There seems to be a lot of confusion about the recent WordPress controversy, so let’s clarify what’s happening and who the key players are. Many people with WordPress websites hosted on WordPress.com often don’t realise that this is only one part of the broader WordPress ecosystem.
WordPress refers to the open-source framework and content management system, which anyone can download from its official repository for free. If you’re not technically inclined, don’t worry—we aren’t going to dive into the technicalities of the repository or GitHub. What’s important to understand is that WordPress is an open-source project developed and maintained by a global community of volunteer developers who contribute their time and skills to improving the platform.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com: Understanding the Difference
WordPress.org is the home of the open-source WordPress project, governed by the WordPress Foundation, a non-profit organisation. You can download and install the WordPress software for free, hosting it on any server you choose. WordPress.org allows maximum flexibility, with full access to the software’s code, so users can modify or extend it as needed. The project is powered by a global community of volunteer developers who continuously contribute to its improvement.
WordPress.com, on the other hand, is a commercial service offered by Automattic, the company founded by Matt Mullenweg, one of the co-creators of WordPress. Automattic also contributes significantly to the open-source WordPress project to maintain and improve the CMS. WordPress.com operates as a managed hosting service for WordPress. It allows users to build and host websites without worrying about technical aspects, offering free and premium plans depending on the level of functionality required. While WordPress.com simplifies the process for non-technical users, it does provides less control than the self-hosted WordPress.org option.
Where Does WP Engine Fit In?
WP Engine is a commercial company that provides managed WordPress hosting services, similar to WordPress.com, focusing on larger enterprises and developers. While WP Engine operates within the WordPress ecosystem, it doesn’t contribute as significantly to the WordPress open-source project as Automattic does. The company also has premium plugins—such as Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and WP Offload Media—that are widely used within the WordPress community.
WP Engine and WordPress.com are known for offering a high-performance hosting environment for WordPress websites. However, they have been criticised for limiting certain features in the WordPress dashboard, requiring users to upgrade their plans to access functionalities that are otherwise free in WordPress.org installations. This “paywalling” of features can frustrate users who expect full access to WordPress’s core capabilities.
Why I’m Critical of WP Engine and WordPress.com hosting
My issue with the two managed hosting companies, stems from how they restrict essential WordPress features. They lock down key tools and functionalities in the WordPress dashboard, forcing users to pay for higher-tier plans to access features that are otherwise available for free in the main WordPress project. While managed WordPress hosting can be a fantastic option for non-technical business owners and small businesses, I take issue with companies like WP Engine charging for features that I think should be included on lower tier plans, such as the ability to add plugins.
That said, I don’t have any issues with Flywheel, a subsidiary of WP Engine, as they offer managed hosting without removing or restricting features, as do a number of other managed hosting provider, both here in Australia and internationally.
The Current Conflict and cause of the WordPress Controversy
The recent controversy concerns the relationship between WP Engine WordPress.org. Despite using WordPress software as the foundation of their business, WP Engine has faced criticism for not contributing back to the open-source project to the extent that other major players do. After years of discussions, branding and licensing requests, and mounting tension, Matt Mullenweg drew a firm boundary, emphasising the importance of contributing to the community that supports its business model. And yes, some may perceive a conflict of interest stemming from his role as CEO of Auttomatic. I tend to cut him some slack in that regard, others have not.
As a result, for those using free versions of plugins developed by WP Engine—Advanced Custom Fields or WP Offload Media—future updates will no longer be automatic as they have been cut off from the WordPress API.
What This Means for You
If you are hosting your website with WP Engine or Flywheel, and using the Prmeium versions of their plugins you are no longer affected by this issue. WP Engine has updated its workflows to streamline both plugin and core WordPress updates, ensuring that users hosting with them will continue to receive automatic updates for their plugins, the core WordPress and other plugins without any disruptions.
However, if you are using WP Engine’s free plugins (such as Advanced Custom Fields or WP Offload Media) and are hosting on a platform other than WP Engine or Flywheel, you will need to download and install updates for these plugins manually. The reason is that these free versions can no longer access the update API if they are not hosted on WP Engine or Flywheel. This manual process will be inconvenient for non-technical users.
ACF has released a statement saying that their Pro Plan is unaffected, and I suspect the same for other Premium plugins from WO Engine would apply.
What Could/Should You Do?
For those hosting on other platforms and using WP Engine’s free plugins, you have a few options:
- Manually update plugins as new versions are released.
- Switch to another plugin that provides similar functionality and still supports automatic updates on any platform.
- Consider migrating to WP Engine or Flywheel if you want the convenience of automatic updates without needing to manage the plugin updates manually.
I am currently testing alternative plugins that could replace some of the affected free options, and I’ll provide further updates in future posts.
As this situation settles in the coming weeks, staying informed about how these changes might affect your WordPress website is crucial. Understanding the relationships between WordPress.org, WordPress.com, WP Engine, and the broader WordPress community can help you make informed decisions about your hosting and plugin choices.
And of course, if you are considering changing hosts, or moving away from WordPress as a platform, I can help, either as a sounding board for the decision, or the actual move. Reach out and let’s chat if that’s the case.
