Many themes sold on ThemeForest come bundled with premium plugins from CodeCanyon.
A plugin is an additional component that offers functionality and features beyond a typical theme installation. Theme authors (who sell the themes) may choose to include certain plugins (such as Visual Composer, Revolution Slider or other page builder plugins) within their item to add these special functions and features to the theme package. You don’t need a separate license to use a bundled plug-in as part of the theme it was bundled with.
Bundled plugins offer the same base features and functionality as the standalone version of the item on CodeCanyon, but some advanced features may not be available.
Some plugins may ask for a purchase code for registration/activation once installed, however, you can simply ignore these messages as bundled plugins do not require activation or registration. The plugin will still work as intended with the theme once the theme has been activated/registered, although the full range of plugin features may not be available. Ask the theme author for more details.
When a plugin is updated, the theme author will include the latest version of the bundled plugin with their next theme update. So you can easily update the bundled plugin when you next update your theme.
Bundled plugins:
- can only be used under the same license as the theme they came with (they cannot be extracted or used with other themes);
- are supported by the seller of the theme (the theme author), under Item Support for the theme during your support period; and
- are updated when a new version of the theme is released
Generally, bundled plugins can provide added convenience and value to a theme purchase, saving you money and the time spent seeking out and purchasing the plugins on your own. However, if you think you might want to use the plugin in another theme or by itself, or you might benefit from receiving direct updates and developer support, it may be worthwhile purchasing the plugin separately.