The WordPress plugin business model is broken. Plugins lock basic features behind paywalls, inject nag screens, and collect data without consent. We are doing it differently.

What we will never do

• Lock basic backups behind a paywall
• Lock local cache behind a paywall
• Lock local tracing behind a paywall
• Inject invasive ads or nag screens
• Collect private site data by default
• Enable remote services without explicit opt-in

What costs money (and why)

Some services require real infrastructure:

• Cloud backup storage — S3 costs ~$1.15/user/month for 50GB
• Hosted AI models — GPU inference costs ~$0.30/user/month for 100 calls
• Uptime monitoring — Server checks cost ~$0.50/user/month

At $9/month for the Cloud tier, we have 73% gross margin. That covers development time and keeps the free version sustainable.

“I built this to give everyone powerful WordPress tools for free. Some optional hosted services cost real server resources, so those have a small price to cover infrastructure and support future maintenance.”

The free version will never be crippled. It is the full product. Cloud services are a convenience layer for people who want managed infrastructure.