Is there any way to pirate premium WordPress plugins and minimizing the chance of getting malware? Meaning perhaps there are certain sources that are known to provide malware free content and generally have a good reputation. I know piracy will always involve risks but it doesn’t hurt to ask people with first-hand experience. I am even willing to pay but there’s no way I will afford plugins that cost hundreds of dollars a year anytime soon.
I would ask you to reconsider. Maybe look for an open source alternative or just another solution rather than wp plugins, or wp in general. There are already alternative foss programs to wp if you really need a suite for making the website.
The reason I say this is simply security. Let’s say you get your hands on a fully malware free version of that plugin today, so far so good. What happens when the plugin needs a security update? Your version is pirated so it obviously won’t be updated automatically. Now until you find an updated pirated version your website has a security hole that you can’t do anything about unless you disable the plugin. Depending on plugin, now your website is either broken, slow or whatever you get the point
Yeah, I am starting to come to the same conclusion. Keeping the plugin up to date seems like the biggest issue even IF I do manage to find an initial reliable source.