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 venture since 2010 — for profiteering with out giving a lot again, whereas additionally disabling key options that make WordPress such a robust platform within the first place.
For context, WordPress powers greater than 40% of the online, and whereas any particular person or firm is free to take the open supply venture and run an internet site themselves, quite a lot of companies have sprung as much as promote internet hosting companies and technical experience off the again of it. These embrace Automattic, which Mullenweg arrange in 2005 to monetize the venture he’d 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, the majority of which got here by way of a $250 million funding from non-public fairness agency Silver Lake in 2018.
It’s value noting that Automattic has a historical past in backing WordPress internet hosting firms, having invested in WP Engine itself method 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 submit he had simply printed to his private weblog, the place he factors to the distinct “5 for the long run” funding pledges made by Automattic and WP Engine to contribute assets to help 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 won’t be completely correct, Mullenweg stated 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 at the least one different big-name net host up to now, accusing GoDaddy of profiteering from the open supply venture with out giving something significant again. Extra particularly, he known 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 most important investor.
“The corporate [WP Engine] is managed by Silver Lake, a non-public fairness agency with $102 billion in belongings beneath administration,” Mullenweg stated. “Silver Lake doesn’t give a dang about your open supply beliefs, it simply needs return on capital. So it’s at this level that I ask everybody within the WordPress neighborhood to go vote together 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 stated that he hoped each WP Engine buyer would watch his presentation, and with regards to the time once 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 many others, that might like to get that enterprise,” Mullenweg stated. “You may get quicker efficiency even switching to another person, and migrating has by no means been simpler. That’s a part of the concept of knowledge liberation. It’s, like, at some point of labor to modify your web site to one thing else, and I’d extremely encourage you to consider that when your contract renewal comes up, should you’re presently a buyer with WP Engine.”
‘A most cancers to WordPress’
In response to the brouhaha that adopted the speak, Mullenweg printed a observe up weblog submit, the place he calls WP Engine a “most cancers” to WordPress. “It’s essential to do not forget that unchecked, most cancers will unfold,” he wrote. “WP Engine is setting a poor normal that others might take a look at and suppose is okay to copy.”
Mullenweg stated that WP Engine is profiting off the confusion that exists between the WordPress venture and the business companies firm WP Engine.
“It needs to be stated and repeated: WP Engine shouldn’t be WordPress,” Mullenweg wrote. “My very own mom was confused and thought WP Engine was an official factor. Their branding, advertising, promoting, and whole promise to prospects is that they’re supplying you with WordPress, however they’re not. They usually’re profiting off of the confusion.”
Mullenweg additionally stated that WP Engine is actively promoting an inferior product, as a result of the core WordPress venture 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 help web page.
Whereas prospects can request that revisions be enabled, help solely extends to a few revisions, that are routinely deleted after 60 days. WP Engine recommends that prospects use a “third-party modifying system” in the event that they want in depth revision administration. The explanation for this, in accordance with Mullenweg, is straightforward — 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 need 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. When you make a mistake, you don’t have any option to get your content material again, breaking the core promise of what WordPress does, which is handle and defend your content material.”
TechCrunch has reached out to WP Engine for remark, and can replace right here after we hear again.
This text was up to date with extra context on Automattic’s earlier funding in rival WordPress internet hosting firms, together with WP Engine.
