Introducing Pro plugins
Pro plugins are the sustainable home for advanced Smart Plugins features.
Pro plugins sit on top of the Core Smart Plugins so the core can stay simple, stable, and free. They give power users a focused place for deeper configuration while keeping the base experience fast to adopt.
Right now all Pro plugins are available to active project supporters. A dedicated Pro subscription will follow, and existing supporters will keep the Pro access they already enjoy.
Fast facts
- Core Smart Plugins stay free, open, and aim for zero-setup.
- Pro plugins house advanced workflows and fund ongoing maintenance.
- Founding supporters keep lifetime Pro access and active supporters retain all-access while subscribed.
What Pro funding unlocks next
- Stable, repeatable install-and-go defaults for new users.
- Faster refactors to keep AI-related features aligned with provider changes.
- Deeper documentation and walkthroughs that show complete workflows instead of every edge case.
- Clearer priorities: Pro subscriptions signal which advanced workflows deserve long-term maintenance.
Looking ahead: I had two ways forward
To keep Smart Plugins healthy for the long term, I had to choose how to grow.
- Keep adding advanced options into the free core plugins and try to support every edge case in the same place.
- Or give advanced features their own home in Pro plugins, with a small investment from power users that funds deeper work on the tools.
I chose the second path. It stacks more value for people who need advanced workflows and keeps the core experience accessible for everyone else.
The goal is simple: make the Core Smart Plugins effortless for new users, and let Pro plugins fund the time, care, and experimentation that advanced features need.
How Pro plugins sustain Core Smart Plugins
Pro plugins are not a paywall on what used to be free. They are the engine that keeps the whole ecosystem moving.
- More time for core quality
Pro revenue offsets support costs so I can focus on polishing core features instead of constantly firefighting complex setups. - Stable, well documented core plugins
With advanced options separated into Pro, the core plugins change less often, which means clearer docs, better walkthroughs, and more training videos that stay up to date. - Continuous maintenance for AI features
AI providers and APIs shift quickly. Pro subscriptions fund the ongoing work to keep AI features working smoothly as the landscape changes. - Future-proof roadmap
Pro funding keeps integrations current and makes it safe to test AI-related features without breaking the stable core. - A clear signal of what to maintain
When people subscribe to specific Pro plugins, it shows which advanced workflows are worth long term support, testing, and refinement.
What stays free for everyone
The mission has not changed: core Smart Plugins remain free and open source.
- Core Smart Plugins are designed for a zero setup experience that just works.
- They follow the 80-20 rule: the essential 20 percent of features that give most people 80 percent of the value.
- Core features change more slowly, so your workflows break less and docs stay accurate longer.
- The open source Smart Environment underneath continues to power all of this.
What Pro plugins unlock
Pro plugins are for people who want more control over the Smart Environment and are willing to support the project in return.
Examples of what Pro plugins focus on:
- Advanced Smart Environment settings that stay aligned with upstream provider changes.
- Deeper configuration for niche or complex workflows that would confuse most new users.
- Early release and experimental features that need rapid iteration before they are ready for the core plugins.
For existing supporters
If you have already been supporting this work: thank you. Pro plugins are one of the main ways I can give more back to you.
- Founding supporters keep all access to Pro plugins for life.
- Other supporter tiers keep all access to Pro plugins as long as their supporter subscription stays active.
- As Pro plugins evolve into their own subscription, current supporters will not lose access to the Pro tools they already have.
Your early support made it possible to build the Smart Environment and Smart Plugins in the first place. Pro plugins help make that support visible in the tools themselves.
Built on the open source Smart Environment
Pro plugins are built on the same open source Smart Environment that powers the core Smart Plugins.
- The Smart Environment stays open source, local first, and focused on minimal dependencies.
- Pro revenue funds maintenance, refactoring, and new capabilities in the Smart Environment that everyone benefits from.
- Smart Plugins continue to be trusted, inspectable wrappers on top of that environment, whether you are using the free core plugins or Pro plugins.
In other words: Pro plugins do not close off the project. They are how we keep the open parts strong.
What this unlocks in the future
Introducing Pro plugins sets Smart Plugins up for the next wave of work:
- Easier onboarding for new users, with install-and-go defaults.
- Clearer roadmaps: core plugins for everyday workflows, Pro plugins for advanced systems.
- Faster development of AI related features without breaking existing setups.
- More time for documentation, walkthroughs, and examples that show complete workflows instead of explaining every possible configuration.
How to get Pro plugins
If you are already a supporter, you already have access to Pro plugins. You will see Pro plugins appear alongside the core plugins as they are released.
If you want advanced features and want to help sustain this work, there is a limited window to get all-access to current and future Pro plugins. The all-access plan will be replaced with individual Pro plugin subscriptions starting early in 2026. Support the project with a Pro plugin subscription.
Quick start for new users
- Install the Core Smart Plugins for a fast, zero-setup experience.
- Add Pro plugins when you want deeper configuration or AI-focused workflows.
At every level, the goal is the same: keep your notes private, keep the tools open and local first, and keep improving Smart Plugins for the long term. Pro plugins are how we make that sustainable.