Dev Theme
Develop your website on live server without crashing your site, then deploy all changes in 1 click.
Consider an alternative
Dev Theme shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 3 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 3 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.2 (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 Dev Theme stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| dev | >100 |
| development | >100 |
| stage | >100 |
| staging | >100 |
| theme | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
About Dev Theme
From the official readme · v1.2.1Description
DEV Theme
Develop your website on live server without crashing your site, then deploy all changes in 1 click.
With Dev Theme plugin, you can easily create a separate staging environment for your website where you can test and experiment with new themes and designs without affecting your live site. Our plugin allows you to make changes to your staging site, preview the changes and only when you’re ready, you can push them to your live site with just a click of a button.
Our plugin makes it easy for you to edit themes on your live site, without worrying about affecting your live site until you decides to. You can experiment with different themes, customize them to your liking, and see how they look and feel on your site, all without having to worry about damaging your live website.
While the plugin does not allow you to edit plugins on the site, it ensures that any changes made to your theme are isolated and do not affect your live site. This means that you can experiment with new designs, layouts, and features without the risk of damaging your website’s performance or functionality.
Overall, Dev Theme plugin is a powerful tool that allows you to create a safe and isolated environment to experiment with your website’s design and layout, making it easy for you to make changes and improvements without any risk to your live site.
How it works?
The staging feature of Dev Theme, allows you to create a safe and secure environment for you to experiment and develop your website without impacting your live site.
When you create a staging environment, the plugin will copy your active theme into a folder called “dev-theme”.
This folder is where you can safely edit the code of your website without affecting the live version.
Once you’ve made the desired changes, you can preview the new version of your website by either activating the dev-theme just for your user, to do that, just enter to your profile and look for the “Dev Theme” option.
Another option, add a dev_theme cookie with the value “enabled” in your browser.
This way, you can test your changes thoroughly before making them live to ensure the best possible user experience.
With Dev Theme plugin, you can confidently develop and experiment with your website knowing that your live site remains safe and untouched.
Installation
- Install Plugin
- Go to admin dashboard -> DEV Theme -> click “Copy from main theme to dev theme” to create your first DEV Theme
- Go to your user profile page, check the “Dev Theme activate” checkbox and save the changes in order to enable DEV Theme for your user
Changelog
1.2.0
- Added WP Rocket auto cache clearing
- Added option to enable Dev Theme via cookie for non logged in tests
1.1.0
- Added WP Engine auto cache clearing & auto file permissions resetting
1.0.7
- Added function dth_is_dev_theme(), returns true if Dev Theme is (actually) working
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 Dev Theme alternatives
All dev plugins →
FAQ
Dev Theme: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 1, 2026
Is Dev Theme free?
Yes. Dev Theme is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Dev Theme safe to use in 2026?
Dev Theme shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 3 years ago, and scores 31/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Dev Theme?
Dev Theme is active on 20+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 2,650 times since it launched in February 2020. It was downloaded 99 times in the last 30 days.
Does Dev Theme work with WordPress 7.1?
Dev Theme is officially tested up to WordPress 6.2.13, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Dev Theme need?
Dev Theme requires PHP 5.6 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Dev Theme last updated?
The latest version, 1.2.1, was released on May 9, 2023 (3 years ago).
Who makes Dev Theme?
Dev Theme is developed and maintained by Avi Bashari.
What are the best alternatives to Dev Theme?
The most popular alternatives to Dev Theme are Taxonomy Thumbnail (3K+ installs), WP PHP Console (500+ installs) and Gravity Forms – Tab Index (100+ installs).
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