WordPress is a self-hosted open-source publishing platform and CMS for blogs and business sites.
It combines a visual block editor with real-time preview, customizable themes, and an extensive plugin library covering stores, analytics, newsletters, and social integration. Content can also be served headless: a JSON REST API exposes site content to decoupled front ends and separate applications under the same authentication rules as the site. WordPress started in 2003 as a fork of b2/cafelog by Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg, is built on PHP and MariaDB, is GPL-licensed, and powers more than 43% of all websites.
Site owners host WordPress on any PHP and MySQL or MariaDB host they control, or use managed WordPress.com hosting with unmetered bandwidth, a global CDN, handled security, and VIP enterprise tiers.
Decisive facts
- Visual block editor with real-time preview and no-code theme customization
- Extensive plugin library for stores, analytics, newsletters, and social integration
- JSON REST API for headless front ends and separate applications
- Self-hosted GPL software you control on your own PHP host
- Managed WordPress.com hosting with CDN, security handling, and VIP tiers
- Observed release 7.1 with responsive block styling and an improved media editor