On September 21, 2021, Awesome Motive Acquires three leading WordPress plugins, Easy Digital Downloads, AffiliateWP, and WP Simple Pay, from Sandhills Development. Known for products like WPForms and OptinMonster, Awesome Motive aims to strengthen its position in digital commerce by unifying sales, affiliate marketing, and payment tools under one ecosystem.
A Trio of Commerce: Driven Plugins Joins the Fold
Each component of this acquisition brings a unique toolkit for WordPress store owners:
- Easy Digital Downloads (EDD): In 2012, EDD powers digital product sales, recurring payments, software licensing, and customer management. It already served as Awesome Motive’s internal eCommerce backbone.
- AffiliateWP: A leading referral-tracking plugin that integrates with WooCommerce, EDD, and MemberPress to simplify affiliate marketing programs.
- WP Simple Pay: A lightweight Stripe payment gateway enabling on-site one-time and recurring payments without a shopping cart.
The deal includes additional Sandhills tools like Sugar Calendar, Payouts, and several utility plugins. EDD was a foundational component in Awesome Motive’s own product development since 2013.
Strategic Rationale Behind the Acquisition
- Seamless eCommerce Experience: Awesome Motive can now offer a fully integrated suite for selling digital goods, managing affiliates, and accepting payments.
- Branded Infrastructure: In-house control allows unified support, billing, and inter-plugin compatibility.
- Team Continuity: Sandhills Development’s core team, including founder Pippin Williamson, joins Awesome Motive to ensure smooth product evolution.
Benefits to Users and the WordPress Community
The acquisition promises meaningful advantages for developers, merchants, and end-users:
- Enhanced Product Development: Access to Awesome Motive’s scalable infrastructure and engineering resources.
- Consistent Support: Migration of plugins under one roof ensures cohesive support and updates.
- Unified Roadmap: Shared vision fosters closer integration between EDD, AffiliateWP, WP Simple Pay, and other plugins like OptinMonster and WPForms.
- Retention of Product Identity: All plugins retain their names, branding, and pricing models during and after transition.
This deal accelerates Awesome Motive’s pursuit of an all-in-one digital commerce platform that will serve creators, course sellers, SaaS founders, and software developers alike.
Insider Perspective and Industry Context
Awesome Motive CEO Syed Balkhi noted the move “comes full circle,” given his personal use of EDD since 2013. Pippin Williamson expressed confidence in Awesome Motive’s capabilities, citing a strong foundation in WordPress product growth, infrastructure, and marketing.
This acquisition reflects a broader industry trend: consolidation among WordPress product authors. According to WPTavern coverage, Sandhills Development saw significant internal revenues, over $4 million, and maintained healthy profitability before the sale.
The market now fosters larger, integrated platforms for scaling tools in competitive digital commerce.
Forward Looking Outlook: Commerce Unified in WordPress
With integration underway, Awesome Motive plans to leverage its sizable user base, serving over 30 million websites, to amplify these commerce plugins. Expected outcomes include:
- Accelerated feature releases and enhanced UI/UX
- Sharing proprietary systems and infrastructure across plugin teams
- More profound interconnectivity among plugins, creating a cohesive stack
- Improved onboarding and educational resources for merchants
This setup also opens doors for cross-module enhancements, such as combining EDD’s subscription management with WP Simple Pay for flexible payments, or attaching affiliate systems directly to digital products.
Final Takeaway: Crafting an Integrated Commerce Ecosystem
Awesome Motive’s acquisition of EDD, AffiliateWP, and WP Simple Pay cements its transition from a standalone plugin builder to a holistic commerce provider.
It now controls the primary tools needed to sell products, manage affiliates, and accept payments, all of which are optimized for WordPress creators.
With the Sandhills team embedded, users can expect smoother development cycles, better support, and a unified product experience.
This move underlines the industry’s shift toward platform-level integration, positioning Awesome Motive as a top-tier provider for digital entrepreneurs seeking reliable, end-to-end solutions.
Learn More: For updates on this and other deals, explore the latest in WordPress mergers and acquisitions at WPEdition M&A News.