WP License Manager
WP License Manager is an easy to use plugin that will turn your WordPress site into a license manager that can be used for WordPress themes, plugins and other downloadable products.
Consider an alternative
WP License Manager shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 28/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (20+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- No update in 11 years
- Only tested up to WordPress 4.2 (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 WP License Manager stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| licence | >100 |
| license | >100 |
| license management | >100 |
| updates | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 4 from 3 reviews
About WP License Manager
From the official readme · v0.5.5Description
WP License Manager is an easy to use plugin that will turn your WordPress site into a license manager that can be used for WordPress themes, plugins and other downloadable products.
Downloadable files are stored in Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) to keep them safe from people without a license.
Possible uses for WP License Manager:
- Hosting your own premium plugins and themes and serving updates to them.
- Hosting private plugins that you don’t want to share in the open.
- If you get more creative, the license manager plugin can be extended to be used for all kinds of digital goods; downloadable games, for example.
Installation
The easiest way to install the plugin is through the WordPress plugin directory.
To install the plugin manually:
- Unzip the plugin package
- Upload directory
wp-license-managerto the/wp-content/plugins/directory - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress
After you have completed the installation, configure plugin settings by clicking on the “License Manager Settings”
menu option in the WordPress Settings menu. Now, you are ready to start adding products and licenses.
Make your theme or plugin use WP License Manager
Making your themes and plugins use your own License Manager site requires some basic PHP programming
knowledge (but nothing that couldn’t be handled by a little copy-pasting, actually…).
To make the integration as easy as possible, we have created a PHP class that you can pretty much drop in
to your theme or plugin to make it query updates from your own license server instead of WordPress.org.
The class and detailed integration instructions can be found on GitHub:
WP License Manager Client
Changelog
Adds support for PHP 5.2
0.5.5
- Added a new plugin data update system. Fixes the problem with products disappearing after the 0.5.4 update.
0.5.4
- Changed the name of the products custom post type to prevent conflicts with other plugins.
- Fixed conflicts with other menu items.
0.5.2
- Added support for PHP versions < 5.3. We highly recommend upgrading to PHP 5.3+ but understand that not all users have the possibility to do so.
- Trimmed the download size a bit.
0.5.0
- First public release
Screenshots
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 WP License Manager alternatives
All licence plugins →FAQ
WP License Manager: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 10, 2026
Is WP License Manager free?
Yes. WP License Manager is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is WP License Manager safe to use in 2026?
WP License Manager shows warning signs in 2026 — compare the alternatives below before installing. It runs on 20+ sites, is rated 4/5 and was last updated 11 years ago, and scores 28/100 on our health check.
How many websites use WP License Manager?
WP License Manager is active on 20+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 4,681 times since it launched in November 2014. It was downloaded 60 times in the last 30 days.
Does WP License Manager work with WordPress 7.1?
WP License Manager is officially tested up to WordPress 4.2.39, while the latest release is 7.1.3. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
When was WP License Manager last updated?
The latest version, 0.5.5, was released on April 27, 2015 (11 years ago).
Who makes WP License Manager?
WP License Manager is developed and maintained by Jarkko Laine.
What are the best alternatives to WP License Manager?
The most popular alternatives to WP License Manager are Credit Line Generator (10+ installs) and Software License Lite for W… (<10 installs).
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