"So...what's going on with WordPress?"
This is a question I've heard a ton over the last few months. Whispers have been going around that something is amiss with WordPress - but even if you've missed the drama, you may have noticed that something is...off. Plugins are disconnecting sooner than expected, tools are conflicting with each other, and often websites are slowing down.
So...what's going on with WordPress? It's not one easy answer.
This is going to be a casual. And lenghty. Pull up a chair. Get comfy. Let's talk.
Obligatory disclaimer: The following information is not meant to demean, defame or disparage any individual or organization. Everything in this blog is based on publicly available information and my sources are cited at the end.
If we want to trace the current status of WordPress, we have to go back to September 2024. And a bit of an introduction to some important characters in this story.
You're probably already aware that WordPress is a free, open-source website management system (and arguably, the biggest in terms of users). Matt Mullenweg is the founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, the company that essentially owns WordPress. So, while WordPress and Mullenweg aren't the same, they are closely related.
There are also two main flavors of WordPress - wordpress.com is owned and run by Automattic as a paid, all-inclusive system. The second, and far more popular version, is found at wordpress.org, is open-source and requires separate hosting. That's the one we're discussing today.
As an open-source system, the functionality of a site on WordPress relies on tools developed by third-party companies. These most often take the form of plugins, and they add functionality into WordPress that's not available by default or is extremely limited - such as website templates, security plugins, SEO tools, backup tools and more.
WP Engine is a major third-party player in the WordPress scene. They are a massive hosting company that also provides tools to build and manage your website. This includes custom themes, plug-ins and other WordPress tools. According to their website, they have 185K+ customers that currently use their tools, including some major names like Soundcloud, National Geographic and Dropbox. I believe it, too - we run into WP Engine all the time when we help clients with their WordPress sites.
Remember - WordPress is open-source by design, so the use of these tools is all above-board and legal.
In mid September, WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg published a blog post critiquing WP Engine. "Critiquing" is the gentlest word. He opens the post by pointing out the naming and branding similarities between WordPress and WP Engine and criticizes their entire business model before he moves in for the kill.
You can read the full statement on his blog, but the core of his issues with WP Engine seems to be how they automatically disable the revision feature within WordPress - this is a built-in functionality that saves previous versions of a piece of content. It can be re-enabled, but it has to be done so manually.
And...then he says:
What WP Engine gives you is not WordPress, it’s something that they’ve chopped up, hacked, butchered to look like WordPress, but actually they’re giving you a cheap knock-off and charging you more for it.
This is one of the many reasons they are a cancer to WordPress, and it’s important to remember that unchecked, cancer will spread. WP Engine is setting a poor standard that others may look at and think is ok to replicate. We must set a higher standard to ensure WordPress is here for the next 100 years. [...] Remember that you, the customer, hold the power; they are nothing without the money you give them. And as you vote with your dollars, consider literally any other WordPress host as WP Engine is the only one we’ve found that completely disables revisions by default.
This quickly got back to WP Engine, who sent a cease-and-desist letter back in response. In a public post on X announcing they had sent the cease-and-desist along with a link for the public to read it, they asked CEO Matt Mullenweg to "stop making and retract false, harmful and disparaging statements against WP Engine. In response to misinformation he has disseminated about the letter, its purpose, and who it is directed at, we are making the full letter available here."
This action kicked off a series of back-and-forth social posts between Mulleweg and WP Engine, but the most important action (as far as WordPress functionality is concerned) came next.
WordPress blocked WP Engine from accessing the resources of WordPress.org. What this meant was that, functionally, a bunch of websites broke.
Any website that used WP Engine could no longer update plug-ins or themes. In some cases, this left websites open to security attacks. WP Engine is used by many small-to-medium sized businesses. This sudden shift left them scrambling and desperate.
After this action, there was even more back and forth between WP Engine and WordPress. WordPress temporarily lifted the ban on WP Engine on September 27, giving WP Engine until October 1 to access resources and make a plan.
Then a few weeks later, WordPress dealt WP Engine another serious blow.
Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) is a plugin created by WP Engine, and it's arguably one of their most-used tools. It's a tool used by developers to improve functionality within WordPress - it essentially allows you to use WP's blog functionality for other items you might want to list in an archive.
For example, a realtor's website may want an archive page to list all open properties, allowing users to click on specific properties and get more information, such as location, price, type, etc. ACF does that. We've used it many times for our clients at BizzyWeb.
WordPress plugins can be added to WordPress sites via the WordPress directory. Without warning and without their knowledge, WordPress forcibly took over the ACP plugin listing. Coding was kept the same, but the plugin was now titled "Secure Custom Fields" and the publisher listed as "Secure Custom Fields."
This is the only time this has happened in the history of WordPress.
ACF released a public statement to their customers with directions on how to secure their accounts, but clarified that they didn't give consent for this change and that they don't recommend WordPress users download the current version on the WordPress directory, as the ACF Code is no longer controlled by the ACF team.
Now that we've covered "what," let's get into the "what this means for your WordPress site."
Short version: plugins may start to break, may be removed without warning and/or may conflict with other plugins that they previously worked with.
Obviously, customers who use WP Engine have already been impacted and will likely continue to be impacted. But this also goes for customers who use any plug-ins or themes that WP Engine has developed. With the ACF situation, the possibility of these other plugins losing access to WordPress or being otherwise mutated can't be ruled out. This includes several popular plugins (including ones BizzyWeb has used on our sites):
Beyond just WP Engine though, this may impact other plugins and integrations within WordPress. The battle between WordPress and WP Engine has been very public and heated. The treatment of WP Engine by WordPress has made other organizations and developers question their trust in WordPress as a whole. It's too early to call it for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see organizations that develop plugins for WordPress preemptively pull away and focus on other website management systems.
If you're still using WordPress, it might be time to consider switching to something else. We develop websites in both WordPress and HubSpot. I'm strongly recommending that all of our WordPress clients seriously look at HubSpot as an alternative.
Related Content: HubSpot vs WordPress: Which is Better?
This situation is ongoing and constantly updating. A few days ago as of this writing, WP Engine filed a preliminary injunction against WordPress that was granted. This gives some of the power back to WP Engine and at least means that right now their tools are still functional on the WordPress sites that have them installed. I'll be keeping tabs on the situation. Right now, if you asked me for my honest opinion on what to do with WordPress, I'd say...
If you’re considering HubSpot, you’ll still be doing some research. Check out our Content Hub Buyer’s Guide to get into more of the nitty-gritty deets you need. This comparison guide includes:
I hope I've given you helpful context as you make your CMS comparisons, and the Buyer’s Guide will give you that next level of information. You can also (of course) contact me directly if you’re interested in learning more about HubSpot or WordPress.
BizzyWeb is a Minneapolis-based digital marketing and web design agency that helps companies get the high-quality leads they need to grow and thrive. Our tactics include inbound marketing, SEO, advertising, web design, content creation and sales automation. We are an accredited HubSpot Platinum Partner and we offer full-service HubSpot onboarding, enablement and strategy for new and current users.References:
The WordPress vs. WP Engine drama, explained - TechCrunch.
The messy WordPress drama, explained - The Verge.
WP Engine is not WordPress - WordPress News.
ACF Plugin no longer available on WordPress.org - ACF.
The hostile takeover of the Advanced Custom Fields plugin, hurts developers trust - Coen Jacobs
Order on Motion for Preliminary Injunction – #64 in WPEngine, Inc. v. Automattic Inc. (N.D. Cal., 3:24-cv-06917).
Federal judge slaps down Automattic, granting temporary injunction to WP Engine in ongoing WordPress squabble - ComputerWorld.