WordPress took the website’s building world by storm and is now the most popular and used platform.

Becoming one of the most used software in the world didn’t come out of thin air, and the platform roadmap is worth knowing.

When released for the first time back in ’03, WordPress had limited capabilities and was only intended to serve one specific goal, build an online presence.

With time, while gaining a more extensive user base, the demands from the system changed accordingly. As a result, what used to be enough for some users didn’t fulfill the needs of others.

Because WordPress is open-source software with a code base open for all, advocate users modified the platform to suit their needs better.

Being under the general public license (GPL) and legally able to share the plugin’s code allowed WordPress users to send it to each other and businesses to perform better, sell more, and expand.

When the demand for those plugins increased, bigger fish entered the tank, and the plugins became more powerful and nicely packaged.

Many years later, WordPress is now swamped with thousands of plugins and themes made by different developers and serve various purposes.

These days, WordPress is a robust, powerful software that enables users to build online stores, book appointments, communicate with visitors, and much more.

However, the high prices of the premium plugins make them out of reach for many site owners to use the full potential of WordPress.

Luckily, thanks to WordPress being released as free software, GPL websites can now offer you all plugins and themes for a small fee.

 Sounds amazing? It sure is! Let’s explore more.

What is GPL?

GPL (or GNU) stands for General Public License and is a standard software license many applications use.

The man who formed the GPL license, Richard Stallman, declared the four core beliefs of the permit as so:

• First, users are allowed to run the program for any purpose.
• The freedom to study the code and its functions.
• Everyone has the right to destitute copies of the code.
• Fourth, you can modify and change the code based on your needs.

Using a GPL license is one of the important reasons WordPress rapidly evolved and left other web-building platforms behind.

WordPress benefits so much from the GPL license that they require all plugins and themes submitted to their repository to be under the GPL.

That raises the question, if all the plugins and themes for WordPress share the same GPL license, what are the developers charging for?

GPL license doesn’t prohibit developers from charging customers for their hard work. They can defiantly do that. But it does mean, however, that after buying their plugin, anyone can redistribute it to others for free or at a different price.

That’s when GPL websites come into the picture. These GPL sites buy subscriptions from the official developers and sell the plugins and themes to the public for an affordable price. All legal and legit.

Buying a license key for the total price from the official developers is only good when you want to appreciate their hard work or to get plugin support if needed.

However, the GPL sites listed below will be helpful if you want to test some plugins and don’t feel like paying the total amount.

Best 12 GPL Website for WordPress

I tested each website from the list at least once, whether buying a single product or unlimited downloads.

1. PluginsForWP

PluginsForWP, although one of the newest websites, is positioned at the top of the list for many good reasons.

Besides being the only GPL website that keeps streamlined fresh content in its blog, they also provide fantastic customer support and updates daily.

They currently offer over 5,000 WordPress plugins and themes in their repository, and they stated that they are constantly adding more.

One main advantage of this website over the others is its Plugin Manager. While with other websites on this list, you’ll need to download updated versions from their website and upload it manually. It is not the case with PluginsForWP.

After installing the PluginsForWP Plugin Manager on your website, you can update all your premium plugins and themes inside your WordPress dashboard. A perk like that will save you valuable time and keep your system up-to-date and secure.

Pros:

• Updated regularly
• Plugin Manager included for FREE
• Great customer support
• Purchase items individually
• Offer unlimited downloads plans
• Generous refund policy
• Custom requests to add plugins or themes
• Plugin’s exchange program
• Testing for malware
• New articles and tutorials on their blog and YouTube channel.
• Overall best experience

Cons:

• You can only download 20 items a day (worth mentioning, although 20 items are plenty)

You can buy a single download from PluginsForWP for only $4.99 or unlimited downloads for $12.97 monthly (they offer promotions during holidays).

2. WooGang

WooGang is an old-timer GPL website that earned its high ranking on this list. Although a smaller library than other websites, they have a good reputation for keeping the items up-to-date.

Pros:

• Updated versions
• Purchase items individually
• Offer memberships
• Customer support

Cons:

• Limited repository
• Doesn’t have a Plugin Manager
• You can only download 20 items a day

You can get an individual item for $4.99 or a membership plan starting at $14.99 a month.

3. GPL Rocks

GPL Rocks is another excellent choice that made its way to our list.

This old-timer website is well-designed and maintained.

Like the other websites on this list, you can purchase each item individually or as an unlimited download package in GPL Rocks.

Although their front page says that their website offers over 14,000 plugins and themes, quickly calculating the number of items on each page times the number of pages leads us to only 1,980 items.

Therefore, please search for your desired item before getting their unlimited plan.

Pros:

• Updated versions
• Pay with PayPal or credit cards
• Lifetime plan

Cons:

• Limited selection
• No Plugin Manager

4. PluginTheme

Plugintheme.net is one of my favorite options on this list. With a decent library of over 3,000 items, there is a high chance you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for.

They have useful WordPress and WooCommerce plugins, from website optimization (like WP Rocket) to SEO (like Yoast and AIO).

Each plugin or theme will cost you $4.49, but it’s unclear if it comes with regular updates for a year.

Regardless, their lifetime deal is probably the cheapest in the business, making it a no-brainer to get one.

Pros:

• Lowest prices
• Large selection
• Lifetime plan

Cons:

• Unclear updates policy
• No Plugin Manager

The plugintheme.net club prices run from $15 monthly to $98 for a lifetime.

5. GPL Coffee

GPL.coffee is an excellent website with a selection of premium plugins and themes.

Unlike most other GPL sites, this one doesn’t let you purchase single items individually.

Instead, you’ll need to subscribe to one of their unlimited plans ($7.90 – $26.90) and acquire access to them all.

Another helpful feature that I like about this website is the file status.

The file status indicates whether the plugin will work as-is or require their tech team to modify it.

In addition, there is an option to request a newer version of the item by clicking on the report outdated link.

Pros:

• Offer unlimited downloads
• Ability to report outdated versions
• Updated regularly

Cons:

• Their community forum is inactive
• Only support manual updates
• Impossible to purchase single items

6. GPL Times

GPL Times is a beautiful website used by many companies. They have many plugins and themes and always keep the versions up-to-date.

Although you can buy every item separately, they are more expensive than all the other GPL websites on this list.

Moreover, the lack of consistency in their item’s prices makes it a guessing game every time you want to purchase a single plugin.

Their unlimited downloads plan is also more pricey than the competitors. In addition to their high prices, the GPL times will limit your download amount to up to 25 items daily.

A nice thing about GPL Times is that they support the auto-updates feature with a plugin they developed.

Pros:

• Well-maintained and updated
• Auto and manual updates
• Files virus scanner

Cons:

• More expensive than others
• Cap the number of downloads
• The request update feature is only limited to logged-in users
• Limited customer support

7. GPL Kit

The GPLKit is another excellent website that made its way to our list for a good reason.

Their simple-structure pricing options keep no room for error. You’ll know precisely what you’re getting and how much it will cost.

Only one $15 monthly plan will give you access to over 2,000 plugins and themes.

Although a much smaller repository than the rest, they have the most popular plugins you’re looking for.

If Elementor, WooCommerce, and WP Rocket are some of the plugins you’re interested in, you will find them there. However, you may want to look elsewhere if you’re looking for less-popular items.

Pros:

• Auto-updates
• Simple pricing structure
• Unlimited downloads

Cons:

• Impossible to ping new releases
• Can’t purchase single items
• No indication if the products work
• No about us page

8. GPLDL

GPLDL is one of the oldest websites on this list. It’s been active for a while and gained popularity early on.

However, their unclear and membership transparency pricing structure makes it a non-favorite when better competitors are out there.

The GPLDL free membership is one of their best perks worth mentioning. With the free plan, you can access some of the best WordPress and WooCommerce plugins that save you hundreds of dollars.

Once they lured you into signing up for the free plan, you must purchase a membership to keep getting updates and access the other items.

Pros:

• They offer a free plan.

Cons:

• Terrible website to navigate
• No auto-updates option
• No changelog page
• Unclear pricing structure

9. GPLPlus

GPL Plus offers over 3,000 plugins and themes for WordPress and WooCommerce.

Their large repository is one of the main reasons they made it into our best GPL websites list.

Whether you’re looking for the most or least common items, there is a big chance you’ll find them there.

The GPL plus plugin prices are inconsistence and vary from one to another. However, if you want multiple items, consider getting one of their packages, which runs from $24.99 monthly to $599 for a lifetime.

Remember that the last updated date is not visible above the fold, and you’ll need to scroll down the page to view it, making it uncomfortable.

Moreover, the lack of an auto-update feature (offered by other sites) should also be considered when choosing the right GPL provider for your business.

Pros:

• Clean design
• Large repository

Cons:

• Only manual updates
• Unclear last updates
• More expensive than others

10. GPL Vault

Everyone heard about the good ol’ GPL vault—one of the first websites from the get-go.

GPL vault has a relatively limited library but is well-maintained and updated often.

It is impossible to purchase plugins or themes individually, but it has two different plans to access all: monthly for $15 or annually for $90.

One of their disadvantages is the inability to request new updates when available.

While it used to be the pioneer among all the GPL options, these days, it needs to catch up a bit by lacking features that became default on other sites.

However, they do have their API updates plugin that sweeten the deal.

Pros:

• Auto-updates option
• New versions regularly

Cons:

• Unable to ping for updates
• Limited library
• Impossible to purchase single items
• No product description

11. Nobuna

For a long time, Nobuna could be positioned higher on this list. However, they have a respectful WordPress and WooCommerce library that will satisfy most website owners.

However, they recently reduced their involvement and didn’t update their products daily. Therefore, with less frequent updates, the carried versions are often outdated.

The plugin’s inconsistent and relatively expensive prices push you toward getting their only one-offered membership plan ($15 monthly).

I doubt you’ll find any items in Nobuna that don’t exist in a different GPL website, such as PluginsForWP, but it’s worth checking.

Although limited, one advantage that they have over competitors is their customer support in the Spanish language.

Pros:

* API plugin for automatic updates.

Cons:

• More expensive
• Only one membership plan
• It doesn’t get updated regularly

12. Srmehranclub

The Srmehranclub is like a GPL warehouse because it includes plugins for WordPress and Joomla, Drupal, Shopify, and more.

However, wide-spreading to other web platforms besides WP doesn’t come without a compromise and causes the items to get updates less often.

Moreover, they only offer manual updates, forcing you to visit their site when a new version is available.

Combining the fact that Srmehranclub is hard to navigate and poorly designed made it come to the last position on our list.

Although my last go-to option from all GPL alternatives, you may find them more practical, especially if you need support in the Hindu language.

Pros:

• Large plugin repository
• WordPress and other platforms
• Cheap lifetime plan

Cons:

• Expensive
• No automatic updates
• Hard to navigate

Conclusion

In this article, we listed and reviewed the best WordPress GPL websites.

Although there are many more, most sites are similar, with only minor differences between the alternatives.

The most important key points to consider when choosing the right GPL website are frequent updates (the more, the merrier) and the ability to install a plugin manager to enjoy automatic updates.

The plugin prices and the unlimited download plans should also be a factor, along with the number of items in the repository. Therefore, it is wise to subscribe to a GPL site with an extensive library and unlimited plan.

That way, you can test and experiment with different plugins and themes and choose the best that suits your needs.

Please leave a comment and tell me if you know or used a different GPL alternative that wasn’t listed above, and I will add it.

I also recommend you comment on which website you’re interested in, and I’ll share a discount code, if available.