Here Are Some WordPress Facts You Should Know!

12 Interesting WordPress Facts Worth Knowing

WordPress has been around for more than two decades, but there is still a lot you may not know about it. Its popularity, open-source model, huge theme and plugin ecosystem, and changing editing experience have all helped shape the platform we use today.

Here are some WordPress facts that explain how the platform works, why so many people use it, and why it still matters in 2026.

1. WordPress Still Powers a Huge Part of the Web

WordPress still powers a large part of the web today.

According to W3Techs, WordPress powers 40.7% of all websites it tracks. That means roughly 4 out of every 10 websites use WordPress.

When W3Techs looks only at websites that use a known content management system, WordPress has a 58.9% market share. In other words, almost 6 out of every 10 websites that use a CMS run on WordPress.

The two percentages measure different groups. The 40.7% figure includes all websites, including those that do not use a CMS. The 58.9% figure only compares WordPress with websites that use a CMS such as Shopify, Wix, Joomla, and others.

This is also why you may see different WordPress market share numbers from different sources. Each source may use a different way to count and identify websites.

The main point is simple. WordPress is not the only platform for building websites, but it still holds the largest share of the CMS market.

2. WordPress Started as a Blogging Platform

WordPress started in 2003 as a tool for creating and publishing blog posts.

According to the official About page, Mike Little and Matt Mullenweg created WordPress as a fork of an older blogging platform called b2/cafelog.

Many of those features still exist in WordPress today.

Over time, WordPress expanded far beyond blogging. You can now use it to build business websites, online stores, portfolios, magazines, nonprofit websites, and many other types of sites.

Its blogging background still matters because WordPress remains especially strong at helping people create, organize, and regularly update website content.

3. WordPress Is Open Source

WordPress is open-source software. This means you can use it freely and have more control over how your website works.

WordPress uses the GPLv2 or later license, which allows people to use, modify, and share the software.

In practical terms, you can:

This gives you more freedom than many closed website-building platforms.

For example, if your current hosting provider no longer fits your needs, you can move your WordPress website to another host. If you need a feature that WordPress does not include by default, you can add a plugin or build your own solution.

That flexibility is one of the main reasons businesses, developers, and creators continue to use WordPress.

4. WordPress Offers More Than 70,000 Free Plugins

WordPress plugins let you add new features to your website without building those features from scratch.

The official WordPress Plugin Directory includes more than 70,000 free plugins. You can use them to add contact forms, SEO tools, ecommerce features, backups, security, analytics, memberships, multilingual support, custom blocks, and much more.

For example, WordPress doesn’t include every advanced feature by default. If you want to add a contact form, you can install a form plugin. If you want to sell products, you can install an e-commerce plugin.

However, having so many choices does not mean you should install as many plugins as possible.

Too many plugins can make your website harder to manage, and not every plugin receives regular updates. It is better to choose well-maintained plugins that solve a clear need.

For example, if you need extra Gutenberg blocks, templates, responsive controls, forms, popups, and animations, a plugin like Gutenverse can provide several of those features in one place.

The goal is not to collect plugins. The goal is to add the features you need while keeping your WordPress website simple and manageable.

5. WordPress Offers More Than 15,000 Free Themes

WordPress.org also provides more than 15,000 free themes through its official Theme Directory.

A theme controls much of your website’s visual foundation, including its layout, typography, templates, and overall style.

However, themes work differently today than they did several years ago.

Classic themes often rely on the Customizer, theme options, widgets, and PHP templates. Block themes work more closely with the Site Editor, blocks, patterns, and editable templates.

This change matters when you choose a WordPress theme in 2026.

You should not choose a theme only because you like its demo homepage. You should also check how well it works with the block editor and Full Site Editing.

Starting with a block-friendly theme can make future customization much easier.

6. WordPress Names Major Releases After Jazz Musicians

WordPress has a unique tradition for naming its major releases. Instead of using only version numbers, the project also gives each major release the name of a jazz musician.

For example, WordPress 7.1 was named Mary Lou, after the jazz and blues artist. For example, WordPress 7.1 was named “Mary Lou” in honor of jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Mary Lou Williams.

The names don’t change how WordPress works, but they have become part of the project’s identity and history.

For website owners, the version number and release details are more important than the nickname. Before updating to a major WordPress version, check the release notes so you know what features changed and whether the update may affect your theme or plugins.

7. Gutenberg Changed the Way People Build WordPress Pages

WordPress introduced the block editor, also known as Gutenberg, with WordPress 5.0 in 2018.

Before Gutenberg, users usually wrote content inside one large editor. They often needed shortcodes, widgets, theme settings, or separate page builders to create more complex layouts.

Gutenberg changed that approach by dividing a page into smaller pieces called blocks.

For example, a heading is one block, an image is another block, and a button is another. You can add, move, edit, or remove each block separately.

Common WordPress blocks include:

This makes it easier to control both the content and layout of a page directly inside the WordPress editor.

Instead of writing everything in one large content area, you can build a page section by section.

If you are still learning how blocks work, you can read our guide to learn the basics.

8. Full Site Editing Expanded Blocks Beyond Posts and Pages

WordPress 5.9 introduced Full Site Editing, often called FSE.

Before Full Site Editing, the block editor mainly focused on the content inside posts and pages. With FSE and a compatible block theme, you can use blocks to edit more parts of your entire website.

For example, you can edit:

This means you can change more of your website directly inside WordPress, instead of relying on a separate page builder or editing theme files.

Gutenverse builds on this block-based workflow by adding more blocks, templates, responsive controls, and styling options to the WordPress editor.

You also don’t need to install the separate Gutenberg plugin just to use Gutenverse. The block editor already comes with modern versions of WordPress.

9. Large Organizations Use WordPress Too

WordPress is famous for blogs and small business websites, but large organizations use it too.

For example, the official WordPress Showcase includes websites from NASA and WhiteHouse.gov.

However, WordPress doesn’t automatically become powerful just because you install it. Large websites still need good hosting, proper development, strong security, regular maintenance, and performance optimization.

The important point is that WordPress can grow with your website.

You can start with a simple website today and add more pages, features, content, and users as your needs grow.

10. WordPress Combines Core, Themes, Plugins, and Blocks

WordPress is not just one tool. A complete WordPress website usually combines several parts.

These include:

Each part has a different role.

WordPress core provides the main system. A theme controls the design and layout. Plugins add extra features. Hosting keeps your website online.

Because you can combine these parts in many ways, WordPress gives you a lot of flexibility.

However, you still need to choose your tools carefully.

For example, installing too many plugins can make your website harder to maintain. A theme with too many built-in features can also make redesigning your website more difficult later.

That is why it is better to choose tools that work well together and only add features you actually need.

Gutenverse follows this approach by adding extra blocks, responsive controls, design options, and ready-made templates directly inside the WordPress block editor.

You can also use the Gutenverse Template Library to import ready-made sections and layouts instead of building every page from zero.

11. WordPress Is Easy to Start, but a Good Website Still Takes Work

You don’t need to know how to code to start using WordPress.

You can install WordPress, choose a theme, create pages, write blog posts, and publish a website without advanced technical skills.

That makes WordPress beginner-friendly.

However, creating a website is only the first step. Building a website that looks good, works well, and stays easy to use still requires good decisions.

A good WordPress website needs:

Tools can make these tasks easier, but they can’t make every decision for you.

For example, Gutenverse gives you responsive styling controls so you can adjust supported block settings for desktop, tablet, and mobile.

You can learn more about this in the Gutenverse guide to responsive styling.

12. WordPress Continues to Change

WordPress has been around for more than 20 years, but it continues to change.

One major change happened when WordPress replaced the Classic Editor with the block editor, also known as Gutenberg.

Later, Full Site Editing made it possible to use blocks for more than just posts and pages. Users could also start editing templates, headers, footers, and other parts of their websites.

WordPress continues to add and improve features such as block themes, patterns, templates, and the Site Editor.

Because of these changes, WordPress today can look very different from the version someone used several years ago.

This also means that some older WordPress tutorials may no longer match what you see in the editor.

The important point is that WordPress is moving toward a more visual and block-based way of building websites.

That is why learning Gutenberg and the Site Editor can be useful in 2026. Even if you still use a classic theme or page builder, understanding the native WordPress editor can help you keep up with how WordPress is changing.