Software License Manager
Create and manage license keys for your software applications easily
Safe pick
Yes — Software License Manager is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 81/100 on our health check.
- Loved by users — 4.6/5 from 35 reviews
- Tested with the latest WordPress (7.1)
- Small user base (900+ active installs)
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 Software License Manager stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| license | #5 |
| license key | #3 |
| manager | #99 |
| serial | #5 |
| serial key | #5 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4.6 from 35 reviews
About Software License Manager
From the official readme · v4.5.8Description
Software license management solution for your web applications (WordPress plugins, Themes, PHP based membership script etc.)
This plugin is very useful for creating a license server and doing the following via API:
- Create license keys in your system (license server)
- Check the status of a license key from from your application (remotely)
- Activate a license key from your application (remotely)
- Deactivate a license key (remotely)
- Check a license key (remotely)
- Track where the license key is being used.
You can also create license keys manually from the admin dashboard of this plugin.
Please note that this plugin is ONLY for developers
Check license manager documentation to learn more.
Integration with WP Express Checkout Plugin
Check WP Express Checkout integration documentation
Integration with WP eStore plugin
Check WP eStore integration documentation
Github repository
https://github.com/Arsenal21/software-license-manager
If you need some extra action hooks or filters for this plugin then let us know.
Arbitrary section
See the following sample/example for multi-site environment/setup:
https://github.com/paratheme/Software-License-Manager-Multisite-licensed
Installation
- Go to the Add New plugins screen in your WordPress admin area
- Click the upload tab
- Browse for the plugin file (software-license-manager.zip)
- Click Install Now and then activate the plugin
Changelog
None
4.5.8
- Added minimum PHP version requirement (PHP 7.4.0).
- Added a condition to suppress the debug warning when the ‘item_reference’ parameter is not included in the API call.
4.5.7
- PHP 8.3 compatibility related updates.
- Using Use COUNT(DISTINCT) to ensure that it is counting the number of distinct license keys.
4.5.6
- PHP 8.2 compatibility related update.
4.5.5
- Added the current date to the slm_check API response.
4.5.4
- Added a new action hook for when it receives an activation request for an expired license key (slm_api_listener_slm_activate_key_expired).
- Added new hook in the add license interface.
- Added hooks to the delete license domain interface.
- WP eStore Integration: it will use the default 1 year expiry date if a product specific expiry configuration is not set.
4.5.3
- Added a new database column named “user_ref” for allowing a user reference to be saved in the database with a license key (if applicable).
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 Software License Manager alternatives
All license plugins →
FAQ
Software License Manager: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 6, 2026
Is Software License Manager free?
Yes. Software License Manager is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Software License Manager safe to use in 2026?
Yes — Software License Manager is a safe, well-maintained plugin to use in 2026. It runs on 900+ sites, is rated 4.6/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 81/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Software License Manager?
Software License Manager is active on 900+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 61,781 times since it launched in October 2014. It was downloaded 317 times in the last 30 days.
Does Software License Manager work with WordPress 7.1?
Yes. The developer has tested Software License Manager up to WordPress 7.1.2, the latest release. It requires WordPress 5.0 or newer.
What PHP version does Software License Manager need?
Software License Manager requires PHP 7.4.0 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Software License Manager last updated?
The latest version, 4.5.8, was released on August 17, 2026 (2 months ago).
Who makes Software License Manager?
Software License Manager is developed and maintained by mra13 / Team Tips and Tricks HQ.
What are the best alternatives to Software License Manager?
The most popular alternatives to Software License Manager are License For Envato (9K+ installs), Envato Toolkit (5K+ installs) and Serial Numbers (1K+ installs).
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