Platforms & CMS
Hire WordPress plugin developers for secure, fast custom plugins
Our WordPress plugin developers build custom plugins, WooCommerce extensions and Gutenberg blocks that follow WordPress Coding Standards, stay secure and keep your site fast. We can keep a plugin private to your site, sell it as a premium product or take it through WordPress.org plugin review.
- Secure by default: nonces, capability checks, sanitizing and escaping
- WooCommerce and block editor experience
- Tested against current WordPress, PHP and WooCommerce versions
Overview
What WordPress plugin developers do, and why plugin quality matters
WordPress runs a huge share of the web, and almost everything special a WordPress site does comes from plugins. A plugin is PHP code, often with JavaScript and CSS, that hooks into WordPress to add features: a booking system, a custom checkout step, a connection to your CRM, a new editor block or an admin dashboard for your team. Good plugins feel like part of WordPress. Bad ones slow every page, break on updates and open security holes.
Most WordPress security problems come from plugins, not from WordPress core. The causes are well known: forms without nonces, missing capability checks, input saved without sanitizing, output printed without escaping and database queries built from raw user input. WordPress gives developers tools for all of these, but only if they are used every time. Plugin developers who work this way write code that is safe to run on a busy site and safe to share with thousands of others.
Modern WordPress is also more than PHP. The block editor, often called Gutenberg, is built in React. Custom blocks use block.json, the @wordpress packages and server-side rendering for dynamic content. WooCommerce has moved to block-based cart and checkout pages and to High-Performance Order Storage, which changes how extensions should read and write orders. A plugin written for WordPress a few years ago may not fit today's platform.
When you hire WordPress plugin developers from Dware, you get senior engineers who know hooks, filters, the REST API, blocks and WooCommerce in depth. They follow WordPress Coding Standards, write tests, keep code in your repository and have every change reviewed by a second senior engineer before it ships.
What we build
WordPress plugin development services
From a small private plugin for one site to a commercial product used on many sites, our WordPress plugin developers cover the full range.
Custom WordPress plugin development
We build plugins for features your site needs and no off-the-shelf plugin does well. Code is organised with namespaces, Composer autoloading and clear hooks so it is easy to extend later.
WooCommerce extensions
We build custom product types, pricing rules, shipping methods, payment gateway integrations and checkout fields. Our extensions declare compatibility with High-Performance Order Storage and work with the block-based cart and checkout.
Gutenberg blocks and block themes support
We create custom blocks with block.json and the @wordpress packages, including dynamic blocks rendered in PHP and interactive blocks using the Interactivity API. Editors get blocks that look in the editor the way they look on the site.
REST API endpoints and integrations
We register custom REST routes with proper permission callbacks and connect WordPress to CRMs, ERPs, payment services, mailing tools and your own apps, with background jobs for heavy syncs.
Security audits and fixes
We review existing plugins for missing nonces, capability checks, sanitizing, escaping and unsafe queries, then fix each issue and explain what was wrong in plain language.
Performance tuning
We find slow queries, bloated autoloaded options and assets loaded on every page, then fix them with caching, smarter queries and conditional loading.
WordPress.org and premium plugin releases
We prepare plugins for the WordPress.org plugin directory, including readme.txt, Plugin Check and review, or set up licensing and private updates for premium plugins.
Maintenance, updates and compatibility
We keep plugins working with new WordPress, PHP and WooCommerce versions, fix deprecation notices and handle security releases quickly.
Our process
How our WordPress plugin developers build your plugin, step by step
A good plugin starts with the right hooks and data model, not with code. Here is how we take your plugin from idea to release and beyond.
- 1
Discovery and plugin audit
We learn what the plugin must do, who uses it and which site or sites it runs on. We check your WordPress, PHP and WooCommerce versions, your hosting, caching layers and the other plugins that could clash. If similar plugins already exist, we tell you honestly whether extending one is smarter than building from scratch. For an existing plugin, we read the code and list security, performance and compatibility issues first.
What you get
- Requirements and environment notes
- Audit report for existing code
- Free, fixed quote
- 2
Architecture: hooks, data and admin screens
We choose where the plugin plugs into WordPress: which actions and filters it uses, and which hooks it offers so others can extend it. We decide how data is stored, using custom post types, post meta, options or custom tables for large volumes, and how WooCommerce orders are read through the CRUD classes so the plugin works with HPOS. We plan the admin screens, the settings API, any REST routes and the user roles and capabilities that guard each action.
What you get
- Hook and data model plan
- Admin screen wireframes
- Capability and role map
- 3
Local environment and tooling
We set up a reproducible local WordPress with wp-env or Docker, matching your PHP version. The plugin gets Composer for PHP dependencies, @wordpress/scripts for block and admin JavaScript, PHP_CodeSniffer with WordPress Coding Standards, PHPStan for static analysis and a CI pipeline in your repository. A staging site mirrors production so we can test against your real theme and plugins.
What you get
- Repository with CI
- Local and staging environments
- Coding standards checks
- 4
Build with security in every change
We build feature by feature and deploy to staging every week so you can try it. Every form uses nonces, every action checks current_user_can, every input is sanitized with the right function and every output is escaped at the point of printing with esc_html, esc_attr, esc_url or wp_kses. Database access goes through WP_Query or $wpdb->prepare. Strings are translatable with a proper text domain. A second senior engineer reviews every pull request.
What you get
- Weekly staging releases
- Reviewed pull requests
- Translation-ready strings
- 5
Testing across versions and setups
We write PHPUnit tests using the WordPress test suite for business logic and REST endpoints, and Playwright end-to-end tests for admin screens, blocks and checkout flows. We run the tests against the current WordPress release and supported older versions, across the PHP versions you need. For WooCommerce we test with HPOS on and off, and with both classic and block checkout. We also check multisite if your plugin will run on it.
What you get
- Unit and end-to-end tests
- Version compatibility matrix
- Performance check with Query Monitor
- 6
Release: private, premium or WordPress.org
For a private plugin we deploy to production with a rollback plan. For a premium plugin we set up licensing and an update server so customers get updates in their dashboard. For WordPress.org we write readme.txt with the right Requires at least, Tested up to and Requires PHP headers, run the Plugin Check tool, submit the plugin and work through the plugin team's review. Once approved, we publish through the SVN repository with tagged versions and a correct stable tag.
What you get
- Production deployment or release package
- readme.txt and changelog
- Approved WordPress.org listing if needed
- 7
Support, updates and compatibility
WordPress ships several major releases a year, and WooCommerce updates even more often. We test your plugin against beta and release candidate versions, update the Tested up to header, fix deprecations and respond quickly to security reports. We can stay on as your plugin team or hand over with documentation.
What you get
- Compatibility updates
- Security response plan
- Post-launch support
Want this process for your project? Tell us what you're building and get a free, fixed quote.
Get a free quoteTechnical expertise
WordPress plugin development expertise in depth
These are the areas that separate a plugin you can trust from one that causes trouble later.
Security: nonces, capabilities, sanitizing and escaping
Nonces protect against forged requests, and capability checks make sure the user is allowed to act. Input is sanitized when it arrives, output is escaped when it leaves, and queries use prepared statements. REST routes always have a real permission_callback. We follow these rules on every line, because one missed check is enough for an attacker.
Hooks, filters and clean architecture
WordPress is built on actions and filters. We use them to change behaviour without editing core or other plugins, and we add our own hooks so your team or customers can extend the plugin. Code is split into small classes with namespaces, so it stays readable as it grows.
Performance on real sites
We load scripts and styles only on the pages that need them, keep autoloaded options small, cache expensive results with transients or the object cache and run heavy work in the background with Action Scheduler instead of during page loads. Query Monitor helps us prove each change helps.
WooCommerce done the modern way
Extensions must use WooCommerce's CRUD objects rather than raw post meta so they work with High-Performance Order Storage. Checkout changes must work with the block checkout through the Store API and checkout extensibility, not only with old template hooks. We build for both so your store can upgrade safely.
WordPress.org review and coding standards
The plugin team reviews every new plugin by hand. Common reasons for rejection include missing escaping, calling home without consent, bundling code that is obfuscated, using generic prefixes that clash with other plugins and licensing that is not GPL-compatible. We run WordPress Coding Standards and Plugin Check before submitting and fix issues before reviewers see them.
Skills and tools our WordPress plugin developers use
WordPress core and APIs
- Plugin API (actions and filters)
- REST API
- Settings API
- WP_Query and $wpdb
- Custom post types and taxonomies
- WP-CLI
- Multisite
WooCommerce
- WooCommerce CRUD and HPOS
- Store API
- Cart and Checkout blocks
- Payment gateway API
- Action Scheduler
- WooCommerce REST API
Block editor and frontend
- block.json
- @wordpress/scripts
- @wordpress/create-block
- React
- Interactivity API
- TypeScript
Quality, testing and release
- PHP 8
- Composer
- PHP_CodeSniffer with WPCS
- PHPStan
- PHPUnit
- Playwright
- wp-env
- Plugin Check and SVN
Why Dware
Why hire WordPress plugin developers from Dware
Security first
Our developers treat nonces, capability checks, sanitizing and escaping as non-negotiable. Every pull request is checked for them in senior code review.
Modern WordPress and WooCommerce
We build for blocks, the REST API, HPOS and block checkout, so your plugin is ready for the platform as it is today and as it is heading.
Fast sites stay fast
We measure the impact of every plugin on page load and database queries, and design it so it does not slow your site.
Your code, your repository
Code lives in your repository from the first commit and all code and IP are yours. We sign an NDA on request.
Start fast with low risk
We match you with a developer within 48 hours, begin with a two-week risk-free trial and let you scale up or down monthly.
Ways to work with us
Ways to hire WordPress plugin developers
Hire one developer, add a whole team, or hand us a fixed-scope project. Tell us what you need and we'll send a free, fixed quote, usually within one business day.
Dedicated developer
Most popularA senior engineer who works only on your product, full-time or part-time.
- Joins your Slack, standups and Git
- Same developer every day
- Scale up or down monthly
Team extension
Two or more developers, plus QA or a tech lead, added to your team.
- Matched to your stack and time zone
- One point of contact
- Add or remove people any month
Fixed-scope project
A clear scope, timeline and fixed quote. Ideal for MVPs, apps and fixes.
- Free, fixed quote before we start
- Milestones you approve
- Support after launch
FAQ
Hire WordPress plugin developers: frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire WordPress plugin developers?
Cost depends on what the plugin does and where it runs. A small plugin for one site is very different from a WooCommerce extension with a payment integration, or a commercial plugin that must work on thousands of different sites. The number of integrations, admin screens, blocks, supported versions and your timeline all affect the scope. After a short call we give you a free, fixed quote with a clear list of what is included.
Should we build a custom plugin or use an existing one?
If a well-maintained plugin already does what you need, using it is usually cheaper and faster. A custom plugin makes sense when nothing fits, when you are chaining several plugins together to fake one feature, or when the feature is core to your business. We are happy to tell you if an existing plugin is the better choice, and we can also extend one through its hooks instead of starting over.
Can you build WooCommerce extensions?
Yes. We build custom product types, pricing and discount rules, shipping methods, checkout fields, subscription logic and integrations with ERPs, warehouses and payment providers. Our extensions use WooCommerce's CRUD classes so they work with High-Performance Order Storage, and we test them with both classic and block-based cart and checkout pages.
How do you keep our plugin secure?
We follow WordPress security practice on every change: nonces on forms and actions, current_user_can checks before anything happens, sanitizing all input, escaping all output and using prepared statements for database queries. REST endpoints always have a proper permission callback. A second senior engineer reviews each pull request, and we run static analysis and coding standards checks in CI.
Can you publish our plugin on WordPress.org?
Yes. We prepare the plugin to meet the directory guidelines, write a readme.txt with correct version headers, run the Plugin Check tool and submit it. The plugin team reviews new plugins by hand and often replies with requested changes, which we handle for you. Once approved, we release through the WordPress.org SVN repository and keep the Tested up to header current.
How long does WordPress.org plugin review take?
It varies with the size of the review queue. It can take anywhere between a few days and several weeks for a first review, and any requested changes add another round. Clean code that already passes Plugin Check and follows the guidelines is the best way to keep it short. Updates to an approved plugin do not need a new manual review.
Can you fix or take over a plugin someone else wrote?
Yes. We start with an audit of security, performance, compatibility and code quality, and give you a clear list of problems ranked by risk. Then we fix the urgent ones first, add tests around the parts that matter most and improve the rest step by step, so your site keeps running while the plugin gets better.
Will our plugin keep working when WordPress updates?
We build with WordPress APIs rather than workarounds, which is the best protection against breakage. With ongoing support we test against WordPress and WooCommerce beta releases, fix deprecations before they become errors, update the Tested up to header and check new PHP versions. You can scale this support up or down monthly.
Do you build custom Gutenberg blocks?
Yes. We build static, dynamic and interactive blocks using block.json, React and the @wordpress packages, with block styles, patterns and variations where they help your editors. Dynamic blocks render in PHP so content stays fresh and cache friendly. We make sure blocks look the same in the editor and on the site.
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Learn moreTell us about your WordPress plugin
Describe the plugin you need, the WooCommerce feature you are missing or the plugin that is causing trouble. We will reply with a clear plan and a free, fixed quote, and match you with a senior WordPress plugin developer within 48 hours.