A jkdevstudio theme reaches you through one of three channels: the jkdevstudio store, ThemeForest, or the WordPress.org theme directory. The theme files are the same. What differs is what comes with them, and how you get the next version.
#The three channels
| jkdevstudio store | ThemeForest | WordPress.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edition | Pro | Pro | free |
| Payment | one purchase, several license options | one purchase per item license | none |
| Updates | automatic, inside your admin | manual: download and reinstall | automatic through WordPress |
| Support | included with an active license | included for the Envato support window | community forum |
| Where the file lives | your jkdevstudio account | your Envato downloads | installed from your own admin |
Buying direct is usually the better deal, and it is the one we recommend.
It carries more purchase options than a marketplace listing can, and it is the only channel with automatic updates inside your admin.
#Which one you want
- You want the full theme with automatic updates
Buy from the jkdevstudio store. This is the primary channel and the one that gets new purchase options first.
- You already buy everything on Envato
Buy on ThemeForest. The theme is identical. The license and support terms come from Envato rather than from us, and updates are installed by hand.
- You want to try the theme before spending anything
Install the free edition from the WordPress.org theme directory, if the product has one. Not every jkdevstudio product ships a free edition.
#What a "theme license" is actually for
The theme files themselves are GPL licensed, which is a requirement for anything built on WordPress. That is worth understanding, because it explains what you are paying for.
You are not buying permission to use the code. You are buying a license key, and that key is what unlocks two services: updates delivered to your site, and support from the people who wrote the theme. That is why a theme downloaded from a pirate site can be installed and still be worthless: the files run, and nothing behind them does.
This is how nearly every commercial WordPress theme works, on any marketplace.
#After you have bought
Buying gets you a zip file and a license key. Two things still have to happen before the theme is doing anything for you:
Install the theme
Upload the zip through AppearanceThemesAdd New and activate it. The zip you upload matters: some marketplaces hand you a package containing the theme, the documentation and the license files together, and WordPress will reject that package.
Activate your license
Open the theme menu in the WordPress sidebar and activate on the License screen. Until that is done, the site has no way to check anything.
#Common questions
Can I use one purchase on more than one site?
That depends on the licence you bought rather than on the theme: marketplace item licences are one production site per purchase, while the jkdevstudio store offers several options, so check what the purchase block shows on the day you order.
Why are automatic updates only on the direct channel?
The marketplace fee on each sale does not cover the cost of running update infrastructure, and Envato buyers still get every version, downloaded from their Envato account and installed as a zip.
Is the free edition a trial that expires?
No, a free edition in the WordPress.org directory is a real theme with a smaller feature set and nothing in it switches off after a period of time.
Do I lose my site if I stop renewing?
No, the theme keeps running exactly as it is, and what stops is the delivery of new versions and access to support, which is what the licence pays for.
I cannot find my download
Look in the account of whichever channel you bought from, meaning your jkdevstudio account or your Envato downloads, and if the purchase appears in neither then open a ticket with the email address you paid with and the approximate date.
#Still stuck
Open a support ticket with the channel you bought from and the email address on the order.
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