Ian Stewart will lead customer experience at WordPress.com, utilizing his 14 years of experience on the WordPress.com team and a passion for themes.
WORDPRESS
20 Must-Know WordPress Stats Defining the Leading Platform in 2024
I’ve always enjoyed dabbling in illustration, and at one point, I had a WordPress blog to showcase my artwork. Back then, I didn’t really think much about how big of an impact WordPress had on the web— I was just focused on sharing my art. Recently, however, I started wondering just how many people actually use WordPress and what kind of influence it has across the internet.
Knowing these numbers can be pretty useful, not just for big businesses or marketers but for anyone who uses the platform. Whether you’re a creator like me or someone looking to build an online presence, understanding WordPress stats can help you stay ahead of trends and make better decisions.
So, let’s examine 20 WordPress stats that are shaping 2024.
WordPress Usage
1. Almost half of the world’s websites use WordPress
WordPress powers a massive 43.4% of all websites, making it the dominant platform in the web development space. It’s popular because it’s flexible, easy to use, and open-source, making it simple for both beginners and pros to build websites fast. Plus, its huge library of themes, plugins, and active community make it an excellent choice for all kinds of sites, from blogs to online stores.
2. WordPress rules the CMS market share
WordPress dominates the content management system (CMS) market with a huge 62.5% share. Its simple setup, wide range of features, and ability to adapt to sites of all sizes have solidified its position as the top choice for many users.
3. WordPress 6.6 is leading the Pack
WordPress 6.6 has been downloaded over 79 million times, making it the most used version to date. This is obviously due to its version’s improved features, performance boosts, and security updates, which encourage users to upgrade. Its widespread adoption also reflects how WordPress consistently meets user expectations with every new release.
4. WordPress powers a fourth of the top 10,000 websites
WordPress holds a solid 25.38% share among the top 10,000 websites worldwide. This indicates that even highly visited and complex sites trust WordPress. Its ability to handle heavy traffic and advanced features shows it’s not just for small blogs but also a favorite among major players.
5. Top languages in WordPress
English dominates WordPress with 71% of users, followed by Spanish at 4.7%, and Indonesian at 2.4%. This indicates that WordPress has a strong global presence but remains most popular in English-speaking regions. The platform’s multilingual support likely helps attract users from non-English-speaking countries.
6. Number of people who visit WordPress sites every month
Every month, over 409 million people land on WordPress sites. This highlights its widespread use and popularity across different types of websites worldwide.
7. Monthly page views on WordPress
With more than 20 billion page views each month, WordPress handles a massive amount of traffic. This shows how heavily the platform is relied upon for hosting and delivering content.
8. New posts created monthly on WordPress
WordPress users create around 70 million new posts each month. This highlights how actively people use the platform to share fresh content, from personal blogs to professional articles.
Every month, 77 million new comments are made on WordPress sites. This level of interaction shows strong community engagement and the platform’s ability to foster conversations between content creators and their audiences.
10. WordPress User Intent
According to a Q4 2023 WordPress survey, 55.1% of users use the platform for personal or passion projects, showing it remains a favorite for individual content creators. Meanwhile, 48.8% of users build sites as services for clients, demonstrating the platform’s popularity among freelancers and agencies. Another 43.1% use it to run their businesses, reflecting WordPress’s role as a strong business tool.
Interestingly, 36.7% use it for their employer or place of work, proving it’s also trusted in professional environments. Fewer users, around 13.7%, focus on school or academic purposes, and 8.1% of respondents said none of the above, which could indicate niche or alternative uses.
WordPress Commerce
11. WooCommerce dominates the ecommerce world
WooCommerce powers approximately 36.18% of active eCommerce stores based on the provided data. This is likely due to its seamless integration with WordPress, which is widely used for websites. Its customizable features and vast plugin library allow businesses to tailor their stores without heavy upfront costs. Additionally, it’s user-friendly for beginners yet powerful enough for larger businesses. This balance of affordability and scalability makes it a popular choice.
12. WooCommerce sees strong growth in 2024 Q2
WooCommerce saw a 46% year-over-year increase in active stores in Q2 2024. The surge suggests more businesses are choosing WooCommerce for its affordability and integration with WordPress.
13. Top product categories for WooCommerce stores in 2024
Home & Garden products are the most popular category for WooCommerce stores, with 5.3% of stores selling these items. Apparel follows closely at 4.8%, while Business & Industrial products account for 3.7%.
WordPress Plugins
14. WordPress’s plugin collection continues to grow
WordPress now has over 59,000 plugins that allow users to add features like SEO tools, security, and eCommerce functions. These plugins make it easy to customize websites without needing advanced coding skills.
15. Most popular WordPress plugins
In a 2023 survey, the most used WordPress plugin is Yoast SEO, with 23.3% usage, leading over the others. Close behind is the Classic Editor, with 18.4%, followed by WooCommerce at 17.3%, which is also highly popular.
Wordfence rounds out the top four with 15.6%, showing solid use among WordPress users. These plugins are favored for WordPress SEO, editing, e-commerce, and security, reflecting their importance in website management.
WordPress Themes
16. WordPress theme variety
WordPress offers over 12,000 free themes, providing users with a wide array of options for building and customizing their websites. In addition to this extensive collection, other marketplaces and platforms offer premium themes with advanced features and designs.
17. Top WordPress themes among the top 1 million websites
Hello Elementor continues to dominate with 14,452 websites, representing 1.45% of the top 1 million websites. Astra Theme follows with 10,904 websites, holding a 1.09% market share. Divi is close behind, powering 10,782 websites, securing a 1.08% share.
WordPress Security
18. Security vulnerabilities in WordPress
According to research by Sucuri, 60.04% of analyzed websites had at least one backdoor, while 52.6% contained some form of SEO spam. Notably, 95.62% of these compromised websites were running on WordPress, highlighting the platform’s large user base and potential security risks if not properly managed.
19. Malware targeting WordPress security plugins
Research published in 2023 by Snicco & WeWatchYourWebsite revealed that up to 14% of malware tampers with WordFence, the most popular WordPress security plugin. Hackers often exploit old or unsupported plugins to gain access to websites. These outdated plugins may contain unpatched vulnerabilities, making it easier for attackers to inject malicious code or bypass security measures.
20. Increase in abandoned WordPress plugins and themes
In 2023, the Patchstack team reported 827 abandoned plugins and themes to the WordPress team, a significant increase from the 147 reported in 2022. Of these, 58.16% were permanently removed from the plugin repository, emphasizing the growing issue of outdated and unsupported plugins on the platform.
Wrapping up
The latest WordPress statistics paint a vivid picture of why it continues to reign as the go-to platform for businesses and individuals worldwide. Its unparalleled reach, endless customization options, and vibrant community make it a top choice for creating everything from personal blogs to dynamic, high-traffic websites.
Yet, with such widespread popularity comes the inevitable downside—WordPress is also a frequent target for cyberattacks. Fortunately, the platform continuously evolves, offering robust security updates and a vast array of plugins to safeguard against threats.
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What is PHP? A Thorough Explanation for Absolute Beginners – WordPress.com News
If you find yourself diving deeper into the topic of WordPress, content management systems, and websites, a term you will quickly stumble upon is “PHP.” You will likely hear how crucial PHP is for the Internet and that it is what’s powering WordPress websites.
However, what exactly is PHP, and why is it so important?
The short answer is that it’s a general-purpose, server-side scripting language. That said, unless you are already knowledgeable in programming and web development, that probably doesn’t make things much clearer.
In order to help you better understand this topic, we’ll cover PHP in detail below. You’ll learn what PHP is, why it matters, and how it relates to WordPress and pretty much everything you do online. We promise you’ll be surprised to hear how much you likely rely on PHP every day.
- What is PHP? History, features, and benefits
- How PHP works: Creating dynamic web content
- PHP and WordPress: The CMS’ heart and soul
- PHP in everyday life: You rely on it more often than you think
- What is PHP? It is the web’s backbone
What is PHP? History, features, and benefits
The original developer of PHP was a Danish-Canadian programmer named Rasmus Lerdorf. He first created the language in the mid 1990s to build tools for his own website; that’s why PHP originally stood for “Personal Home Page.” Today, it stands for the recursive acronym “Hypertext Preprocessor” and development and support has been taken over by the PHP Group.
PHP features
PHP has some notable features, many of which are applicable to the way WordPress works:
Open Source: The first thing that is important to note is that, like WordPress, PHP is open source. That means it does not belong to any one business entity. It also means that it’s free to download and use for any purpose.
Also like WordPress, PHP is maintained by a number of volunteers around the world. The next major release, 8.4, will be available November 21, 2024.
Finally, both WordPress and PHP are community-funded––while WordPress has the WordPress Foundation, The PHP Foundation’s mission is to “ensure the long-term prosperity of the PHP language.” Automattic is a proud Platinum Sponsor of The PHP Foundation.
Server Side: PHP is a server-side language, which means it executes on the server and not in the user’s browser.
For example, PHP’s most frequent application is for creating HTML documents for websites. Even though there are PHP files on the server, the browser does not receive the PHP code; instead, it receives the finished HTML documents for display. This is different from client-side languages like JavaScript where the processing happens directly in the user’s browser after downloading the JavaScript files.
To make things clearer, server-side languages are a bit like going to a restaurant. You send an order to the kitchen, they prepare the meal, and it arrives at your table ready to eat. Client-side languages, on the other hand, are like meal-delivery services. While they provide you with all the necessary ingredients, you still have to put them together in your own kitchen.
General Purpose: PHP is also a general-purpose programming language. You can use it for command-line scripting, creating desktop applications, and more. However, its primary application is in web development.
Ubiquitous: According to W3Techs, the language is present on 75.7% of all websites. That includes some famous ones, as you will see below.
In addition, it forms the backbone of many content management systems like Drupal, Joomla!, and—the most popular of them all—WordPress.
PHP is one of the biggest open source success stories, as much of the modern Internet depends on it to work.
Benefits of PHP
You might be asking yourself why the usage of PHP is so widespread. There are many good reasons for that, but here are just a few:
- Beginner-Friendly: PHP is relatively easy for beginners to learn due to its intuitive syntax. There are also plenty of tools and frameworks available to make coding easier.
- Wide Community: The language has a vast and active community of developers worldwide. This means there are loads of online resources, forums, and other places where users can seek help and find ready-made solutions to common problems.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: PHP is compatible with popular operating systems, including Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Unix. It also works on various web servers such as Apache, NGINX, and Microsoft IIS.
- Database Connectivity: In addition, it works with a number of different database formats, such as MySQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, SQLite, Oracle, and more. PHP can execute SQL queries, retrieve, update and delete data, and handle database connections and transactions.
- Cost-Effective: As we have already learned, the programming language is free to use, distribute, and modify. That eliminates the need for expensive licensing fees and reduces development costs, making it an economical choice for web development projects.
- Scalability: PHP is capable of handling high traffic loads and can easily scale. You can use it together with caching techniques and other optimization strategies to enhance performance. Plus, it’s generally faster than some other programming languages, such as Python.
How PHP works: Creating dynamic web content
One of the main reasons why PHP is so popular for web development is that it seamlessly integrates with various technologies and services commonly used in this area. Examples include HTTP, POP3, IMAP, and more.
One of its main advantages is that it is highly compatible with HTML, the main language used to create and display websites. In fact, it’s possible to use PHP code in HTML files and vice versa.
Above you can see how both languages appear in the same file. The PHP markup is delineated by opening and closing brackets ( and ?>) so that the server knows where it ends and begins. However, the PHP code itself is inside an HTML element. The _e function is a WordPress function used for localization, which allows for easy translations across the WordPress software.
The main benefit of this is that using PHP allows web developers to display dynamic content in otherwise static web pages. For example, PHP is able to pull content directly from databases, making it great for templating. You can create a fixed layout for all web pages but then display different content depending on the page a user is on.
This is vastly different from pure HTML, where the content needs to be hard-coded in the page file in order for the browser to show it. PHP, on the other hand, can add it on the fly as needed. That’s one of the main benefits of this programming language—the ability to dynamically combine and display content from different sources and of different kinds according to what the user requests.
PHP and WordPress: The CMS’ heart and soul
As a WordPress user, PHP is especially important. The programming language forms the basis of much of what WordPress can do. It’s what allows you to create, edit, and delete pages, posts, media, and other content. That’s why you see that a lot of files that end in .php when you look in the directory of any WordPress installation.
It’s also why, when installing WordPress on a server, the system requirements insist that PHP be present. In recent years JavaScript has been playing a bigger and bigger role in the WordPress ecosystem, mainly because of the adoption of the Gutenberg editor. That said, PHP is still the main workhorse in the background.
Powering themes and plugins
What are some of WordPress’ main tasks powered by PHP? Before the advent of block themes, WordPress themes were all written mostly in PHP, especially page template files. In fact, if you look at the template hierarchy, you can see that WordPress has PHP files for pretty much all pages and theme components.
Why? So we have the ability to create a single layout for one type of content and then dynamically display what’s saved in the database for a particular piece of content.
That way, if you have 300 pages of the same kind on your site, you don’t need a file for each as you would on a pure HTML website. Instead, you just need one single page template file; PHP can then populate each individual page with its specific content.
PHP also makes it easy to compartmentalize different parts of your theme. For example, it’s very common to not have the markup for a footer in each file. Instead you can create a separate footer.php file and call it into your templates where needed. That way, if you want to modify the footer layout, you only have to make changes in a singular place—the footer.php file.
The same is true for plugins, aka collections of PHP files that contain the necessary markup for adding extra functionality to your WordPress site. When you activate a plugin, it gets added to the rest of your website code and can provide the functionality you are looking for.
Without PHP, there would be no WordPress
All of the above is only made possible by the flexibility that PHP offers. Besides the benefits we have discussed before, this is the main reason why WordPress relies on PHP to the extent that it does; PHP offers a ton of flexible functionality specifically for web development. PHP’s capabilities in content management, working with databases, and its modularity all make it a perfect candidate for powering the most popular website builder there is.
This also means that if you know PHP, it opens up a lot more possibilities to modify your WordPress website. You can write custom plugins, make changes to (non-block) themes and page templates, introduce functionality to functions.php, and so much more. So, if you want to improve your WordPress skill set, learning PHP is not a bad place to start.
PHP in everyday life: You rely on it more often than you think
Besides WordPress, you might actually be unaware how much of your general everyday online interactions are enabled by PHP. There are a number of very well-known websites that use PHP to run and many common processes that the programming language performs online:
- Facebook: The largest social network in existence was initially built using PHP. While they have moved away from the programming language over time, it still plays a significant role in their infrastructure.
- Wikipedia: The world’s biggest online encyclopedia also relies heavily on PHP for its back end operations, content management, and user interactions.
- Tumblr: This microblogging and social networking platform employs PHP to power its vast network of user-generated content and social interactions. We’re actually in the process of migrating Tumblr’s backend to run on WordPress; if you’re interested in being a part of this exciting project, leave your information here.
- Slack: This widely-used team collaboration and communication platform utilizes PHP for its back-end operations, real-time messaging, and API integrations.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are countless other examples of well-known web staples that exist in part because of PHP.
Other abilities of PHP
Up until this point, we’ve mostly talked about PHP in the context of creating and outputting HTML markup; however, the programming language is involved in a lot more that you probably take advantage of on a daily basis:
- Form Processing: PHP can process and validate data submitted by users via forms. It’s also capable of performing actions such as storing data in a database, sending email notifications, or generating dynamic responses based on user input. Plus, it comes with encryption to keep the submitted data safe.
- User Authentication: It can also handle user authentication by verifying login credentials. PHP allows you to implement user registration and login/logout functionality, and it can control access to different areas of your website or application. For example: user roles.
- Session Management: PHP can also manage user sessions, store session data, and track user activity. Among other things, this allows you to save user preferences. PHP can also set cookies and receive cookie data.
- File Manipulation: The programming language provides a wide range of functions for file manipulation, such as reading and writing files, uploading files from forms, creating directories, and modifying file permissions. This comes in handy for managing files on the server through other applications (like WordPress).
- Email Handling: PHP comes with functions to send emails from a server. This allows you to build features like contact forms, email notifications, and automated email responses.
- Third-Party Communication: With PHP you can interact with external APIs and web services. It makes it possible to integrate with other applications, retrieve data from remote servers, and perform actions like posting to social media platforms.
What is PHP? It is the web’s backbone
If you’re an everyday WordPress user or non-developer, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how much of your online experience is possible thanks to the humble PHP. However, the more you dive into this topic, the more you’ll realize how much you rely on it.
Who knew an open source solution was at the heart of what makes the World Wide Web tick? From the largest content management system in the world to well-known web entities, so much of what we take for granted exists because of it.
There are good reasons why it’s so widespread; from its powerful capabilities over its wide support system to ongoing development and support, there is a lot that speaks for PHP as the go-to solution for web projects.
Since it’s also beginner friendly, learning some PHP skills is definitely a good place to start if you want to dive deeper into the technical aspects of WordPress and web development.
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Ian Stewart to Lead WordPress.com – WordPress.com News
We are pleased to announce that Ian Stewart (blog, LinkedIn, GitHub, X) has been chosen to lead end-to-end customer experience for WordPress.com as its Artistic Director and product lead.
In a nod to LVMH’s organizational structure, Ian will lead in the style of a maison head, ensuring that every part of WordPress.com remains the best managed WordPress experience available. He has been a part of the WordPress.com team for over 14 years, and we’re excited to see what changes he will implement on WordPress.com in this new role.
“I got involved with WordPress after growing tired of using Blogger for my personal blog,” Ian says. “This quickly led to the demise of my regular blogging habits as I spent most of my time messing around with my theme…My fooling around with WordPress themes quickly became a delightful obsession as I tried to publicly figure out what I thought about them.”
We’re grateful for your obsession with WordPress, Ian, and we certainly know the feeling.
Please join us in welcoming Ian in his new role.
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Automattic sends WP Engine its own cease-and-desist over WordPress trademark infringement
The brouhaha in the WordPress community looks likely to escalate into a legal battle around trademarks.
Just a day after WordPress hosting service WP Engine sent a cease-and-desist notice to Automattic asking its CEO to stop publicly trashing WP Engine, now Automattic has sent its own cease-and-desist letter to WP Engine, saying the latter has infringed several trademarks like WordPress and WooCommerce.
This comes after Matt Mullenweg, the CEO of Automattic and co-creator of WordPress, last week criticized WP Engine for profiteering off the open source WordPress project, calling it a “cancer to WordPress,” and accused the company of contributing very little to the community.
In its letter dated Monday, Automattic alleged that WP Engine has built a business of over $400 million in revenue based on unauthorized use of its WordPress trademark, which Automattic claims it has the exclusive commercial rights for from the WordPress Foundation. Automattic also said WP Engine has misled consumers into believing that there is a direct affiliation between the two companies.
“Your unauthorized use of our Client’s trademarks infringes on their rights and dilutes their famous and well-known marks. Negative reviews and comments regarding WP Engine and its offerings are imputed to our Client, thereby tarnishing our Client’s brands, harming their reputation, and damaging the goodwill our Client has established in its marks,” the letter read.
“Your unauthorized use of our Client’s intellectual property has enabled WP Engine to compete with our Client unfairly, and has led to unjust enrichment and undue profits,” it added.
Automattic is also demanding compensation for the profits made by WP Engine by using its trademarks and said that if WP Engine doesn’t amicably resolve the matter, the company has the right to file a civil injunction case.
For context, here’s a good summary of the WordPress community by my colleague Paul Sawers:
WordPress powers more than 40% of the web, and while any individual or company is free to take the open source project and run a website themselves, a number of businesses have sprung up to sell hosting services and technical expertise off the back of it. These include Automattic, which Mullenweg set up in 2005 to monetize the project he’d created two years earlier; and WP Engine, a managed WordPress hosting provider that has raised nearly $300 million in funding over its 14-year history, the bulk of which came via a $250 million investment from private equity firm Silver Lake in 2018.
In the cease-and-desist letter WP Engine sent to Automattic on Monday, the company defended its right to use the “WordPress” trademark under fair use laws. The company added that Automattic has “a profound misunderstanding of both trademark law and WordPress Foundation’s trademark policy.”
It also said Mullenweg demanded WP Engine pay Automattic “a significant percentage of its gross revenues — tens of millions of dollars in fact — on an ongoing basis” for a license to use trademarks like “WordPress.”
“When his outrageous financial demands were not met, Mr. Mullenweg carried out his threats by making repeated false claims disparaging WP Engine to its employees, its customers, and the world,” WP Engine’s letter said.
Notably, Automattic’s letter doesn’t mention Mullenweg’s remarks about WP Engine.
In the last week, Mullenweg has accused WP Engine of not contributing enough to the community and offering “a cheap knock-off” version of WordPress. WP Engine pushed back against this characterization and called out Mullenweg for launching a smear campaign against the company, saying it has already affected some of its business.
This might be the start of a long legal tussle between the two entities. A lot of folks also pointed out that this battle might be harmful for providers offering specialized WordPress hosting.
Earlier today, WordPress Foundation changed its Trademark Policy page, and it now calls out WP Engine, alleging the hosting service has confused users.
“The abbreviation ‘WP’ is not covered by the WordPress trademarks, but please don’t use it in a way that confuses people. For example, many people think WP Engine is “WordPress Engine” and officially associated with WordPress, which it’s not. They have never once even donated to the WordPress Foundation, despite making billions of revenue on top of WordPress,” the updated page reads.
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