There have been some conflicts raised between WordPress and the hosting company that supports WordPress websites, WP Engine. This conflict has affected the WordPress business users and has raised concerns among developers and advocates. Similarweb conducted an analysis to find out why this conflict has started.
One of the main reasons is the downturn in traffic on WordPress.com and WPEngine.com, plus both of these platforms are fighting for competitors. Many developers love using WordPress and it is the world’s most popular web content management system. But even with the extensibility of the platform, its market shares aren't doing good. There have also been some alternatives to WordPress like Squarespace and Wix which are more simpler to use than WordPress.
WordPress is an open source platform which is led by CEO Matt Mullenweg who also founded WordPress Foundation. Last month, Matt Mullenweg said that WP Engine is a cancer to WordPress. He added that WP Engine is misusing their trademark and isn't supporting their open-source project. This dispute has started a debate on for-profit and non-profit/open-source versions of WordPress.
According to Similarweb, there was a 19% YoY decrease in traffic on WordPress.com and WPEngine.com in August 2024. There was a -16.3% YoY decrease in traffic on WordPress.com in the first eight months of 2024, while there was a -8.6% decrease in the traffic on WPEngine.com in the first eight months of 2024. In comparison, Wix and Squarespace were doing better, with 2% and 5% YoY traffic increase respectively.
The traffic on shopping and buying pages of WordPress.com and WPEngine.com also decreased a lot with -8.69% on WordPress and -38.76% on WPEngine. There was a 28.8% decrease in traffic on the main domain of WordPress.org too.
Image: DIW-Aigen
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One of the main reasons is the downturn in traffic on WordPress.com and WPEngine.com, plus both of these platforms are fighting for competitors. Many developers love using WordPress and it is the world’s most popular web content management system. But even with the extensibility of the platform, its market shares aren't doing good. There have also been some alternatives to WordPress like Squarespace and Wix which are more simpler to use than WordPress.
WordPress is an open source platform which is led by CEO Matt Mullenweg who also founded WordPress Foundation. Last month, Matt Mullenweg said that WP Engine is a cancer to WordPress. He added that WP Engine is misusing their trademark and isn't supporting their open-source project. This dispute has started a debate on for-profit and non-profit/open-source versions of WordPress.
According to Similarweb, there was a 19% YoY decrease in traffic on WordPress.com and WPEngine.com in August 2024. There was a -16.3% YoY decrease in traffic on WordPress.com in the first eight months of 2024, while there was a -8.6% decrease in the traffic on WPEngine.com in the first eight months of 2024. In comparison, Wix and Squarespace were doing better, with 2% and 5% YoY traffic increase respectively.
The traffic on shopping and buying pages of WordPress.com and WPEngine.com also decreased a lot with -8.69% on WordPress and -38.76% on WPEngine. There was a 28.8% decrease in traffic on the main domain of WordPress.org too.
Read next:
• PayPal Makes Silent Change To Its Sharing User Data Policy And It’s Set On Default
• Instagram and Facebook See Decline in Publisher Engagement, Says Study
• The Smartphone With the Longest Battery Life Will Surprise You — iPhone Didn’t Take the Top Spot!
