ACF Pro for FREE - Has WordPress gone too far??

[@websquadron]

ACF Pro for Free in the darkest way possible? All time new low? Justified? Serves them right? Sneaky? What say you? PS: I do state that I am not biased - but many still think I am. So... This vid my objective view without having pre-bias or allegiances to WordPress or WP Engine or ACF. Just like I may have no bias to someone in an office, but I won't like the way a colleague spoke to another. Do you get me? #WordPress #WPEngine #GPL #WordPressPlugins #ACF #ACFPro

[@akshaysrivastavaofficial]

It's a GPL license Imran. Many languages got created this way. C++ is a derivative of C under an open-source license. Ubuntu is a GPL derivative of Debian. It is not even about ethics at this moment. ACF shouldn't have simply used WordPress as a GPL licensed CMS, if they were creating its derivative (a plugin) which is, by law, has to be under the GPL license. What Matt did stupid was taking over their user-base and reviews which is a matter of theft but as far as forking ACF Pro to SCF is concerned, under GPL license they have complete right to do so and take a different development path in future.

[@ahesse]

Not a developer. As a user, when zooming out from the squabble, I think it’s overdue that dynamic data capabilities are part of WP’s core, once it became clear that WP is more of a web CMS than a blogging platform. That’s why ACF and JetEngine filled the gap. Like with Gutenberg blicks as a response to pagebuilders, WP is just catching up, at first. No WP has not gone too far. They haven’t gone far enough yet. From a user perspective.

[@RefreshingMediaLtd]

Personally, I much prefer the Crocoblock suite of plugins to ACF or SCF. It's much more versatile overall. Not cheap, but it's important to support the developers. I've used it for about 3 years and recently upgraded to a lifetime licence. Keeps me out of the drama on this one. 😂

[@helmutgobel9974]

That's exact my decision fo the few websites I build on ACF.

[@lausianne]

Ok, what if Matt steals Crocoblock next? What's stopping him? The point of the issue is, why should any professional developer continue to develop for WP if they can't be sure their work won't be stolen from them any time?

[@RefreshingMediaLtd]

@lausianne Reasonable point. There is nothing stopping him from doing that. Having said that, the Crocoblock suite of plugins provides a plethora of functionality, JetEngine alone is more versatile than ACF, and there are about a dozen plugins in total. Any combination of these plugins can be used on a site depending on the needs of the project, and they always work seamlessly together. Stealing that would be an absolute mammoth of a task in comparison to stealing ACF. But still, you raise a good point.

[@helmutgobel9974]

@@lausianne Not possible, because there is no free version of the Crocoblock plugins, in particular JetEngine, which includes the capabilities, ACF has.

[@lausianne]

​@@RefreshingMediaLtd I don't know Crocoblock, I cannot compare. Even if it is better, and nobody really needs ACF Pro, it is still besides the main issue. Even if Crocoblock is safe, other plugins might be taken over any time. Therefore why should any professional developer still be interested in investing in developing Pro plugins for WordPress? As more developers move away from WP for that reason, it will eventually affect all of us. Whether it is legal or not, such hostile takeovers must not happen, ever. It destroys the trust of every developer, and my and others trust in the whole system. What we already see here, is the division, hostility even, that the situation creates within our community. Sad to see happen.

[@PierluigiFerrara]

I am just an humble WordPress user but I agree with your point: this is a problem

[@CrystalRicotta]

Feels like a good discussion for a Communications Law class.

[@VijayKumarIM]

This directly validates the legitimacy argument of the GPL sites out there that are ripping the pro themes and plugins.

[@techarticlesuk]

One of which Automatic is suing for there work with selling WOO plugins?

[@Phoenix_Arise_J]

Without ACF I couldn’t had created my first website. I don’t need their Pro version but I’ll happily delete SCF and support the original developer and will definitely pay for the Pro version whenever needed. Play fair come back happy!

[@digwillhachi]

but you wont support wordpress the actual system you use lol?

[@Phoenix_Arise_J]

@ Your comment is out of context. The subject here is a major plug-in not Wordpress. FYI by continuing to use a product/service it means you support it.

[@shanejenkinson3723]

I have the avada theme and I used to be able to download ACF Pro and use it anywhere but they have but a class check in the plugin now, so this is a bonus video. Tbanks.

[@YaserAlhosani]

WordPress does not require plugins to be GPL-licensed. However, if your plugin integrates with WordPress functions (e.g., hooks, filters, and APIs), it might be considered a “derivative work” of WordPress, which could legally require the plugin to be distributed under the GPL license. This is a gray area with varying legal interpretations. Considering: - Proprietary or custom license with clear terms restricting these actions. - Limit direct reliance on WordPress functions to avoid derivative work concerns under the GPL. - Be prepared to enforce the license if someone violates it. I respect to ACF team and not going to install SCF in any circumstances.

[@DavidGawainMiles]

Unbelievable - I can only now see this ending very badly for Matt and WordPress in general - I can see enormous fines being levied

[@ChristinaMcKay]

There will be no fines, because what a lot of people don't get: EVERY premium plugin in the WordPress eco system ist GPL when it comes to the code! free to fork, free to change, free to sell, as long as it still has the GPL license. This is how things are and have been since Wordpress was born. What you are paying for with every premium addon is the support and the possibility to download and update. So, it is completly legal to take the code of a premium addon and put it out there for free. The real low is that WordPress is now taking advantage of that fact. every developer should be concerned about that.

[@peteharrison3241]

I will continue to pay for ACF Pro as without developers like this we'd end up with crap like the Wordpress back end!

[@antonichristian5845]

Sets a dangerous precedent for wordpress plugin developers that sell plugins for a living. It just doesn't foster innovation and development. Mad king Matt slowly destroying his creation and the wordpress community bit by bit, this won't end well. People are already looking at other options.

[@ClaudiuOvidiuStoica]

How many times did happen before? I’m not saying what Matt did is right (is not!)

[@akshaysrivastavaofficial]

As a consequence, I think ACF can relaunch a LTD for Pro. Just a wild guess.

[@KaiBuskirk]

Yep….

[@DerekDirk92]

ACF Pro is very unlikely to ever offer a lifetime license. It's just not a model in the business strategy of a large corporation. If you look at the developers that offer lifetime licenses it's exclusively small studios or intendent developers.

[@videographics1]

Probably some brilliant developers are thinking right now about to get together and build an alternative and more modern CMS from scratch. Or like Hostinger did and build their own Website Builder.😎

[@the_inverness_design_studio]

Yeh but happens when Matt starts charging for Wordpress? We completely take everything the guys done for granted. I feel like we should be doing more to stick up for him. Are we all okay with companies taking advantage of people that spend their life developing a platform we all built our careers on?I think Wordpress were completely in their rights to do what they did.

[@websquadron]

I have said since the end of September that MM could easily charge $1 per month for WordPress and almost all would pay.Even after tax this would generate a sizeable income stream for WordPress to use for development. I agree that we need to see all sides of the coin, but I made my moot points in the situation and not him The funny thing is that it swings both ways where the Devs for ACF are also seeing their work being taken advantage of. The question is what happens if WPE or ACF wash their hands of the plugin? Who maintains it then? Or what if this happens to other plugins because they've been using WordPress? I worry that in some way or another, we've all been using WordPress for Free. The difference is that we're not as lucrative as others.

[@paulburgess4954]

Thin end of the wedge. I’ve only has ACF Pro for a couple of months, but I have no intention of jumping ship even if it is free. Just doesn’t sit right with me.

[@CourtneyR_dev]

00:05 ACF Pro is now available for free through a forked version. 01:30 Concerns over WordPress forking ACF and using GPL licenses. 02:58 Concerns arise over WordPress's handling of premium features and developer ecosystem integrity. 04:27 Development impacts of WordPress forking premium plugins. 06:03 Concerns about reliance on premium plugins like ACF Pro and their future updates. 07:47 Discussing the implications of premium products being devalued by free alternatives. 09:26 Discussion on whether the ACF Pro fork is a positive move for WordPress. 10:56 Encouragement for healthy debate about WordPress opinions. Crafted by Merlin AI.

[@RichardWadeUK]

WordPress should have had Custom post types baked in a long time ago, but this is a totally immoral way to go about it. This cock-flapping power play should be a big warning to anyone investing in the platform - developers and customers

[@SamFrysteen]

Unfortunately it means ACF with have to make their Pro features be a seperate plugin - that way, that part at least can't be used as it won't be GPL any more ... mind you, I hate plugins that make me have base plugin, then seperate one for pro/premium features.

[@davidorf3921]

To me and I am not a software developer, but if wordpress give away plugins that had pro (paid for) versions then I would say there will be little incentive for any developer out there to produce a plugin for wordpress because they will understand that Matt can steal it and give it away any time that developer starts taking a decent amount of money, he MIGHT be able to do this legally, MORALLY however ii is about as dodgy as a 13 pound note

[@websquadron]

[Checks wallet for £13 note]

[@BoomlandJenkins]

Matt has to be stopped. End of story. There is no justification for what he's doing, and in fact, his team is suing another agency for offering nulled Woo plugins.

[@whatamiwitnessing1003]

This is a new all-time low. Pro was never part of the repo and isnt part of the open source license. They essentially committed a felony, from what I understand.

[@dionstr17]

We independent people face a hell with custom fields plugins. I use ACF PRO and now is in a war with WordPress. I use also Jet Engine where it's company (Ukraine) is also in war with Russia. I can't believe it !!!

[@fabrizio.dipietro]

Many people who loved acf pro bought the lifetime license

[@stanfordlee]

Is ACF PRO lifetime now? I didn't see the price per year.

[@toineenzo]

@@stanfordleeunfortunately no, but it would work out perfect for WPEngine if they reintroduce the LTD. I would instantly buy it.

[@djmtype]

@@stanfordleeNo, there is no lifetime license anymore after Elliot Condon (original creator) sold it.

[@victortio]

Agreed

[@hey-its-ashraf]

Why wordpress is doing this? I believe every action have reaction and what'll that be? Definitely not something good.

[@donnchadhmcginley3153]

I would also call WordPress a premium product. One worth of "getting paid".

[@websquadron]

Yup, and I have no issue paying for it if I had to.

[@donnchadhmcginley3153]

​@@websquadron same, but I'm more of a believer in open source and that's not really the open source model. I don't know the full story but Matt didn't like how WPengine acquired ACF in 2022.

[@MarkWilliams77]

This action by the mad king sets a dangerous precedent. If premium plugin devs lose incentive and shut up shop then wordpress users and devs that build sites for small business (me being the latter) are up shit creek. Edit: This motivated me to renew my licence with the original ACF Pro. Eff the mad king lol

[@HarshHazeStudios]

Preach!

[@ahesse]

Do the developers who wrote ACF (Pro) still work at WPE?

[@websquadron]

I believe so

[@knightride9635]

That would be a shame if the ACF fork get a virus because of lack of updates

[@DerekDirk92]

The piracy comparison isn't really fair, since this is (supposedly) legal whereas piracy is not. Morally...I mean sure, but $250/year is a lot of money to spend for the sake of being moral or to offer support to a $100 billion+ company.

[@websquadron]

Agreed and I was just using the piracy as an example where your hard-work is copied over. Another way to look at it is would you think differently if WPE were a $10k profit company compared to $100billion?

[@dahunsi]

Is it mandatory to contribute to WordPress? Is that a part of the agreement to use the repo? Are pro plugins also under the gpl rules? If so, why aren't pro plugins in the repo? I have lots of questions.

[@websquadron]

Not mandatory to contribute

[@dahunsi]

@@websquadron so what is the root of the debacle? What is WordPress standing on?

[@Chris...S]

​@dahunsi This started when Matt decided to leave and sell his shares into WPE. He tried to coarse Heather Brunner, CEO of WPE to join him at Automatic. After that backfired, he has been on a childish vendetta against WPE.

[@dahunsi]

So he was a WPE shareholder. Starts to make some childish sense to me.

[@StevenDale1066]

This is the lowest they could go. They have put two fingers up to the whole developer community. Users of WP will be the losers in the long run. The whole ecosystem is built on trust and WP have just trashed that. The decline of WP has begun just like the decline of the Roman Empire, it is now inevitable. Just look at how AI is changing the way sites are developed and built without WP. I am not actively looking how to build sites without WP and not be dependent on it. Imagine if they start stealing from DIVI. Or, Elementor or Bricks?

[@websquadron]

And that's the point I tried to make. You're right. Regardless of how much WPE make or how much they contribute - the basis of this vid is to raise the question of "what next" or "when does it stop?"

[@pulp5618]

Maybe this is the end

[@ashhyborg]

Best decision ever. WPE is worst thing happen to human species. To answer your question, we don't need WPE for developing ACF or SCF. It wasn't WPE who invented, developed, or maintained ACF for the last 10 years. They just purchased it in 2-3 years ago. And since then they have made ACF a shit show.

[@lausianne]

Who paid you to write such nonsense?

[@Nima-Norouzi]

At the same time, another team can fork the WordPress as well and do whatever they want with it, so that's the nature of the open source world and GPL license, regardless of the moral aspect.

[@websquadron]

Very, very true.

[@nickm1049]

So do you really believe if some other company steals or forks Jetpack, that Matt will be fine with that?

[@websquadron]

@@nickm1049 It'd be amusing to see how they react if that happened. Could call it Wetpack.

[@dahunsi]

Or griefpack ​@@websquadron

[@nickm1049]

@@websquadron 😆

[@EPHONIC]

Am I okay to stick with Pods … for now? Or, will that be a forking problem? 😬

[@websquadron]

Who knows? Pods should be fine.

[@EPHONIC]

@@websquadronThanks!

[@KaiBuskirk]

Nothing is Free… In Wordpress without the newest Risk of permission…

[@Audulf-of-Frisia]

Yes! This has gone to far and sets a terrible precedent. How can other plugin makers be sure their hard work isn't just taken from them. What incentive do they have to create plugins as it can be given away freely at a whim. It's a childish way to solve a conflict and hurts not only the plugin makers but also wordpress itself, those who create websites on WordPress for a living and so on.

[@Techynorama]

Have no idea what ACF, SCF and all you saying here...quite lost

[@websquadron]

Advanced Custom Fields. Secure Custom Fields. Don't worry - I did add links for you to click, but I should have clearly explained what ACF and ACF Pro are, especially as they aren't that well known. Please accept my apologies.

[@13caban]

ACF Pro is a NULLED plugin, don't recommend NOT to use nulled plugins ????

[@websquadron]

I didn't want to focus on that - as I've discussed this in several videos about the dangers of using Nulled. And I did mention vulnerabilities.

[@youtubevideo2341]

Why is it ok for WP Engine to use WordPress for completely free, but not okay for WordPress to use WP Engine? ACF beta is under GPL licence.

[@websquadron]

So any 'Premium' Plugin that uses WP to release their Product can be forked? Note the context of the video was about Pro.

[@youtubevideo2341]

​@@websquadron You mentioned that they created a fork of the beta version under the GPL, correct? So, this means it was the beta version, not the premium one. Or am I missing something?

[@websquadron]

@@youtubevideo2341 Your understanding touches upon a nuanced aspect of the situation. The creation of a fork under the GPL, assuming it was derived from the beta version, aligns with the principles of the license. However, the differentiation between the ‘beta’ and ‘premium’ versions introduces layers of interpretative complexity. While the GPL inherently permits the forking of any version released under its umbrella, the characterisation of the beta version versus the premium version may rest on a semantic or contextual interpretation of what each version fundamentally represents in its developmental and licensing framework. This raises the question of whether the beta, by virtue of its designation, inherently excluded premium-specific features, or if the fork inadvertently encompassed attributes aligned more closely with premium-tier expectations, even within the permissibility of the GPL’s scope. Thus, the exact delineation of versions becomes a critical, albeit intricate, consideration.

[@youtubevideo2341]

​@@websquadron You have very valid points and this raises a compelling question: which version are they using to fork? After quickly reviewing the ACF GitHub repo, it's clear that they encourage contributions to the project, with a total of 182 forks. This leads me to wonder why they would initially release their premium beta version under the GPL. Although I haven't dived into all the updates and documentation, it seems that WP Engine is trying to play both sides. They are offering PRO plugin under the GPL, inviting contributions to make fixes, but they likely never anticipated that a major company would fork it and distribute it for free. I'm not taking sides, but WP Engine's decision to include the pro plan in the GPL, even in Beta version, doesn't make sense and looks like it backfired.

[@EstiloDevida-o3f]

Not biased and you started with “You can now get ACF for free but not in the right way”? Thats being biased mate.

[@websquadron]

It's my objective view without being pre-bias from the get go with allegiance to WordPress or WP Engine or ACF. Just like I may have no bias to someone in an office, but I won't like the way a colleague spoke to another. Do you get me?