The rules at a glance
| Plugin | Sites per license | Staging and development | How to free an activation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MemberPress | Launch, Growth and Scale plans each come with one site activation | If you have staging sites you must activate the key there too, and it uses up one site activation | Account Downloads tab, Site Activations, Manage, Deactivate (or Deactivate All); or Settings, License, Deactivate License Key in WordPress |
| LearnDash | License documentation lists 1 Site, 10 Sites and Unlimited Sites plans; subdomains count toward the total | An extra development license works only on a subdomain such as test.yourdomain.com; other development domains need support to authenticate them | Subscriptions page, Manage, Sites, Remove |
| WooCommerce.com extensions | Single-site subscription | Active on one active site and one staging, test or development site | Disconnect from the old site in My Subscriptions before connecting the new one |
MemberPress: the staging activation and the 21-day grace period
MemberPress documentation says that if you also have staging websites, you must activate the license key on a staging website, and that this uses up one site activation. With a one-activation plan, that means live and staging cannot both be activated without buying an additional activation. MemberPress also notes that deactivating a key on a domain does not automatically cancel an additional site activation subscription; cancel that separately under the Subscriptions tab.
If no valid license is added, MemberPress documents a 21-day grace period after installing the plugin, after which the MemberPress backend is deactivated until a valid key is entered. The article does not say the front end stops, but losing the admin during a migration week means no manual member fixes or refunds from WordPress. The same article notes that an administrator can continue without a license after expiry, with an expired license transaction fee applied to future transactions; the fee rate is set out in MemberPress's terms.
LearnDash: invalid does not mean broken, but it does mean unpatched
LearnDash license documentation hosted on docs.nexcess.com says the license is entered under LearnDash LMS, Settings, LMS License, and that on a 1-site license already installed on one site, any site afterwards will display an error. It also states LearnDash will still function with an invalid license, but a valid license is needed to receive product updates, security patches and support.
Two practical points for migrations. A staging copy at a different domain is not covered by the development license unless it is a subdomain of your live domain, so prefer staging.yourdomain.com over a host's temporary URL if you want it licensed. And if activation fails on the new host, the documentation says 401 errors indicate the license call is blocked, and to ask the host to allow it through.
LearnDash's current pricing page lists Essentials, Pro and Elite plans described as one license each, while the license documentation lists 1, 10 and unlimited site plans. Confirm your plan's site count in your account before relying on either.
WooCommerce.com extensions
WooCommerce.com documentation states each current single-site subscription can be active on one active site and one staging, test or development site. To move a subscription, disconnect it from the old site before connecting it to the new one; disconnecting does not cancel the subscription. A second staging copy, such as a migration rehearsal site in addition to your usual staging, would exceed that allowance.
This is about the extension license only. Renewal behaviour of WooCommerce Subscriptions on a cloned site is a separate risk covered in our WooCommerce staging renewal checklist.
A license sequence for a migration
- Before the move: list every premium plugin, its license email, site count and current activations, and confirm you can log in to each vendor account to manage activations without the old site.
- Rehearsal on a temporary URL: expect license warnings; do not spend an activation on a throwaway domain unless you can free it the same day.
- Same-domain host move: the domain does not change, but do not assume the license state survived; open each plugin's license screen after cutover, confirm it shows as active, and confirm update checks are not blocked by the new host.
- Domain change: deactivate on the old domain from inside WordPress first, then activate on the new domain. If the old site is already gone, use the vendor account dashboard to remove it.
- Staging after cutover: re-point the staging activation to the new staging domain, and remove the old staging domain from the vendor account.
- Within a week: check that each plugin can see updates, and add a calendar reminder 21 days out for any MemberPress install that is not yet licensed.
Questions before you decide
Will LearnDash stop working if my license is not active on the new domain?
Its documentation says LearnDash will still function with an invalid license, but you will not receive updates, security patches or support until it is valid.
Does deactivating MemberPress on one site cancel my extra activation?
No. MemberPress states that deactivating a license key on one domain does not automatically cancel an additional site activation subscription.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- MemberPress: Activate your MemberPress license Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- MemberPress: How to deactivate MemberPress license key Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- MemberPress: Can I use MemberPress on multiple websites Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- MemberPress: MemberPress backend deactivated Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- Nexcess documentation: LearnDash license Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- LearnDash: Pricing on liquidweb.com Accessed 13 Oct 2026
- WooCommerce.com: Activate and manage your subscriptions Accessed 13 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.