Every term defined

Reign glossary.

Every word, plugin, and platform you will see on this site - in plain English. Read this if you are confused about what a "kit" is, what BuddyPress does, or whether LearnDash and the Reign LearnDash add-on are the same thing (they are not).

Reign-specific terms Community platforms (the social engine) Plugins Reign styles (third-party extensions) General WordPress terms Community shapes (what you build) Licensing terms

Reign-specific terms

Words you only see on reigntheme.com. The pricing-vs-product confusion lives here, so read this section first.

Reign Theme: The Reign design system - 5 header layouts, 30+ page templates, member directory styles, activity feed styling, dark mode. The foundation product, sold standalone at $99/year or $249 lifetime.
Add-on: A single plugin that styles ONE third-party plugin (LearnDash, Dokan, GeoDirectory, etc.) to look native inside Reign. Sold separately at $39/year or $79 lifetime each. Activates ON TOP of the Reign theme (you need the theme first).
Kit: A bundle of Reign theme + the add-on for one community shape + the Pro plugin that add-on styles. Sold as one purchase from $129/year or $249 lifetime - saves 15-30% vs buying the pieces separately.
StoreMate: The kit family for multi-vendor marketplaces. Three variants: StoreMate Dokan, StoreMate WC Vendors, StoreMate WCFM. Each pairs Reign + the matching marketplace add-on + the Pro marketplace plugin.
LearnMate: The kit family for course communities. Two variants: LearnMate LearnDash and LearnMate LifterLMS. Each pairs Reign + the matching LMS add-on + the Pro LMS plugin.
JobMate: The kit family for job boards. Single kit. Pairs Reign + the WP Job Manager add-on + WP Job Manager Pro.
Reign Demo Installer: A free add-on that one-click imports any of 30+ pre-built demo sites. Saves you from configuring BuddyPress + page templates manually. Available to all Reign theme owners.
Reign Addons Bundle: A premium bundle that includes the Reign theme + every Reign add-on. Heaviest discount vs buying separately. Best for agencies or buyers who know they will use 4+ add-ons.
Setup package: The flat $699 done-for-you service. Wbcom team installs Reign + the kit you pick + your branding + Stripe + onboarding emails in 5 business days.

Community platforms (the social engine)

Reign is a theme, not a community engine. You need one of these plugins installed alongside Reign to get activity feeds, profiles, groups, and messages.

BuddyPress: The free WordPress community plugin. Open source, made by Automattic, in active development since 2008. Provides activity feeds, member profiles, groups, friends, and messages. Reign's default pairing - free and stable.
BuddyBoss Platform: A paid commercial alternative to BuddyPress, by BuddyBoss. Adds nested replies, reactions, polls, and better mobile UX out of the box. Free version available; Pro is $228+/year. Reign supports it as a peer platform.
PeepSo: A paid commercial alternative to BuddyPress, by PeepSo. Lighter footprint than BuddyBoss, faster default UI, Facebook-style feed. Reign supports it via a separate "Reign PeepSo" theme variant.
bbPress: A WordPress forum plugin (also by Automattic). Reign theme has bbPress styling included. Use if your community is forum-shaped rather than activity-feed-shaped.

Plugins Reign styles (third-party extensions)

These are independent WordPress plugins from other vendors. Reign add-ons style their pages so they look native inside your community. You buy the plugin from its vendor; you buy the Reign add-on from Wbcom.

LearnDash: The most popular WordPress course plugin. Sold separately by LearnDash ($199+/year). The Reign LearnDash add-on styles its course pages, student dashboards, and quiz screens.
LifterLMS: A WordPress course plugin focused on memberships + courses. Open-core (free base, paid add-ons). The Reign LifterLMS add-on styles its catalog, course pages, and membership wrappers.
Tutor LMS: A WordPress course plugin focused on instructor + student dashboards. Free + Pro. The Reign Tutor LMS add-on styles both dashboards + course player.
Sensei: A WordPress course plugin by Automattic. The Reign Sensei add-on styles its course catalog + lesson layouts.
Dokan: The most popular WordPress multi-vendor marketplace plugin. Sold by weDevs. The Reign Dokan add-on styles vendor stores + product pages so they match your Reign community.
WC Vendors: A multi-vendor marketplace plugin (WooCommerce extension). The Reign WC Vendors add-on styles its marketplace surfaces.
WCFM: WooCommerce Frontend Manager - another multi-vendor marketplace plugin. Strong on commission rules + vendor dashboards. The Reign WCFM add-on styles those dashboards.
WP Job Manager: The most popular WordPress job board plugin. The Reign WP Job Manager add-on styles the job board, employer pages, and listing forms.
GeoDirectory: A WordPress business directory + listings plugin. The Reign GeoDirectory add-on styles listings + member submission forms.
MemberPress: The most popular WordPress paid membership plugin. Not a Reign add-on - Reign + MemberPress pair on the same install for paid community sites.
Paid Memberships Pro: A free + paid alternative to MemberPress. Also pairs with Reign.
WooCommerce: The WordPress ecommerce plugin. Reign's marketplace + membership stacks layer on top of WooCommerce.
GamiPress: A WordPress gamification plugin - points, badges, ranks, achievements. Reign theme includes GamiPress styling for activity rewards.
Stripe: The default payment processor for paid memberships + course sales + marketplace payouts on Reign sites. Pairs with MemberPress, WooCommerce, LearnDash, etc.

General WordPress terms

Words from the broader WordPress ecosystem you will see in setup guides.

WordPress: The open-source content management system that powers ~40% of the web. Reign is a theme for WordPress; you need a WordPress install to run it.
Theme: A WordPress design package - controls how the site looks. Each WordPress install runs exactly one active theme. Reign is a theme.
Plugin: A WordPress feature package - adds functionality. You can install many plugins on one site. BuddyPress, LearnDash, MemberPress are all plugins. Reign add-ons are also plugins (lightweight, styling-only).
Hosting: The server your WordPress site runs on. Common hosts: Bluehost, Cloudways, WP Engine, SiteGround, Kinsta. Cost: $5-$30/mo on shared, $30-$100/mo on managed. You need hosting + a domain before installing Reign.
mu-plugin: "Must-use" plugins - a WordPress concept for plugins that auto-activate. Used in advanced setups. Not relevant for most Reign buyers.
Child theme: A WordPress mechanism for customizing a theme without modifying the parent. Reign ships with a child theme starter at github.com/wbcomdesigns/reign-child for custom code.
WP-CLI: The WordPress command-line tool. Used by developers + the Wbcom team for fast bulk operations. Not required for typical setup.
WP REST API: WordPress's built-in JSON API. Used by Reign sites that pair with mobile apps or external integrations. Most buyers do not interact with it directly.

Community shapes (what you build)

The eight community types Reign supports. Each maps to a specific add-on + kit combo.

Course community: A community where members take paid or free courses + interact around them. Built on Reign + LearnDash / LifterLMS / Tutor LMS + BuddyPress. Use LearnMate or Reign Tutor LMS kit.
Multi-vendor marketplace: A site where multiple sellers list products and the platform takes a cut. Built on Reign + Dokan / WC Vendors / WCFM + WooCommerce. Use a StoreMate kit.
Job board: A site where employers post jobs and members apply. Built on Reign + WP Job Manager + BuddyPress. Use JobMate kit.
Business directory: A site listing businesses, services, or locations. Built on Reign + GeoDirectory + BuddyPress. Use Reign GeoDirectory kit.
Membership site: A site behind a paywall. Built on Reign + MemberPress / PMP + BuddyPress for the community layer.
Enterprise intranet: A private community for employees. Built on Reign + BuddyPress + single sign-on plugin.
Private community: A members-only community (paid or invite-only). Built on Reign + BuddyPress in private mode.
Coaching platform: A site for solo coaches selling courses + 1:1 calls. Built on Reign + Tutor LMS + Amelia booking + BuddyPress.

Licensing terms

How Reign licenses work in plain English.

1 site license: You can run Reign on ONE production WordPress site. Staging + local dev sites do not count. Renews annually for the annual tier; one-time for lifetime.
5 site license (Pro): You can run Reign on up to 5 production sites. The "Most popular" tier - sized for agencies or buyers running a network of related communities.
Unlimited license (Agency): You can run Reign on unlimited production sites under your management. For agencies + integrators.
Annual: Renews every year at the same price. Includes 1 year of updates + support. Stops getting updates if you do not renew.
Lifetime: Pay once. Updates + support included forever. Roughly pays for itself in 2.5 years vs annual on the same tier.
Activation: The process of pasting your license key into the Reign theme settings. Unlocks updates + support. Done once per site.

Still confused?

If a term is missing from this glossary or the definition did not land, email support@wbcomdesigns.com. The Wbcom team adds entries based on real questions.

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