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Freemius

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Company health

Employee growth
25% increase in the last year
Web traffic
59% increase in the last quarter

Ratings

G2
4.7/5
(60)
TrustPilot
2.5/5
(5)

Freemius description

Freemius is a platform specifically designed for WordPress plugin and theme developers who want to sell their products with recurring subscriptions. It manages licensing, checkout, automatic payments, and even handles EU VAT. This allows developers to focus on building their product while Freemius takes care of the business side, promising a smoother sales process and potentially increased revenue through reduced churn.


Who is Freemius best for

Freemius helps WordPress plugin and theme developers monetize their products with recurring subscriptions. It simplifies licensing, checkout, payments, and EU VAT handling, letting developers focus on product development. Users praise its seamless WordPress integration, comprehensive features, and helpful support. Some users have reported issues with fraudulent transactions and customer support responsiveness.

  • Best for small to medium businesses (1-100 employees), offering an excellent fit.

  • Particularly well-suited for the Software, IT, & Telecommunications industry.


Freemius features

Supported

Freemius offers embedded checkout forms via JavaScript snippets, enabling direct website integration.

Supported

Freemius facilitates regular releases for premium WordPress plugins and themes.

Supported

Freemius offers a streamlined checkout process with features like in-page checkout and cart abandonment recovery.

Supported

Freemius fully supports automated recurring billing.

Supported

Freemius automatically issues invoices on all purchases, including recurring payments.

Supported

Freemius fully supports subscription management, including creating, updating, canceling, and tracking.


Freemius reviews

We've summarised 65 Freemius reviews (Freemius TrustPilot reviews and Freemius G2 reviews) and summarised the main points below.

Pros of Freemius
  • Seamless integration with WordPress plugins and themes for easy monetization
  • Handles complex licensing, payment processing, and global taxes (including EU VAT)
  • Excellent developer support and a helpful community
  • Provides valuable user data and analytics for growth and marketing insights
  • Easy upgrade paths for users and effective cart abandonment recovery tools
  • Handles free and paid versions of codebase seamlessly
  • Offers staged rollouts and integration with third party tools for scaling businesses
Cons of Freemius
  • Fraudulent transactions and difficulty obtaining refunds
  • Lack of responsiveness from customer support regarding billing issues
  • Unclear or outdated UI, especially on mobile and checkout pages
  • Limited email customization and lack of multilingual support in checkout

Freemius pricing

The commentary is based on 16 reviews from Freemius G2 reviews and Freemius TrustPilot reviews.

Freemius's pricing model, with its tiered structure and higher initial fees, has drawn mixed reactions. Some users find the cost justified by the comprehensive features and reduced workload, while others express concern about the initial percentage and payout delays. Many users feel the value outweighs the cost.

See the Freemius pricing page.


Freemius alternatives

  • Logo of WooCommerce
    WooCommerce
    Build and customize your online store with WordPress.
    Read more
  • Logo of WooCommerce Subscriptions
    WooCommerce Subscriptions
    Recurring payments made easy for your WooCommerce store.
    Read more
  • Logo of Paid Memberships Pro
    Paid Memberships Pro
    Monetize your WordPress site with recurring member subscriptions.
    Read more
  • Logo of Easy Digital Downloads
    Easy Digital Downloads
    Sell digital products simply on WordPress. No monthly fees.
    Read more
  • Logo of FastSpring
    FastSpring
    SaaS merchant of record: handles global payments and taxes.
    Read more
  • Logo of Pabbly Subscriptions
    Pabbly Subscriptions
    Recurring billing and subscription management made simple.
    Read more

Freemius FAQ

  • What is Freemius and what does Freemius do?

    Freemius simplifies selling WordPress plugins and themes with recurring subscriptions. It handles licensing, checkout, payments, and EU VAT, letting developers focus on product development. This boosts sales and reduces churn by streamlining the business side of selling software.

  • How does Freemius integrate with other tools?

    Freemius integrates seamlessly with WordPress plugins and themes for easy monetization. It also offers staged rollouts and integrates with third-party tools, enabling businesses to scale effectively. This allows developers to focus on product development rather than sales logistics.

  • What the main competitors of Freemius?

    Top Freemius competitors include Easy Digital Downloads, WooCommerce, and WooCommerce Subscriptions. These alternatives offer similar features for selling digital products and subscriptions, particularly within the WordPress ecosystem. Consider exploring these options for alternative pricing models and features.

  • Is Freemius legit?

    Yes, Freemius is a legitimate platform used by many WordPress plugin and theme developers. It simplifies selling products with features like recurring billing and license management. However, some users have reported issues with fraudulent transactions and customer support responsiveness.

  • How much does Freemius cost?

    Freemius' pricing is based on a revenue-sharing model. They take a percentage of your sales, starting at 27% and decreasing to 7% as your lifetime sales increase. This includes features like licensing, updates, and marketing tools. Is Freemius worth it? The value depends on your sales volume and the utility of the included features.

  • Is Freemius customer service good?

    Freemius customer service receives mixed reviews. While many users praise the helpful and responsive support, others report difficulties obtaining refunds or resolving billing issues. Some users mention outdated UI design as a minor drawback.


Reviewed by

MK
Michal Kaczor
CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

TT
Tymon Terlikiewicz
CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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