Are All WordPress Plugins Open Source?

All WordPress plugins are open source, but not all WordPress plugins are created equal.

Some plugins, such as Jetpack and Yoast SEO, are built on top of the WordPress core code and are therefore 100% open source. Other plugins, such as the W3 Total Cache and Gravity Forms add additional features to WordPress and are not open source.

While all WordPress plugins are open source, it is important to understand the difference between a plugin that is built on top of the WordPress core code and a plugin that adds additional features to WordPress.

Plugin developers who build plugins on top of the WordPress core code are taking on a greater risk in that their plugin may be removed or modified by WordPress developers. If the plugin is removed or modified, the developer may not be able to update their plugin or receive support from WordPress.

Plugin developers who add additional features to WordPress are taking on a lesser risk and may benefit from the support of the WordPress community. If a bug is found in a plugin that adds additional features to WordPress, the plugin developer may be able to submit a bug report to the WordPress project and receive assistance from other plugin developers.

Overall, all WordPress plugins are open source, but not all WordPress plugins are created equal. It is important to understand the difference between a plugin that is built on top of the WordPress core code and a plugin that adds additional features to WordPress in order to make the best decision for your WordPress website.