Have Developers Finally Found Their Excuse to Leave WordPress?

For years, developers have been stuck with WordPress, not because they love it, but because it’s been the default. The platform powers 43% of the web, which means it’s been impossible to avoid. But most devs haven’t been fans for a long time.

The recent Mullenweg-WP Engine drama has given developers a rallying cry. It’s not that the drama itself is some monumental event. It’s that it finally gives us something tangible to point to and say, “See? This is why we shouldn’t use WordPress anymore.” Let’s be honest: most of us have been looking for a reason to leave for years.

Why Developers Dislike WordPress

The frustrations with WordPress have been building for a long time, and they aren’t tied to any single issue. The platform has always been a series of compromises, and those compromises have piled up.

WordPress started as a blogging tool, and it shows. The codebase is full of legacy baggage that has never fully adapted to its evolution into a CMS. Every feature from custom post types to FSE, feels like it’s been bolted on rather than built into a cohesive system.

Developers working with WordPress also have to operate within its ecosystem, following “WordPress conventions” that don’t align with modern web development practices. It’s not just limiting; it’s frustrating. You end up learning skills that don’t transfer to other platforms and are constantly fighting against WordPress to get it to do what you need.

And then there’s the plugin situation. The ecosystem is both WordPress’s greatest strength and its most glaring weakness. Plugins are essential in the WordPress world because so many basic features require them—things like caching, form handling, and SEO. The problem is that WordPress sites become overly reliant on plugins for functionality that modern development approaches can often handle without the added complexity.

Plugins introduce several layers of risk. Each plugin adds to the site’s codebase, increasing the chances of conflicts, security vulnerabilities, and performance degradation. Developers have no control over how these plugins are written or maintained. Some are built and supported by reputable teams, while others are abandoned projects that quietly break over time. Even with well-maintained plugins, updates can create unintended conflicts with WordPress itself or with other plugins.

The WordPress plugin ecosystem also creates a false sense of accessibility. It enables users to achieve complex functionality without custom coding, but this comes at the cost of efficiency and maintainability. Features that could be implemented in a few lines of modern JavaScript or by leveraging optimized tools often require bulky plugins in WordPress. Instead of adopting lightweight, modular approaches that scale well, WordPress sites end up bloated and fragile, with no clear path for developers to untangle the mess.

The more plugins a site relies on, the more brittle and difficult it becomes to maintain. For developers, managing these interdependencies feels like a game of roulette—you’re constantly testing to make sure updates or changes won’t cause the site to fall apart. This patchwork approach isn’t just inconvenient; it’s a sign of how poorly WordPress integrates modern development practices into its core ecosystem.

The Mullenweg Drama: Just an Excuse

The specifics of the Automattic-WP Engine conflict don’t matter much here. Most developers aren’t really concerned with who’s in the right or what it means for the WordPress ecosystem long-term. What matters is that it’s given them something to point to.

The sentiment that WordPress is falling apart may be overstated. Developers aren’t necessarily convinced the platform is doomed. Instead, this moment provides a clear justification to begin exploring alternatives, something many have been considering for years.

The drama gives developers a way to shift the conversation. Instead of trying to argue with clients about WordPress’s limitations or inefficiencies, they can now point to a real event in the ecosystem and use it as leverage to explore and advocate for more modern CMS solutions. Platforms like Payload CMS, Strapi, and Webflow offer workflows and functionality that align with how websites are built today, reducing reliance on legacy systems and providing cleaner, more scalable options.

Developers Are Already Exploring Alternatives

The dissatisfaction with WordPress has been brewing for a while, and developers have been quietly experimenting with alternatives. Platforms like Payload CMS, Strapi, and Webflow have emerged as compelling options.

These tools don’t come with WordPress’s baggage. They’re built with modern workflows in mind and focus on solving specific problems instead of trying to be everything to everyone. Developers are gravitating toward these platforms not just because they’re better tools but because they offer something WordPress no longer can: simplicity and a clean slate.

What Does This Mean for WordPress?

WordPress probably isn’t going anywhere soon. Its market share and legacy mean it will remain a major player for years. But for developers, a shift is happening. It’s not about whether WordPress is collapsing. It’s about finally having an excuse to walk away.