Why you should not use nulled WordPress plugins?

There are approximately over 60,000 WordPress plugins out there. Many are freely available, and some, such as WP Rocket, are exclusively premium products. In between, you have freemium plugins like Advanced Ads, which provide essential features for free while offering paid add-ons for enhanced functionality.

As a newcomer launching a website, it can be a bit disheartening to realize that using top-notch software comes with a price tag. It’s not a hard and fast rule that you can only build a successful website using premium plugins. Yet they promise enriched features and improved performance. These tools can bring significant benefits, saving heaps of time and development costs. The temptation to search for nulled versions of such premium plugins and download them via questionable means for a pittance is considerable.

In this blog post, I aim to clarify the implications, pros, and cons of using nulled plugins and themes on your WordPress website and whether it’s worth it in the first place.

What does “Advanced Ads pro nulled” mean?

Nulled plugins are pirated versions of premium plugins with the license checks removed. They are widely available, and you can download them easily from various sources on the internet. People search, for example, for phrases like “advanced ads pro nulled” or “advanced ads pro free download” to find a nulled version of Advanced Ads Pro and use it on their websites without a paid license.

Benefits of nulled plugins

The most obvious argument for using nulled plugins is cost savings. Many premium plugins come with an annual price tag in the low three-figure range. Pirated versions of these plugins are free of charge or for a small fee, allowing users to enjoy the functions of premium plugins in a limited capacity without paying for them.

Limited in this context often means that several premium plugins have implemented stricter license checks contingent on functionality. Although the hackers removed the license check from the plugin itself, it might need to connect to the provider’s website for certain features, where the license’s validity needs to be confirmed once more. Usually, this is impossible with nulled plugins.

Another advantage is the easy access to test premium features of different pro plugins, possibly considering obtaining a regular license later. This strategy can be attractive, especially for small businesses or individuals who don’t want to afford expensive licenses initially or deal with the plugin’s refund policies.

Drawback of nulled plugins

Using nulled plugins may violate copyrights and licensing agreements. This can lead to legal action and substantial penalties. Additionally, affected publishers risk tarnishing the reputation of their websites and businesses. However, this concern is not the most significant.

Security 

The security risks are the most crucial reason for abstaining from using nulled software. Nulled software can contain malware or harmful software that jeopardizes the website and any stored data. Hackers use such nulled plugins as entry points. Added backdoors and security vulnerabilities could ultimately lead to data loss or even the complete compromise of a website.

Even for experienced users, it’s virtually impossible to determine whether, for instance, the “Advanced Ads Pro nulled” download is a regular Pro version with a removed license check or whether someone published this nulled version to compromise cost-conscious webmasters and, in mild cases, secretly post spammy links on their websites.

Those with good hosting (and some luck) might be alerted in time. If not, patching the security loopholes and handling the public fallout can be thoroughly unpleasant and time-consuming. Worst-case scenario, your Google rankings could take a severe hit.

Lack of support and updates

Another drawback is the lack of access to official updates and security patches. Plugin developers regularly provide updates to fix bugs and close security loopholes. As a user of nulled plugins, you must deal without these vital updates, leaving any known security loophole unprotected.

You also miss out on personal customer support, as virtually every plugin team requires presenting an active license when contacting them. The absence of a license blocks established solutions to technical problems and severs the connection to a team that readily stands by with years of experience to assist users in various matters until they’re fully satisfied.

Ethics and fairness

Using nulled plugins is also a matter of ethics and fairness. Developers invest a considerable amount of time and resources in developing and maintaining their plugins. By using nulled versions, you deny them the financial backing they need to continue delivering high-quality products. The culmination of this story might be to discontinue the plugin since it’s no longer profitable.

Conclusion and recommendations on nulled plugins

Weighing the arguments, it becomes clear that the disadvantages of using nulled plugins far outweigh the benefits. While the threat of legal consequences might be brushed aside, the absence of updates and support, imminent security risks, and ethical considerations offer a strong case against using nulled plugins.

Invest in premium plugins, support the developer community, and secure access to regular updates and professional support. You will protect your website and contribute to the sustained development of quality software.

If you feel you don’t have the funds for a Pro license of a plugin, I recommend using a free alternative until your website generates enough revenue to invest in tools. Perhaps you can also offer something else in exchange for a Pro license, like translating the plugin into your native language, provided it’s not English.

Some plugins also offer add-ons to incentivize users who sign up for the newsletter. For example, with Advanced Ads, you can receive two add-ons for a newsletter subscription without searching for “Advanced Ads Pro nulled” on Google.