# What is a free trial?

> A free trial lets you use an app in full for a set time before you pay. Learn how NotchStar's 7 day trial starts, what ends it and what happens to your data.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/free-trial/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

A free trial is a period when you can use an app with all its features before paying. It exists so you can find out whether the app fits your day before you spend anything.

## Why it matters

A trial is not the same as a refund. A trial is time before you buy. A [refund window](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/refund-window/) is time after you buy. Some products offer one, some both.

## How NotchStar's trial works

Every install gets 7 days with every tool turned on. The count starts at the first launch and is in whole days. If the clock on your Mac is set backwards, that counts as day zero, not as extra time. During the trial the app contacts no server.

When the 7 days pass, the app asks for a [license key](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/license-key/) to keep the notch open. The trial end is a soft wall. It never deletes your data, and it never locks it. The home page also runs every tool in your browser, so you can try them before you install anything.

## Limits

The trial is counted from the first launch on your Mac, using that Mac's clock. After it ends, a license key is the way to keep using the notch.

## Related

To see the price model, read [one time purchase](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/one-time-purchase/). Try the [Timers tool](https://www.notchstar.com/features/timers/) during your trial, and see how [one time purchase notch apps compare](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-one-time-purchase-mac-notch-apps/).

## Keep reading.

- [What is a license key?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/license-key/): A license key is a code that proves you bought an app. Learn how NotchStar's key works, how many Macs it covers and what happens offline.
- [What is a one time purchase?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/one-time-purchase/): A one time purchase means you pay once and keep the app, with no monthly fee. Learn how it differs from a subscription and what NotchStar's $4 covers.
- [What is a refund window?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/refund-window/): A refund window is the number of days after buying when you can ask for your money back. Learn how NotchStar's 7 day window works and how to ask.
- [Timer, stopwatch and Pomodoro in the notch](https://www.notchstar.com/features/timers/): A timer, stopwatch and Pomodoro with session tracking, always one hover away in the Mac notch. It keeps counting while the notch is closed.
- [Mac notch apps you can buy once, with no subscription, priced](https://www.notchstar.com/guides/best-one-time-purchase-mac-notch-apps/): Which Mac notch apps cost one payment instead of a subscription? Prices, Mac counts, trials and macOS versions from official pages, checked 4 November 2026.

## More in Buying and licenses.

- [What is a license key?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/license-key/): A license key is a code that proves you bought an app. Learn how NotchStar's key works, how many Macs it covers and what happens offline.
- [What is a one time purchase?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/one-time-purchase/): A one time purchase means you pay once and keep the app, with no monthly fee. Learn how it differs from a subscription and what NotchStar's $4 covers.
- [What is a software subscription?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/subscription/): A subscription charges you on a repeating schedule, usually monthly or yearly, to keep using an app. Learn how it differs from paying once.
- [What is a refund window?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/refund-window/): A refund window is the number of days after buying when you can ask for your money back. Learn how NotchStar's 7 day window works and how to ask.
- [What is a merchant of record?](https://www.notchstar.com/glossary/merchant-of-record/): A merchant of record is the company that legally sells to you and takes responsibility for the sale, including tax. See why NotchStar uses Dodo Payments.