Paid vs Free Plugins for WordPress.org... what's the difference?

Review
1

Hey everyone,

I need some advice about WordPress.org vs WordPress.com and plugins. I’m trying to set up a community site with a newsletter, forum, online courses, etc. I heard .org is better, but it looks like I’ll have to pay for plugins like WPforms, Memberpress, LearnDash, bbPress, and WooCommerce. I don’t mind paying for some, but paying for all would eat up my budget before I even start making money. Are there any free plugins on WordPress.org that are just as good or close to these ones?

Thanks in advance for your help, hope you all have a great week!

2

There are usually freemium versions for .org - https://wordpress.org/plugins/

3

Avery said:
There are usually freemium versions for .org - https://wordpress.org/plugins/

Thanks, Point! So, are you saying there are free versions of the plugins I mentioned?

4

@Arlo
Yes, check out the link I posted. Most plugins offer a free version with limited features, but it’s worth looking into.

5

Avery said:
@Arlo
Yes, check out the link I posted. Most plugins offer a free version with limited features, but it’s worth looking into.

Got it, thanks again! I’ll be checking that out for sure!

6

All of the plugins you mentioned have free versions on WordPress.org. The paid versions just have extra features. You might find that the free versions are enough for what you need.

Also, keep in mind that WordPress.org and WordPress.com are different. .org is the software you install on your own hosting, while .com is a hosted service where you can’t add plugins or themes on the free plan.

7

@Reagan
Hi Summer,

You’re right, I might not need the premium versions. Do you know if I can upgrade later on, for example from MemberPress to a more advanced version, once I start earning or my community grows?

8

@Arlo
Yes, you can upgrade from a free version to a paid version of the same plugin without any issues. Most premium plugins are subscription-based. If you don’t pay, you’ll still be able to use the plugin, but you won’t get updates. Keeping things updated is recommended for security reasons, though.

9

@Reagan
Thanks so much for the clarification! I’ll look into that.

10

Hi Ram, thanks for your comment! I see now that LifterLMS is a free version of LearnDash, but it might not have all the features.

I’ll keep you in mind for hiring. What are your rates for setting something like this up?

11

@Arlo
Thanks, Ram! $40/hr sounds reasonable, I’ll be in touch soon!

12

Instead of WPForms, you can try the free version of Quasar Form.

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Rory said:
Instead of WPForms, you can try the free version of Quasar Form.

Hi Nucleus,

Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll definitely check it out!

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BuddyPress is free, Tutor LMS is free, and Form Maker is free. All of them are highly rated and work with WordPress up to version 5.8.2.

15

Zen said:
BuddyPress is free, Tutor LMS is free, and Form Maker is free. All of them are highly rated and work with WordPress up to version 5.8.2.

Hi Blue,

Thanks a lot for the recommendations! I really appreciate it.

16

@Arlo
No problem, happy to help :blush: