Monetizing a Free WordPress Plugin without Paywalling the Core

What happens when you challenge one of the most established business models in WordPress? On July 22, Matt Cromwell and Zack Katz sit down with Rémi Corson, founder of SEOPress and creator of Milo, to discuss a different approach to plugin monetization: keeping the core product completely free while generating revenue through payments infrastructure and optional add-ons.

After more than a decade at WooCommerce, Rémi set out to build a subscriptions plugin that avoids traditional feature paywalls and annual licensing. In this conversation, he shares the thinking behind Milo’s monetization strategy, the tradeoffs of monetizing transactions instead of features, and what WordPress product owners can learn from building sustainable businesses around free software. Whether you’re evaluating your own pricing model, considering a freemium approach, or wondering where the paywall should live, this episode offers practical insights into alternative WordPress plugin monetization strategies.