A: That’s a fair question.

To be completely transparent: given the current level of AI-assisted development and the maturity of the WordPress ecosystem, for simple UI enhancements like a reading progress indicator, it is often more practical not to buy a commercial plugin at all.

In many cases, generating a small, purpose-built script tailored to a specific website’s design and requirements is a better solution than installing a universal, highly flexible plugin. This approach avoids unnecessary overhead and gives full control over behavior and appearance.

So yes — if your goal is just a basic reading progress bar, there may indeed be no strong reason to purchase Reading Indicator. The plugin is offered mainly for users who explicitly prefer a ready-made, supported solution rather than custom implementation.

I appreciate the honest comparison and the question.