Buyer Guide

How to install and manage free and paid Claude plugins from creator storefronts.

Prerequisites

  • Claude Code installed
  • Node.js (v18+) — includes npm, which SkillStack uses to deliver plugin packages

Quick Start

1. Install SkillStack (one-time)

/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/SkillStacks/skillstack.git

/plugin install skillstack@skillstack-marketplace

Select "Install for you (user scope)" when prompted. Restart Claude Code.

2. Install a plugin

  • Free or freemium plugin — run /activate-license (skip the license key step) to configure the registry, then /install-plugin to add the storefront and install. No license key needed.
  • Paid plugin — run /activate-license, paste your license key, and follow the prompts to install.

Restart Claude Code when done — skills are available after restart.

How It Works

1. Install SkillStack

SkillStack is a free plugin that handles setup, installation, and updates for paid plugins. Install it once:

/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/SkillStacks/skillstack.git

/plugin install skillstack@skillstack-marketplace

When prompted, select "Install for you (user scope)" — the first and recommended option. Restart Claude Code.

2. Install a plugin

For free or freemium plugins:

/activate-license

Skip the license key when prompted — this configures the SkillStack registry (required for all installs). Then:

/install-plugin

Claude walks you through adding the creator's storefront and installing the plugin. Freemium plugins give you the free skills automatically — you can upgrade later if you want the full set.

For paid plugins:

/activate-license

This configures your system and walks you through everything:

  1. Configures the SkillStack registry
  2. Validates your license key and auto-detects which plugin it's for
  3. Provides the exact commands to add the creator's storefront and install the plugin

Follow Claude's instructions to install the plugin, then restart Claude Code.

  • Multi-license plugins — multiple purchase options (e.g., one-time or lifetime); SkillStack auto-detects which you purchased
  • Additional keys — run /activate-license again anytime to activate more keys
  • Already have SkillStack configured? You can skip /activate-license and go straight to adding storefronts and installing

After installation

  • Restart Claude Code after installing for skills to take effect
  • No runtime license checks — once installed, plugins work offline
  • Plugins persist locally across sessions

Updating Plugins

There are two kinds of updates to be aware of:

What How it's updated What it affects
SkillStack plugin Claude Code marketplace update (git-based) The /activate-license, /install-plugin, /update-plugins skills
Creator plugins npm registry via SkillStack Worker The plugins you purchased or installed for free

Enable auto-updates (recommended)

By default, third-party marketplaces (including creator storefronts) do not auto-update. To enable:

  1. Run /plugin to open the plugin manager
  2. Go to the Marketplaces tab
  3. Select the storefront
  4. Choose Enable auto-update

With auto-update enabled, Claude checks for updates at startup.

Check for updates manually

For creator plugins (paid or free plugins distributed via SkillStack):

/update-plugins

For all plugins (including the SkillStack plugin itself):

/plugin marketplace update <storefront-name>

Apply updates

Run /update-plugins and follow the prompts — it handles the update process for SkillStack-distributed plugins.

How updates work behind the scenes

When a creator pushes an update:

  1. Creator bumps the version in their source repo and pushes
  2. SkillStack Worker receives the webhook, syncs the new version, and clears the cached tarball
  3. Your next update check sees the new version is available
  4. You run /update-plugins — it fetches the new version from the SkillStack registry

Update behavior by license

License Model Update Behavior
Free Always updates to latest
Subscription Updates while subscription is active
Lifetime All future updates included
One-Time Locked to the version you purchased

Note: If a plugin offers multiple license types, your specific purchase determines your update access. For example, if a plugin offers both one-time and lifetime options and you purchased one-time, you're locked to your purchased version — even though lifetime buyers get all updates.

Multi-License Plugins

Some plugins offer multiple purchase options — for example, a one-time purchase (locked to the version at purchase time) alongside a lifetime license (all future updates included).

How it works

  1. The creator sets up multiple options in their payment provider
  2. You purchase whichever option you prefer from the creator's payment page
  3. You activate your license key via /activate-license — SkillStack auto-detects which option you purchased
  4. Your access is enforced based on your specific purchase, not the plugin's default model

What you see

When you install a multi-license plugin, the install flow shows the available options:

This plugin offers multiple purchase options:
  - One-time: Access to the current version (v2.0.0). Future updates not included.
  - Lifetime: All current and future updates included.

After activation, setup confirms which license type was detected:

License activated for my-plugin (lifetime — all future updates included).

Upgrading from one-time to lifetime

  1. Purchase a lifetime license from the creator
  2. Run /activate-license and activate the new key
  3. Run /update-plugins to get the latest version

Free and Freemium Plugins

Free plugins are fully open — install them and get everything, no license key needed.

Freemium plugins include a free tier with a subset of skills. When you install a freemium plugin without a license key:

  • You get the free skills automatically — no error, no license needed
  • All non-skill files (hooks, output styles, MCP config) are included
  • Premium skills are excluded from the install until you activate a license

To upgrade a freemium plugin to the full version, purchase a license from the creator, run /activate-license to activate your key, then uninstall and reinstall the plugin:

/plugin uninstall <plugin-name>@<storefront-name>
/plugin install <plugin-name>@<storefront-name>

The reinstall fetches the full plugin with all premium skills included.

Managing License Keys

Activating a new key

Run /activate-license and follow the prompts. If you already have purchased plugins, the new key is linked to your existing account automatically.

When a subscription lapses

  • New installs or updates will fail — renew your subscription with the creator
  • Already-installed plugins continue to work (they're local files)
  • No new key or token needed after renewing

One-time purchases

Creators choose between two models:

  • Lifetime — your purchase includes all future updates
  • One-Time — your purchase covers the version at time of purchase; newer versions require a new purchase

Troubleshooting

Symptom Fix
401 Unauthorized Run /activate-license to configure and activate your license key
403 Forbidden Your subscription may have lapsed — renew with the creator
403 + "no access to this plugin" You have a SkillStack token but haven't activated a license for this specific plugin — run /activate-license to activate
Plugin not found Make sure you've added the creator's storefront (/plugin marketplace add) and installed SkillStack (/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/SkillStacks/skillstack.git)
Skills not appearing Restart Claude Code after installing a plugin
Setup seems broken Re-run /activate-license — it's safe to run multiple times
"Key already activated for [other plugin]" Each license key can only be used for one plugin. Check your purchase confirmation for the correct key, or contact the plugin creator.