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Matt Mullenweg calls WP Engine a ‘most cancers to WordPress’ and urges group to modify suppliers


Automattic CEO and WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg unleashed a scathing assault on a rival agency this week, calling WP Engine a “most cancers to WordPress.”

Mullenweg criticized the corporate — which has been commercializing the open supply WordPress undertaking since 2010 — for profiteering with out giving a lot again, whereas additionally disabling key options that make WordPress such a strong platform within the first place.

For context, WordPress powers greater than 40% of the net, and whereas any particular person or firm is free to take the open supply undertaking and run a web site themselves, quite a few companies have sprung as much as promote internet hosting companies and technical experience off the again of it. These embody Automattic, which Mullenweg arrange in 2005 to monetize the undertaking he’d created two years earlier; and WP Engine, a managed WordPress internet hosting supplier that has raised almost $300 million in funding over its 14-year historical past, the majority of which got here through a $250 million funding from non-public fairness agency Silver Lake in 2018.

It’s price noting that Automattic has a historical past in backing WordPress internet hosting corporations, having invested in WP Engine itself means again in 2011, whereas Mullenweg additionally spoke at WP Engine’s convention simply final yr. Furthermore, Automattic additionally purchased a majority stake in WordPress internet hosting firm Pressable again in 2016, in addition to Gridpane in 2022.

However talking this week at WordCamp US 2024, a WordPress-focused convention held in Portland, Oregon, Mullenweg pulled no punches in his criticism of WP Engine. Taking to the stage, Mullenweg learn out a put up he had simply printed to his private weblog, the place he factors to the distinct “5 for the longer term” funding pledges made by Automattic and WP Engine to contribute assets to assist the sustained progress of WordPress, with Automattic contributing 3,900 hours per week, an WP Engine contributing simply 40 hours.

Whereas he acknowledged that these figures are only a “proxy,” and may not be completely correct, Mullenweg mentioned that this disparity in contributions is notable, as each Automattic and WP Engine “are roughly the identical dimension, with income within the ballpark of half-a-billion [dollars].”

Mullenweg has levelled criticism at a minimum of one different big-name internet host previously, accusing GoDaddy of profiteering from the open supply undertaking with out giving something significant again. Extra particularly, he referred to as GoDaddy a “parasitic firm” and an “existential menace to WordPress’ future.”

In his newest offensive, Mullenweg didn’t cease at WP Engine; he prolonged his criticism to the corporate’s principal investor.

“The corporate [WP Engine] is managed by Silver Lake, a non-public fairness agency with $102 billion in property beneath administration,” Mullenweg mentioned. “Silver Lake doesn’t give a dang about your open supply beliefs, it simply desires return on capital. So it’s at this level that I ask everybody within the WordPress group to go vote along with your pockets. Who’re you giving your cash to — somebody who’s going to nourish the ecosystem, or somebody who’s going to frack each little bit of worth out of it till it withers?”

In response to a query submitted by an viewers member later, asking for readability on whether or not Mullenweg was asking WordPress customers to boycott WP Engine, he mentioned that he hoped each WP Engine buyer would watch his presentation, and in terms of the time after they’re renewing their contracts, they need to take into consideration their subsequent steps.

“There’s some actually hungry different hosts — Hostinger, Bluehost Cloud, Pressable and so on, that may like to get that enterprise,” Mullenweg mentioned. “You would possibly get sooner efficiency even switching to another person, and migrating has by no means been simpler. That’s a part of the thought of information liberation. It’s, like, in the future of labor to modify your web site to one thing else, and I might extremely encourage you to consider that when your contract renewal comes up, if you happen to’re presently a buyer with WP Engine.”

‘A most cancers to WordPress’

In response to the brouhaha that adopted the discuss, Mullenweg printed a observe up weblog put up, the place he calls WP Engine a “most cancers” to WordPress. “It’s essential to keep in mind that unchecked, most cancers will unfold,” he wrote. “WP Engine is setting a poor customary that others could take a look at and assume is okay to duplicate.”

Mullenweg mentioned that WP Engine is profiting off the confusion that exists between the WordPress undertaking and the industrial companies firm WP Engine.

“It must be mentioned 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 full promise to clients is that they’re supplying you with WordPress, however they’re not. They usually’re profiting off of the confusion.”

Mullenweg additionally mentioned that WP Engine is actively promoting an inferior product, as a result of the core WordPress undertaking shops each change that’s made to permit customers to revert their content material to a earlier model — one thing that WP Engine disables, as per its assist web page.

Whereas clients can request that revisions be enabled, assist solely extends to 3 revisions, that are mechanically deleted after 60 days. WP Engine recommends that clients use a “third-party modifying system” in the event that they want intensive revision administration. The explanation for this, in response to Mullenweg, is easy — saving cash.

“They disable revisions as a result of it prices them more cash to retailer the historical past of the modifications within the database, and so they don’t wish to spend that to guard your content material,” Mullenweg contends. “It strikes to the very coronary heart of what WordPress does, and so they shatter it, the integrity of your content material. In case you make a mistake, you haven’t any solution to get your content material again, breaking 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 once we hear again.

This text was up to date with extra context on Automattic’s earlier funding in rival WordPress internet hosting corporations, together with WP Engine.

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