# Installation & License Activation

> **What it does:** Gets Antradus AI installed on your WordPress site — the free **Lite** edition from WordPress.org, or a paid plan with your license key and automatic updates.
>
> *Applies to Antradus AI Lite, Publisher & Studio v2.7.0 · Last updated 2026-08-26*

## The plans, in one paragraph

**Lite** is free forever and writes articles. **Publisher** adds everything for running a website at scale. **Studio** adds everything for running a *show* — a podcast or video channel — on top of Publisher. **Managed** is not software: it is us doing the work for you. You only ever install one plugin; the license decides what appears.

| | What it adds | Price |
|---|---|---|
| **Lite** | Articles from a keyword or URL, SEO meta with Copy buttons, the in-editor assistant, featured images | Free forever, from WordPress.org |
| **Publisher** | Bulk publishing, YouTube to Article, internal linking, SEO clusters, AI Search, Human Voice, albums, live web search, Yoast/Rank Math auto-fill, Reporting | $275/month, up to 5 sites |
| **Studio** | Everything in Publisher, plus Podcast to Articles, Saved Plans and Episode Assets | $1,500/month |
| **Managed** | We build or enhance the site and run the back catalogue for you | Talk to us |

## Before you start

- WordPress 5.8 or newer, PHP 7.4 or newer.
- **Lite:** nothing else needed — install straight from the WordPress.org plugin directory.
- **Publisher or Studio:** your **license key**, from your purchase email or your Antradus account page.

## Installing Lite (free)

1. In your WordPress admin, go to **Plugins → Add New**, search for **Antradus AI Lite**, click **Install Now**, then **Activate**.
2. Open the new **Antradus AI** menu and add your AI provider API key — that's it. Every Lite feature works immediately, no license needed.

## Installing a paid plan

Publisher and Studio are the **same download**. Which features appear is decided by your license, not by which file you install — so upgrading later means changing a license key, never reinstalling anything.

1. In your WordPress admin, go to **Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin**.
2. Choose the zip you downloaded and click **Install Now**, then **Activate**. (If Lite was active it is replaced automatically — your settings and API keys carry over, every edition shares the same settings.)
3. Click the **Antradus AI** menu, paste your license key and click **Activate License**.
4. That's it. Your plan's features unlock, and your site now receives **automatic updates** — new versions show up under **Dashboard → Updates** exactly like any other plugin.

<!-- screenshot: installation-and-license-1 — the license activation screen -->

## What the license controls

- **Lite features are always free** — writing articles, SEO meta with Copy buttons, the in-editor assistant, and featured images never need a license.
- **Publisher unlocks** bulk publishing, YouTube to Article, internal linking, SEO clusters, AI Search (GEO), Human Voice, the WooCommerce product generator, albums, live web search, merge-2-sources, automatic Yoast/Rank Math fill, and Reporting.
- **Studio unlocks everything Publisher does, plus** Podcast to Articles, Saved Plans and Episode Assets. On a Publisher license those two tabs are still shown on the Bulk Publishing screen, locked, so you can see what they do before deciding.
- On the Plugins page you'll see extra links on the Antradus row: **Change License**, **Opt Out**, and **Enable auto-updates**. Use *Account* under the Antradus AI menu to see your plan and downloads.

## Tips & gotchas

- **Trying it first.** Publisher has a **7-day free trial** — a card is required, and you are billed only if you stay past day 7. Studio is sold after a demo rather than on a trial, because there is a real conversation to have about your show first. Lite is free forever and runs the same writing engine, so you can judge the output quality before any of this.
- **Moving to a new site?** Deactivate the license on the old site first (Account page → deactivate), then activate on the new one. Publisher covers up to 5 sites, so you only need to do this once you've used them all.
- **Bought before the plans existed?** The original one-time license carries the **full Studio** feature set, permanently. Nothing was taken away from anyone who already paid, and you don't need to do anything to keep it.
- **Your own AI bill is separate.** Every plan uses your own provider API key, so the AI usage is billed to you by OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter or DeepSeek directly. That is the point — there is no per-word markup here.
- If you ever see *"An older copy of Antradus AI Lite was automatically deactivated"* — you had a pre-2.0 Lite installed alongside the new plugin; the new one includes everything it had, and your settings are kept.

## Next step

→ [Connect Your AI Provider](connect-your-ai-provider.md) — the plugin writes nothing until it has an AI provider API key.