Rob Landry

I was working on a plugin that had a pro (paid) version. This plugin had 2 code bases and was hosted on an external site. This site charged upwards of 50% of what I was charging.
So I became interested in finding a way to provide updates and use only one code base. I also wanted to minimize the cost to sell the plugin so that the money was not going into someone elses pocket. With Sell My Plugin, you host your own plugins. You use PayPal to charge for the purchases. There is a transactions list so that you can keep track of your sales. If you sell 10 copies of your plugin in a month at $10/ea, this plugin will save you $360 per year vs PlugPress and $600 vs CodeCanyon.
This plugin also uses the familiar domain.com/extend/plugins/ layout just like wordpress.
<h4>Free Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Your.Domain.com/extend/plugins/ to list all of your plugins just like wordpress.</li>
<li>Your.Domain.com/extend/plugins/plugin-slug to display the plugin info.</li>
<li>A custom search on the plugins page to search for available plugins.</li>
<li>Number of downloads tracked to see which plugins are HOT!!</li>
<li>News updates to provide you with up-to-date info on Sell My Plugin.</li>
<li>Shortcodes are provided to display the plugin where ever you want.</li>
<li>A <a href="http://redmine.landry.me/projects/sell-my-plugin/boards" rel="nofollow ugc">Forum</a> and <a href="http://redmine.landry.me/projects/sell-my-plugin/issues" rel="nofollow ugc">Bug Tracker</a> to get help.</li>
</ul>
<h4>Pro Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>If the plugin is a paid plugin, ?transaction= is added to:</li>
<li>Your.Domain.com/extend/plugins/plugin-slug/version/ to allow downloads.</li>
<li>Your.Domain.com/extend/plugins/plugin-slug/update/ to display the update json to allow for plugin updates.</li>
<li>Your.Domain.com/extend/plugins/plugin-slug/update/ to display the update json to allow for plugin updates.</li>
<li>[sell-my-plugin] Displays the plugins list.</li>
<li>[sell-my-plugin slug=the-slug] Displays a small info box about the plugin.</li>
<li>[sell-my-plugin slug=the-slug format=full] Displays the full plugin info.</li>
<li>[sell-my-plugin slug=the-slug version=1.0 format=full] Displays the full plugin info for a particular version.</li>
<li>Transactions list for book keeping and tracking.</li>
<li>PayPal express checkout for purchase!</li>
<li>Downloads instantly activated upon completion of purchase.</li>
<li>UPDATES!! provided to plugins once a new version zip is uploaded!</li>
<li>PayPal Sandbox to test plugin purchases without mixing with REAL purchases.</li>
<li>Custom pricing of plugins in backend.</li>
<li>Ability to give paid plugins for free providing a FREE KEY!</li>
<li>
Custom email following purchase including shortcodes to allow for injection of PayPal data!
</li>
<li>
And many more!…
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Requirements</h3>
There are a few things that you need to do to make sure that you can use this plugin.
<h4>PHP 5 >= 5.2.0, PECL zip >= 1.5.0</h4>
This plugin makes use of the ZipArchive class, introduced in PHP 5.2.0. You must be running at least this version to use the plugin.
<h4>Valid readme.txt and plugin headers</h4>
Like plugins hosted on wordpress.org, you must include a valid readme.txt file and the proper plugin headers in your main plugin file. Check out a <a href="https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/readme.txt" rel="ugc">sample readme.txt file</a> and use the <a href="https://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/about/validator/" rel="ugc">readme validator</a>. The Sell My Plugin plugin uses the readme.txt file and the plugin headers to render information about the plugin.

Sell My Plugin

It has zero downloads because it doesn't even work.



Doesn't Even Download

This plugin allows you to host your own plugins on your wordpress installation.

wowown

Version Pilot offers a decentralized and seamless update solution for WordPress plugin developers who host their plugins outside the official repository. It perfectly mimics the native WordPress update experience without relying on a central server.
This solution consists of two parts:
<ol>
<li>Author-side Plugin (“Version Pilot”): You install this plugin on your own WordPress site. It provides a clean interface to manage all your plugins’ update information. This information is then exposed via a secure REST API endpoint.</li>
<li>Client-side Integration Code: A lightweight PHP snippet that you, the developer, embed in your distributed plugins. This code uses WordPress’s built-in hooks to periodically check your Version Pilot API for updates. When a new version is detected, it integrates seamlessly into the standard WordPress update system, allowing your users to update with a single click from their admin dashboard, just like any official plugin.</li>
</ol>
Key Features: 
* Plugin-Centric Workflow: First, add your plugin’s core information. Then, add multiple versions to that plugin. This is more intuitive and reduces data redundancy. 
* Advanced Version Management: Set minimum client version requirements for updates, ensuring compatibility and preventing problematic downgrades. 
* Intelligent Version Matching: Smart logic to serve the most appropriate update based on client version and requirements. 
* Authentication Support: Built-in support for license verification and access control mechanisms. 
* Dedicated Versions List: A complete history of all releases across all your plugins with advanced filtering options. 
* AJAX-Powered UI: Enable or disable updates directly from the versions list with a single click, no page reload needed. 
* Streamlined Process: The “Add New Version” screen is simplified, automatically linking to its parent plugin and requiring only version-specific details. 
* Modern Codebase: Fully refactored for better performance, security, and adherence to modern WordPress best practices.

Version Pilot – Plugin Update Manager

Provides an efficient, secure, and user-friendly version update mechanism for non-official WordPress plugins.

Sell My Plugin vs Version Pilot – Plugin Update Manager