There is a completely free, ad-supported version of IE Tab. It lacks some "Extra Quality" features (like full cookie sharing and developer tools), but it does render pages using the IE engine and supports basic ActiveX.

Free version features:

Limitations:

For occasional use, the free version is often sufficient.

Using a cracked license is software piracy. While individuals are rarely sued, businesses face severe penalties. If you are using this at work for a legacy corporate app, your IT department can be audited. Furthermore, developers of niche tools like IE Tab rely on paid licenses to survive. Without them, the software disappears.

You might think, "It's just a browser extension – what's the worst that could happen?" The answer is: complete compromise of your computer and data.

Over 90% of "cracked" browser extensions or key generators contain malware. Common payloads include:

Contact the developer directly. Many small software vendors offer free or heavily discounted licenses for:

Do not ask for a "free key" – ask for a "non-profit or educational consideration." Polite requests are often honored.