News Analysis
The Gist
- Open source conflicts threaten stability. Ongoing disputes between WordPress and WP Engine highlight potential risks in open source ecosystems, leading businesses to reconsider their reliance on open platforms.
- Trademarks and governance. The conflict centers around trademark use and governance, raising questions about the control commercial entities have over open source projects.
- Business impact. The fallout from the WordPress-WP Engine clash could cause businesses to seek alternative CMS solutions, fearing instability in the WordPress ecosystem.
The open source CMS world is grappling with a public battle between WordPress founder Matt Mullenweg and WP Engine, a hosting provider.
What began as a disagreement over the use of WordPress trademarks and site feature limitations has escalated into a legal showdown, with Mullenweg blocking WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org resources, impacting site functionality for many websites. Mullenweg blogged about the issues with WP Engine Sept. 21, and the saga made its way into the mainstream media.
As a result, sources tell CMSWire that businesses are reconsidering their reliance on WordPress, with competitors gaining traction as businesses switch to proprietary solutions to avoid similar disruptions. The recent clash between Mullenweg and WP Engine has sent ripples through the open source CMS community. This article examines the origins of the conflict, its impact on WordPress users and the broader implications for the open source CMS community.
According to a report from 33rdSquare, as of February 2024, WordPress is the CMS of choice for over 60% of all websites. As of this month, according to W3Techs, 1.5% of all websites are using WP Engine as their web hosting provider, including Mozilla.org, Cisco.com, XBox.com and a multitude of others.
Table of Contents
- WordPress vs. WP Engine: Timeline of Key Events
- WordPress vs. WP Engine: What's the Core Issue?
- Increased Demand for Governance to Protect Against Exploitation and Power Imbalances
- What's the Fallout With WordPress vs. WP Engine?
- Drupal Creator: The Open Source Maker-Taker Challenges
- The Hidden Risks of Open Source
WordPress vs. WP Engine: Timeline of Key Events
The timeline below highlights key events over September and October in this escalating conflict between WordPress and WP Engine:
- Sept. 21: Matt Mullenweg posts blog entitled "WP Engine is not WordPress."
- Sept. 22: Mullenweg criticizes WP Engine, referring to it as a “cancer to WordPress.”
- Sept. 23: WP Engine publicly responds, claiming that Mullenweg’s actions were driven by concerns over WP Engine’s use of the “WP” branding and its post-revision tracking feature. Their response includes a cease-and-desist letter.
- Sept. 23: WordPress sends its own cease-and-desist letter against WP Engine.
- Sept. 25: Mullenweg blocks WP Engine’s access to WordPress.org resources, which impacts site functionality for many of the websites hosted by WP Engine.
- Sept. 27: WordPress temporarily lifts its block of WP Engine.
- Oct. 2: WP Engine files a lawsuit against Automattic (WordPress owner) and Mullenweg, accusing them of extortion and abuse of power.
- Oct. 2: WordPress publishes a term sheet it had sent to WP Engine back in September that requests royalties for use of WordPress and WooCommerce trademarks.
- Oct. 3: Approximately 159 Automattic employees (8.4% of the workforce) opt to take a severance package from Automattic, expressing dissatisfaction with Mullenweg’s handling of the WP Engine situation.
- Oct. 12: Mullenweg takes over a WP Engine plugin, citing the fact that "similar situations have happened before, but not at this scale. This is a rare and unusual situation brought on by WP Engine’s legal attacks, we do not anticipate this happening for other plugins."
WordPress vs. WP Engine: What's the Core Issue?
WP Engine and Mullenweg’s differing visions for open source governance and platform control are at the heart of the issue, raising broader questions about how much influence commercial entities should have over open source projects.
For businesses relying on WordPress for their content management needs, the fallout from this controversy has more than just technical implications. The tension between commercial interests and open source ideals threatens the collaborative spirit that has fueled WordPress’s rise to dominance, and businesses are now facing critical decisions about platform dependency, innovation and long-term sustainability.
The conflict between WordPress and WP Engine traces back to disagreements over trademarks, site limitations and ownership of key functionalities. Tensions escalated over WP Engine’s use of WordPress branding and Mullenweg’s concerns about perceived overreach by the managed hosting provider. The legal dispute initially centered on WP Engine’s handling of post-revision tracking—a feature that Mullenweg argued infringed on core WordPress functionality, leading to accusations of violation of open-source principles.
Adding to the tension was WP Engine’s use of "WP" in its branding, which Mullenweg views as misleading and potentially confusing to users (in spite of the fact that there are literally hundreds of plugins that use WP in their name). This sparked a broader debate around the use of WordPress-related trademarks, setting the stage for a complex legal battle.
Related Article: What Is a Content Management System (CMS)?
Increased Demand for Governance to Protect Against Exploitation and Power Imbalances
Cache Merrill, founder of outsourcing software development company Zibtek, told CMSWire that this situation shows why there is an increasing demand for more effective mechanisms of governance and process mechanisms that are aimed at protecting against any individual or institution dominating the whole system.
"Such healthy resource distribution also entails appropriate legal frameworks on the use of trademarks to shield the communities’ resources from needless exploitation and volatility," said Merrill.
Michael Smith, founder of digital marketing agency Buyergain, told CMSWire that sometimes the people involved are more entrepreneurial in background; at times these people may be mad and make demands of those they do not agree with for personal reasons.
"Like Matt Mullenweg demanded 8% from WP Engine instead of the 5% they were asking from most WordPress service providers,” Smith said. As a result of Mullenweg's handling of the WP Engine debacle, some Automattic employees were upset and approximately 8.4% (159 of their employees) have taken a severance package.
What's the Fallout With WordPress vs. WP Engine?
Ultimate Impact on WordPress Users: Jumping Ship?
The fallout from the WordPress-WP Engine dispute — in addition to the exodus of Automattic employees — has left many WordPress users and site owners caught in the crossfire. The decision to block WP Engine’s access to critical WordPress.org resources immediately raised concerns over security updates and potential site vulnerabilities, possibly forcing some businesses to scramble for alternative solutions. With one of the largest managed hosting providers effectively cut off from key support channels, users must question the platform’s stability and long-term reliability.
Merrill said that this conundrum has surely undermined the faith of the developers and the enterprises that have employed WordPress for core aspects of their businesses.
"Up until now, WordPress has always been regarded as a reliable, free and open source CMS platform, but with this lawsuit, there are concerns of how safe it is to depend on WP Engine or similar providers,” explained Merrill. “Companies need some sort of guarantee that when they are using a CMS, such inner wrangles do not jeopardize the functioning of the CMS, a situation that has made many rethink the extent to which they depend on the WP ecosystem for their core business operations."
The situation not only affected site performance and security but also highlighted a growing rift between WordPress as an open source project and the increasingly commercialized ecosystem surrounding it.
“In the aftermath of this case, we have noticed that the improvement in the submissions coming from the businesses willing to shift their focus from WordPress to other alternatives has grown,” said Merrill. “The main reasons are worries about a long-term viability of such technology, political processes around its governance, and apprehensions that the same or similar events could occur in the future and bring about similar disturbances.”
Merrill said that this is placing businesses on the lookout for strategies that empower them with greater flexibility over the infrastructure irrespective of whether it is other open source technologies or commercialized CMS systems that guarantee better partnership and security.
Power Dynamics Exposed in the Open Source Ecosystem?
The conflict between WordPress and WP Engine underscores a significant issue within the open source ecosystem: the concentration of power in the hands of a few key figures. While open source is often championed for its collaborative and democratic ideals, the reality can look quite different when influential individuals such as Mullenweg wield substantial control over the WordPress platform. His ability to unilaterally block a major player like WP Engine from accessing WordPress.org resources reveals how much influence one person—or a single foundation—can have over the direction and accessibility of a supposedly open ecosystem.
“The quarrel between WordPress and WP Engine illustrates the hierarchy existing in, organization or rather bodies, working on open source projects,” said Merrill. “Departing to some extent from the collaborative spirit, some dominant individuals, such as the founder of WordPress, exercise a disproportionate degree of control over significant processes.”
This imbalance poses risks for businesses that rely heavily on open source platforms. The conflict has brought to light the fragility of depending on solutions where strategic decisions are shaped by a limited set of voices. When power dynamics shift or disputes arise, businesses can suddenly find themselves cut off from crucial updates, support or even entire functionalities.
All this serves as a cautionary tale: does "open" always mean "safe" or "stable" when power is unevenly distributed?
Michael Sonier, general manager of CMS platform provider ButterCMS, said that open source projects provide massive opportunities to developers but always come with the risk that those opportunities get closed.
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“As seen first-hand during my tenure at Magento (pre-Adobe), open source communities thrive when organizations put developers first and maintain the open source nature of the project,” said Sonier. “However, it's tempting to take the near-term financial opportunity and be swayed by the motives of individual CEOs.”
Sonier said that for developers and site owners relying on WordPress for critical business needs, this situation highlights the reality of open source projects, adding, “Site owners need to go in with their eyes wide open."
Drupal Creator: The Open Source Maker-Taker Challenges
Insights from the Drupal Community provide a possible path forward for managing these power dynamics. As Drupal's founder Dries Buytaert explained in a Oct. 2 blog post, one of the key challenges for open source projects is the "Maker-Taker problem," where some organizations contribute significantly to the project ("Makers"), while others profit without giving back ("Takers").
The Drupal community addressed this by implementing a Contribution Credit System, which tracks and rewards contributions from individuals and organizations alike.
"The Drupal marketplace only lists Makers, ranking them by their contributions," Buytaert noted. "Organizations that stop contributing gradually drop in ranking and are eventually removed."
Buytaert suggested that a similar structure could benefit WordPress by incentivizing organizations to contribute more consistently, thus reducing the tension between commercial entities and the community. Ultimately, this approach could help build a more sustainable and fairer governance model, one that mitigates the risks associated with the current concentration of power and aligns the interests of all stakeholders within the ecosystem, according to Buytaert.
Sonier suggested that open source spurs innovation and ubiquity but is prone to fall victim to Buytaert’s “Maker-Taker” problem.
“There has to be governance and the makers need to be properly rewarded and recognized in the ecosystem,” said Sonier. “This is a case where perhaps the honor system hasn't and isn't working and individual tempers flared. This is not a new phenomenon; it could/should have been managed better systemically vs. emotionally.”
The Hidden Risks of Open Source
Open source CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla and Drupal have long been celebrated for their ability to drive innovation and empower developers to create highly customizable digital experiences. However, these benefits often mask hidden risks that can catch businesses off guard. While the open source model thrives on community contributions and collaborative development, it also faces significant challenges around sustainability and stability. With no formalized structure for governance, conflicts—like the one between WordPress and WP Engine—can disrupt the ecosystem, leaving users vulnerable to unforeseen changes.
“The industry has proven open source could be a serious enterprise solution through collaboration, but something has been broken,” Sonier said. “This is shedding light on the complexities of the open source model. ... There’s no free lunch. Open source is still a business, and while collaboration can lead to sustainability, it’s not immune to challenges.”
For businesses, the question becomes whether the freedom of open source is worth the price of unpredictability and dependency on the goodwill of the community. Sonier said that the WordPress-WP Engine debacle gives everyone a dose of reality when it comes to open source projects.
“While a pristine, innovative solution in the early days, these projects morph so far beyond that original ideal when financial gain and an economy evolves around it,” said Sonier. “I think everyone should continually ask themselves at what point a project stops being truly open source, and whether the risks, as we’ve seen in recent weeks, start to outweigh the benefits.”
