Holographic Software Sales & Licensing Free is a WordPress plugin for developers who need a simple way to manage software products, licence keys, protected downloads and update checks from their own WordPress website.
The free version is designed as a standalone licensing foundation. It does not require Stripe, PayPal or WooCommerce. You can manually create products, issue licence keys, upload release files, track activations and provide update information for your software.
What The Free Version Does
The plugin lets you create and manage software products from inside WordPress. Products can represent WordPress plugins, WordPress themes, desktop software, scripts, downloadable tools or other licensed digital products.
Each product can have its own software identifier, product slug, licence settings, release files and update information. This makes the system flexible enough to support different kinds of software without hard-coding it to one product.
The free version also includes licence activation, licence validation and licence deactivation endpoints. Client plugins or software can contact your licence server to check whether a licence is valid and what access it allows.
Key Features
Admin-managed software products.
Manual licence key creation.
Basic customer record fields.
Licence activation tracking.
Domain, site, installation or device activation support.
Basic activation limits.
Licence expiry date support.
Product slug and software identifier fields.
Plugin slug support for WordPress plugin products.
Protected release file uploads.
Protected release download endpoint.
WordPress plugin update metadata endpoint.
Generic software update metadata endpoint.
Version detection from uploaded WordPress plugin files where possible.
Manual version entry for non-WordPress software.
Basic feature flags.
Basic admin logs.
Basic support ticket system.
Ticket statuses for open, waiting, resolved and closed tickets.
Admin replies to tickets.
Email notifications for new tickets and ticket replies.
How To Use The Free Version
1. Install The Plugin
Install and activate Holographic Software Sales & Licensing Free on the WordPress site you want to use as your licensing server.
After activation, the plugin adds its own admin area where you can manage products, licences, releases, support tickets and settings.
2. Create A Product
Create a new product for the software you want to licence. Enter the product name, product type, product slug and software identifier.
If the product is a WordPress plugin, also enter the plugin slug. This helps WordPress update checks identify the correct plugin.
3. Upload A Release File
Upload the release ZIP or software file for the product. The file is stored as a protected release, so it is not publicly downloadable without authorisation.
For WordPress plugin ZIP files, the plugin can detect the version from the plugin file header where possible. For other software types, you can enter the version manually.
4. Create A Licence Key
Create a licence key for your customer. Add the customer details, select the product, set the licence status, choose an expiry date if needed and define the activation limit.
The licence can then be used by the client plugin or software to activate against your licensing server.
5. Connect Your Software
Your client plugin, theme or software should call the licence activation endpoint when the user enters their licence key.
After activation, the client software should use the validation endpoint to check the licence status, expiry date, activation limit, update access and feature flags.
6. Provide Updates
When a new version is available, upload a new release file and update the product release details.
WordPress plugin products can use the WordPress plugin update metadata endpoint. Other software can use the generic update metadata endpoint.
7. Handle Support Tickets
The free version includes a basic support ticket system. Tickets can be linked to a product, licence and activation where available.
Admins can reply to tickets, update ticket status and receive email notifications when new tickets are created.
Who The Free Version Is For
The free version is suitable for small developers who want to manually sell or distribute licensed software without relying on a third-party licensing service.
It is also suitable for testing a licensing workflow before moving to a more advanced setup with automated payments, customer portals, update channels and richer support tools.
Upgrade Path
The Pro extension adds payment integrations, customer self-service, advanced licence plans, update channels, staged rollouts, support workflow tools, developer API tools, reporting, audit logs and automation.
The free version remains the core licensing engine. Pro extends it with commercial sales and management features for developers who need a complete software sales platform.