When you buy GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress hosting, you also get a free Gravity Forms Starter license.
But what are you really getting?
What do you get from Gravity Forms with a GoDaddy starter license?
Just keep in mind, it’s called a “Starter” license for a reason.
A GoDaddy Starter License provides:
- Access to automatic updates and future releases of Gravity Forms (core plug-in)
- Access to the normal GoDaddy support and services you are entitled to
It does not provide access to:
- Official Gravity Forms add-ons
- Access to Gravity Forms official support
If you just need basic forms…
The Starter license is great if you just need to build basic forms for your website. It is the equivalent to Gravity Forms offering a free version of their plugin, which they don’t do.
Now I say “basic forms”, but that’s really not accurate! You can still build some complex integration with the Starter license.
While you won’t have access to any of the official add-ons, there is still a huge community of add-ons (free and paid) that you can use to extend the capabilities of any Gravity Forms license.
If you like FREE and want to build awesome forms with free solutions, have at it!
How do you get your license key?
When you setup your account with GoDaddy, the automated setup will also install the Gravity Forms plugin (usually only available from a Gravity Forms account), but the plugin will not be activated.
As of this writing, the license key will be automatically generated as soon as you activate the Gravity Forms plugin.
Do you really need a license key?
The short answer, No.
The purpose of the license key, as it relates to the GoDaddy Starter License, is to get you access to the core plugin updates. That’s it.
Upgrading your Starter License
You can upgrade your license directly from within your WordPress admin or buy one from Gravity Forms directly.
WordPress Admin Upgrade
I’d recommend using this option. You’ll appreciate the first year discount. 🙂
It should be pretty hard to miss the “upgrade button”, it’s … well … see for yourself.
And if that’s not easy enough for you, you can always scroll down to the bottom of the Settings page and select your preferred license option.
And I would suggest you go with the Elite license since you’re getting 50% off!
Your discount will be applied automatically once you are redirected to the Gravity Forms site to complete your purchase.
Buy Direct from Gravity Forms
This option is also simple. Just head over to GravityForms.com, select your license type and complete your purchase. You’ll have access to a new Gravity Forms account were you can access your license key.
Test drive Gravity Forms before you upgrade
If you want to test out any of the official Gravity Forms add-ons before you upgrade, no problem.
Gravity Forms offers a free demo sites. Spin one up any time, and test out all of the official add-ons, you can even install other plugins and make sure Gravity Forms will work for you!
Transferring Your License
If you are just using the free GoDaddy Starter license, you can not transfer that license or use it on another website. It will only be valid when your site is hosted with GoDaddy.
If you’ve upgraded your Starter License or purchased a new license from Gravity Forms directly, you can use that license on any website you’d like, regardless of where it’s hosted.
Pro Tip: When you decide to migrate your site away from GoDaddy, and if you plan to continue to use Gravity Forms, be smart, upgrade your license first, take advantage of the first year 50% off discount.
The Wrap Up
Gravity Forms is a brilliant form builder plugin, that is extremely powerful with a ton of community commitment.
As mentioned, aside from the “official add-ons”, there are several third party plugin developers that have built entire five to six figure businesses just bu building add-ons to extend Gravity Forms capabilities.
This is a short list of some of the add-on providers:
Is it worth hosting with GoDaddy just for the “free” Gravity Forms license?
That is a tough question for me to answer. I’m not a fan of GoDaddy, but I love Gravity Forms. If you really wanted Gravity Forms, but only have a GoDaddy budget, absolutely do it!
If you can afford Gravity Forms, then you can afford a better hosting provider like WP Engine.
