After all, why pay for a premium theme when you can get one for free? Pirated versions of premium WordPress themes are already available through file-sharing sites.

You may have even already found a torrent or file-sharing website where you can download Jupiter for free. But before you continue, press pause on that and hear me out! There are actually a lot of reasons why pirating premium WordPress themes is a terrible idea.

In this article, we will explain some of the disadvantages and consequences of downloading premium WordPress themes for free. You never know what you are getting with a pirated theme. A great premium WordPress theme is not just a beautiful website layout and design — it’s composed of codes that make the theme functional and safe.

Website Security Risk 

Premium theme developers always work extra hard at security, so premium WordPress themes are generally safe, especially when kept updated. Pirated WordPress themes, however, pose security threats.

• Pirated WordPress themes can include malicious code
• Pirated WordPress themes are never up-to-date versions.
• Pirated WordPress themes cannot be updated.

A pirated WordPress theme opens the door for hackers to access your site remotely as it contains malicious code.

Most users won’t be able to find that code because it’s strategically placed in the midst of all the functionality codes. Since the theme seemingly works the way it should, most users wouldn’t even know to look for it.

SEO rankings 

Pirated WordPress themes are terrible for SEO. They include spam links, typically in the website’s footer, which will damage your site rankings. If you have spam links on your site, your search engine rankings will drop.

No Updates

Premium theme developers constantly update the theme to address important functional, compatibility and security issues. If you are using a pirated theme, you don’t get these automatic updates.

If WordPress updates their system, your theme may or may not work properly after the WordPress update. Obviously, that’s another risk you shouldn’t be taking.

No Customer Support

Access to the theme’s professional support team is a huge part of the value that comes with purchasing a premium WordPress theme. If you face any problem with theme installation or have any technical theme issues, you can always contact the support team and get your issues resolved at no extra cost.

This is something you’ll will miss out on if you are using a pirated theme. If you face any technical problem or need any customization in the theme, no one will be there to help you.

No Website Templates

Many of the popular premium WordPress themes come with hundreds of pre-built website templates for you to use. Within a premium theme, these are usually just a few clicks away from being installed on your website and are ready for your customization.

A pirated premium theme doesn’t have these templates included, which is a huge part of a premium theme.

It’s Illegal

WordPress themes fall under a GPL license, and the license only covers the code part of the theme. It enables you to copy, modify, distribute, and resell the code as you like.

However, the theme covers the trademark rights of the developer which enables the owner and creator of the theme to stop you from reselling it. The theme company can take legal action against you. Genuine web hosts do not support pirated content. It’s stealing and it’s morally wrong.

Bottom Line

WordPress themes are very time-consuming, skill-intensive to make, and developers rightly charge a price for their hard work and creativity.

Customers get huge value from having an easy-to-use and quick-to-install website design. You also get significant value from the customer support, tutorials, documentation, and updates provided after your purchase. Together, these make Premium WordPress themes a very good website design solution.

Pirated WordPress themes offer just the basic theme package or website design without the theme features and templates included. When you download a pirated WordPress theme for free, you’re opening yourself and your business to countless risks and threats such as malicious codes, hacking, and the like.

Furthermore, pirating premium themes also relinquishes your access to customer support, future theme updates, and templates. That’s not to mention the SEO issues and spam links you’ll encounter. It’s a terrible idea to download premium WordPress themes free — that’s piracy.

Your website is your bread and butter. You don’t want your business asset to become a liability, so avoid downloading premium WordPress themes from file sharing sites. Make sure to get your premium WordPress theme from legitimate software markets, such as Envato, or the main website of the theme provider.