Free vs Pro Comparison
Product Roadmap offers a robust free version with optional Pro addon for advanced features. This guide helps you decide which is right for your needs.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited roadmap items | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom statuses | ✓ | ✓ |
| User voting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Comments & discussions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Categories & tags | ✓ | ✓ |
| Shortcode display | ✓ | ✓ |
| Changelog feature | ✓ | ✓ |
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Kanban, List, Grid templates | ✓ | ✓ |
| Idea Box template | ✓ | ✓ |
| Single item pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Analytics Dashboard | — | ✓ |
| Multi-Product Support | — | ✓ |
| Timeline View (Gantt) | — | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop | — | ✓ |
| CSV Import/Export | — | ✓ |
| Advanced Filtering | — | ✓ |
| Dependencies | — | ✓ |
| Gutenberg Block | — | ✓ |
| Webhooks & Integrations | — | ✓ |
| Custom Fields | — | ✓ |
| Merge Duplicates | — | ✓ |
| Feedback Widget | — | ✓ |
| Email Templates | — | ✓ |
| Vote Milestone Alerts | — | ✓ |
| Activity Digest Email | — | ✓ |
| User Profiles & Activity | — | ✓ |
| Priority Support | — | ✓ |
Who Should Use Free?
The free version is perfect if you:
- Have a single product to manage
- Need basic voting and feedback collection
- Want a simple public roadmap display
- Are starting out and testing the concept
- Have a small team with basic needs
Free Version Includes
Content Management
- Unlimited roadmap items
- Customizable status workflow
- Priority levels (Low, Medium, High, Critical)
- Progress tracking (0-100%)
- Categories and tags for organization
User Engagement
- Voting for logged-in users or guests
- Comments on roadmap items
- Feature suggestion form
- Vote count display
Display Options
- Kanban board template
- List view template
- Grid view template
- Idea Box template for feedback
- Shortcode with filtering options
- Single item pages
Developer Features
- REST API for integrations
- Hooks and filters for customization
- Clean, documented code
Who Should Upgrade to Pro?
Upgrade to Pro if you:
- Manage multiple products or projects
- Need to track engagement with analytics
- Want visual planning with timeline view
- Have a high-volume roadmap needing bulk import
- Require drag & drop for easy management
- Want a Gutenberg block for visual editing
- Need priority support for your business
Pro Features in Detail
Analytics Dashboard
What it does: Track votes, engagement, and trends over time.
Why you need it:
- See which features users want most
- Track voting patterns and spikes
- Make data-driven prioritization decisions
- Export reports for stakeholders
Includes:
- Vote trends chart
- Popular items ranking
- Activity feed
- CSV export
- Per-product analytics
Multi-Product Support
What it does: Manage separate roadmaps for different products.
Why you need it:
- Each product deserves its own roadmap
- Keep admin views organized
- Track analytics per product
- Show relevant content to each audience
Includes:
- Unlimited products
- Product taxonomy management
- Shortcode filtering by product
- Product-specific changelogs
- Per-product analytics
Learn more about Multi-Product →
Timeline View (Gantt Chart)
What it does: Visual timeline showing items across time.
Why you need it:
- Plan releases visually
- See overlapping work
- Communicate timelines to stakeholders
- Track dependencies across items
Includes:
- Interactive Gantt chart
- 5 view modes (Day/Week/Month/Quarter/Year)
- Progress bars
- Assignee avatars
- Date navigation
- Dependency lines
Drag & Drop Management
What it does: Move items between statuses by dragging.
Why you need it:
- Faster status updates
- Visual workflow management
- Intuitive for team members
- Works on frontend roadmap
Includes:
- Drag between status columns
- Auto-save on drop
- Permission controls
- Smooth animations
- Mobile touch support
Learn more about Drag & Drop →
CSV Import & Export
What it does: Bulk manage items with spreadsheets.
Why you need it:
- Migrate from other tools
- Bulk add items quickly
- Backup your data
- Share with stakeholders
Includes:
- Export filtered data to CSV
- Import items from CSV
- Sample template download
- Update existing items
- UTF-8 encoding support
Learn more about Import/Export →
Advanced Filtering
What it does: Filter roadmap items by metadata beyond status and category.
Why you need it:
- Show exactly what’s relevant
- Create focused views
- Build custom dashboard pages
Additional filter parameters (via REST API or shortcode):
| Parameter | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
priority | priority=high | Filter by priority level (critical, high, medium, low) |
assignee | assignee=42 | Show items assigned to a specific user ID |
min<em>progress / max</em>progress | min<em>progress=50&max</em>progress=100 | Filter by progress percentage range |
date<em>from / date</em>to | date<em>from=2026-01-01&date</em>to=2026-03-31 | Filter by target date range |
has_dependencies | has_dependencies=1 | Show only items with or without dependencies |
Filter presets — Save named filter combinations for quick reuse via the REST API. Presets are per-user and stored in a dedicated database table.
Gutenberg Block
What it does: Visual roadmap builder in WordPress editor.
Why you need it:
- No shortcode syntax to remember
- Live preview while editing
- All options in a friendly panel
- Works with block themes
Webhooks & Integrations
What it does: Send real-time HTTP notifications when roadmap events occur.
Why you need it:
- Connect to Slack, Zapier, or custom services
- Automate workflows on status changes or new votes
- Build real-time dashboards without polling
Includes:
- 5 event types (status change, vote, comment, suggestion, guest suggestion)
- HMAC-SHA256 signature verification
- Delivery logs (last 100 entries)
- Test endpoint for debugging
Custom Fields
What it does: Add structured metadata to roadmap items.
Why you need it:
- Track effort estimates, deadlines, or team assignments
- Link to external tools (JIRA, Figma, GitHub)
- Capture data specific to your workflow
Includes:
- 6 field types (text, textarea, select, number, date, url)
- Admin meta box on item edit screen
- Fields included in REST API responses
- Configurable via REST API
Learn more about Custom Fields →
Merge Duplicates
What it does: Combine duplicate roadmap items into one.
Why you need it:
- Consolidate split votes into accurate counts
- Keep your roadmap clean
- Preserve all user engagement
Includes:
- Vote transfer with deduplication
- Comment reassignment
- Merge history tracking
- REST API endpoint
Learn more about Merge Duplicates →
Feedback Widget
What it does: Floating button that lets visitors submit suggestions from any page.
Why you need it:
- Capture feedback without leaving the current page
- Lower the barrier for user suggestions
- Configurable display rules and styling
Includes:
- Customizable button text, color, and position
- Guest submission support
- Display rules (homepage, posts, pages, or all)
- Slide-out panel UI
Learn more about Feedback Widget →
Email Templates & Notifications
What it does: Customize email content and get automated alerts.
Why you need it:
- Brand your notification emails
- Get alerted when items hit vote milestones
- Receive daily or weekly activity digests
Includes:
- 4 customizable email templates with token replacement
- Vote milestone alerts (10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500)
- Daily or weekly activity digest
- Per-event token system
Learn more about Email & Notifications →
User Profiles & Activity
What it does: Display user activity cards with votes, submissions, and stats.
Why you need it:
- Show users their contribution history
- Build community leaderboards
- Track top contributors
Includes:
[roadmap<em>user</em>profile]shortcode- REST API for user activity and top contributors
- Avatar, stats, recent votes, and submissions
Learn more about User Profiles →
Priority Support
What it does: Direct email support with faster response.
Why you need it:
- Get help within 24 hours
- Direct access to developers
- Business-critical support
- Skip the forum queue
Feature Comparison by Use Case
Small Blog or Personal Project
| Need | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Basic roadmap | ✓ Perfect | Overkill |
| User voting | ✓ Included | — |
| Simple display | ✓ Included | — |
Recommendation: Free version
Single SaaS Product
| Need | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Public roadmap | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| User voting | ✓ Included | ✓ Included |
| Analytics | — | ✓ Track engagement |
| Timeline planning | — | ✓ Visual planning |
Recommendation: Start free, upgrade when you need analytics
Multiple Products or Apps
| Need | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Separate roadmaps | ✗ Manual workaround | ✓ Built-in |
| Per-product analytics | ✗ Not available | ✓ Included |
| Product changelogs | ✗ Not available | ✓ Included |
Recommendation: Pro is essential for multi-product
Agency or Freelancer
| Need | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Client roadmaps | Possible but messy | ✓ Per-client products |
| Bulk operations | Manual only | ✓ CSV import |
| Client reports | Export manually | ✓ Analytics export |
Recommendation: Pro saves significant time
Enterprise or Large Team
| Need | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Visual planning | Basic | ✓ Timeline view |
| Workflow management | Manual | ✓ Drag & drop |
| Data management | Limited | ✓ Import/Export |
| Support | Forum | ✓ Priority email |
Recommendation: Pro is recommended
Pricing
Free Version
- Cost: $0
- Includes: All core features
- Support: WordPress.org forums
- Updates: Via WordPress.org
Pro Addon
- Cost: Check current pricing at purchase link
- Includes: All Pro features
- Support: Priority email (24hr response)
- Updates: Automatic with license
- License: Per-site annual
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start with Free and upgrade later?
Yes. The Pro addon works alongside the free plugin. All your existing items, votes, and settings are preserved when you add Pro.
Do I need Free if I buy Pro?
Yes. Pro is an addon that requires the free plugin. Install both:
- Install Product Roadmap (free)
- Install Product Roadmap Pro (addon)
- Activate your Pro license
What happens if my Pro license expires?
- Pro features stop working
- Your data remains intact
- Free features continue working
- Renew anytime to restore Pro
Is there a trial?
No formal trial, but:
- Free version lets you test core functionality
- You can evaluate if the concept works for you
- Pro is available if you need advanced features
Can I get a refund?
Check the refund policy at time of purchase. Most licensing issues can be resolved with support.
Ready to Upgrade?
If you need analytics, multi-product support, timeline view, or any Pro feature:
What you’ll get:
- Instant access to all Pro features
- Priority email support
- Automatic updates
- Full documentation
- 14-day money-back guarantee (check current terms)
Still Have Questions?
About the free version: WordPress.org Support Forum
About Pro features: Contact Support