Recently, the WordPress plugin ecosystem saw significant shifts as several well-known plugin developers decided to remove their plugins from the WordPress.org repository. This wave of departures follows controversies around the takeover of the Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) plugin, and concerns about WordPress.org’s governance and transparency. Here’s what’s happening and what it means for users.
Gravity PDF Leaves WordPress.org
Gravity PDF, a popular plugin used by over 50,000 sites, announced it’s stepping away from the WordPress.org repository. Jake Jackson, the plugin’s founder, stated this decision was in response to WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg’s recent handling of the ACF plugin, which he described as a “dangerous precedent” undermining platform integrity.
Gravity PDF users won’t lose access or functionality, though. The plugin will now be hosted directly on GravityPDF.com, where users can download updates and access support. All custom settings, templates, and fonts are safe, and future reviews will be available on G2.com. Users will also notice a minor change: the plugin’s name will switch to “gravity-pdf” on GravityPDF.com, instead of the old “gravity-forms-pdf-extended” used on WordPress.org. Premium users can continue accessing updates directly from GravityPDF.com.
BE Media From Production & Display Posts Migrate to GitHub
Bill Erickson, creator of the BE Media from Production and Display Posts plugins, has also removed his plugins from WordPress.org. He voiced concerns about the WordPress.org ecosystem and stated he no longer feels comfortable hosting his code there.
Now, BE Media from Production’s code and future updates will be available exclusively on GitHub. Users looking for updates and support will need to follow the plugin’s GitHub repository.
Paid Memberships Pro Shifts Updates to Its Own Server
The Paid Memberships Pro team made a similar move with their recent version 3.3 release. Jason Coleman, the plugin’s CEO, explained that while Paid Memberships Pro’s core plugin remains free, its distribution is transitioning to the team’s own license server. Coleman mentioned that this change has been in the works for a while but was sped up by recent events.
Users can still get the current version (3.2.2) from the WordPress.org repository for a limited time before the team fully shifts to self-hosted updates. According to Coleman, the goal is to eventually manage distribution of all plugins independently, except a few that are co-maintained with other developers on WordPress.org.
The Big Picture
These moves point to broader concerns within the WordPress developer community. For some developers, the recent takeover of the ACF plugin has raised questions about WordPress.org’s governance, and it’s prompted these plugin authors to shift distribution to platforms they control.
As more developers consider alternative ways to distribute their plugins, this transition may mean changes for users, such as new locations to download updates and different review platforms. However, most developers assure that their plugins will remain free and accessible, just not through the WordPress.org repository.
This trend signals a possible change in the WordPress plugin landscape, and time will tell how this impacts both developers and users.
If you use my plugin BE Media from Production, it's now hosted only on GitHub. You can install it via wp cli:
wp plugin install https://t.co/i2aiKu2J3w –force –activate
— Bill Erickson (@BillErickson) October 14, 2024
