No, WPML is not a free plugin. It is a premium WordPress plugin designed to enable multilingual capabilities for websites, which requires a purchase to use.
Understanding WPML's Cost Structure
While the core WPML plugin is not free, its pricing model includes provisions for certain translation services that can be confused with being free. Here's a breakdown:
- WPML Plugin Purchase: To utilize WPML for making your WordPress site multilingual, you must buy the plugin. This initial purchase provides access to the plugin's features and functionalities.
- Included Translation Credits: With your WPML purchase, you receive a generous initial quota of "translation credits." These credits are specifically for automatic translation services, allowing you to translate content on your site without manual input. This initial quota is often sufficient for a significant portion of typical website translation needs, estimated to cover about 80% of client sites built with WPML.
- Purchasing Additional Credits: If your automatic translation needs exceed the initial quota provided with your WPML purchase, you will need to acquire more credits. WPML offers flexible options for this, including Pay-as-you-go plans or Prepaid credits plans, allowing you to top up your translation credit balance as needed.
To clarify the components of WPML's offering:
| Aspect | Description |
|---|---|
| WPML Plugin Access | Not Free. This refers to the core software that enables multilingual functionality on your WordPress site. It requires an initial purchase. |
| Initial Translation Credits | Included with Purchase. A quantity of credits for automatic translation is provided when you buy WPML. These credits effectively come "free" as part of your plugin purchase, covering a substantial amount of translation work for typical sites. |
| Additional Translation Credits | Paid. If the included credits are exhausted, further automatic translation requires purchasing additional credits through pay-as-you-go or prepaid plans. |
In essence, while the WPML plugin itself is a paid product, it bundles an initial set of automatic translation credits, which helps users get started with translating their content without immediate additional costs for those specific services.
