8 CodeCanyon Alternatives for Plugins, Scripts and App Code

By Manob Editorial · October 14, 2026

The right CodeCanyon alternative depends on what you need. For free WordPress plugins, start with the WordPress.org directory. For many plugins on one budget, Envato Elements includes them in a subscription. To sell code, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy and Polar let you sell direct, which matters now that Envato isn't accepting new code authors.

CodeCanyon today: the baseline

Here is what CodeCanyon offers as of October 2026, from Envato's own pages:

• Catalog: "over 38,700 plugins, code & scripts", grouped into Mobile, HTML5, WordPress, PHP Scripts, JavaScript, Plugins, CSS, .NET, Apps and Skins (CodeCanyon).
• Licenses: a Regular License when your end product is free to its users, an Extended License when they pay. Both cover one end product. For code, Envato spells out what that means: "A plugin can be added to one website", and using it on more sites needs a license per site (Envato help).
• Support: supported items include 6 months of author support from the purchase date, which you can extend at checkout to a maximum of 12 months (item support). Six more months cost 37.5% of the item price at purchase, 62.5% before your support expires and 87.5% after (extension pricing).
• Refunds: assessed case by case, based on the item's digital nature and the preview available before purchase (refund page).
• For authors: a 50% author fee on the item price, with a buyer fee added on top of it (earnings guide).

The biggest change is on the seller side. Envato says "Envato Market: new author accounts can't be created at this time," and that it is "not inviting authors into Theme, Code, Photo, Audio, or Graphics" (applications paused). Existing authors keep selling. If you wrote a plugin this year and planned to launch it on CodeCanyon, you need somewhere else.

CodeCanyon alternatives at a glance

As of October 2026, from each platform's own pages. The list mixes places to buy code and places to sell it, because CodeCanyon did both.

The 8 alternatives, one by one

1. WordPress.org: best for free WordPress plugins

Before you buy a WordPress plugin anywhere, search the official plugin directory, which calls itself "the largest directory of free and open source WordPress plugins." Contact forms, SEO, caching, backups and sliders all have free options there, and you can install them from your dashboard in a minute. It won't replace CodeCanyon's PHP scripts or mobile app source code, because it only lists WordPress plugins.

2. Envato Elements: best if you need many plugins and templates

Elements is Envato's subscription, now sold as "Envato subscription." Its plans guide lists unlimited downloads from 29+ million assets from $16.50 a month, and its WordPress category covers "Themes, plugins and template kits." The same guide's category list has web templates and CMS themes, but nothing for PHP scripts or mobile app code. So it covers the WordPress half of CodeCanyon, not the rest.

The license works per project. Each download creates a license for one end product, and the Elements License says it's only valid "if you complete the End Product while your subscription is active." Finished projects stay licensed after you cancel. Unfinished ones don't.

3. The developer's own store: best for one commercial plugin

Many well-known plugins are sold directly by the company that builds them. Buying there means updates and support come straight from the people who write the code, with no marketplace in between. The trade-off is that every store sets its own terms: how many sites a license covers, how long updates last, and what a renewal costs. Read those before you compare prices with CodeCanyon's one-license-per-site rule.

4. Open-source code on GitHub: best for scripts you can maintain

A lot of what CodeCanyon sells as PHP or JavaScript scripts (booking forms, image galleries, admin panels) also exists as open-source projects. They usually cost nothing, but nobody owes you support, and each project has its own license file. MIT and GPL projects carry different obligations if you redistribute the code. This route suits a developer who can read and patch the code, not a site owner who wants a working install today.

5. Gumroad: best for selling code with no monthly fee

Gumroad charges 10% plus $0.50 per sale through your profile or direct links, 30% when a buyer finds you through its Discover marketplace, and "no monthly charges." Since January 1, 2025, it acts as merchant of record and says it handles all your tax obligations, including VAT and GST. That makes it the simplest replacement for a CodeCanyon listing if you already have an audience, such as a blog, a newsletter or a GitHub following. Our Gumroad alternatives guide compares it with Payhip, Sellfy and others.

6. Lemon Squeezy: best for small software companies

Lemon Squeezy charges 5% plus 50¢ per transaction with no monthly fee, notes that "some payments may be subject to additional fees" (including some transactions outside the US), and acts as your merchant of record for sales tax. Its footer now reads "Link, LLC f/k/a Lemon Squeezy LLC" with a Stripe badge. Its April 2026 update says the goal is to give users an easy way to migrate to Stripe Managed Payments, without a date. Its sign-up buttons are still live, but expect changes.

7. Polar: best for license keys and private repository access

Polar is a merchant of record aimed at developers. Its fee page lists 5% plus 50¢ per transaction on the free Starter plan, or 3.8% plus 40¢ on the $20-a-month Pro plan. Non-US cards add 1.5%, and each dispute costs $15. What makes it a CodeCanyon replacement is its automated benefits: license keys, file downloads up to 10GB, and automatic invites to a private GitHub repository. You can sell a plugin with a key or sell access to the source itself.

If you sell WordPress plugins specifically, Freemius is built for that job. Its pricing page blocked our automated check today, so compare its current rates on its own site.

8. Manob (our own marketplace): best when a template plus a custom feature beats a script

Manob is our own platform, so weigh this entry accordingly. It isn't a script marketplace. Of its 641 products (October 2026), 260 are WordPress themes, 325 HTML templates, 24 Figma, PSD or XD design files, 18 React or Next.js templates and 6 Shopify themes. Every item can be previewed before you buy and is manually reviewed before approval, and each comes with 6 months of seller support.

The reason it's on this list is the AI workspace. Instead of buying a script for one feature, you can describe the feature to the AI chat and agentic code editor, test it in a cloud sandbox with live preview, and deploy it. The free Starter plan includes 1,000 AI Energy a month. Builder, at $12 a month, adds full-stack builds with API, database and auth, plus a custom domain. The catch: code you generate is yours to maintain, and there's no author to ask when it breaks.

For sellers, Manob charges 35% commission on products, licensing is non-exclusive, and you can sell freelance services from the same account. See becoming a seller.

Which CodeCanyon alternative pays sellers the most?

On a $50 sale, before taxes and payment-processing costs, as of October 2026:

• Lemon Squeezy: $47.00 (5% plus 50¢)
• Polar, Starter plan: $47.00 with a US card, $46.25 with a non-US card
• Gumroad: $44.50 on a direct sale, $35.00 when the buyer comes through Discover
• Manob (ours): $32.50 (35% commission)
• CodeCanyon: $25.00 (50% author fee), for existing authors only

Selling direct keeps the most, but you bring every buyer yourself. A marketplace's cut pays for an audience you don't have to find. Most indie code sellers end up doing both, and non-exclusive marketplaces make that possible. The same math for template sellers is in our ThemeForest alternatives guide.

What to check before you buy code anywhere

1. How many sites the license covers. On Envato it's one per site. A staging copy also needs a license, though Envato says a subdomain of your live site "might let you avoid purchasing an additional license" (test sites).
2. Whether your users will pay. If they pay to use the product, you need an Extended License on Envato. Our Regular vs Extended License guide works through the common cases.
3. Which parts are GPL. Envato sells WordPress themes and plugins under a split license: the PHP code and integrated HTML are GPL, while CSS, images and design fall under Envato's license.
4. Who ships updates, and for how long. A plugin that stops getting updates will eventually break on a new PHP or WordPress version.
5. A working demo. Click through it before you pay, the same way you'd test a theme. Our customization guide shows what's easy to change afterward.

When to stay on CodeCanyon

• You need PHP scripts or app source code. Over 38,700 items include whole applications that subscriptions and plugin directories don't carry.
• You want a written support policy. Six months is included on supported items, and you can extend to 12 at checkout.
• You also buy themes. CodeCanyon and ThemeForest share one account, one cart and one license system.
• You're already an author. Envato says it will "continue to support and work with our existing pool of authors" in paused categories, and its audience is the reason many authors accept the 50% fee.

For the rest of Envato's marketplaces, including stock video and music, see our Envato alternatives roundup.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to CodeCanyon?

For free WordPress plugins, the WordPress.org directory. For many plugins on one subscription, Envato Elements. For selling your own code, Gumroad, Lemon Squeezy or Polar, depending on whether you need tax handling, license keys or repository access.

Is there a free alternative to CodeCanyon?

Yes. The WordPress.org plugin directory lists free, open-source WordPress plugins, and many scripts exist as open-source projects on GitHub. Neither comes with guaranteed support.

Does Envato Elements include CodeCanyon items?

It includes WordPress themes, plugins and template kits. Its catalog categories don't include PHP scripts or mobile app source code, so those stay on CodeCanyon.

Can I still become a CodeCanyon author?

Not right now. As of October 2026, Envato says new Market author accounts can't be created and it isn't inviting new authors into the Code category.

Do I need a new CodeCanyon license for each website?

Yes. Envato says a plugin license covers one website, so using it on more sites needs a license per site. A test site also needs a license, though a subdomain of your live site may be covered.