WORDPRESS

WordPress is the open-source content management system that powers roughly 40% of the entire web. Self-hosted WordPress (from wordpress.org) is free software you install on your own hosting plan; WordPress.com is the hosted version run by Automattic that you pay monthly to use. Around the open-source project sits a large managed-WordPress hosting industry (Kinsta, WP Engine, Pressable, Flywheel) that optimises servers, caching, security and updates specifically for WordPress and removes the system-administration work. Plugins, themes and a global developer community make it the most extensible CMS in mainstream use.

How it works

WordPress is PHP and MySQL: a content editor and admin in the browser, a theme system for design, a plugin system for functionality, and a REST and GraphQL API for headless use. Modern WordPress also supports the block editor (Gutenberg) and full-site editing.

Why it matters

For content-led sites, blogs, brochure sites, magazines, small e-commerce stores, WordPress is the default and remains hard to beat on cost, customisation and ecosystem. The trade is the operational burden of updates, security and performance, which is why managed WordPress hosting exists.

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Frequently Asked Questions