I built a few Wordpress sites around 8 years ago, and back then everything was free. Now I’m surprised to see that you need a paid plan to do more than just basic posts. I’m getting back into Wordpress since I’ll be managing an existing site and wanted to practice on a private dummy one.
Anyone know when this change started?
Your question seems more about Wordpress hosting than plugins. Plugins have had paid versions for a long time. But the Wordpress you download from .org (self-hosted) is still free. Maybe you’re thinking about Wordpress.com, where they offer hosting plans?
@Freeman
Oh right… .org vs .com. I didn’t think about that. I vaguely remember .org and how I could set up a site and add widgets (I guess they’re called plugins now) for free back then. Maybe my memory’s just fuzzy.
@Ollie
Plugins have always been plugins, and widgets are different. Widgets are for adding stuff to sidebars, footers, etc.
Sounds like you used Wordpress.org in the past, where you could install it on your own server for free. That’s still the case, and you can still get tons of free plugins. Some are paid, but many are free.
If you want to experiment, try downloading LocalWP. It lets you set up a Wordpress site locally on your computer so you can practice without paying.
@Ollie
Widgets and plugins aren’t the same. Plugins have had paid versions for years, but there are way more advanced ones now, and devs need to charge to keep things running.
Also, there are a ton more plugins now compared to 8 years ago. Be careful about what you install, even if it’s from the official plugin list.
The core Wordpress software is free. You can grab it from Wordpress.org and install it on any server without restrictions.
Are you asking about Wordpress.com hosting plans? That’s a different thing. Plugins are tricky though. Technically, plugin code should be free due to GPL rules, but a lot of devs gate access behind paid subscriptions.
If you’re really interested, you can sometimes find these plugins on GitHub. They might not be up-to-date, but they usually still work.
@Yun
Yep, since it’s GPL, people can share or redistribute it freely.
Honestly, it feels like the Wordpress community has moved away from the open-source spirit.
Jordan said:
@Yun
Yep, since it’s GPL, people can share or redistribute it freely.
Honestly, it feels like the Wordpress community has moved away from the open-source spirit.
Open source is great, but if devs don’t get paid, they can’t keep working on free stuff forever. It’s not sustainable.
If people want open-source projects to keep going, they need to support the devs financially.
@Yun
Got it. Thanks for clarifying.
@Yun
Even though the PHP part has to be GPL, CSS and JS don’t have the same rules.
If you’re using Wordpress.org, hosting can be as cheap as $3 a month. Don’t confuse it with Wordpress.com.
A good premium theme costs around $75. Plugins can add up though. I spent $2500 this year on plugins alone, but they were necessary for my projects.
@Adi
What plugins do you think were worth that much money?
Ash said:
@Adi
What plugins do you think were worth that much money?
$2.5 million??
No, $2500. I have about 13 plugins that are crucial for my work. For example:
More plugins now come with subscriptions. Even though plenty of free ones are still around, the paid ones tend to offer more advanced features.
A lot has changed in the Wordpress space over the last 8 years.
You’re not wrong. It used to be free to upload themes and plugins, but now you need the ‘creator plan,’ which costs $250. It’s a huge jump in price.
They’ve monopolized website development so much that it’s hard to avoid using Wordpress.
So you think other people’s work should be free? Interesting take.
Asa said:
So you think other people’s work should be free? Interesting take.
Have you ever donated to any open-source projects like the Wordpress foundation or GNU? If not, you’re taking advantage of free work too.
@Jordan
That’s not really how open source works.