Registry cleaners are a necessity for Windows PC owners. If you’re not cleaning your computer’s registry from time to time, it’s somewhat comparable to owning a vehicle without ever changing the oil - eventually you’re going to run into some problems.

However, in your quest to find the best registry cleaning program out there, you’re presented with two different types: free and paid. There are obvious reasons why somebody would choose a free registry cleaner, but are the benefits for the paid programs worth the minimal one-time investment?

That’s what we′re going to explore today - an honest assessment of the differences between free registry cleaners and paid registry cleaning software.

Free Registry Cleaners - The Good

1. They come Free of Charge.

2. There are several available today

3. The user community will provide support if the creator of the software is unable to.

4. You have free license to install these on just about any machine you want without legal ramifications.

Free registry cleaner cons:

1. They may have limited-to-no support

2. The software may be out-of-date or become out-of-date due to lack of updates

3. The list of features can be very small, and because a few extra features may be required for the cleaning software to work properly, you may actually discover that the software is unsafe.

4. Obscure, yet free registry cleaners are more likely to contain malware or viruses than well-established, low-cost registry cleaning software

5. There is less incentive for the creator of the registry cleaning program to offer updates or support. In fact, many cannot support their programs due to the lack of funding.

Advantages of Paid Registry Cleaners:

1. Paid software is almost always more supported than free software.

2. Paid programs are less likely to contain any sort of unwanted software.

3. They generally include free future updates, and the chances of receiving updates as you upgrade your computer system over the years is better than with free software.

4. Normally they come with features that aren′t in free versions but sometimes these are just for convenience. Remember though that sometimes they are perks that will actually aid your computer.

5. Programs that you pay for are usually supported on other operating systems. A good example may be the way that some only function properly on certain operating systems like XP and Vista, but if you pay for the programs they might actually be backward compatible with some of the older operating systems such as 98 and NT, and even ones that haven′t been released yet like the Windows 7 Release Candidate.

6.Most paid registry cleaners will offer a demo that you can download from their website which will let you preview it’s features and see if it’s right for you before you decide to buy it.

Paid registry cleaning software cons:

1. They are not free - you actually have to pay for them.

2. Not all of the things the program developer promises can actually be delivered on, and that’s because some of them have no ethics. This doesn′t happen often, but be vigilant just in case.

3. Not all registry cleaners are the same and some might offer better features than others. On the other end of the spectrum some of the paid ones might be exactly the same as the free ones, so this is something that you’ll really have to watch out for.

4. Some programs may limit the software to a pre-determined number of PCs on installations. This isn′t the norm, but if you have multiple computers, this is something to watch out for.

5. Mostly free registry cleaners have great benefits, but you’ll get more for your money if you buy a paid one.

Sure, there are costs involved, but there’s a good chance that you probably want to keep your computer for a while, so in our opinions - the minimal, one-time investment is definitely worth what you’re getting out of it.

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