CEO of Automattic and co-creator of WordPress Matt Mullenweg launched a scathing assault on a rival agency this week, calling WP engine “most cancers for WordPress”.
Mullenweg criticizes firm that commercializes open-source WordPress mission since 2010 — to generate income with out a lot return, and to disable key options that make WordPress such a robust platform within the first place.
For context, WordPress helps greater than 40% the Web, and whereas any individual or firm is free to take an open supply mission and run an internet site on their very own, many corporations have emerged that promote internet hosting companies and technical experience based mostly on it. These activate Automatedwhich Mullenweg based in 2005 to monetize a mission he had created two years earlier; and WP Engine, a managed WordPress internet hosting supplier that has raised practically $300 million in funding over its 14-year historical past, a lot of it by means of $250 million funding from non-public fairness agency Silver Lake in 2018.
It is price noting that Automattic has expertise supporting WordPress internet hosting corporations, invested in WP Engine himself again in 2011, whereas Mullenweg additionally spoke in WP Engine convention final 12 months. Furthermore, Automattic additionally purchased a controlling stake in WordPress internet hosting firm Pressable again in 2016and in addition Gridpane in 2022.
However talking this week in WordCamp USA 2024at a WordPress convention in Portland, Oregon, Mullenweg was not shy in his criticism of WP Engine. Taking the stage, Mullenweg learn from the publish he simply posted on his private weblog the place he factors out the distinctive “5 for the long run“The funding commitments made by Automattic and WP engine Contribute sources to help WordPress’ sustainable development with Automattic making a contribution 3900 hours per week, WP engine with simply 40 hours invested.
Whereas he acknowledged that these numbers are solely “estimates” and might not be completely correct, Mullenweg stated the distinction in contributions is notable as a result of each Automattic and WP Engine “are roughly the identical measurement, with revenues of about half a billion {dollars}.” [dollars].”
Mullenweg has criticized no less than one different well-known internet host prior to now, accusing GoDaddy of profiting off an open-source mission with out offering something significant in return. Particularly, he known as GoDaddy a “parasitic firm” and “an existential menace to the way forward for WordPress.”
In his newest assault, Mullenweg did not cease at WP Engine; he prolonged his criticism to the corporate’s important investor.
“Firm [WP Engine] is managed by Silver Lake, a non-public fairness agency with Property price $102 billion “underneath administration,” Mullenweg stated. “Silver Lake would not care about your open supply beliefs, they only desire a return on capital. So at this level, I ask everybody within the WordPress group to exit and vote together with your pockets. Who’re you giving your cash to — somebody who’s going to feed the ecosystem, or somebody who’s going to suck all the worth out of it till it withers?”
In response to query requested by an viewers member Later, when requested to make clear whether or not Mullenweg was calling for WordPress customers to boycott WP Engine, he stated he hopes each WP Engine buyer watches his presentation and when it comes time to resume their contracts, they need to take into consideration their subsequent steps.
“There are different very hungry house owners – Hostinger, Bluehost Cloud, Pressable “and so on. that wish to get this enterprise,” Mullenweg stated. “You may get higher efficiency even by switching to another person, and migration has by no means been simpler. That is a part of the concept of information liberation. It is like a day’s work to modify your web site to one thing else, and I extremely suggest you contemplate it when it comes time to resume your contract in the event you’re at the moment a WP Engine buyer.”
“Most cancers for WordPress”
In response to hype What adopted the dialogMullenweg revealed continuation of the weblog entrythe place he calls WP Engine a “most cancers” of WordPress. “It’s necessary to do not forget that if left unchecked, the most cancers will unfold,” he wrote. “WP Engine units a nasty normal that others can have a look at and determine it’s okay to repeat.”
Mullenweg stated WP Engine is benefiting from the confusion that exists between the WordPress mission and the corporate that gives WP Engine’s business companies.
“This must be stated and repeated: WP Engine is just not WordPress,” Mullenweg wrote. “My very own mom was confused and thought WP Engine was an official factor. Their branding, advertising, promoting, and all the guarantees they make to prospects is that they’re supplying you with WordPress, however they don’t seem to be. And they’re profiting off of this confusion.”
Mullenweg additionally stated that WP Engine is actively promoting a low-quality product as a result of the core WordPress mission saves all modifications made in order that customers can revert their content material to a earlier model — one thing WP Engine disables, in accordance with his help web page.
Whereas prospects can request revisions to be enabled, help solely extends to 3 revisions, that are mechanically deleted after 60 days. WP Engine recommends that prospects use a “third-party enhancing system” in the event that they require intensive revision administration. The explanation for this, in accordance with Mullenweg, is easy: get monetary savings.
“They disable revisions as a result of it prices them extra to retailer the historical past of modifications within the database, they usually don’t wish to spend that cash to guard your content material,” Mullenweg says. “It goes to the center of what WordPress does, they usually destroy it, the integrity of your content material. When you make a mistake, you haven’t any technique to get your content material again, which breaks the core promise of what WordPress does, which is handle and shield your content material.”
TechCrunch has reached out to WP Engine for remark and can replace right here as soon as it hears again.
This text provides extra context concerning Automattic’s earlier investments in competing WordPress internet hosting corporations, together with WP Engine..