Rumors about popular platforms losing popularity are common. CanadaCreate has been established for over a decade, and occasionally, we encounter assertions that WordPress is declining or on the verge of being overshadowed by newer website builders.
If you’re currently using WordPress for your website or considering it for a new project, these rumors may cause you concern. It’s completely understandable to question whether WordPress will continue to be the optimal choice in the future.
We can assure you that WordPress is very much alive, and we continue to utilize it for all our business websites.
In this article, we will examine the current status of WordPress and directly address these rumors. We will present facts, statistics, and expert insights to demonstrate that there is no validity to the claim that WordPress is dying.
What Fuels the Rumors of WordPress Decline?
Some individuals are spreading misinformation to dissuade you from creating a WordPress website. They might make assertions on social media platforms like Twitter or Reddit that WordPress is failing, or even write entire blog posts about it.
It’s difficult to understand their motives. Perhaps witnessing the immense success of WordPress leads them to question how long it can sustain itself. Alternatively, they might be using a WordPress alternative that they believe is poised to dominate the market.
Despite various claims, the evidence shows that these rumors are unfounded. There is no sign that WordPress is losing popularity or that its dedicated users are planning to leave.
Let’s take a detailed look at the current state of WordPress to determine if there are any valid reasons to think it is in decline. You can use the quick links below to navigate to different sections of our article:
- Analyzing WordPress Trends on Google
- WordPress Market Share Overview
- Current State of WordPress Security
- Recent Updates in WordPress
- Overview of WordPress Plugins
- Current Trends in WordPress Themes
- The WordPress Economy Explained
- Insights into CanadaCreate and Awesome Motive
Analyzing WordPress Trends on Google
We will begin by examining the search volume for WordPress. This is a crucial starting point as these statistics are often cited as proof of a decline in interest.
Here is a graph from Google Trends illustrating the search interest in WordPress from 2004 to the present.
This graph indicates that there was a remarkable spike in search interest for WordPress around 2014, but it also shows that interest remains strong today.
The graph above doesn’t provide a complete picture. To clarify, we’ve included a version of the same graph that features some of the leading alternatives to WordPress.
The data shows that WordPress has significantly higher search interest compared to any other content management system (CMS).
Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in searches for alternatives like Wix and Shopify, which are often seen as more user-friendly for beginners.
However, many users eventually find these platforms limiting in terms of customization and the inability to host their websites on personal servers. For more details, check out our comparisons of Wix vs. WordPress and Shopify vs. WooCommerce.
WordPress Market Share
Having examined search volume, you might be curious about the actual number of websites using WordPress and how it stacks up against other web platforms.
In summary, WordPress is the clear leader in the market, with no other platform coming close.
Currently, over 43% of all websites utilize WordPress as their content management system, totaling approximately 810 million websites. Additionally, WordPress commands nearly 63% of the global CMS market share.
WordPress is utilized by many leading companies, with 38% of the top 10,000 websites relying on its platform. Notable brands like Disney, Sony, and Facebook host their websites on WordPress.
This graph from W3Techs illustrates the significant market share held by WordPress.
You can observe that websites without a content management system (represented by the green line) have been consistently declining. In contrast, the adoption of WordPress (shown by the red line) has been steadily increasing, while other content management systems show minimal presence on the graph.
For instance, Shopify ranks as the second most popular platform, powering only about 4.5% of all websites, while Wix invests heavily in marketing yet only supports 2.9% of sites.
WordPress remains robust and thriving, making it unlikely that over 43% of website owners who have intentionally chosen WordPress will suddenly decide to switch.
Understanding WordPress Security
Due to its significant market share, WordPress is frequently targeted by hackers, DDoS attacks, malware, and trojans.
The positive aspect is that WordPress undergoes thorough security audits, making it more secure than many other platforms.
Website security should never be overlooked. According to statistics from Sucuri, a prominent website security firm, approximately 97% of hacks on WordPress sites happen when owners neglect to implement safe security practices.
- 39% of compromised WordPress websites were running outdated versions of the software. Therefore, it’s crucial to always keep your WordPress installation up to date.
- Almost 50% of WordPress sites face security vulnerabilities due to outdated or poorly coded plugins or themes.
- About 8% of WordPress sites were breached because of weak passwords.
You can enhance the security of your WordPress site by adhering to essential security best practices. For detailed guidance, check out our comprehensive WordPress security guide, which provides step-by-step instructions.
The Current Status of WordPress Updates
Since its launch in 2004, WordPress has undergone regular updates to introduce new features and maintain an up-to-date user interface.
As an open-source project, WordPress is supported by a worldwide community of users, allowing anyone to contribute in various ways.
- The WordPress translation community has successfully translated the CMS into over 50 languages and has partially translated it into more than 200 languages.
- WordPress communities globally host numerous WordCamps annually, along with thousands of meetups across different countries.
- There are many WordPress groups on Facebook, with CanadaCreate Engage being the largest, boasting over 98,000 members.
The development team issues updates multiple times a year, including WordPress 6.7, launched in November 2024. These updates may feature bug fixes, security enhancements, and new functionalities.
Notable past updates include the Gutenberg block editor, which simplifies adding new elements to blog posts through blocks. The full site editor allows for similar customization of themes, while the command palette tool enhances productivity by enabling quick task execution via keyboard shortcuts.
Each year, the platform grows more powerful and user-friendly. Check out our article on the evolution of the WordPress user interface to see how modern the latest interface has become.
In addition to the new features within WordPress itself, you can enhance functionality further by utilizing plugins.
The State of WordPress Plugins
The primary reason for WordPress’s widespread popularity is its extensive plugin ecosystem. No other web platform offers as many options.
Plugins function like applications for your WordPress site, allowing you to enhance its features and capabilities. For more information, check out our comprehensive guide on WordPress plugins and their functionalities.
The WordPress.org Plugin Directory boasts over 59,000 free plugins. Currently, the top 61 plugins are utilized on more than 1 million websites, with 9 of these plugins being installed on over 5 million sites.
A thriving plugin ecosystem enables you to incorporate customized features into your website at a significantly lower cost compared to bespoke development.
You can find free WordPress plugins for nearly every type of website functionality, such as contact forms, membership sales, landing page creation, and SEO enhancement.
No matter what feature you want to integrate into your WordPress site, there is likely a plugin available to fulfill your needs.
The Current Landscape of WordPress Themes
Themes dictate the visual design of a WordPress website. They are specialized web design templates that can be installed to modify your site’s appearance.
The WordPress theme ecosystem is incredibly diverse, with thousands of both free and premium themes available, providing users with countless combinations of designs, layouts, color palettes, and features.
The free theme directory on WordPress.org features over 10,000 complimentary WordPress themes.
In addition, there are numerous outstanding premium themes available, such as Divi. You can also create your own custom theme using SeedProd. No other content management system provides the same level of customization as WordPress.
The WordPress Economy
Although WordPress itself is free, it has fostered a vibrant, multi-billion-dollar ecosystem that generates thousands of jobs worldwide. This includes freelancers, developers, and businesses that offer WordPress-related products and services.
For further information, check out our article on career opportunities in WordPress.
Currently, there are thousands of WordPress job openings listed on various popular freelancing platforms and job boards. The average hourly wage for WordPress developers ranges from $20 to $100, depending on their skills and the specific job requirements.
Numerous small and large businesses, agencies, and developers are engaged in selling WordPress-related products. You can explore our list of the most influential WordPress businesses and what they offer.
These companies are deeply invested in WordPress and play a significant role in its ongoing success.
The Current Status of CanadaCreate and Awesome Motive
At CanadaCreate and our parent company, Awesome Motive, we depend on WordPress for our success. We firmly believe that WordPress is thriving and remains the top choice for building your website.
This is why we produce CanadaCreate tutorials, YouTube videos, and premium WordPress video courses to empower small businesses to grow and compete with larger companies.
We also develop a variety of plugins and tools, including All in One SEO, SeedProd, MonsterInsights, and WPForms, enabling you to create a successful website that meets all your needs.
Thanks to our incredible community, CanadaCreate and Awesome Motive have experienced consistent growth year after year.
In 2022, we achieved a significant milestone by being featured on the NASDAQ billboard in Times Square after surpassing 20 million active installs of our products.
That was a remarkable achievement, but we soon celebrated an even greater milestone. In 2023, we were featured on the NASDAQ billboard once more for exceeding 25 million active installs of our products.
We continued to exceed expectations. By the end of 2024, we achieved the impressive goal of 30 million active installs for our products.
Our confidence in WordPress has never been stronger. We continue to invest in WordPress and expand our team, which now includes over 330 members across more than 50 countries. We believe that WordPress’s success will only continue to grow, and we are excited to be part of this journey.
We hope this tutorial has reassured you that WordPress is thriving. You may also want to check out our guide on the costs of building a WordPress website, as well as our expert recommendations for the best WordPress hosting to help you launch your own site.
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