The Future of JNews
JNews has grown through years of continuous improvement. This is the story behind how JNews is evolving to support the next chapter of our publishing ecosystem for years to come.
The Foundation We Built On
Since the first release of JNews, our goal has always been simple: to build the best publishing and news theme for WordPress while continuously improving it with new features, better performance, and compatibility with the ever-evolving WordPress ecosystem.
Over the years, JNews has grown tremendously. Every major release has introduced significant improvements, and our customers have received those updates at no additional cost. In many ways, purchasing JNews has been like buying a car and receiving every future model for free whenever the manufacturer released a new version.
While this has provided incredible value for our customers, it is unfortunately not a sustainable business model for software.
Unlike physical products, software is never truly finished. WordPress evolves. PHP evolves. Browsers evolve. Security standards change. New technologies emerge. Keeping a WordPress product modern requires continuous development, testing, maintenance, customer support, and innovation.
Software Is Different
This topic has been discussed within the WordPress community for years. I personally raised this question during an Envato Author Event in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
The response was Envato Elements.
While we understand the thinking behind that model, we believe software should not be treated the same as static digital assets.
A font, stock photo, or icon pack can remain valuable for years without requiring updates. Software is fundamentally different. It requires ongoing compatibility updates, security fixes, bug fixes, performance improvements, feature development, documentation, and customer support throughout its lifetime.
For us, a WordPress theme isn’t simply a downloadable product—it’s a living platform that should continuously improve.
A Changing Marketplace
Over the years, we’ve also seen the marketplace itself evolve.
Following Envato’s acquisition by Shutterstock, the company’s focus naturally expanded beyond ThemeForest into a broader digital content ecosystem. At the same time, initiatives like Envato Elements and the increasing encouragement for authors to move toward non-exclusive distribution have changed the way WordPress products are distributed.
These changes aren’t necessarily good or bad—they simply represent a different direction.
The future of JNews should not depend entirely on a one-time purchase marketplace.
Instead, it needs a sustainable business model that allows us to continue investing in innovation for many years to come.
Introducing the Next Generation of JNews
After careful consideration, we’ve decided to evolve JNews into a complete publishing ecosystem.
This ecosystem consists of four parts:
The ThemeForest version of JNews.
JNews Classic will continue under the traditional one-time purchase model and will continue receiving security updates, maintenance releases, and compatibility updates to ensure existing websites remain stable and secure.
The next evolution of JNews.
Built on the same trusted foundation as JNews Classic, JNews Twenty focuses on continuous feature development, improved performance, modern publishing capabilities, advanced monetization features, richer design options, and long-term innovation.
Our next-generation native block-based publishing platform.
JNews Block Theme gives you complete control over your website through the WordPress Site Editor. Customize your header, footer, templates, pages, layouts, and global styles using familiar blocks without relying on a traditional page builder.
Build, customize, and manage your entire JNews website directly from the Site Editor, all with the flexibility and simplicity of native WordPress blocks.
JNews Pro is our subscription package, giving you access to JNews Twenty and the upcoming JNews block-based features, while allowing us to continuously improve both products under a sustainable business model.
Why JNews Pro?
Software never stops evolving.
A sustainable subscription model allows us to continuously invest in the future of our publishing ecosystem.
It enables us to:
Looking Forward
Our commitment remains unchanged.
We still want to build one of the best publishing platforms for WordPress.
What is changing is the business model that makes that vision possible.
JNews Pro provides the sustainable foundation that allows us to continuously improve JNews Twenty, build JNews Block Theme, and invest in the future of WordPress publishing for years to come.
Thank you for supporting JNews throughout the years. We’re excited for this next chapter, and we look forward to building the future of WordPress publishing together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely not.
You can continue using JNews Classic exactly as you do today. Your website will continue to function normally, and JNews Classic will continue receiving security updates, maintenance releases, and compatibility updates.
JNews Pro is designed for users who want continuous feature development, faster innovation, and access to our next-generation publishing ecosystem.
JNews Pro includes everything you need to build and grow a modern WordPress publishing website.
As JNews Pro evolves, your subscription ensures you automatically receive future innovations across the entire ecosystem without purchasing separate products.
JNews Twenty represents the next generation of JNews.
While JNews Classic will continue receiving maintenance and compatibility updates, JNews Twenty becomes the primary platform for new features, continuous innovation, and long-term product development.
No. JNews Classic is not being discontinued.
It will continue receiving security updates, maintenance releases, and compatibility updates to ensure your existing websites remain stable and secure.
However, all future feature development, design enhancements, and product innovation will be focused on JNews Twenty and Gutenverse News as one Package (JNews Pro)
Yes.
JNews Twenty is built on exactly the same foundation as JNews Classic.
For most users, upgrading will feel just like installing a regular JNews update. Your existing layouts, settings, widgets, and content will continue working while benefiting from the latest improvements introduced in JNews Twenty.
If you’re planning to migrate to Gutenverse News, that’s a different process. Because Gutenverse News is a native block-based platform, we’ll provide a dedicated migration tool to help existing JNews users transition smoothly.
Yes. Every JNews Pro subscription includes full access to JNews Block Theme at no additional cost.
Our current target is approximately 2–3 months from today.
As with any software under active development, timelines may change.
Yes, you can upgrade anytime. JNews Pro remains available whenever you’re ready for improved performance and our latest publishing tools.
Absolutely.
Nothing will change for your existing website simply because JNews Pro has been introduced.
Your website will continue operating normally, and JNews Classic will continue receiving essential security, maintenance, and compatibility updates.
However, new features, design improvements, publishing capabilities, monetization features, performance enhancements, demo sites, and future product innovations will be developed exclusively for JNews Pro through JNews Twenty.
Because software never stops evolving.
Unlike static digital assets, WordPress products require continuous development, ongoing maintenance, compatibility updates, security improvements, customer support, and long-term innovation.
A subscription model gives us the sustainable foundation needed to continuously improve JNews Twenty, build next-generation products like Gutenverse News, and keep investing in the future of WordPress publishing for many years to come.