GPL Zone — Free Marketplace for WordPress (A Review)
WordPress is fortunate to have countless developers building plugins and themes that make website customization quick and easy for users. Many plugins follow a freemium model, where basic features are free, but advanced ones come at a cost.
This article takes a closer look at GPL Zone, a platform offering WordPress items at reduced prices. But before diving into GPL Zone, we need to understand what the WordPress GPL license is all about.
🔥We highly recommend you check the top GPL platforms to buy Plugins and Themes (We’ve included the cream of the crop there).
What is GPL in WordPress?
Before understanding how WordPress is linked to GPL. Let’s first understand the term —
The term GPL stands for General Public License. It’s an open-source software license that gives users the freedom to use, modify, and share software. The purpose of the GPL license is to encourage collaboration between users and to fit the open-source nature of WordPress.
WordPress as an open-source platform is licensed under GNU GPL.
The GPL license is also open-source, which is why WordPress went with it in the first place.
As a platform under such a license, it basically means that all WordPress works (not just the cms alone) but also its derivatives (i.e., themes and plugins) are all inheriting the open-source nature.
Being open-source means everyone can see the source code and can modify the software as they see fit.
WordPress had intentionally adopted the GPL license to maintain its steady growth as the #1 content management system. Meanwhile, the fact that WordPress is open source is the reason why it has made lots of progress over the years.
The GPL grants four main freedoms:
- Use the software for any purpose.
This means you can install the software and use it however you see fit — whether for personal projects, client websites, or even to test new ideas. - Access and modify the software’s source code.
With GPL-licensed software, you’re not limited to the original design. You can tweak or enhance it to suit your preferences or business needs. Developers give users full access to the their code. - Distribute the original software.
If you download a GPL product, you are free to share it with others just like the original developer does on their platform. - Share modified versions under the same GPL terms.
Any changes you make to a GPL product are still governed by the same rules. If you share your modified version, it must also be under the GPL license. This keeps it open and accessible to others.
What Do These Freedoms Mean for Developers?
Developers working under the GPL model (i.e., producing themes/plugins for WordPress) must accept the reality that they don’t have complete control over their software. Once a plugin or theme is released on WordPress, anyone can share or modify it legally — even without the developer’s permission.
What Do These Freedoms Mean for WordPress Users?
For users, the GPL provides freedom and flexibility. You don’t need to be confined by a product’s original design or pay every time you want to use or tweak it. However, many people are unaware of these rights and as a result, do not take advantage of them.
Platforms like GPL Zone use the freedom to legally redistribute premium GPL products, so that everyone can have access. This not only helps users save money but also contributes to improvements.
Understanding these principles clears any doubt about the legality of platforms like GPL Zone. They operate well within the bounds of the GPL license.
⚠️Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Rest assured, using these links doesn’t add any extra cost to you, nor does it affect the integrity of my review. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
What is GPL Zone?
GPL Zone is a platform providing a wide range of premium WordPress themes, plugins, and templates under the General Public License (GPL), allowing users full access, modification, and redistribution rights.
With a library exceeding 13,000 items, the platform presents itself as a huge resource for your needs.
Through affordable membership plans, including options for monthly, yearly, and lifetime access, users can download resources directly and without delay.
GPL Zone operates legally within GPL’s guidelines, giving WordPress users a cost-effective and reliable source for premium tools.
How Legal is GPL Zone?
Any platform that utilizes the freedoms of the GPL license to distribute WordPress derivatives either freely or at a minimal cost is naturally legal.
GPL Theme and Plugin sites like GPL Zone directly obtain from actual developers. Later on, they engage in redistributing these items to a lot of people.
When they distribute these items, they still fall under the same GPL license. That is — others can still be able to share them even when they are modified.
What websites providing WordPress GPL themes and plugins do is — They typically modify the code from actual developers in a slight way. Their aim is always to get rid of license key restrictions, which is something builders charge for.
How Safe is GPL Zone?
Due to my lack of involvement and usage of the platform, I’ll only be providing generalized information.
Important: I always recommend you visit the best and the leading GPL marketplaces. I have used and completely approved those platforms. The one being reviewed is one of the least in the industry.
To identify the safety of GPL Zone, you must have tested it in the first place but I have not, unfortunately.
As for the foundation of GPL websites, their products ought to be safe to use.
If the GPL site being reviewed obtains files directly from actual developers and then redistributes them, their offering will most likely be safe to use.
Because what it’s offering in that sense is a GPL product (exactly the same file you get from actual developers).
So what’s the catch? —
Any GPL site is mostly safe to use at first glance given that they are actually operating according to their words, i.e., the act of sharing files from developers to help the entire community.
Anyway, I believe the reason why you’re here is to know for sure whether GPL Zone is safe to use.
We are here to say that GPL sites are likely safe to use by default.
Unfortunately, we don’t have an absolute answer regarding the safety of GPL Zone in this review.
In order to be on the safest side, we recommend you give attention to the industrial leaders that we have already tested — Trusted and safe to use GPL Websites.
Features of GPL Zone Apart
Here are the best features of GPL Zone which can be identified externally from the site.
Note: These list of features is worked by an AI and I don’t encourage you take anything from there. Although the information is likely correct, my stand which is — “I haven’t tested the platform” still apply. So I can’t confidently say it is one thing or the other.
1. Wide Range of Plugins and Themes:
GPLZone offers a vast selection of WordPress plugins and themes, including popular ones from various developers. This includes premium plugins and themes that are available under the GPL (General Public License), allowing users to download and use them freely.
2. Categories for Easy Browsing:
The site categorizes its offerings into various sections, making it easy for users to find specific types of plugins or themes. Categories include WooCommerce plugins, Elementor templates, and themes from popular providers like Themeforest and Elegant Themes.
3. Premium Quality:
All items listed on GPLZone are claimed to be original and premium quality. This assures users that they are accessing high-quality products that would typically require payment elsewhere.
4. Regular Updates:
GPL Zone likely provides updates for the plugins and themes available on their site, ensuring users have access to the latest features and security patches.
5. User-Friendly Interface:
The website is designed to be user-friendly, allowing visitors to navigate easily through various categories and find what they need without hassle.
6. Support for Multiple Plugins:
The site features plugins from well-known developers such as Yoast, Gravity Forms, and WP Rocket, among others. This variety allows users to enhance their WordPress sites with different functionalities.
7. Affordable Access:
By offering GPL-licensed products, GPLZone allows users to access premium plugins and themes at no cost, making it a budget-friendly option for website owners.
8. Community Contributions:
Users may also have the option to contribute by sharing their own plugins or themes under the GPL license, fostering a community-driven approach.
9. Search Functionality:
The site likely includes a search feature that allows users to quickly find specific plugins or themes based on keywords or categories.
10. Compatibility Information:
Each plugin or theme may come with details regarding compatibility with different versions of WordPress, helping users ensure that they choose products that will work seamlessly with their existing setups.
Why can’t I find a particular plugin or theme on GPL Zone?
Sorry, if you didn’t find the plugin you’re looking for from GPL Zone.
It could be due to the following reasons —
The Platform is actually not large in terms of library size.
The theme or plugin you’re searching for might not be available to be distributed for free like others. And a major cause is that some plugins/themes aren’t fully released under GPL. Therefore, GPL sites like GPL Zone may not be able to uphold it.
In such cases where you didn’t find your desired solution, you can try checking GPL Zone alternatives.
We do recommend platforms like Srmehranclub, Pluginsforwp, and WorldPressIT over GPL Zone due to their extensive Library size and super features such as automatic upgrades right from WordPress.
You can check out the reviews of these platforms directly — Srmehranclub Review, Pluginsforwp Review, and WorldPressIT Review.
GPL Zone Alternatives and Competitors
GPL Zone is not the best in the industry. There are a few sites that can give you a better experience though it all boils down to your use case.
Here are the best GPL Zone alternatives online at the time of writing.
- Pluginsforwp: Best overall GPL site for WordPress themes and plugins | Best for rare item availability (10,000+ products allegedly)
- Srmehranclub: A GPL site that offers solutions beyond WordPress (33,500+ products | 17,500 for WordPress allegedly)
- WorldPressIT: A WordPress GPL club best suited for single-download options due to its bargain (3,500+ products allegedly).
- GPL Vault, another great place for GPL Downloads (4,700+ allegedly).
Other gplzone.org alternatives
Here are other alternative platforms to GPLZone.org. Unlike the previous ones, they aren’t the leading ones, so they may lack important features like the ability to get Automatic Updates on WordPress.
We also haven’t deeply covered or tested them. Therefore, do your homework properly before giving any of them a try.
Clicking the links lead to their review pages.
Note: We highly recommend you use the ones that made it to our list – Biggest GPL Clubs for free premium WordPress.
GPL Zone Review: Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons that come with going with a GPL platform other than actual developers.
GPL Zone Pros
- Handy for short-term usage of plugins or themes like for testing or review
GPL Zone Cons
- Plugin or Theme’s upgrade experience is not the same with actual developers
- Customer support isn’t included
🥳 Access superior features with Leading GPL Platforms
While there are dozens of GPL websites, I rely on a few of them for my product testing before final purchase from actual developers.
Here are the ones I highly recommend
Why use the most well-known names among WordPress GPL Platforms?
There are many advantages that follow when you opt for a better place for your needs.
Here are some of them
1. Automatic Upgrades from the WordPress Area
With the leading GPL websites, you get access to automatic upgrades right from WordPress.
That is to say, you won’t need to visit their site to download newer versions.
Updates occur mimicking the regular way it happens for Plugin and Themes on WordPress.
2. Access to a large library of WordPress solutions
With the top sites, you’ll be getting access to a huge number of WordPress Plugins and Themes.
That translates to a greater chance of finding the item you need.
3. Access to genuine and first-hand products
With other GPL sites, it becomes so much easier to fall into a platform that doesn’t offer genuine GPL products or first-hand solutions.
By genuine, I mean if actually, the platform hosts WordPress solutions obtained and reshared through the GPL freedoms.
By first-hand, I mean if the platform concerned (that is offering premium WordPress) actually downloads from actual developers directly.
Because lots of GPL marketplaces offer a Reseller plan (which gives more download rate per day) and it’s a gateway to tons of these sites on the internet.
Above all, instances can exist on GPL platforms where you download a non-working (such as a free version) following the information that has been given on their page. I don’t know what to call it — kind of a mistake or sth else?
But when you’re going with top GPL platforms, you reduce your chances of catching up with unoriginal or non-working versions.
🔥Spotlight —
Here are the biggest GPL platforms for peace of mind
- Pluginsforwp: Best overall GPL site for WordPress themes and plugins | Best for rare item availability (10,000+ products allegedly)
- Srmehranclub: A GPL site that offers solutions beyond WordPress (33,500+ products | 17,500 for WordPress allegedly)
- WorldPressIT: A WordPress GPL club best suited for single-download options due to its bargain (3,500+ products allegedly)
Conclusion
While GPL Zone is legal and can provide you with hefty slashes for your website needs, it has its shortcomings.
You don’t get any customer support from GPL platforms. And the updates also from actual developers aren’t the same.
Plus, using a GPL site rather than the main builders could cause something to go wrong if abused.
Unless for review, testing or any other short-term activities that don’t need active or long usage of WordPress solutions, using GPL Zone or any other GPL platform should be considered unethical.
Ensure you visit the masterpiece — Best and biggest GPL clubs for WordPress and other CMS.
