Nulled WordPress Themes: Why You Should Avoid Them

Are you considering using nulled WordPress themes or plugins? Hold on a bit! You will make a more informed decision after reading this.

Shortly, you’ll learn what a nulled WordPress theme is. You’ll also see the reasons why you shouldn’t use nulled WordPress themes and plugins.

Content

What is a Nulled WordPress Theme
Reasons why you should not use nulled WordPress themes and plugin
Final Thoughts

What is a Nulled WordPress Theme

As a WordPress user, you are most likely familiar with the word ‘Themes’. WordPress themes are templates that define the appearance or layout of a website. So if you need to change how your WordPress site looks at the front-end, simply change your theme.

According to research done by Scepter in May 2020, there are about 31,010 active themes. Some are absolutely free, while others are premium themes.

These themes can help you create any kind of website, such as:

The average price of a premium theme is about $57.54. In most cases, the premium WordPress themes are worth every penny spent.

But now, third party companies or individuals pirate these themes and give them out for a ridiculously cheap price or even for free. The pirated themes are called nulled WordPress themes.

There are a couple of sites offering these pirated themes

The same thing applies to WordPress plugins. A plugin can be pirated and sold for less. They are also called ‘nulled WordPress plugins’.

Apparently, using nulled WordPress plugins and themes would save you some money. But as the saying goes, ‘when you make a choice, you also choose the consequence’.

When you use a WordPress nulled theme (or plugin), you may end up paying more than you ever bargained for. So let’s discuss some of the problems that accompany the use of nulled themes (and plugins).

Reasons why you Should not use Nulled WordPress Themes and Plugins

No doubt, premium WordPress themes and plugins are sometimes pricey. But does that really justify the use of their pirated versions? Surely not!

So here are some of the reasons why we advise our readers to avoid using nulled WordPress themes and plugins on their websites.

1. WordPress Security and Privacy

WordPress security is one of the most important subjects among WordPress users. Reportedly, 70% of the WordPress sites listed in ‘Alexa top 1 million’ are prone to attacks.

This is in no way surprising. After all, WordPress is the largest and most popular CMS and has become a target for hackers.

In itself, WordPress’s core software is safe. WordPress developers also update it regularly to patch up any security frailties. Despite these efforts, you still have a part to play in keeping your WordPress blog or site safe.

So here are some of the rules you must adhere to for your site’s security:

Never use a nulled WordPress theme or plugin
Install a valid SSL certificate
Choose a good WordPress hosting company (see a list of the best hosting providers to know more)
Install one of the bests WordPress security plugins
Use the WP two-factor authentication
Customize your login page URL
Do a WordPress file and database backup regularly.

The first security rule states: ‘never use a nulled WordPress theme or plugin‘. This is because they may contain malicious code. Malicious code is a generic term for codes that cause security breaches.

Hackers use these codes to:

Get backlinks from your WordPress site
Gain third-party access to your admin section
Introduce ads and banners to your blog/site
Bring down your WordPress website.

Also, a lapse in your site’s security could lead to stolen details of your customers. This includes their financial details, passwords, usernames, and emails. As a result, you may lose their trust and your reputation in the process.

So, when next you get a ‘juicy’ nulled theme/plugin offer, scroll past it, for the love of your site and customers.

Side note: If your site has already been infected with malware, don’t panic. Find out what to do here: Malware Removal Guide.

2. WordPress SEO

SEO is an acronym for ‘Search Engine Optimization’. Website owners use this approach to increase search engine traffic. If you are serious about driving traffic to your site, then you should adhere to certain SEO practices.

These practices include:

Installing an SEO plugin
Optimizing your posts
Adding your site to Google Search Consoles
Correctly using tags and categories
Inter-linking your posts
Optimizing your site’s speed
Keeping your site free from malware and other security issues.

We have established that nulled themes and plugins often contain malware. Here is how a Malware infection affects SEO:

Poor Content and Defacement:

Oftentimes, attackers use certain tools to identify unguarded high ranking sites. Then, they introduce spam links, unwanted content, and keywords to the high ranking pages. These links help the hacker’s site rank better in search engines.

Nulled WordPress Themes and plugins oftentimes contain backdoor access through which a hacker could infect your site. Anyone who loads your site will then be redirected to another site.

In most cases, the sites are harmful ones. But if this doesn’t happen, offensive messages may appear on your site, thereby turning visitors away from your site.

Drop in Search Engine Ranking:

Google webmaster tools can detect malware easily. When spammy links are detected on your website, its ranking would drop – badly.

Thus anyone who tries to load your site will most likely get a warning to avoid your website. Worse still, your site may never appear on Google SERP (Search Engine Result Page).

Ranking on google or any search engine takes time and effort. The mistake of using a nulled WordPress theme can bring you back to square one.

Meanwhile, keep in mind that high ranking sites are not the only targets of hackers. They attack small sites too for some cheap SEO.

3. No Automatic Update

One of the benefits of using authentic WordPress plugins and themes is that they receive regular updates. This is to keep security issues in check and to add new features.

But the case is different with nulled WordPress themes and plugins. They can’t receive updates. Why? Because they don’t have valid licenses. Therefore, you won’t even be notified if there is a new update.

This leaves you with an outdated theme or plugin. Outdated themes and plugins, in turn, expose you to security issues.

Also, WordPress releases updates to patch security weak points. With every new WordPress update, themes and plugins have to be updated too. This is to avoid any compatibility issues. Since nulled themes don’t receive updates, you may experience conflicts that will hinder your site from working as it should.

So you see, using a nulled WordPress theme would end up being more of a problem than a smart move.

4. No WordPress Support

When you purchase premium WordPress plugins and themes, you have access to support from the developers. They spend lots of time answering questions customers have. This isn’t the case with nulled WordPress plugins or themes.

You can’t seek help from the developers, nor can you have access to their tutorials. So, what if you have an issue that can only be addressed by the developer? What would you do? It’s best to avoid being in such a position.

Purchase and download WordPress themes and plugins from the developers, they will support you all the way.

5. Legal Issues

There is no doubt that many WordPress themes and plugins are open source. This means anybody can take the source code and modify it. They can even re-package and release them as new software.

Nonetheless, some themes and plugins for WordPress are sold with mixed licenses. This simply means you are not permitted to use some parts of the code. They are protected by copyright laws. Using a pirated copy of a copyright-protected theme could get you in trouble with the law.

You can avoid this by purchasing premium WordPress themes and plugins directly from the developers. This way, you won’t worry about being hit by a lawsuit.

6. Discourages Further Innovation

Imagine spending a lot of your time, energy, and money developing a product. And then waking up one day to find a pirated copy being distributed for free. That would be upsetting.

Developers spend lots of brainpower, time, and money writing codes to solve real-life problems. Also, they hire staff, design websites, pay support staff, create documentation, and a lot more.

Not only do developers lose money each time you go for a nulled theme or plugin. They could get discouraged too.

Final Thoughts – Nulled WordPress Themes

To sum up, the negative effect of a nulled WordPress theme on your WordPress website far outweighs its benefits. Nulled themes affect your site’s SEO and security and discourages innovation.

You stand to gain a lot more when you get a real theme or plugin rather than a nulled version.

If you cannot afford a premium theme or plugin, then opt for a free alternative. This is because many free WordPress themes and plugins are enough to meet your needs. So we have compiled a list of the top ten (10) free WP themes for a beautiful looking site.

But if you need a WooCommerce theme, check out our list of fastest WooCommerce themes. They are also mobile responsive WordPress themes. So feel free to analyze each one before making a choice.

The next step after making a choice is to install and configure it. Don’t know how to go about that? Then read our article on how to install and configure a free responsive WP theme. Also, please visit our WP college for other free WordPress tutorials.

For more WordPress Themes help check our support pages for Enfold, Avada, and Divi Themes.

Have you ever used a nulled theme or plugin on your WordPress blog/site? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below.