How to Build a WordPress Plugin as a Solo Developer

What You're Building

A WordPress plugin adds functionality to the 40% of websites that run on WordPress. That's not a small market. It's massive. Whether it's an SEO tool, a contact form, a page builder, or a WooCommerce extension, WordPress plugins can generate serious revenue because the user base is enormous and they're used to paying for premium functionality.

I know, I know. PHP. But hear me out. The WordPress plugin ecosystem is one of the most accessible ways to make money as a solo developer. The distribution is built in (WordPress plugin directory), the users already have their credit cards out (they're used to buying plugins), and the competition, while fierce at the top, has plenty of profitable niches if you look carefully.

Difficulty & Timeline

Recommended Tech Stack

PHP (obviously, it's WordPress), JavaScript for any admin UI interactivity, and React if your plugin has a complex settings page or dashboard. WordPress itself uses React for Gutenberg blocks, so it's a natural fit.

For development environment, use Local by Flywheel or wp-env (the official Docker-based dev environment). Both give you a local WordPress installation in minutes. Use WP-CLI for database operations and scaffolding.

For premium plugin licensing and updates, use a service like Freemius or Appsero. Building your own license management system is a waste of time when these services handle everything including payment processing, license validation, and auto-updates.

Step-by-Step Plan

Phase 1: Core Plugin (Week 1-3)

Start with the free version. WordPress plugin development follows a specific structure. Your main plugin file with the header comment, your classes organized by responsibility, hooks and filters to integrate with WordPress core. Follow the WordPress coding standards even if they feel dated. Users (and reviewers) expect it.

Build the minimum viable feature set. One thing, done well. If you're building a caching plugin, get the page caching working perfectly before you think about database caching, object caching, or CDN integration.

Create a clean settings page using the WordPress Settings API. Or if your settings are complex, use React with @wordpress/scripts to build a modern admin interface. The WordPress Settings API is clunky but works. React is more work upfront but gives you a much better user experience.

Phase 2: Premium Features (Week 3-5)

Decide what goes in free vs. premium. The free version should be genuinely useful on its own, not a crippled demo. Users who love the free version become premium customers. Users who feel tricked by a useless free version leave one-star reviews.

Common freemium splits that work. Give the core feature for free, charge for advanced settings, integrations, priority support, and extended functionality. The free version hooks people in. The premium version removes limitations they've already hit.

Integrate with Freemius or a similar service for license management, payments, and delivering updates. This saves you weeks of building infrastructure that adds zero value to your users.

Phase 3: Submit & Launch (Week 5-6)

Submit to the WordPress.org plugin directory. The review process takes 1-5 days and the reviewers are thorough. Common rejection reasons include using external CDN resources without disclosure, security issues like missing nonce verification, and not following WordPress coding standards. Read the plugin guidelines carefully before submitting.

Set up your landing page for the premium version. Include demos, feature comparisons (free vs pro), testimonials, and a clear pricing page. Most successful WordPress plugin businesses use simple annual pricing, something like $49/year for a single site, $99 for 5 sites, $199 for unlimited.

Key Features to Build First

The core feature. Whatever problem your plugin solves, nail this first. Everything else is secondary.

Settings page. Users need to configure your plugin. Make it intuitive and well-organized. Group related settings, use clear labels, add helpful descriptions.

Uninstall cleanup. When users deactivate and delete your plugin, clean up your database tables and options. Not doing this is the #1 thing that annoys WordPress users about plugins.

Internationalization. Wrap all user-facing strings in translation functions from the start. It's much harder to add later, and it opens your plugin up to non-English markets which is a huge audience.

Architecture Overview

your-plugin/
  ├── your-plugin.php          (Main file with plugin header)
  ├── includes/
  │   ├── class-main.php       (Core plugin logic)
  │   ├── class-admin.php      (Admin settings, menus)
  │   ├── class-frontend.php   (Public-facing functionality)
  │   └── class-api.php        (REST API endpoints if needed)
  ├── admin/
  │   ├── css/                 (Admin styles)
  │   └── js/                  (Admin scripts, React app)
  ├── public/
  │   ├── css/                 (Frontend styles)
  │   └── js/                  (Frontend scripts)
  ├── languages/               (Translation files)
  └── readme.txt               (WordPress.org listing)

Common Pitfalls

Security shortcuts. WordPress plugin security is serious business. Always use nonces for form submissions, sanitize and escape all data, check user capabilities before performing actions. The WordPress security team actively scans plugins and will remove yours if they find vulnerabilities.

Loading assets everywhere. Don't enqueue your CSS and JavaScript on every admin page. Only load them on pages where your plugin actually runs. Global asset loading slows down the entire WordPress admin and users will notice.

Ignoring backward compatibility. WordPress users run all sorts of PHP versions and WordPress versions. Test with PHP 7.4+ and at least the last two major WordPress releases. Breaking someone's site because you used PHP 8.2 syntax when they're on 7.4 earns you one-star reviews fast.

Building your own update system. Use Freemius, Appsero, or Easy Digital Downloads. I wasted three weeks building my own license server once. It was buggy, unreliable, and did exactly what Freemius does out of the box.

Not investing in support. WordPress users expect responsive support. A plugin with great features but terrible support will get destroyed in reviews. Budget time for answering support tickets, especially in the first few months.

Timeline Estimate

Is This Worth Building?

If you can stomach PHP and the WordPress ecosystem's quirks, absolutely. The market is massive, users are accustomed to paying for plugins, and the distribution through WordPress.org is free. Many solo developers make $5k-50k/year from a single well-maintained WordPress plugin.

The best strategy is finding a niche that's underserved. Don't build another SEO plugin or page builder. Find a specific industry or workflow that existing plugins serve poorly, and build something focused and excellent for that audience. A plugin that 500 people love and pay for beats one that 50,000 people try and forget.