Free as in beer

The expression free as in beer refers to things which are available at no monetary cost (like free beer at a party). It can be contrasted with the expressions free as in speech or free as in freedom, which refer to something (especially software) which is free of restrictions, as in the freedom of speech. The expression "free as in freedom" is significant in that it was the title of a 2002 biography of Richard Stallman, founder of the Free Software Foundation.

In French (and other Latin languages), the distinction is simpler, because the word free can be translated as gratuit (no cost, gratis in Latin) or libre (free of restrictions).

To some people, "free beer" often implies free riding, or freeloading[?] taking advantage of something that is not paid for.