Every day, we make decisions that force us to be more open. It’s a core value.
Here’s what I mean:
- All of our premium Add Ons are public on GitHub. Everything.
- Our documentation literally explains how to use all of our code without a license key.
- I even published a YouTube video showing how to use premium Add Ons without a paid license.
If you got here, you might be thinking: “Kim, why the f*ck are you telling me this? You just sound like you’re bragging.”
I’m telling you this because this model results in a thriving, profitable business. Paid Memberships Pro is thriving, profitable, and in its 15th year of business.
Now, being this open isn’t without a large public identity issue.
People call us the “free option”. It’s an easy fallback for a lazy listicle blogger to differentiate us from a competitor, without actually using the platforms.
People worry that we’ll ‘disappear’ for lack of making money. Without reading the transparency reports, looking at our team size, and realizing our longevity in this community (hint: we plan to outlast all of you).
People default to thinking our competitor’s products, like MemberPress, are better products. That’s an assumption rooted in human nature. A skepticism that free = less than.
I understand why this identity issue exists. But even with the pushback, we will always_choose_to_be_open. Not for publicity (negative or positive, and I realize I’m seeking publicity posting this). Not to begrudgingly get in Matt’s plugin repository.
We do it because we deeply believe in it.
- Open source code is better code.
- Open platforms are better platforms.
- Financial barriers shouldn’t stop someone from building a membership site that changes their life.
Because being “open” isn’t about playing by one person’s rules.
It’s about building a different kind of business. One that’s transparent, human-first, and designed to last.
If you don’t care about any of this, please don’t use Paid Memberships Pro. We’re not for you.
If you do care, Jason’s session (link in comments) shows exactly what this commitment looks like, even down to open sourcing the hosting stack behind PMPro Hosting.
