Freemius: Growing Beyond WordPress

In this episode of the WP Minute+ Podcast, Matt welcomes Vova Feldman, the founder and CEO of Freemius, to discuss how the company is expanding beyond its roots in the WordPress ecosystem. Vova shares how Freemius has evolved over the past few years, from supporting WordPress plugin and theme developers to rebranding as a full-service sales and monetization platform for all software makers, including SaaS and apps. The shift is driven by a desire to simplify the sales process and empower developers with a complete solution that includes licensing, billing, marketing automation, and merchant-of-record services.

Vova dives into the value Freemius provides not just technically, but strategically, guiding makers through crucial business stages like pricing, packaging, and growth. He explains how AI and the rise of low-code tools empower a new wave of non-technical founders. He describes how Freemius is positioning itself to support these entrepreneurs with the infrastructure they need to go to market quickly. Vova also discusses the ongoing challenge of educating users about the benefits of a merchant of record model and how Freemius plans to integrate AI to offer smarter insights and automate decision-making for software businesses.

Key Takeaways:

• Freemius has expanded from WordPress into the broader SaaS and software ecosystem.
• The platform offers end-to-end infrastructure for software sales, including licensing, marketing tools, and merchant-of-record services.
• Education and support are central to Freemius’ growth strategy, though they are working to scale it.
• Many WordPress developers hesitate due to pricing concerns, but the added features and services provide significant ROI.
• AI is accelerating software creation, and Freemius is preparing for a future where non-developers launch apps with the help of no-code tools and AI.
• Freemius plans to enhance its data analytics and reporting through AI to deliver business insights directly within the platform.

Important Links:

• The WP Minute+ Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribe
• Freemius : https://freemius.com/
• Plugin.fm Podcast: https://plugin.fm/