WordPress is an extremely powerful CMS because of all the premium themes and plugins. When someone offers a paid service, people always want to find a way to get that for free. People try the same for premium WordPress themes and plugins. Nulled themes and plugins are modified so you can use them for free. Does it sound too good to be true? Well, it is safe to trust your intuition here.
These plugins or themes do not have the same features, support, and security that the originals contain. Despite all of this, they have become quite popular. Many websites are running into trouble because they used nulled themes or plugins. If you want to maintain the integrity of your business, then it is best to avoid nulled themes or plugins.
The sad part is that anyone can find a nulled theme or plugin with a simple search. Just like people can find pirated APKS or movies with a google search. However, we all know that they are not secure.
Your website should rely on some of the best WordPress themes.
What are the Nulled Themes and Plugins?
The internet is filled with some of the best WordPress themes and plugins. However, it also contains a pirated copy of a premium theme or plugin. This pirated copy is modified and then distributed for free or at a significantly reduced price.
Most pirated items on the internet are illegal, but that may not be the case here. Most plugins and themes utilize the General Public License (GPL) which allows free and unrestricted distribution. That’s why many people alter a plugin or theme and then redistribute it.
Pirates will remove the trademarked material, add their own, and redistribute it for free. This means that people are not afraid of getting into any legal trouble if they use nulled themes or plugins. You can save money and get premium features. Sounds like a win-win right? Here are a few reasons that it is not a good idea to use nulled themes and plugins.
They Pose a Security Risk
Premium plugins and themes are constantly updated with new security patches. If you are using a nulled version, you do not get access to the updates. The version of the theme or plugin you are using could pose a vulnerability to your site.
If this alone does not change your mind, there is another reason. Pirates often include malware in the pirated version for their benefit. Since these files are a part of your site, malware scanners can fail to pick a risk. You may have malware, and it will be difficult to be aware of it. It takes a lot of complaints from customers for business owners to be aware of the malware.
By this time, your brand has been dealt a serious blow. Prevention is better than cure which is why instead of using nulled themes, you should consider using some of the best WordPress themes from Grace Themes.
They can Negatively Impact your SEO
It can take months or an entire year for your site to get ranked on Google. If your site is found to be connected to any malicious site or a low-ranking website, then that is not just bad for your user experience, but Google also does not like that. This will ultimately affect your site’s ranking negatively.
You Lose Access to Customer Support
The best thing about premium themes and plugins is the free customer support you get. If you use nulled themes and plugins, you don’t even get the documentation that mentions how to activate them. In the future, if you need any help, you will be on your own.
Website Privacy is Seriously Compromised
Privacy is extremely important to everyone in the digital age. When your customers visit your site, they leave information like their email addresses, credit card details, home addresses, etc.
If they trust you with such important details, you need to ensure that your website does not have any vulnerabilities. When you use nulled themes or plugins, your site can get infected with malware that can steal critical information.
While using nulled themes and plugins is not illegal, losing critical customer information can land your business in big legal and financial trouble. That’s why your business should only rely on some of the best WordPress themes.
You can still get into Legal problems
While nulled plugins and themes are legal thanks to the GPL loophole. Developers have become extremely smart and have found ways to protect their resources. They use copyrighted code, and only someone who has paid for the license can use it.
If you have purchased the license legally, then you are not breaking any law. However, if you are using the pirated version of a theme or plugin, then you are directly breaking copyright laws.
There is no way of telling which developer has opted for this technique, so it is best to avoid nulled themes and plugins.
Jasmine Lopez is a senior web developer at Grace Themes which is a leading web design and WordPress themes development company providing topmost solutions across the world. Jasmine is not only an experienced web developer she is also a good writer and loves to compose quality articles and blogs for her audience in her part-time.
