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If I buy a single plugin do I only get security updates for

If I buy a single plugin do I only get security updates for one month? If so do I have to purchase the plugin again every time its updated? If so, what is the update frequency of the average plugin?

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:18:05
  • Vaughan
    • Ex Staff

    hiya

    thanks for the post.

    you are correct that you will get any & all updates for that month, unless you continue your subscription.

    essentially, whilst ever your subscription is active you will be entitled to all updates & support for the plugin.

    you do not technically have to buy the plugin again, the plugin will still work regardless of course, you would just need to renew your subscription in order to receive updates again. buying the plugin again would mean you have to create a new account. so renewing the subscription will make your account active again.

    hope this helps.

    thanks for being a member of wpmudev.

  • Tom Eagles
    • Syntax Hero

    @Philip Gledhill

    You don’t need to have a continued membership, you can just sign up every time you see an update. However that can be quite frequent depending on the plugin as new fixes are issued or new features added. You can continue to use the plugin as you wish without an active subscription just don’t get the updates or support. You aren’t purchasing the plugin every time as you own the rights to it under the GPL license. The subscription is for continued support and updates.

    Hope this helps clarify it a bit better, if not feel free to ask for clarification and i will get right back to you.

    Cheers!

  • signed_up
    • The Crimson Coder

    I am not a staff member, but I do believe that you only get updates for the plugin for one month and you need to either re-purchase the plugin or be an actual WPMU Dev member to get updates without paying again. I don’t think one can actually say the frequency of the average plugin.

    What individual plugin(s) are you interested in buying separately? I can check out the changelog(s) and tell you about how frequently they are updated.

    In my opinion, becoming a full WPMU Dev member is the best solution, because you get absolutely wonderful support and continuous updates to the plethora of plugins!

  • Philip Gledhill
    • WPMU DEV Initiate

    Is it practical (or safe) to buy plugins without security updates?

    Thanks for the quick response Vaughan, Tom and signed_up.

    What confuses me is that it appears that the plugin could be only safe to use for one month.

    Most themes, plugins etc. that I’ve seen in the past tend to have a one year security update offer.

    I currently have a one year subscription of WPMUdev but only have a use for about four plugins. I don’t need the themes and luckily I haven’t needed the technical support.

    Is it practical (or safe) to buy plugins without security updates?

    Any advice gratefully received.

    Thanks,

    Philip.

  • Dev4
    • Champion of Loops

    Whether it is practical or safe depends on the plug in, the use, and the vulnerability.

    Not all updates are security updates. Not all plug ins have great security risks.

    Whether it is practical again depends on use and the plug in. If you are getting great value from a plug in, it can be practical to install it, and pay to keep it up to date on occasion. If it is not doing much for you, it would not be practical at all.

    Another aspect is changing business needs. Will your site need that plug in a year from now… hard to tell.

    A year from now you may find your site is so successful that you don’t mind paying for the support and upgrades and new features and options for your plugins.

    Or… you may find your site is not performing at all as you had hoped, and you may change what it does, how it works or drop it all together.

    So the answers to your questions are really quite subjective.

    You need to look at it from your own perspective and decide.

  • signed_up
    • The Crimson Coder

    I really believe that the features of WPMU Dev are too valuable to let go, even if you are using only a couple of plugins. WPMU Dev literally is a dedicated WordPress support team (I think I read that somewhere, too :grinning:. The staff and community here has helped me on issues not even remotely related to their plugins or themes, but just general code tweaking and wordpress support. If you feel like you can let this go, so be it.

    To answer your question, I really need to know what plugin(s) you are mentioning, so I can check out how often updates come out (compatibility, security, etc.). Would you please provide me with that information?

  • Philip Gledhill
    • WPMU DEV Initiate

    Thanks Dev4 and signed_up

    I don’t use any of the plugins on any of my own sites.

    I use snapshot, domain mapping, floating social and easy blogging on other peoples sites.

    It would make sense for the people who own the sites to buy and own their own plugins. What worries me is how long the plugin will be supported per payment.

    Snapshot has been updated six times this year. Domain mapping has been updated four times this year.

    My problem is not just having plugins that are stable and secure. I want my customers to believe their site is secure.

    Still, now I know the plugins have 30 days of updates so I can make my decisions based on that. I wasn’t sure about this before.

    Thanks for the help

    Philip.