Free vs Pro: What's Included
title: Free vs Pro: What's Included description: A complete breakdown of what Protuno Free includes and what requires Protuno Pro, so you know exactly what you are getting at each tier.
Protuno ships in two tiers: a free plugin available on WordPress.org, and a Pro plugin that extends the free version with advanced features. Both can be active at the same time, Pro does not replace Free, it builds on top of it.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Proton widget | Yes | Yes |
| Simple Mode (slots, layer editor) | Yes | Yes |
| HTML code editor (Developer Mode) | Yes | Yes |
| CSS auto-scoping | Yes | Yes |
| Widget / Page / Site code scope | Yes | Yes |
| External dependency deduplication | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic data (Post Title, Content, URL, Featured Image) | Yes | Yes |
| Twig template engine | Yes | Yes |
Loops (get_posts — posts and custom post types) | Yes | Yes |
| Basic form capture (data-atom-form) | Yes | Yes |
| Form Submissions dashboard | Yes | Yes |
| Theme Builder (Header, Footer, Single, 404) | Yes | Yes |
| Global Style (CSS variables, typography classes, component classes) | 2 collections, 1 typography class, 1 component class | Unlimited |
| In-editor AI chat (Edit With AI) | — | Yes |
| Custom CSS / JS editor panel | — | Yes |
| Dynamic data (Post Excerpt, Date, Custom Fields, Author, Categories) | — | Yes |
| Dynamic data (Site, User, Term, Request providers) | — | Yes |
| Loops (Products, Terms, Users, External JSON API) | — | Yes |
| Loop pagination | — | Yes |
| Theme Builder (Archive, Search, WooCommerce) | — | Yes |
| Global Style Elementor Sync | — | Yes |
| Dynamic tags (WooCommerce, ACF, JetEngine) | — | Yes |
| MCP integration (connect AI clients) | — | Yes |
| Role Manager | — | Yes |
| White Label | — | Yes |
What The Free Version Gives You
The free version of Protuno is a complete development tool. You get:
- The full Proton widget with two editing modes: Simple Mode (visual layer editor) and the HTML code editor
- Up to 60 editable slots per widget
- CSS auto-scoping so your widget styles never leak to the rest of the page
- Code at widget, page, and site scope
- The Twig template engine with dynamic post data: Post Title, Post Content, Post URL, and Post Featured Image
- Elementor dynamic tags for post title, content, URL, and featured image (Site, User, Term, and Archive tags require Pro)
- Loop over posts and custom post types with
get_posts - Form capture with database storage, email notifications, and webhooks
- The Form Submissions dashboard with read/unread tracking and CSV export
- Theme Builder for Header, Footer, Single Post/Page, and 404 Page templates
- Global Style Manager with up to 2 variable collections, 1 typography class, and 1 component class
This is enough to build fully custom, code-based sections and a complete themed site on any WordPress site using Elementor.
What Pro Adds
AI Chat (Edit With AI): The in-editor AI chat is a Pro feature. Describe any section in plain English inside the Elementor editor and the AI writes the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript directly into the Proton widget. Pro also includes the Agent Bridge connect flow, model selection, conversation history, and the Draw to Ask AI hand-off.
Custom CSS / JS editor panel: The dedicated panel for adding custom CSS and JavaScript to a Proton widget requires Pro. CSS and JavaScript already stored in a widget continue to render in Free (so imported designs stay styled), but authoring new CSS/JS through the panel requires Pro.
Extended dynamic data: Free exposes only Post Title, Post Content, Post URL, and Post Featured Image. Pro unlocks the rest of the post provider (Excerpt, Date, Custom Fields, Author, Categories) and the full Site, User, Term, and Request providers. WooCommerce product fields (price, SKU, stock), ACF fields, and JetEngine fields also require Pro.
Additional loop sources: Free loops over posts only (get_posts). Pro adds get_products (WooCommerce), get_terms (categories and taxonomies), get_users, and get_api (external JSON). Loop pagination (loop_pagination() and loop_load_more()) also requires Pro.
Theme Builder (Archive, Search, WooCommerce): The Free version already includes header, footer, single post/page, and 404 templates. Pro unlocks archive and search templates (category, tag, author, date, search results) and WooCommerce product templates (single product page and product archive). Display conditions let you control exactly where each template applies.
Global Style (unlimited): Free allows up to 2 variable collections, 1 typography class, and 1 component class. Pro removes all limits. Pro also adds the Elementor Sync button, which pushes your Protuno design tokens directly into the Elementor kit so they appear in Elementor's native color and typography pickers.
Extended dynamic tags: 22 WooCommerce product tags, 4 ACF tags, and 3 JetEngine tags. If you build WooCommerce stores or use ACF or JetEngine for custom fields, Pro unlocks these integrations.
MCP integration: Connect Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible AI client to your WordPress site. Your AI agent can read page content, create pages, build sections, and push changes directly through natural language, without opening Elementor.
Role Manager: Set per-role access levels (None / Content / Full) and per-role feature toggles (Theme Builder, Global Style, AI chat). Essential for agencies who need content editors to update copy without breaking designs.
White Label: Replace all Protuno branding with your own product name, logo, and description. Deliver sites to clients without them knowing which tools you used.
How Pro Licensing Works
Protuno Pro is installed as a second plugin alongside the free plugin. After installation:
- Go to Protuno → Settings → License
- Enter your license key
- Click Activate
Pro features unlock immediately after license activation. If your license expires, Pro features deactivate but your existing widget content is preserved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start with Free and upgrade to Pro later? Yes. Install Free, build with it, and upgrade to Pro whenever you need the additional features. No content migration is required, Pro adds features on top of what you already built.
Does Pro replace the Free plugin? No. You install both. Pro runs alongside Free and extends it. Deactivating the Free plugin will break Pro.
Do I need Pro to use AI chat? Yes. The in-editor AI chat (Edit With AI) requires Protuno Pro. The free version includes the HTML code editor and Simple Mode for building and editing sections without AI. Pro adds the full AI chat tab plus the MCP integration for connecting external AI clients like Claude or Cursor.
What happens to my Theme Builder templates if I cancel Pro? Your templates remain in the database, but they will not be applied to your site while Pro is inactive. Reactivating Pro restores them immediately.