# Figma Community free vs paid plugin honesty: what you can claim in the listing

*Not legal, tax, or marketplace advice. Quotes and rules below come from Figma Help Center, Community license pages, and Developer Docs as of 2026-10-15. Eligibility, Stripe, and review practice evolve — re-open the linked pages before you change price or copy. This article does not link or endorse any of our products or any specific plugin.*

This article is not about where money is collected or a pre-submit checklist. Here the only job is: **honest free / paid / freemium language** that matches Community licenses, selling policies, and review guidelines.

## 1) Lead answer

1.  **“Free” on Community is a license statement, not “public domain.”** By default, free plugins ship under the [Community Free Resource License](https://www.figma.com/legal/community-free-resource-license/) ([copyright & licensing](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042296374-Figma-Community-copyright-and-licensing)): users may run the plugin in files for any purpose; they may **not** resell or redistribute the plugin. Creators may **supplement or replace** that default with their own terms — if you do, say so in the listing.
    
2.  **“Paid” on Community uses the** [**Community Paid Resource License**](https://www.figma.com/legal/community-paid-resource-license/) (creators may **supplement**, not wholesale replace, for plugins). Users may run the plugin for any purpose; they may **not** resell, redistribute, or copy it. Do not invent a custom commercial license that contradicts the Paid Resource License for Community checkout.
    
3.  **You cannot sell a file that was already published free.** For **plugins/widgets**, Help Center allows moving *some* functionality behind a paywall via the Payments API, **but the plugin/widget must still contain free features in addition to paid** ([About selling Community resources](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/12067637274519-About-selling-Community-resources)).
    
4.  **Once a plugin is published paid, it cannot later be converted to free** ([Publish classic plugins](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042293394-Publish-classic-plugins-to-the-Figma-Community)). Do not promise “we’ll make it free after launch” if you already shipped paid.
    
5.  **Listing must match reality** ([Plugin and widget review guidelines](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039958914-Plugin-and-widget-review-guidelines)): accurate description / screenshots; no hidden functionality; if third-party accounts or **additional payments** are required, that must be **clear in the description**. Monetizing via a third party is allowed; monetizing in “poor taste” can be rejected.
    
6.  **Custom trials need explicit listing copy** ([Requiring payment](https://developers.figma.com/docs/plugins/requiring-payment/)): if you customize free-trial experience (time- or usage-based), the description must clearly explain **what’s included** and **how long** (if time-based). Default subscription trial is **seven days** ([About selling](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/12067637274519-About-selling-Community-resources)); one-time paid plugins have **no** free trial by default.
    

## 2) Free vs paid — honesty table (creator claims)

| Claim in listing / social | Pass if… | Fail if… |
| --- | --- | --- |
| “Free plugin” | Listed free; default Free Resource License (or your stated replacement) matches what users get | Calling it free while checkout / Payments API blocks core value with no free features left |
| “Free forever” | You truly keep a free Community listing with usable free features | Soft-launch free then flip entire plugin paid (files: cannot sell after free publish; plugins: paid publish is one-way) |
| “Paid plugin — $X one-time” | Approved seller + Stripe; min **$2** USD whole number; price model fixed at publish ([Publish](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042293394-Publish-classic-plugins-to-the-Figma-Community)) | Advertising Community-native pay before you are an approved seller / Stripe active |
| “$X/mo subscription” | Same eligibility; sub model chosen at publish (**cannot change** one-time ↔ sub later); default **7-day** trial disclosed | Hiding that price can rise (max **once / 30 days**, max **+50%** per bump; users notified **16 days** ahead) ([About selling](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/12067637274519-About-selling-Community-resources)) |
| “Freemium — free + paid unlocks” | Free features remain after paywall; description names free vs paid | Paywalling everything after users remixed a “free” listing expectation; empty free shell |
| “Buy on Gumroad / our site” | Third-party payment path disclosed in description; review allows 3P monetization | Undisclosed extra payments; “Community free” while secretly requiring off-platform pay for basic use |
| “Commercial use OK” | Matches Free/Paid Resource License (run in files for any purpose) | Implying buyers may **resell/redistribute** the plugin itself (both licenses forbid that) |
| “Team license / seat sharing” | You only claim what Figma documents: paid resources are tied to the **purchasing account**; org-wide admin purchase **not** supported ([About selling](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/12067637274519-About-selling-Community-resources)) | “One purchase unlocks the whole org” |

## 3) Commercialization limits Community actually documents

From [About selling Community resources](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/12067637274519-About-selling-Community-resources) + [Publish classic plugins](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042293394-Publish-classic-plugins-to-the-Figma-Community):

| Rule | Honest implication |
| --- | --- |
| Min price **$2** USD, whole numbers | No “$1.99” Community-native price |
| Paid **files**: Figma notes it is **not approving new creators** to sell paid files “at this time” | Do not market “I’ll sell this file on Community next week” as if approval is guaranteed |
| Paid only from **individual** approved accounts (not team/org Community profiles) | Don’t promise org-profile paid listings |
| Designated payee = first publisher; **no split payouts** | Don’t advertise “co-founder 50/50 via Figma” |
| Cash-out **30 US business days** after sale; max **one cash-out per week** | Don’t promise same-week payout |
| One-time purchases: auto refund window **24h** (charged back to seller); **subscriptions not refundable** | Listing must not contradict Figma’s refund policy |
| Description must not contradict refund policy or licensing terms | Overpromising “lifetime money-back anytime” vs official 24h / sub rules is a fail |

## 4) Review-guideline language traps (honesty-focused)

From [Plugin and widget review guidelines](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039958914-Plugin-and-widget-review-guidelines):

1.  **Accurate descriptions** — operate as described; no surprise hidden functionality.
    
2.  **External connections clear** — third-party account **or additional payments / licensing** must be clear in the description.
    
3.  **Business / monetization** — directing users to a third party to monetize is allowed; “poor taste” monetization may be rejected (**poor taste** boundary is judgmental — exact examples beyond ads / recreating Figma paid AI are **Not verified**).
    
4.  **No ads** in plugin UI / files.
    
5.  **Do not recreate** core Figma / paid Figma capabilities (including certain AI / MCP overlaps listed in the guidelines).
    
6.  Support contact is your responsibility — claim a real channel you will answer (selling terms also expect customer email response within **three business days**).
    

## 5) Payments API / trial honesty checklist

| Check | Pass if… | Fail if… |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Default sub trial | Listing says **7-day** free trial (unless you customized) | “No trial” on a subscription plugin without documenting a custom path |
| Custom time / usage trial | Description states inclusions + duration / quota ([Requiring payment](https://developers.figma.com/docs/plugins/requiring-payment/)) | Trial length only in Discord, not on the Community page |
| Freemium after free publish | Free features remain ([About selling](https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/12067637274519-About-selling-Community-resources)) | “Still free” badge while every useful action opens checkout |
| `payments` permission | Manifest includes `"permissions": ["payments"]` when using the API | Marketing paid features that crash because permission missing (dev error to end users = review fail) |
| Interstitial honesty | Use `PAID_FEATURE` / `TRIAL_ENDED` appropriately | Skipping interstitial without your own clear upgrade CTA when users hit the wall |

## 6) What this article deliberately skips

*   Figma-native vs Gumroad/third-party **rail choice** and fee comparison tables → a separate guide.
    
*   Manifest icons, cover sizes, networkAccess labels, desktop/2FA submit prep → a separate guide.
    
*   Country payout eligibility deep lists / W-8BEN fill → a separate guide / tax pieces (do not reopen a separate guide wording here).
    
*   Step-by-step Stripe onboarding screenshots → not here; not published.
    

## 7) Not verified

1.  Exact internal definition of monetization “in poor taste” beyond the written ads / core-capability / AI overlap rules.
    
2.  Whether any grandfathered exceptions exist for converting paid → free (docs say cannot).
    
3.  Live length of “not approving new creators to sell paid **files**” freeze (stated on Help page at archive time; plugins/widgets still documented as sellable for eligible creators).
    
4.  Exact intermediary bank fee when cashing out via Stripe (not specified as a fixed USD range on these pages).
    

## Sources (archived)

*   https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/12067637274519-About-selling-Community-resources
    
*   https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039958914-Plugin-and-widget-review-guidelines
    
*   https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042296374-Figma-Community-copyright-and-licensing
    
*   https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042293394-Publish-classic-plugins-to-the-Figma-Community
    
*   https://www.figma.com/legal/community-free-resource-license/
    
*   https://www.figma.com/legal/community-paid-resource-license/
    
*   https://developers.figma.com/docs/plugins/requiring-payment/