Jetpack is a set of plugins developed by Automattic to bring WordPress.com functionality to WordPress.org users. Despite the fact that it is one of the most downloaded plugins in the directory, many do not like the way it forces users to connect with WordPress.com to use modules that have no need for the API. Until you connect, the plugin shows an annoying banner through out your dashboard. Not to mention that a lot of these modules worked just fine in the past without the authentication until those plugins were merged into Jetpack. This was the reason why we forked the Carousel element and released Carousel without Jetpack plugin. Well if you are one of the users who are annoyed by these marketing gimmicks, and you want other features than just the carousel, then you would love this. In this article we will show you how to get Jetpack features without a WordPress.com account using Slim JetPack.

First thing you need to do is install and activate Slim Jetpack plugin. Slim Jetpack is developed and maintained by Howard Mei as an independent fork of Jetpack. It is not maintained or developed by Automattic even though the plugins directory mentions Automattic as an author.

After activating the plugin, go to Settings » Slim Jetpack. There you will see available modules. You can selectively activate the modules you need, and you do not need WordPress.com account to activate these modules.

Slim Jetpack plugin supports the following modules:

• Carousel
• Sharing
• Spelling and Grammar
• Gravatar Hovercards
• Contact Form
• Tiled Galleries
• WP.me Shortlinks
• Shortcode Embeds
• Custom CSS
• Mobile Theme
• Beautiful Math
• Extra Sidebar Widgets
• Infinite Scroll

Slim Jetpack is not compatible with Jetpack so you can not use the two plugins together. If you need the Subscription module, WordPress.com Stats, or other modules that rely on WordPress.com API, then you have to use Jetpack instead.

While Jetpack is an awesome set of plugins, the marketing part makes it extremely annoying. But the beauty of open source is that people can build upon it. Slim Jetpack is an excellent alternative for users who want majority of Jetpack’s modules without connecting to WordPress.com. What are your thoughts on this issue? Would you be using this on your site?