Why is WordPress free?

One of the most frequently asked questions of users is "Do I have to pay to use WordPress?". When it is known that WordPress is a free and open source software, the next question is usually 'Why is WordPress free?' Today's article will discuss why WordPress is free, the cost of running a WordPress site and what users get from a WordPress site.

WordPress is an open source software. That is, users can use, modify, build and redistribute software in any way they want. However, there may be related costs incurred during use. The cost of using open source WordPress software will be covered later in this article.

Why is WordPress not sold as a software?

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People often wonder why companies don't commercialize WordPress? If WordPress is a really good platform as people say, then, these companies will obviously make more money by selling WordPress software. This will become a reality, if only one company or individual owns WordPress.

In fact, WordPress is an open source community project, where tens of thousands of talented people have contributed to making it a great software like today. There is a core group of developers leading the project development, but anyone can contribute bug fixes, bug reports, feature suggestions, etc. In addition, leaders Project leaders will also change from one version to another. If you join this community, then you can easily become a core WordPress contributor.

The philosophy behind the open source software movement is that software is unlike other tangible products. When a software is created, it can be copied multiple times at a low cost. Let's take an example of a toy factory. Each manufactured toy has different parts and each part has a certain cost. Production costs of these parts can be calculated by the factory to determine a reasonable rate of return for the product. In contrast, the cost of creating software and creating copies of software is not the same. Some argue that with each software sold, the software's profit margin will become more and more different.

How do people make money with WordPress?

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The two main parts that benefit from any open source software are its products or services.

People often confuse WordPress with WordPress.com. WordPress (commonly known as WordPress self-hosted or WordPress.org) is a free blogging platform.

Matt Mullenweg, co-founder and developer of WordPress, introduced a company called Automattic, offering a free 'limited' blog hosting service at WordPress.com and you can pay or upgrade to Unlock features like CSS editing. However, to get the full power of WordPress.org on WP.com service, you have to spend over 3250 dollars per month for hosting.

In May 2014, Automattic conducted a $ 160 million investment package, raising the company's value to $ 1.16 billion.

Other developers have also successfully built many million dollar businesses based on WordPress, by creating commercial plugins, commercial themes and even offering WordPress hosting services.

Some examples of successful million-dollar WordPress companies are:

1. WPEngine.com - A managed WordPress hosting company worth more than 40 million dollars.
2. Awesome Motive (awesomemotive.com) - Led by Mr. Syed Balkhi, is another million-dollar company based on WordPress. WPBeginner, OptinMonster, WPForms, MonsterInsights and other popular WordPress plugins.
3. Sucuri.net - A popular WordPress security solution on the market.
4. iThemes.com - One of the oldest WordPress companies and established based on popular plugins like BackupBuddy.
5. ElegantThemes.com - Million dollar theme company based on popular drag and drop page creator: Divi.
6. Gravity Forms (gravityforms.com) - The most popular WordPress Plugin.

WordPress developers and consultants also create a comfortable full-time income by building custom websites, applications and plugins on WordPress for their customers. Some people can earn more than six numbers a year.

Is WordPress copyright free?

No, WordPress copyright is not free. It allows anyone to use it, but every contribution made to this software is copyrighted.

It is released under the GPL, so you are free to use, modify and redistribute code. You will have copyright to the modifications you make to the software, not the entire code. The GPL requires that all derivative works that you publish or distribute must also be licensed under the GPL. So while you have the right to do whatever you like, your derivative work will automatically have a GPL license so that others are free to use, modify and redistribute your code according to any any way they want.

Does this mean all GPL licensed WordPress themes and plugins?

According to an official blog post on WordPress.org, the themes are also GPL licensed. Images, CSS and Javascript used within themes and plugins may be excluded, but all PHP and HTML parts of themes and plugins use WordPress functionality, so they are a derivative work. and licensed under the GPL.

While some people disagree with that, most reliable WordPress businesses follow these community guidelines.

Content published with WordPress also inherits GPL?

No, you have the right to license your content in any way you want, unless the content you are publishing is actually a derivative work of WordPress or any other GPL-licensed work.

For example, if you are sharing artwork on your blog, then you own its full copyright.

However, if you are writing a blog post to show how people know how to use a WordPress function with examples, that particular blog post may be licensed in another way. The code used in the examples is actually a derivative work and automatically inherits the GPL license.

WordPress brand

WordPress's code as a software is released based on GPL, but from WordPress, WordCamp and WordPress Logo are registered trademarks, owned by WordPress Foundation. To distinguish between a website or an official resource operated by the community, the WordPress Foundation requires people not to use the word 'WordPress' in the domain name.

Any website, training course or resource available from WordPress in the domain name, can be run by someone who doesn't have enough knowledge about WordPress. You should not pay any money for any website, training course or resource like this.

Most legitimate businesses built on WordPress know brand policies and respect rules.

Cost of using WordPress

WordPress is free software to download and use. However, to use WordPress on the web, you will need WordPress Hosting.

1. How much does it cost to build a WordPress website?

You can use WordPress.com to create a free blog, but note that there are some differences between WordPress and WordPress.com.

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The cost of using WordPress for any kind of website is very minimal. The only real cost is web hosting and domain. Users can get a domain name and web hosting for $ 3.95 / month from Bluehost.com or Siteground.com (both are officially proposed WordPress hosting service providers).

The additional costs will be commercial WordPress themes. However, you are not required to use them. There are over 4000 free WordPress themes that you can use.

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Similarly, people often use commercial plugins, but you do not have to use them. There are more than 45,000 free WordPress plugins.

So why do people buy paid themes or plugins? Free themes are being used everywhere. To get a more unique design and feel for your website, people often buy a "premium" commercial theme.

Another reason for buying a paid theme or plugin is to get support. A free theme or plugin provider is not required to provide support or updates, as it is usually just a project based on the developer's temporary passion. In contrast, providers of paid themes and plugins regularly support and update themes and plugins, as that helps them make a profit.

Hopefully this article has given you answers to some questions regarding WordPress licensing, the cost of running WordPress and how to make money from WordPress. Please add your comments, questions and feedback on this issue in the comment section below!

See more:

1. 3 great WordPress themes for portfolio construction
2. Anyone can create a small and simple website with these 10 websites
3. Instructions for creating websites with WordPress from A to Z