WordPress Is GPL Licensed Code

Well said!

What restrictive practices on the part of WP Engine with ACF are we talking about here? What advantage does SCF have over ACF in the current version?

I find it questionable how ACF is becoming a pawn between Atomattic and WP Engines. This harms the WordPress and open-source community.

Hi @mrmartinimo

The GPL license of WordPress allows for freely sharing, modifying, and redistributing code. ACF Pro, by locking key features behind a paid license, does not align with this open-source spirit. While their business model might seem valid, in my view, it is an illegal practice because it’s not an additional service, but rather essential tools for developing in WordPress. ACF restricts the ability to share freely; if you don’t pay, you don’t get access, and that contradicts the core essence of the GPL license.

Hi @alex-caravaca-ponce

I completely understand your thoughts, but I think you are wrong.

It is common practice for WordPress plugins to hide certain functions behind a paywall. This is also the case with plugins such as WooCommerce from Automattic aka WordPress.com. You can find this good or bad.

The ‘essential tools’ you mentioned that ACF offers for developers are already implemented in WordPress-Core itself. ACF only offers a nice and standardised interface for clicking together the custom fields. I don’t know how often you work with ACF, but the free version already offers everything you need to create complex custom fields. The Pro features are rarely relevant.

I am also a fan of open source, but in my view WordPress.com’s behaviour is damaging the open source community. As for the legality of taking over the plugin by www.ads-software.com, you may be right. But not everything that is legal is also right. www.ads-software.com took over ACF’s repository without any agreement and thus also the user base. This is completely unusual and I wouldn’t call it a fork. To me, the whole thing seemed more like a heist that was controlled by WordPress.com. I would have no objections to a classic fork by creating a separate repository or implementing the ACF features in WP-Core.

It’s no secret that WordPress.com and WPEng*nes are fierce competitors. WordPress.com has taken advantage of www.ads-software.com’s power to hurt WPEng*nes. I can’t understand who is turning a blind eye to this. All this under the guise of open source. It’s disgraceful.

• This reply was modified 1 month ago by mrmartinimo. Reason: Detail added

Some plugins sell extra features and services that really take extra effort end expenses. Probably fair enough as long as base plugin is worthy.
But things like repeater field is simple. I made and used custom solution in the past and I am far from genius. Any programmer can make these as long as he does not overcomplicates things.

Totally agree with @andrey2023; these are basic functions with nothing special, and justifying the effort to develop ACF solutions seems a bit absurd from my perspective.

I still think that blocking features remotely is neither secure nor aligned with open-source principles. I see www.ads-software.com’s decision not to support it as correct, as it doesn’t comply with the GPL. Whether this was a top-down or community-driven decision, I don’t know — and maybe I’m just being naive.

And @mrmartinimo, I also agree that the confusion between WordPress.com and www.ads-software.com harms the open-source community. WP Engine and WordPress.com aren’t that different.