If you have ever downloaded a WordPress theme, used a plugin, or browsed through a digital marketplace like BDThemeBazar.com, you have likely come across the term GPL.
But what exactly is GPL, and why is it so important for the WordPress community? Is it legal to use GPL themes and plugins? In this comprehensive guide, we will break down everything you need to know about the GPL license, its core principles, and how it benefits you.
GPL stands for the General Public License (most commonly referring to the GNU GPL). Created by Richard Stallman in 1989 for the GNU Project, it is the most popular open-source software license in the world.
At its core, the GPL is designed to guarantee your freedom to share and change all versions of a program—making sure the software remains free for all its users.
When talking about GPL, it is crucial to understand that “free” refers to freedom, not price (think “free speech,” not “free beer”). Software licensed under the GPL is called open-source or free software because it gives users specific fundamental freedoms.
To fully understand the GPL, you need to know the four core freedoms it grants to any user who receives the software:
Freedom 0 (To Run): The freedom to run the program for any purpose.
Freedom 1 (To Study): The freedom to study how the program works and change it so it does your computing as you wish. (Access to the source code is a precondition for this).
Freedom 2 (To Redistribute): The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help others.
Freedom 3 (To Modify & Improve): The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others. This gives the whole community a chance to benefit from your changes.
WordPress itself is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPLv2 or later). This means WordPress is open-source software built, maintained, and improved by a massive global community of developers.
Because WordPress is licensed under the GPL, any derivative work—such as WordPress themes and plugins—must also inherit the GPL license. According to the WordPress foundation and legal interpretations of the license, because plugins and themes hook into core WordPress functions to work, they are considered “derivative works.” Therefore, the PHP code of almost all WordPress themes and plugins is legally covered by the GPL.
Yes, it is 100% legal. Because of Freedom 2 (the freedom to redistribute) and Freedom 3 (the freedom to modify and share), anyone who buys a GPL-licensed theme or plugin has the legal right to redistribute it, either for free or for a price.
Marketplaces like BDThemeBazar take advantage of this legal framework to provide premium WordPress themes and plugins at a fraction of their original cost. You are not buying a “pirated” or “cracked” version; you are purchasing legally redistributed software under the rights granted by the GPL.
If GPL themes and plugins are legal and affordable, why do original developers charge so much? What is the difference?
When you buy a premium product directly from the original developer, you are usually paying for:
Automatic Updates: Seamless, one-click updates directly from your WordPress dashboard using a license key.
Customer Support: Direct technical help from the developers if something breaks.
Add-on Services: Cloud storage, API integrations, or premium templates hosted on their servers.
When you get software from a GPL platform, you get the exact same original code and functionalities, but you typically manage updates manually and handle your own troubleshooting, which saves you a massive amount of money.
Building websites can get expensive quickly if you need to buy 10-15 premium plugins. GPL allows web developers, freelancers, and small businesses to test, experiment, and build high-quality websites on a budget.
Original developers often limit their license keys to 1 or 3 websites. Under the GPL license, you can install the plugin or theme on unlimited domains without worrying about licensing restrictions.
Want to tweak the code of a plugin to better suit your business? Because GPL gives you full access to the source code, you are legally allowed to modify it however you want.
The GPL license is the backbone of the WordPress ecosystem. It promotes innovation, keeps software accessible, and prevents monopolies by ensuring that code remains open to everyone.
Platforms like BDThemeBazar.com empower users by making these powerful digital tools affordable and accessible to developers and website owners worldwide. Whether you are a beginner building your first blog or an agency managing dozens of client sites, understanding and utilizing the GPL can completely transform how you build for the web.