Many designers and developers, especially those new to WordPress, often complain about the rising costs of plugins. Some even go as far as seeking out cracked/nulled premium plugins without realizing the hidden risks—such as injecting their or their clients’ websites with malware and security vulnerabilities.
The reality is, WordPress plugin development takes time, effort, and money—not just to build but to maintain, support, and improve over time.
Understanding the WordPress Plugin Economy
Most premium WordPress plugins operate on a subscription-based model, typically charging users on a yearly basis. While some plugins start as free, many later introduce premium features or switch to a paid model entirely once they gain traction.
This shift often frustrates users who expected the plugin to remain free forever. But let’s ask a simple question:
Why should developers work for free?
If a plugin doesn’t generate income, its developer has to look for alternative ways to make a living—whether through freelance projects, full-time jobs, or other paid work. This means the plugin becomes a low priority, leading to fewer updates, slower bug fixes, and unresponsive support.
Why Free WordPress Plugins Get Abandoned
Many WordPress plugins in the official repository are abandoned because their developers couldn’t afford to maintain them. It’s not uncommon for plugin developers to:
- Spend 10-20 hours per week maintaining their plugins
- Receive little to no donations from users (if they accept donations at all)
- Get bombarded with support requests—most of which come from free users
- Face one-star reviews simply because they didn’t update the plugin frequently enough
This creates an unsustainable cycle where the plugin’s revenue doesn’t cover the time and effort needed to maintain it.
The True Cost of a WordPress Plugin
Let’s break it down:
- Suppose a plugin costs $100 per year.
- A simple update may take at least 20 minutes to complete.
- If a developer’s hourly rate is $30, that’s $10 per update (assuming minimal work). This may also require setting up a staging WordPress sites on qSandbox or WPSandbox.net
- Over the course of a year, the developer may push 12-20 updates—totalling at least $120-$200 in opportunity cost.
- This does not include security fixes, support, bug fixes, feature improvements, hosting, or compatibility testing.
Clearly, that $100 annual fee isn’t pure profit—it covers only a fraction of the actual costs of running the plugin.
What Is a Nulled Plugin and Why Is It a Bad Idea?
A nulled plugin is a pirated version of a premium plugin, often distributed unethically but not illegally by third-party websites because the GPL license allows copying and distribution. To make these plugins work without a valid license, hackers or distributors modify the plugin’s code to remove or disable the licensing system which harms the creator of the plugin.
While this might seem like a way to get premium features for free, there are serious risks:
- Security vulnerabilities – Nulled plugins often contain hidden malware, spyware, or backdoors that can compromise your website.
- No updates or support – Since the licensing system is removed, nulled plugins do not receive official updates or security patches. Any existing vulnerabilities remain unpatched.
- Legal and ethical concerns – Using nulled plugins violates the developer’s terms of service and is essentially software piracy.
- SEO and performance issues – Some nulled plugins inject spam links or unwanted scripts that slow down your website and hurt your search engine rankings.
By using nulled plugins, you’re not just putting your own site at risk—you could be exposing your clients’ websites, their customers’ data, and even the broader WordPress community to security threats.
Is a Plugin Subscription Really That Expensive?
Many people hesitate to pay $30-$100 per year for a plugin, but consider this:
- A custom-built solution for the same problem could cost $1,000+ upfront.
- Paid plugins often come with dedicated support—something you wouldn’t get with a free plugin.
- Subscriptions ensure the plugin remains updated and secure for as long as you use it.
Sometimes, paying a small recurring fee is the smarter and more cost-effective choice.
Alternatives to Paying for a Plugin Subscription
If you don’t want to pay for a premium plugin subscription, you have two main alternatives:
1. Hiring a Developer to Build a Custom Plugin
If your needs are highly specific, hiring a developer to build a custom plugin might make sense. This approach gives you:
- Full control over functionality
- Optimized performance tailored to your exact needs
- No reliance on third-party licensing
However, there are significant downsides:
- High upfront costs – A basic custom plugin can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000+, depending on complexity.
- Ongoing maintenance – WordPress updates, PHP changes, and security fixes mean that custom plugins require long-term maintenance, which costs additional time and money.
- Potential compatibility issues – Without ongoing support, your custom plugin might break when combined with new themes, plugins, or WordPress updates.
Custom development makes sense when performance is a priority or when the functionality you need isn’t available in any existing plugin. However, if you don’t account for long-term maintenance, a custom solution can become a bigger headache than a paid plugin subscription.
2. Using AI to Build a Plugin
AI tools have made it easier than ever to generate simple WordPress plugins with minimal coding experience. This is a great solution for:
- Small to medium-sized plugins with basic functionality
- Automating repetitive development tasks
- Quickly testing ideas before investing in a full-scale plugin
However, relying on AI comes with risks:
- Security concerns – AI-generated code may introduce vulnerabilities if you don’t know what to look for.
- Lack of optimization – AI can create functional code, but it may not follow best practices for performance or scalability.
- Debugging and maintenance challenges – AI doesn’t always produce perfect code, meaning you may still need a developer to fix issues and ensure compatibility with future WordPress updates.
If you have a strong coding background, using AI to assist with plugin development can be a time-saver. But if you’re unfamiliar with secure coding practices, an AI-generated plugin could leave your website exposed to security risks.
Final Thoughts: Respect the Work Behind WordPress Plugins
As a WordPress plugin developer, I’ve built and maintained over 200+ plugins (including 30+ free plugins in the WP repository). Despite this, donations total anywhere from $0 to $25 per year—hardly enough to justify ongoing development.
People who complain about plugin costs don’t realize what goes into maintaining them. Even the simplest plugin can take anywhere from 1 to 100+ hours to build, depending on complexity. Developers must consider:
- Security vulnerabilities
- Compatibility with other plugins and themes
- Performance optimizations
- Hosting and licensing management
- Customer support and documentation
Everything has a cost, and expecting high-quality plugins for free indefinitely is unrealistic.
Final Advice for WordPress Users
- Factor plugin costs into your project quotes. If you're building a site for a client, either include the cost in your pricing or ask them to buy the license directly.
- Avoid nulled plugins at all costs—the risks are far worse than the savings.
- If a free plugin helps your business, support the developer! A donation or a kind review goes a long way.
At the end of the day, WordPress plugin development is a business, not a charity. If you want high-quality, well-maintained tools, they need to be financially supported—simple as that.
