Legal
GPL & Licensing
How licensing works for WordPress software, what a purchase from this store does and does not grant you, and where to look for the terms that actually apply to a given product.
- Published
- October 2, 2026
WordPress and the GPL
WordPress itself is free software released under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later. The GPL was written so that anyone can run, study, modify and redistribute the software, provided the same freedoms are passed on to the people they distribute it to.
That is why WordPress can be extended by thousands of independent developers and hosted by thousands of independent companies. It is also why a large part of the WordPress ecosystem is GPL or GPL-compatible.
What "GPL-compatible" means
Some plugins and themes are released under the GPL. Others use licences written to be compatible with it, such as the MIT, BSD or Apache licences, which grant similar freedoms under a different name. The practical effect is the same: you can usually run, inspect and modify the software.
The point that gets blurred is redistribution. The GPL lets you pass the software on, provided you also pass on the same rights and keep the notices intact. That is a right the licence grants you. It is not a favour from the developer, and it is not conditional on buying from any particular seller.
A meaningful number of commercial WordPress products are licensed differently, and those licences may forbid redistribution or modification outright. Those products are not GPL, and no claim is made here that they are.
What a purchase from this store grants you
- Access to the file, through the download permissions on your account.
- Whatever rights the licence attached to that product already gave you. If it is GPL or a compatible licence, those rights are the GPL's.
- Updates to that product while the product record is maintained.
Where the licence is stated
Each product page has a Product information table. Where the licence is known and recorded, a License row is shown with the value taken from the product record:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| GPL | Released under the GNU General Public License. The GPL rights apply, including modification and redistribution on GPL terms. |
| GPL-compatible | Released under a licence written to be compatible with the GPL — commonly MIT, BSD or Apache. Similar practical freedoms apply. |
| Commercial | Released under a proprietary licence. Redistribution and modification are restricted by that licence. |
| Other | Released under a licence not covered by the categories above. Read the licence that came with the file. |
Where a product page shows no License row at all, the licence for that product has not been verified yet. This store does not assume GPL, and does not print a licence it has not checked.
Names, logos and trade marks
Product names, logos, icons and trade marks are the property of their respective owners. Listing a product here uses its name to identify that product accurately, in the way a shopkeeper must name the goods they sell. It does not imply that the owner supplied, reviewed, sponsored or approved this listing.
Where a product is distributed under a licence that requires attribution, the attribution the licence asks for is left intact in the file as distributed.
No implied affiliation
This store is an independent website. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the developers or trademark owners of third-party products unless an actual relationship is stated in writing on the relevant product page.
The names of third-party software on this site — including WordPress, WooCommerce, Elementor, WoodMart, Rank Math, WP Rocket, Astra and others — are used to identify the software a product works with or is compatible with. Nothing more should be read into their appearance here.
All trade marks belong to their respective owners. Their use here is nominative: to say which product a listing refers to.
Questions about a specific licence
If you need the licence text for a particular product, ask through the contact page with the product name and the version shown on its page. The licence as distributed with the file is the authoritative version; where it differs from what is listed here, the file wins.