Streamlining WordPress Plugin and Theme Updates with Automation
When it comes to selling WordPress plugins or themes, providing automatic updates is crucial for a smooth user experience. While updating free plugins from the WordPress repository is straightforward, the process differs for premium products. Sending manual update emails can be tedious and inconvenient. In this article, we will explore various tools that enable you to offer automatic updates for your WordPress plugins or themes, simplifying the upgrade process.
Freemius: An All-In-One Solution
Freemius is a leading platform for selling WordPress plugins. It allows you to offer both a free version on the WordPress repository and a paid version. Freemius handles onboarding and upgrading users from the free to the paid version, offering a comprehensive solution for developers looking to sell WordPress plugins and maximize profits. Additionally, Freemius integrates an affiliate program with your plugin, adding further incentive for potential customers. Learn more about this versatile tool here and here.
Elite Licenser: Simplifying License Management
Elite Licenser is a powerful WordPress plugin that streamlines license management for WordPress themes and plugins, as well as other PHP, .NET, Java, or Android applications. It can even be used for content management systems like Joomla or your own software. Elite Licenser seamlessly integrates with popular tools and marketplaces such as Envato (ThemeForest and CodeCanyon), WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads, and Fast Spring.
When used for WordPress plugins and themes, Elite Licenser can automatically generate license keys upon purchase and deliver them to users either automatically or manually. It allows you to set custom support and license expiration dates, and tracks activated license keys on different websites. With Elite Licenser, your customers can easily update their plugins, themes, and apps from their personalized dashboard, enhancing their overall experience. The plugin also provides additional tools to effectively manage license keys.
Choose between a one-year or lifetime license when acquiring Elite Licenser. The one-year license includes one year of support and updates, while the lifetime license offers ongoing support and updates. Here are the pricing details for the two plans:
Easy Digital Downloads: Simplifying the Update Process
Easy Digital Downloads is a renowned WordPress product that enables you to create a digital download store. Their Software Licensing extension is an excellent solution for automatic updates. This extension ensures that updates are only available for users with valid licenses. If a user’s license expires, they will not be able to update the plugin or theme until they renew their license. To gain a better understanding of how the Easy Digital Downloads Software Licensing plugin works, watch this helpful video here.
It is essential to note that the Software Licensing extension is a paid add-on, costing approximately $82 for a single-site license. The pricing is justified, particularly if you are developing high-quality paid products. For integrating an affiliate program with your product, consider using AffiliateWP.
WP Updates: A Simple Solution for Digital Products
If you are looking for a straightforward solution to offer updates for premium plugins, WP Updates is worth considering. It is ideal for developers who have both free and premium plugins and distribute them independently. WP Updates provides a user-friendly dashboard for pushing plugin updates. You can manage one product for free, but if you have multiple products, you will need to subscribe to their plan based on the number of products. This brief video demonstrates how simple it is to use WP Updates here.
These are two user-friendly solutions that seamlessly integrate with your WordPress plugins or themes to offer automatic updates. Choose the system that best suits your specific needs. We regularly update this article, so make sure to check back for alternative solutions. Let us know your preferred method for providing automatic updates to your digital products in the comments section below.
