The free edition can import demos too. The process is the same one paid users get; what differs is which demos appear in the list. No license is involved at any point.
#What you need first
Install the theme from WordPress.org
The free edition comes from the WordPress.org theme directory.
Install the companion plugin
From PluginsAdd New, search for JKD Theme Companion and activate it. This plugin is what brings the import module to a free install.
Open the theme dashboard
The theme menu appears in the WordPress sidebar once both are active. Go to Demo Import.
#Running it
Choose a free demo, choose the data types you want, and start the import. That is the whole difference from the paid route: a shorter list, the same screen and the same behavior.
The preparation checks apply here in full. A free import fails on a low max_execution_time exactly the way a paid one does.
#What free demos are
They are the demos that render without Pro features. Complete sites, not previews with pieces missing.
Demos built on Pro functionality stay behind the Pro plugin, and the list marks which is which, so nothing here promises something you cannot install.
A demo marked premium needs the Pro plugin and an active licence.
No amount of reinstalling changes that, because the package itself is served against a licence rather than hidden behind a setting.
#Common questions
Do I need an account to import a free demo?
No account, no key and no activation, which is also why nothing on this route can fail for licensing reasons.
Why is the demo list short?
You are seeing the demos that work without Pro, and the full catalog opens with an active licence rather than with a different plugin.
Can I import a free demo now and buy Pro later?
Yes, install the Pro plugin on top afterwards and your imported site keeps working exactly as it is while the premium features become available.
The Demo Import page is missing
The companion plugin is either not installed or not activated, since the free edition has no import screen without it.
The import fails partway
Everything on the preparation and troubleshooting pages applies to free imports identically, so start with the server limits, because that is where most interrupted imports come from regardless of which edition is running.
#Still stuck
Open a support ticket with the demo name and where the run stopped.
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