WordPress themes are plugins can be pirated and sold at a much reduced cost. If you come across these, you’ll notice that the price is unbelievably cheap, or even free. Pirated themes and plugins in WordPress are called Nulled themes and plugins. Instead of use on a single or limited number of website, hackers modify the code to enable use in multiple websites. While these might be tempting to use, it’s good to avoid them. And there are good reasons for it. In this article, learn about the five reasons why choosing genuine theme/plugin over nulled theme/plugin is a good idea.
You risk the Website being Hacked
The main reason why you shouldn’t use a nulled version of a theme or plugin on your website because it can be hacked. In fact, many of the nulled plugins are created specifically for this purpose. Hackers hide malicious code within these plugins. When people install them on your website, they are rarely aware of it. Once installed, the hackers gain additional privileges and eventually hack the website. Therefore, it’s advised not to use the nulled themes or plugins and instead use the genuine ones.
You risk security flaws
Even if the nulled plugin is not meant to hack into your website, it can create security flaws and vulnerabilities. Other hackers can use these loopholes and gain access to your WordPress website. By the time you realize, they might have caused irreversible damages. To fix these security vulnerabilities, the real developers offer updates and patches. But since you’re using a nulled version, you may not get these updates.
There’s no support available
Plugin developers offer support to all of their users. In case the plugin caused the website to function improperly, they look into the matter and offer suggestions. But in case of nulled plugins or themes, that’s not the case. Even if you were promised of support, it’s likely to be from someone who doesn’t have authority or expertise to fix the error. In some cases, even your hosting provider may not offer support if they find that you’re using nulled plugins. So you will be restricted to using your own expertise to solve any problems that come with the use of nulled plugins.
There will be compatibility issues
The next thing to note that the mulled plugins and themes will likely create issues for other plugins. These versions have not been tested for use along other software packages. Its only when you install them do you realize that there are compatibilty issues.
Original developers don’t get the credit
The biggest losers from the use of mulled plugins are perhaps the original developers who do not get the credit for their hard work. The money instead goes to the people who copied and modified the codebase and made it available to people at a cheaper rate. This discourages development in the WordPress ecosystem. Therefore, it’s recommended to give credit where its due and pay the original creators of the plugin if its paid.
The only case where you can consider using mulled plugins or themes is for testing. If you’re testing on behalf of a client and inspect how the theme will look or perform, then it’s worth it. Once the project is approved, you can purchase the original theme or plugin.
You risk the Website being Hacked
The main reason why you shouldn’t use a nulled version of a theme or plugin on your website because it can be hacked. In fact, many of the nulled plugins are created specifically for this purpose. Hackers hide malicious code within these plugins. When people install them on your website, they are rarely aware of it. Once installed, the hackers gain additional privileges and eventually hack the website. Therefore, it’s advised not to use the nulled themes or plugins and instead use the genuine ones.
You risk security flaws
Even if the nulled plugin is not meant to hack into your website, it can create security flaws and vulnerabilities. Other hackers can use these loopholes and gain access to your WordPress website. By the time you realize, they might have caused irreversible damages. To fix these security vulnerabilities, the real developers offer updates and patches. But since you’re using a nulled version, you may not get these updates.
There’s no support available
Plugin developers offer support to all of their users. In case the plugin caused the website to function improperly, they look into the matter and offer suggestions. But in case of nulled plugins or themes, that’s not the case. Even if you were promised of support, it’s likely to be from someone who doesn’t have authority or expertise to fix the error. In some cases, even your hosting provider may not offer support if they find that you’re using nulled plugins. So you will be restricted to using your own expertise to solve any problems that come with the use of nulled plugins.
There will be compatibility issues
The next thing to note that the mulled plugins and themes will likely create issues for other plugins. These versions have not been tested for use along other software packages. Its only when you install them do you realize that there are compatibilty issues.
Original developers don’t get the credit
The biggest losers from the use of mulled plugins are perhaps the original developers who do not get the credit for their hard work. The money instead goes to the people who copied and modified the codebase and made it available to people at a cheaper rate. This discourages development in the WordPress ecosystem. Therefore, it’s recommended to give credit where its due and pay the original creators of the plugin if its paid.
The only case where you can consider using mulled plugins or themes is for testing. If you’re testing on behalf of a client and inspect how the theme will look or perform, then it’s worth it. Once the project is approved, you can purchase the original theme or plugin.
