BVK Lightning Donate
Simple Lightning Network donate widget that appears below your posts. Accept Lightning donations directly via Lightning Address.
Use with caution
BVK Lightning Donate works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 42/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (<10 active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.9 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where BVK Lightning Donate stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| bitcoin | >100 |
| donate | >100 |
| Lightning | >100 |
| lightning-address | #28 |
| LNURL | #4 |
About BVK Lightning Donate
From the official readme · v1.1.1Description
BVK Lightning Donate adds a simple donation widget below each post, letting readers send sats over the Lightning Network. No middleman, no fees, payments go straight to your Lightning wallet.
Features:
- Widget appears automatically below posts (or via the
[bvk-lightning-donate]shortcode) - Master on/off toggle — the widget is disabled by default until you configure the plugin
- Configurable preset amounts in sats plus a custom amount on click
- Opens a Lightning wallet on mobile, shows a QR code on desktop
- Lightning address always visible with click-to-copy
- Optional link for users without a wallet
- Configurable primary color and background (Bitcoin orange by default)
- Choose which post types display the widget
- No dependencies, no external tracking, no Composer required
- Fully translatable via
.po/.mofiles
How it works:
The widget uses the open Lightning Address standard. You just need a Lightning Address in the format you@yourwallet.com — supported by most popular Lightning wallets and self-hosted nodes (BTCPay Server, LNbits, etc.).
When a visitor clicks “Send”, their browser requests an invoice directly from your wallet server. The plugin does not proxy any payments and does not take a cut.
External Services
This plugin connects to an external Lightning wallet server configured in the plugin settings to generate a BOLT11 payment invoice.
Who it talks to: The domain is derived from the Lightning Address set by the site administrator. The plugin itself does not hardcode any specific endpoint — it works with any LNURL-pay compatible wallet provider or self-hosted node (BTCPay Server, LNbits, etc.).
When: Only when a visitor actively clicks the “Send via Lightning” button. No data is sent without that interaction.
What is sent: An HTTPS GET request with an amount parameter (amount in millisats). The request originates from the visitor’s browser, not from the WordPress server. The wallet provider sees the visitor’s IP address, User-Agent, and Referer header — standard browser behavior for any outbound request.
Terms of service and privacy: Depend on the chosen wallet. Site administrators are responsible for reviewing the terms of service and privacy policy of their chosen Lightning wallet provider on that provider’s official website. For self-hosted nodes (BTCPay, LNbits, Phoenix, etc.), the node operator’s own terms apply.
Important: No data is sent until the site administrator explicitly configures a Lightning Address and enables the widget. After installation, the plugin is disabled by default.
Installation
- Upload the
bvk-lightning-donatefolder to/wp-content/plugins/(or install through the WordPress admin). - Activate the plugin from the “Plugins” menu.
- Go to “Settings → BVK Lightning Donate”.
- Enter your Lightning Address and tick “Show widget on site”.
- Done — the widget appears automatically below posts.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Lightning Address?
A Lightning Address is a simple identifier in the format you@yourwallet.com that lets you receive Lightning payments. Many Lightning wallet providers offer one, or you can run your own via BTCPay Server or LNbits.
Does the plugin take a percentage of donations?
No. The plugin only renders the widget and passes the invoice from your wallet directly to the visitor. Payments go straight to your Lightning wallet — the plugin does not proxy or store anything.
Does it work without JavaScript?
No — the payment flow requires JavaScript (fetching LNURL, generating the QR code). Without JS the widget will render but the buttons will not respond.
Does the plugin send data anywhere?
Not from the PHP side. Only when a visitor clicks “Send”, their browser connects directly to your Lightning wallet server (based on the domain in your Lightning Address) to request an invoice. See the “External Services” section for details.
Can I display the widget only on specific posts?
Yes. In settings, select which post types show the widget, or insert the [bvk-lightning-donate] shortcode in a specific post. If the shortcode is present in the content, automatic insertion is disabled for that post.
Changelog
Adds Czech translation and fixes translation loading. Recommended update.
1.1.1
- Added Czech (cs_CZ) translation.
- Fixed translation loading to use absolute path for reliability.
1.1.0
- Pass post slug as LNURL-pay
commentso recipients can attribute donations to a specific post (only when the recipient’s LNURL service advertisescommentAllowed).
1.0.1
- Inline “what is this?” link next to the Lightning Address.
- Default color scheme switched to Bitcoin logo orange.
- Bumped internal asset version to force cache refresh.
1.0.0
- Initial release.
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best BVK Lightning Donate alternatives
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FAQ
BVK Lightning Donate: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 5, 2026
Is BVK Lightning Donate free?
Yes. BVK Lightning Donate is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is BVK Lightning Donate safe to use in 2026?
BVK Lightning Donate works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. Was last updated 5 months ago, and scores 42/100 on our health check.
How many websites use BVK Lightning Donate?
BVK Lightning Donate is active on <10 WordPress websites and has been downloaded 282 times since it launched in May 2026. It was downloaded 56 times in the last 30 days.
Does BVK Lightning Donate work with WordPress 7.1?
BVK Lightning Donate is officially tested up to WordPress 6.9.9, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does BVK Lightning Donate need?
BVK Lightning Donate requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was BVK Lightning Donate last updated?
The latest version, 1.1.1, was released on May 4, 2026 (5 months ago).
Who makes BVK Lightning Donate?
BVK Lightning Donate is developed and maintained by tomaskrause.
What are the best alternatives to BVK Lightning Donate?
The most popular alternatives to BVK Lightning Donate are MyCryptoCheckout (8K+ installs), Bitcoin Payments (2K+ installs) and BTCPay Server (1K+ installs).
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