Freemius just got even more powerful! We’re constantly refining the platform to make software selling smoother, more flexible, and scalable for makers like you. This month’s updates bring more automation, expanded licensing options, and a fully responsive Developer Dashboard so you can work smarter, wherever you are.
From enhanced product-making flexibility to improved mobile accessibility, these upgrades streamline your workflow and unlock new possibilities for SaaS, applications, and beyond.
There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get rollin’:
A Fully Responsive Developer Dashboard: Built for Mobility
Designed for makers on the move, the new Freemius Developer Dashboard experience is fully responsive and works wherever you do — whether you’re fine-tuning settings at a café, checking sales between conference sessions, or stepping away from your desk for a quick coffee.
What’s new:
- Seamless adaptability: The dashboard now scales perfectly across all screen sizes
- Smarter navigation: Tables and menus are optimized for better mobile usability
- Full-screen modals: Forms and dialogs open in a cleaner, more intuitive layout
- Quick data access: Tapping on certain fields instantly copies their values for efficiency
- Complete mobile functionality: Everything you could do on desktop is now just as easy on your phone
- Speed boost: Subtle under-the-hood improvements have everything running faster and smoother
New Previous and Next buttons in the header
The above improvements pave the way for something even bigger…
The Early Steps Toward a Freemius App
Freemius, now at your fingertips! We’re introducing a lightweight, installable version of Freemius for mobile. While it’s not a full-fledged app (yet), this Progressive Web App (PWA) is a big first step in giving software makers a fast, seamless way to access Freemius on the go, with no desktop required.
We recently demoed it at WordCamp Asia, and the response was overwhelmingly positive! If adoption takes off, we’ll keep adding more and more mobile-first features.
Try it out and let us know what you think!
How to Install Freemius on Mobile and Desktop
📱 On Android
- Open the Freemius Developer Dashboard in Chrome
- Tap the Profile menu in the top right
- Click the Install App button
🍏 On iOS
- Open the Freemius Developer Dashboard in Safari
- Tap the Share button
- Scroll down and select Add to Home Screen
💻 On Desktop (Chrome)
- Open the Freemius Developer Dashboard
- Click the install icon in the address bar
Once installed, Freemius runs like a standalone app, making it easy to check sales, manage licenses, and track subscriptions from anywhere.
What’s Next for the Freemius App?
If adoption is strong, the next step is real-time push notifications to keep makers informed the moment something happens. Think:
- Instant alerts for new sales, subscriptions, and renewals
- A notification counter to track pending updates at a glance
For now, the app is installable via the browser only, but if usage grows, we’ll explore bringing it to the App Store and Google Play.
We’d love to hear how the new mobile experience is working for you. If you have feedback or suggestions, drop us a note.
New Product Type: Sell Applications with Freemius
Freemius now supports selling applications, such as desktop software, browser extensions, and any downloadable product that requires a license for activation.
This new product type is fully integrated into our licensing and monetization system, helping makers earn revenue from a wide range of applications, including:
- Desktop apps for Windows and macOS
- Browser extensions, such as Chrome or Firefox add-ons that require activation
- Electron apps, built with web technologies for cross-platform distribution
- CLI tools that rely on license keys
- Server software, including self-hosted applications that require activation
- Plugins for non-WordPress platforms, like Shopify apps or VS Code extensions
With this update, Freemius continues expanding beyond WordPress, reinforcing our commitment to supporting all software makers. Whether you’re building for the web, desktop, or beyond, Freemius is now the go-to platform for selling and licensing your applications globally.
Custom License Unit Labels: More Flexibility for SaaS & Applications
Freemius licensing has traditionally been based on site activations, which works well for WordPress plugins and themes. But software makers outside the WP ecosystem — those selling SaaS, desktop apps, or API-based services — need more flexibility.
With Custom License Unit Labels, makers can now define the unit that best fits their product, ensuring a clearer and more intuitive buying experience.
- No more being locked into “site activations.” Set a custom label in product settings to reflect how your licenses are sold
- Works for all software types, including SaaS, desktop apps, Chrome extensions, and more
- Seamlessly integrated across checkout, email receipts, and customer portals, so customers always see the correct unit when purchasing a bulk license
Example: A SaaS platform for teams like Asana might use “Seats” instead of site activations. An API-based service could display “API Calls” or “Credits” instead.
With this update, the choice is yours.
Important notes:
- For applications that require license activation, the custom unit label will always be included in emails
- For SaaS products, the label will only appear in emails if you choose to expose the license key to users
Incremental Updates: The Smart Way to Release Software
Users skip versions. They delay updates. They wait until a new feature or a security fix forces their hand.
But what happens when a skipped version contains critical code that must run before moving forward?
Without a way to enforce updates in sequence, a user might jump straight from version 1.2 to 1.6, skipping over crucial logic introduced in 1.4. If that missing step was essential — like a database migration or an API transition — the software could break.
Freemius’ new incremental updates system gives makers full control over the update path. By anchoring a version, makers can require users to install it before moving to the newest release, ensuring everything runs as intended.
- No more breakages from skipped updates. Critical scripts and logic execute in the right order
- Fewer support headaches. Updates happen smoothly without unexpected failures
- A first in the WordPress space. No other platform offers this level of update control
With a simple toggle, makers trigger a powerful safeguard that keeps software stable, structured, and secure as it evolves.
WP SDK 2.11: Composer Support
Composer is the modern standard for managing dependencies in PHP development, and Freemius fully supports it. For those migrating from manual integration to Composer, we’ve updated the SDK documentation with step-by-step instructions to make the transition seamless.
New Webhook: Get Notified When Affiliates Are Ready for Payouts
Affiliate payouts, now with real-time notifications. We’ve introduced a webhook event that fires automatically when an affiliate reaches the $100 payout threshold.
Previously, Freemius sent monthly email notifications listing affiliates who qualified for payouts. With this webhook, makers can fully automate the process, eliminating the need to manually track emails or process payments.
Once a month, as our system calculates pending affiliate payouts, it will trigger the affiliate.payout.pending webhook event for all affiliates eligible for a payout after crossing the $100 threshold.
Since PayPal account details are already available, payments can be triggered programmatically via PayPal’s API, reducing administrative overhead and ensuring affiliates receive their earnings without delays.
This is an important step toward full affiliate payout automation, which is already on our roadmap. We know this is a highly requested feature, and while it will take time to implement, we appreciate your patience and remain committed to making it happen.
For guidance on setting up and managing webhooks, check out the Events & Webhooks documentation.
Your Success is Our Mission, and the Future of Freemius is Shaped by You
Freemius is evolving alongside the makers who rely on it, and this update reflects our commitment to giving you the tools to scale efficiently. Whether you’re selling plugins, SaaS, or standalone applications, these improvements make licensing, updates, and automation more seamless than ever for all software makers.
Your feedback helps shape Freemius, and we’re always listening. If you have thoughts, ideas, or questions, reach out — we’d love to hear from you!
