begin as a 30-day full-function TRIAL, which will convert after 30 days to a more limited function Freeware.”

Hi Julie

The IT director at my company was just informed this is NOT the case, and that after the trial expires, you MUST purchase Toad for Oracle and it has no freeware edition.

If this is NOT the case, then I am wondering who, exactly, my IT director spoke to at Quest…

It is possible that your IT director assumed there was no more Freeware when we stopped separating these installers. It used to always be a separate download but we only have Trial and that downgrades to Freeware after it expires.

He actually spoke to someone at Quest, he said. Someone at Quest told him it is NOT freeware. Sorry if that was not clear in what I wrote. He didn’t assume anything, at least that is what he told me.

Mnnn…then someone has their wires crossed. Sorry for the confusion.

So, my IT manager asked

"Is there a free version of Toad for SQL that is allowed for business use? "

and Jerry Lang, M.S. replied:

“Our SQL Server database software freeware is available for a 30 day trial. After the trial, a purchase is required.”

I don’t know why he replied with something different, but is Toad for Oracle free and what Mr Lang replied is not free?

Toad for SQL Server has a different forum, here:

https://forums.toadworld.com/c/toad-for-sql-server

There are a few threads about freeware. Here’s a download.

Regarding Toad for Oracle, as stated a couple of times already. After 30 days, the trial turns into freeware, and you can continue using freeware after that but it has limited features.

If you want all the features after the trial expires, you have to buy a license. I am not sure but I think that is what Jerry was trying to say.

That was the confusing part about Jerry’s reply. My IT manager asked about Toad for Oracle, and he responded about SQL server database software, which was not even mentioned.

Unfortunately, unless Jerry reaches back out to my manager and corrects his incorrect reply, we cannot get Toad for Oracle, as he thinks it is not free after the trial, because that is what Jerry told him.

I don’t even know who Jerry is, and I’m sorry to state the obvious…but you could just try it…

Nobody will force you to pay if you don’t want to.

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Tell that to my IT manager, lol. If it were up to me, I obviously would install it. Where I work, it is not so easy to just “try it”. Lots of legal implications, privacy issues, etc. to contend with. If someone at your company is telling people it isn’t free when it is, then that is not a smart or good thing, to be perfectly honest.

I used it at my old company for MySQL for over 10 years and really liked the software, and know it is free, but it’s next to impossible for me to have control over what software is allowed to be installed. Especially if people at Quest are giving out misinformation when emailed about it. It was not easy to just get him to agree to reach out to Quest.

Sorry, I should have figured that. I just sent you a PM.

Hi, just wanted to check on the 'automatic downgrade' that should happen. I have been using Toad for Oracle 13.0.0 (I can't quite recall the release as since installed a new version), but when I reached the end of the 30 day trial period and when Toad started up, it would warn me that the trial period had expired and that I needed download a new version. The splash screen would then close and Toad would not open. Is there something we need to do to convert from trial to freeware, or should it happen automatically. Same thing happened with my colleague - got a warning that it had expired, but no auto downgrade. Would appreciate your guidance on that.
Regards
Mark

Hi Mark,

The freeware version has its own expiration date and is generally only valid for a year. After that, you'd need to upgrade to the latest version of Toad for Oracle freeware. Toad 13.0 was released a little over a year ago. You can find the latest freeware version here:

-John

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Hi John, thanks for your reply. That is the page I have been using for latest downloads... on the page however it says this: " This Freeware edition will begin as a 30-day full-function TRIAL, which will convert after 30 days to a more limited function Freeware.". What I have found is that after that 30 day trial finishes, Toad does not actually convert to the freeware option, instead it says the trial period has expired and that a new version needs to be downloaded and installed - Toad then closes. Potentially I would need to install Toad every 30 days. Seems this convert from trial to reduced function freeware is not working? Many thanks. mark

Hi Mark,

Which version of Toad are you using? You mentioned in your original post that you were using Toad for Oracle 13.0 Freeware. That freeware version would have had an expiration date around 04/19/2019. After that, you would need to download the latest Toad for Oracle 13.1 Freeware, which is why I pointed you to the download page.

Can you verify the version of Toad Freeware you're trying to use?

Thanks,

-John

Hi John, yes, it was 13.0.0.80... and expired around 19 April... ahh, is the expiry 12 months from the date of release, not 12 months from the date of installation? if it's the former, then we should see the trial period go into negative count until the next release date cutoff? Thanks
Mark

Hi John,

Download page says " The Toad for Oracle Freeware version may be used for a maximum of five (5) Seats within Customer's organization"
Is there any freeware version which is not limited to user seats?

No. It has always been this way. (Or at least for as long as I can remember)