How WPGetAPI’s Freemium Plugin Ramped Up to a Six-Figure Exit

WPGetAPI didn’t start as a grand vision. Back in 2021, Brant had been freelancing for years, juggling freelance work with a full-time job. Most of his freelance tasks revolved around setting up or connecting APIs for clients on WordPress. Over time, he found the work repetitive and, like any good coder, looked for a way to do less repeated manual work. He hacked together a small WordPress plugin that could streamline these API connections, first for himself. That simple tool became WPGetAPI.

Turning a Solution Into a Product

Initially, he just tossed the plugin on a basic webpage—nothing fancy. Within a day, someone bought it. That moment was a lightbulb: if one person paid for this friction removal, others would too. Brant decided to polish and officially launch it on the WordPress plugin directory. No paid ads, no launch campaign—just a listing and organic discovery among a sea of plugins.

The Freemium Model Payoff

He made a simple but smart decision: release WPGetAPI as a freemium tool. The main version was free and did enough to help most users solve immediate problems. But when users hit a wall and needed more, there was a premium tier—extra features, support, and time-saving unlocks. About 10% of users converted to this paid version, a high rate considering the freemium world.

That alone set the business up for steady monthly recurring revenue. Over the next 18 months, Brant answered support tickets, pushed updates, released new features, and logged ideas from his growing user base. He built loyalty, but it wasn’t glamourous. Much of the work was responding to technical queries and making incremental improvements people requested.

Scaling Up: From Side Project to Main Gig

At first, revenue trickled in—just a few hundred dollars a month. But as word spread and reviews stacked up, installs grew. By January 2023, Brant could finally justify quitting his day job and going all-in on WPGetAPI. By the time he listed the business for sale in mid-2024, it had 6,000+ active installs, 500-600 paid users, and stellar feedback on the plugin marketplace.

• Zero advertising spend: All user growth came from organic traffic and word-of-mouth.
• Iterative product development: Most new features started as direct requests from users. Brant only built stuff people actually wanted.
• Direct support from the founder himself—no outsourced customer service at first. This made response times slower sometimes, but quality was high.

Preparing for Sale: When Is the Right Time?

Brant had sold a handful of WordPress plugins before, but always small fry compared to WPGetAPI. Even though he knew he’d eventually sell, the timing came a little early—the business was reliable, but he sensed the market and his own energy were right for an exit.

Listing on Flippa, the plugin drew attention almost immediately. A serious buyer offered the full asking price within two days, not even bothering to negotiate. For Brant, money wasn’t the only factor. He wanted to hand over the tool to someone who actually understood the technical challenges and could provide quality support. His buyer ran other WordPress plugins and had proven experience in plugin support, ticking every box for Brant.

The Flippa Experience: Streamlined and Direct

Flippa’s process was smooth but, like any high-value sale, had its hurdles. Describing the product’s value in the listing took effort: it’s tough to sum up technical magic in a few paragraphs. Brant credits his M&A advisor, Ashwin, for bridging communication gaps and dealing with the legal back-and-forth. Ashwin even nudged Brant to answer buyer questions when his own response lagged, helping the deal close faster.

After the sale, Brant stuck around for a 30-day support period—mostly hands-off. The buyer’s team knew what they were doing and needed little help. The asset transfer was straightforward, since Brant had done smaller plugin sales previously.

Post-Exit: Next Chapter and Lessons

Flush with a six-figure payout, Brant returned to freelance API work while shopping for new acquisition opportunities. The financial comfort gave him breathing room, but what mattered more was proof that small, well-targeted software can build real value. He’s already looking for his next buy or build.

• Small SaaS tools can scale with just one person, if users actually feel the pain solved.
• The WordPress ecosystem is ideal for organic growth, if you have a product that “just works.”
• Pick buyers carefully—especially for technical products needing knowledgeable support.

Wrapping Up

The WPGetAPI story isn’t about overnight success or massive funding, but about real needs and small, honest product development. Brant’s path shows that with enough listening, technical skill, and consistency, even side projects can scale to six-figure exits within just a few years, if you’re patient and methodical. Now, WPGetAPI continues under new leadership, but its origins as a scrappy code snippet prove there’s plenty of room in the WordPress world for plugin makers who solve problems and respond to user needs.