How can I secure my plugin so only paying users can use it? I'm developing some (wordpress) plugins and I'm planning to have a license fee for whoever want's to use it. Therefor I need a way to make sure that this plugin is not uploaded to a server where anyone can download it and use it for free. So I was thinking of using an API key. Valid API key = user can use the plugin. Invalid = plugin does not work. I also know that since it's PHP, anyone can go into the code and disable API check (I'm just guessing) I have API System for generate license key but not know php a lot do you have here Developer Please Share your example script
You can encode your plugin with Ioncube after finishing your plugin. However, there is always a hole out of it as it can be decoded and then nulled. Softwares like WHMCS are even nulled. But encoding atleast ensures that only some will get away. Please contact me for the script.
One thing is common in every paid Plugin or Extension, you have to check the license key entered by user with license key you had generated. (You can simply create a hash of domain name using MD5, SHA1 or any other algorithm) Now if user is clever than, He/She can find a code and crack your Plugin or he/she can generate a new license key if he/she has all information which you used to create a license key. Here i had a great idea, your Plugin is paid so definitely you have a TRANSACTION KEY return by the payment gateway and that’s different for every user therefore you can use that data to create a license key.
Have you ever tried http://www.phplicengine.com ? Edit: oops, I did not notice this post is old! Sorry.