When it comes to the world of WordPress, an open-source content management system, you have thousands of plugins available to you. These plugins are used to expand on the functionality and capabilities of your WordPress website, allowing you to accomplish just about anything.
As you navigate the sea of plugins available to you, you will notice that there are both free and premium (or paid) plugin options.
Now, it’s very easy to just gravitate to the free option — because, who doesn’t love free? If it’s a simple solution to the problem you’re looking for, you really don’t see the value in paying for it, if you can find a free plugin that will do the same.
Well, that’s not always the case — and today, I’m here to tell you more about why you should consider premium plugins more often than free.
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Free vs Premium Plugins: The Difference
As you might be looking for free plugins, you’ll most often be searching the WordPress plugin repository: https://wordpress.org/plugins/
This is the entire library (over 59,000!) of free WordPress plugins you can utilize and install directly from your WordPress dashboard.
Upon searching for a plugin to suit your problem, majority of the time you will find that most free plugins come with a premium option. Out of the box, the free plugin comes with a set number of features, however most plugin developers will gate some additional features behind a premium, paid version of the plugin you can purchase through their own website.
This commonly known as a “freemium” model, and it allows plugin developers to gain additional revenue to keep supporting and developing the plugin.
Because of the freemium model, you really have to pay close attention to the plugin description before thinking that the free version will do what you want it to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve installed a free plugin, only to discover that the function I needed was part of the paid upgrade.
This can be part deception on the author’s part, however majority of the time it’s laid out for you to understand, you just have to read carefully before installing.
Now, a premium plugin does not always come with a free, more limited version. Some plugins are strictly just paid plugins — varying in pricing from a one-time fee to ongoing subscription.
We’ll talk more later in the article about how you should decide between a free plugin and investing in a premium plugin.
The Pitfalls of “Free” Plugins
With so many at your fingertips, it’s tempting to just find one that suits your problem, install it, activate it, and be on your way.
However, with so many plugins available, you have to understand the risks involved with using a free plugin.
Here’s a few things to consider and look for before installing it:
1. Plugin Support
One of the first things to consider when looking at a free plugin is the support. Once you install the plugin, what if you run into a problem? Does the plugin come with good documentation? Who will help you if you can’t figure it out?
After all, you’re using a free plugin — so expecting support from the plugin developer is not likely to happen.
Check out the plugin reviews on the repository, and read what others have to say. Additionally, check out the Support tab on the plugin — are requests often ignored? Or do you see the developer pretty active in wanting to help?
If it’s a fairly simple plugin that doesn’t require much setup, maybe you don’t need support — but keep it in mind if you do.
2. Updates
As an open-source software, anyone can build a plugin for WordPress. As a result, you need to pay close attention to how the plugin is developed on an ongoing basis. Does it have a changelog history of versions, that don’t span too far apart?
A changelog is a list of plugin updates the developer has released — seen like this for Yoast.
If you open up the Development tab in the plugin page, and see a changelog of only a few versions, or the “Last Updated” date is nowhere in the past 6-12 months, I would definitely pump the brakes on installing that particular plugin.
Every plugin developer should release ongoing updates to the plugin, even just for security reasons, if no new features are presented.
3. Quality & Security
Probably the most important, the quality and security of a particular plugin should be vetted.
Now, this is probably easier said than done — as it can be difficult sometimes to uncover any real information on the quality of a plugin.
Start by checking out the developer profile — let’s look at Tom Usborne’s here. You can see that Tom has been a Member since 2012, contributed to WordPress in multiple ways, and has a very active Activity history.
Digging deeper into his plugin GenerateBlocks and theme GeneratePress, and you’ll see both have phenomenal reviews and are installed on tens of thousands of websites.
This is a great example of a plugin author that you could trust, with solid proof.
Now, if you come across a plugin that has less than 1,000 installs, hasn’t been updated in the last year, and reviews are showing negative feedback, those are signs you definitely shouldn’t use that particular plugin.
Why I Invest in Premium Plugins
There are several reasons why I feel strongly about investing in premium plugins. Sure, there’s always a use case where a free plugin works fine, is secure, and updated regularly.
But if you’re looking to create a website with a more stable environment, without having to always worry about the security of your plugin stack, you should consider premium — here’s why:
1. Support the Developer
Being so reliant on WordPress to run my business, I want to be able to give back and support the community that has helped me do my job. So when I’m shopping a plugin for a solution, and it comes at a cost, I don’t just click “back” in my browser and look elsewhere. I consider investing in that plugin because I know that if the developer is receiving ongoing financial support, they’re more likely to continue developing it.
And just like I need their plugin to do my job, they need us to use their plugins to do their job and support their business and families, too.
Building websites for many clients, I want to create with a list of plugins that I can count on — plus, it’s a part of doing business. I look for solutions that will suit me and my clients well in the long run, not just in the short-term.
On the other hand, if you use a free plugin, you don’t always have the safest feeling of them continuing to develop it — if they have no premium version to support their free plugin, what would make them want to continue?
So you never want to keep around a free plugin that doesn’t meet your vetted requirements we talked about before, as it could completely go away with no notice.
2. More Reliable Updates
As I am running a business, I have looked to create a more predictable stack of plugins and theme that I can rely on. This way, as I am doing regular maintenance for all of my clients, I can rest assured that there aren’t any wild plugins that are going to break the functionality of my websites.
By investing and sticking to a set list of plugins and theme for every website you build, you create predictability and trust in the software. You get to know the frequency of updates, how stable they are, and when you should (or shouldn’t) update them.
In the end, though, investing in a premium plugin more often than not means that the developer is continually pushing updates to help improve the security, stability and even further the functionality.
3. Ongoing Support
Last but not least, if I am going to use a plugin that requires some advanced setup and functionality, and it’s a more crucial aspect of the website I’m working on, I will most definitely purchase a premium plugin for access to their support.
I have come across some AMAZING support (Permatters is the bees knees), and when you know you can count on such awesome support when you need it, it makes the investment that much more valuable (and worth it).
Majority of the time, the free plugins don’t come with free support, so always consider your level of expertise and if that premium support is worth it (and needed).
When to Choose a Free Plugin
The most obvious answer on when you should use a free plugin is when you’re utilizing a premium plugin and it requires the free version, too. This is how GenerateBlocks operates with their free version and additional Pro version — two separate plugins, but required for each other to work properly.
Now, beyond that scenario when you don’t have a choice, you could consider using a free plugin based on the following:
- It’s backed by a reputable developer: Utilizing a free plugin knowing that the developer behind it has a great reputation, is known in the WP community and/or has contributed multiple reliable plugins to the repository are all good reasons to use a free plugin.
- It has thousands of installs with good reviews and active changelog: A largely-used plugin shows that a lot of people trust it — and an active changelog gives you peace of mind that it’s regularly updated and cared for.
- You have a strict budget: Look, I know that you can’t always afford premium plugins (some can get pricy), so if a tight budget is in play, there’s nothing wrong with going a free route (as long as you vet it as we talked about).
Free vs Premium: Making the Right Choice
Choosing between free and premium WordPress plugins is not always a straightforward decision. While free plugins can offer great functionality and help you stay within budget if needed, they often come with limitations in terms of support, updates, and security. On the other hand, premium plugins usually provide more robust features, reliable support, and regular updates, which can be crucial for maintaining a secure and stable website stack.
Investing in premium plugins is not just about paying for more features; it’s about supporting the developers who keep these tools running and ensuring that your website operates smoothly — in addition to giving back to the WordPress ecosystem so we can all benefit in the long run.
Remember, the right plugin can make a significant difference in your site’s performance and your peace of mind. So, whether you choose free or premium options, take the time to vet your plugins thoroughly, and don’t hesitate to invest in quality solutions that can support your site’s growth and success.
