Have you ever wondered what happens if you don’t renew your premium WordPress theme?
Different sites treat licensing differently, but the rule of thumb is:
You remain in control of your theme after your upgrade license has expired.
Yes, you no longer have access to theme updates.
If you run a really straightforward, minimalist theme, this shouldn’t be a serious problem.
However, complex themes — especially the bloated multipurpose themes with galleries, sliders, and what not benefit from frequent updates for multiple reasons:
- Security fixes for libraries and frameworks used in the theme. These get patched by the corresponding teams for each library and responsible theme authors are supposed to keep your theme safe.
- Incompatibilities when library patches are applied. Oftentimes JavaScript errors breaking features or styling messed up in certain places.
- Additional compatibility patches for popular plugins out there (which you are likely to use at the moment or later on).
- Improved support for page builders, sliders, and other integral plugins used by the theme.
- Occasional new features.
- Patches in compliance with WordPress Core updates, especially when large features like Gutenberg get introduced.
- Probably new Gutenberg blocks or better interoperability with editable pages.
Those are just some of the things you would miss if you refuse to upgrade your premium WordPress theme. Check out the 15 Obstacles That Enterprises Report in WordPress and Development Partners next for a more comprehensive guide on using WordPress.
