We’ve always provided free versions of our most popular pro plugins on WordPress.org, but recently we’ve been stepping that up. So even if you’re not a member, you should check them out and let us know what you think 🙂
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth reiterating: the more you help the community and the better the quality and functionality of your freely available GPL plugins, the more the community, WordPress as a whole, and, well, everyone, wins.
I’ve linked above the dedicated page we put up covering our core offerings (alternately, you can go to the plugins section of our WordPress.org page), so I figured it was about time that we gave you a quick guide as to what they do, how they differ from the pro versions (very little!) and talk about a couple of upcoming free offerings. Hey, don’t turn that page, this ain’t no simple listicle.
And one last thing, just so I don’t have to put ‘free’ in every heading, all of the below are exactly that ― freeeeeeee. Enjoy!
Smush and Hummingbird.
Our Titans of WordPress Performance Optimization.
So let’s start with the obvious one, our award-winning image compression plugin, Smush.
She’s particularly special as adopting her was when we discovered that something done *just right* could be a huge hit. It turns out that when you take care of 99.9% of all users, 0.1% are more than happy to come over and try out a membership. Smush is particularly notable for having the 3rd most 5-star ratings of any plugin on WordPress.org!
If you’d like Super Smush lossy compression, fast CDN image delivery, WebP conversion, automatic resizing, the ability to optimize images up to 32MB, bulk smush optimization for all your images in just one-click, auto-convert PNG to JPEG, the ability to Smush and make a copy of your full-sized images (to restore them at any point), you can always take the next step with WP Smush Pro.
Quickly moving up in the ranks is our our site speed optimizing, caching, minifying and generally speed-up-everything stellar plugin that is Hummingbird.
Now I know you’re not supposed to have favorite children, but sadly here I have to make an exception. I absolutely love Hummingbird. This isn’t just because she’s amazingly useful, but because her growing pains were pretty severe. Turns out compressing files, minification and trying to cover every single base in making your site extremely fast is, erm, quite hard. Who’d have thought it lol?
Right now the experience of setting up and using Hummingbird is really, well, exceptional. I reckon it’s the best UX work we’ve done and the outcomes aren’t bad either. And it’s free! (I know I said I wouldn’t say that again, but hey, it’s pretty cool). And this is born out by the fact that she’s the fastest-growing of our newer offerings. Honestly, give her a try if you haven’t already.
SmartCrawl.
Our Premium Alternative to Yoast SEO.
This was something we thought about long and hard and figured we’d give it a crack.
Basically our thinking is that Yoast & All In One SEO have pared back their functionality in the way that Facebook has pulled back your page views (unless you pay for premium, or get a boost) and we think that sucks.
SmartCrawl is designed from the bottom up to provide you with most, if not all, of the premium features that you’re used to paying for. Plus a good helping of that gorgeous and easy-to-use UX that I mentioned above. That’s why we think it’s the best free WordPress SEO plugin out there (dammit I said that word again). So why not take her for a spin.
Meet Defender.
Our Premium WordPress Security Plugin. Free.
OK, I’ve given up not saying free now, sorry. But do bear with me because you’re not going to want to miss this one – especially if you either don’t have a security plugin :scream: or are paying for one that doesn’t stack up to this chap.
We set out to make Defender as easy to use as possible – but also to provide as much critical security functionality as possible without giving everything away, lol. In fact, I’d go as far as stating specifically, there is no other security plugin with the same level of functionality available on wordpress.org.
And here’s why…
Hustle… The Ultimate Opt-In / Pop-Up Marketing Plugin Is A Charming Fella
Now for the coolest cat on the WordPress plugin block. He’s got the looks, the style, and the features that make OptIn Monster, Sumo and every other premium and paid plugin look like a gawky teen.
And what’s more, he’s the only one of this bunch of five to have morphed from a simple pop-up plugin to your complete marketing suite for WordPress.
Essentially if you are looking to capture email addresses, offer free downloads to get leads or promote your services in any way he’s going to do it for you. From pop-ups to slide-ins to slide-ups and in-copy content Hustle allows you to not only set a vast array of different (beautiful) stylings but also targets visitors based on all sorts of different conditions. You’ll actually be amazed you don’t have to pay for him.
Forminator.
Finally! The Form, Quiz, Survey, Poll Builder WordPress Has Been Waiting For.
Forminator is the form, quiz, survey, poll builder you can’t live without… and don’t have to live without, because we are giving him away!
Forms are the Holy Grail for WordPress sites and now there is an option that won’t cost you your life savings. Forminator’s drag and drop builder is by far the easiest tool for setting up forms in WordPress (I’m not biased…promise). Quickly add a simple contact form or complex registration forms.
We didn’t stop there. Forminator includes polls with real-time chart and graph results, no wrong answer quizzes (think Buzzfeed) and knowledge tests.
But perhaps the real surprise is the included developer API. Because Forminator is now open to millions of users on WordPress.org any developer can build and sell integrations or custom apps.
I could go on and on about the included Gutenberg block, GDPR-friendly settings, and included spam protection, but that’s another post for another day… and trust me… I will.
Branda.
Our Marketing Powerhouse Plugin.
White label your dashboard, customize system emails, maintenance mode and coming soon landing pages – Branda is everything you need to rebrand WordPress.
Customize every aspect of WordPress to fit your brand with Branda, the only premium and 100% free white label plugin for WordPress.
Transform your dashboard, customize system (default) emails, quickly toggle maintenance mode and coming soon landing pages, change every aspect of your login screen, remove or replace logos, create color schemes, and much, much more.
Even the best WordPress theme builders leave WordPress branding all over your site.
On your personal blog it is not a huge problem, but for a small business, design and development agency, or any professional site, a finished look with a complete brand package is important. That’s where Branda comes in! Turn WordPress into your own white-label solution.
Branda lets you make all the brand customizations your theme doesn’t include. A must-have, best-in-class WordPress admin plugin.
Last but not least… a true FreeBee.
This last plugin is fully functional, feature rich, and there is absolutely zero difference between the Free and Pro versions.
Beehive
Originally released as premium-only in 2009, Beehive has consistently ranked in the top 10 WPMU DEV premium plugins for total downloads and active installs. To celebrate her decade plus analytics, we made one of the best Google Analytics WordPress Plugins on the market free for everyone.
Set up with Beehive is as easy as connecting your Google profile and verifying your site. No more hunting through code files or manually adding tracking links. Beehive makes it easy to get valuable statistics for bloggers, small business websites, eCommerce sites, enterprise networks and more.
Beehive takes your user’s privacy seriously. Toggle IP Anonymization to anonymize your visitor IPs, stop demographic reports, protect user IDs and more.
Activate analytics for every site across an entire Multisite network with one tracking code. Pick and choose what sites have access. Beehive grabs all the information and makes user tracking, statistics reporting, and site management simple.
Beehive puts your Google Analytics overview, stats, and graphs right in your WordPress dashboard. Save time and get a better picture of the most important content on your sites.
If you’re running a business website or eCommerce store Beehive provides information you need to convert more leads into sales and increase your bottom line.
“Why Would I Ever Want A Membership?”
I can see the pitchforks and torches in the distance, and I can hear the questions ― “Why pay if everything is free?”.
I’m confident that the real value of your membership is found in automation, and the time saving, money making machine that is the Hub.
If you’re managing more than one site, consider that our well stocked pantry of super servers, white label reporting, safe upgrades, uptime monitoring, and 24/7 support for all things WordPress, is hard to beat.
Our free offerings are totally fine for hobbyists and single site owners, but freelancers, development agencies, and basically anyone earning income with WordPress get incredible value. Don’t take my word for it – try all the pro features for the next 30 days – on me. 🙂
We’re Not Done… Coming Soon…
Major Updates to The Hub & Hub Client
Last year we asked our members (and visitors) what they’d like us to make for them to the same standard as our other offerings and, well, we listened.
The Hub and The Hub Client have exciting rollouts coming this year. If you’re not familiar, The Hub is our streamlined site management tool. From its smart and crisp UI, you can quickly handle a myriad of top level tasks, such as: managing updates; optimizing performance; monitoring uptime; staying on top of SEO; scanning analytics; tightening security; scheduling and implementing backups; generating white label reports; collaborating with clients and colleagues. All this and more… using any host!
Click here to read all about the Hub & Hub client.
Here is a peek at the top Hub & Hub Client features heading your way soon:
The Hub:
- New Hub Plugin Manager
Bulk install, activate, delete, update, configure and add WP plugins from one place. - Dark siders rejoice. Soon you’ll be able to switch The Hub to dark mode!
- Access community resources and helpful content straight from your Hub interface.
- New color adjustments to meet the AA accessibility color standard.
The Hub Client:
- Automated site creation and client billing.
Offer different hosting and feature plans, set the initial charge and subscription levels, and let your clients purchase a plan. Welcome to your new WordPress SaaS business. - Domains
Offer your clients the opportunity to search for and purchase a domain, which will be automatically mapped to their new hosting and templates set up… yep, be your own GoDaddy! - Full UI customization, for a Hub completely your own.
And naturally, we’re not stopping there. If you think the plugins I’ve featured here are lacking in any specific way, have any particular requests for them, or just wanna let us know what’s on your mind, hit us up in the comments section below.
Plus, if you’ve got a burning desire for any other really good WordPress.org plugin that you think WPMU DEV could roll out for you in the future, let us know that too.
So there you go. It may have taken a while to figure out, but striving to better the quality and functionality of your freely available GPL plugins is by far the best way to go about your WordPress business, and the best way to operate as an open-source company.
We sincerely hope you enjoy our free plugins, whether or not you ever fancy giving our free trial at WPMU DEV a run.
Over to you 🙂
Editor’s Note: This post has been updated for accuracy and relevancy. [Originally Published: September 2018 / Revised: July 2021]
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