Free vs PRO
Understand the key differences between Stemplates Free and Stemplates PRO, and which version is right for you.
Stemplates comes in two versions. The Free version is the core resolution engine — lightweight, non-destructive, and works entirely through a naming convention. PRO replaces the naming convention with zero-configuration auto-discovery and adds a full interactive management suite in the ProcessWire admin.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Stemplates Free | Stemplates PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Subfolder template resolution | Yes | Yes |
| Resolution method | Naming convention (folder_template → folder/template.php) |
Auto-discovery — move the file anywhere and PRO finds it |
| Admin dashboard | Read-only directory tree | Interactive management UI |
| Inline path editor (move files via UI) | No | Yes |
| Folder descriptions / notes | No | Yes |
Stemplates Free
The free version hooks into ProcessWire's template resolution and redirects file lookups based on a naming convention in the admin.
Name your template with an underscore in Setup → Templates:
blog_post→ resolves toblog/post.phpaccount_login→ resolves toaccount/login.phpevents_booking_confirm→ resolves toevents/booking/confirm.php
Hyphens are ignored — a template named blog-post stays in the root as blog-post.php.
An admin page at Setup → Stemplates shows a read-only view of your template tree — which files are resolved, which are missing on disk, and which are falling back to the flat root.
Stemplates PRO
PRO is a standalone module that replaces the naming convention entirely with disk-driven auto-discovery. Instead of reading the template name, it scans /site/templates/ at the start of each request, matches template files by basename, and tells ProcessWire where each file lives.
This means:
- No naming conventions or template renames required
- Move a file between requests and PRO follows it automatically
- A cached mapping in module config keeps the runtime fast
The PRO admin page (Setup → Template Folders) lets you type a folder path next to any template and PRO will create the folder and physically move the file for you — no FTP or code editor needed.
Running Both Together
You can install both modules simultaneously. PRO takes precedence for any template it has a disk-scan match for. Free handles the rest via its naming convention. Uninstalling either module leaves the other working exactly as before.