When and why we still use WordPress in 2026

WordPress has been around long enough that people assume it’s outdated. I hear these questions more often than you would think. “Isn’t it old? Haven’t better platforms come along by now?”

On the surface, those are fair questions. There are newer tools, sleeker interfaces, and plenty of platforms that promise you can build a website in a weekend with little effort. That kind of convenience is appealing, especially when you are just trying to get something live.

And yet, here we are in 2026, still building most of our client websites on WordPress.

Backslash has been using WordPress since 2009. That is long enough to evaluate alternatives, test new platforms, and make a change if something consistently performs better. We have not made that change, and it is not because we are resistant to new tools. It is because WordPress continues to solve the problems our clients actually have.

I’ve used just about everything else

I started using WordPress in college in 2021, and at that point, I did not have any particular loyalty to it. Since then, I have worked in Shopify, built sites on Wix and Squarespace, touched Weebly, used Adobe Experience Manager, and helped clients navigate platforms they chose years ago and no longer understand. Some of those experiences were smooth. Some were not.

If there is a strange or overly complicated website builder out there, I have probably at least seen it, and in a few cases, I have been pulled in to fix something that should not have been as difficult as it was.

That range of experience is part of why I feel confident saying this: My preference for WordPress is not based solely on familiarity. It is based on comparison.

I didn’t start out as a WordPress fan

When I first worked with WordPress, I was not impressed. What I had seen up to that point were sites that felt pieced together over time. They were slow, cluttered, and difficult to navigate behind the scenes. Multiple plugins, inconsistent structure, and no clear long-term strategy for how the site was supposed to function. It felt messy.

What changed for me was understanding the difference between WordPress as a platform and WordPress as it is often implemented. Once I saw what a well-built WordPress site looked like and how it could be intentionally structured from the beginning, my perspective shifted.

Now, I will say it plainly. I recommend WordPress often, and not casually. That recommendation is based on what it enables, not just what it is.

The real reason we use WordPress: Control

Most website platforms sit somewhere on a spectrum between convenience and control. Platforms like Wix and Squarespace prioritize convenience. They are designed to be accessible, quick to set up, and easy to use without much technical knowledge. For some situations, that is exactly what is needed.

WordPress leans in a different direction. It offers a higher level of control, which affects nearly every part of your website. You have more flexibility in how your site is designed, how it functions, how it integrates with other tools, and how it performs from an SEO standpoint. That level of control becomes increasingly important as a business grows and its needs become more specific.

At some point, most organizations need their website to do more than simply exist. They need it to support marketing efforts, adapt to new initiatives, and integrate with the rest of their systems. That is where WordPress tends to hold up better over time.

Why simpler platforms feel appealing at first

There is a reason so many businesses start with platforms like Wix or Squarespace. They are straightforward. You can move quickly, make changes without much friction, and get something that looks reasonably good without a deep understanding of how websites work. That is not a bad thing.

The challenge usually comes later. As needs evolve, limitations become more noticeable. Customization options and integrations may be limited, and certain changes may be more difficult than expected. At that point, what felt simple at the beginning can start to feel constraining.

This is the tradeoff. Simplicity often comes at the cost of flexibility.

Why WordPress works well for our clients

Most of the organizations we work with are not looking for the fastest or simplest solution. They are looking for something that will support them long term.

That typically includes flexibility as their business evolves, control over how their content is structured, and a strong foundation for search visibility. It also includes the ability to integrate with tools they may adopt in the future.

WordPress meets those needs well, which is why it remains our standard platform for website design and development. It allows us to build something that reflects where a client is now, while also giving them room to grow.

When we don’t recommend WordPress

Even with all of that, WordPress is not always the right choice. For businesses that are heavily focused on e-commerce, Shopify is often a better fit. It is built specifically for managing products, inventory, and transactions, and it handles those functions more efficiently out of the box. There are also situations where a very simple or short-term site is needed, and a lighter platform may be more appropriate.

In addition, some organizations prefer a system that requires minimal involvement on their end. WordPress can support that with the right setup, but it still assumes a level of ownership that not everyone wants.

Recognizing those differences is important. The goal is not to force a platform. It is to choose the right one for the situation.

Why WordPress gets a bad reputation

Many of the frustrations people associate with WordPress are not actually caused by the platform itself. They are the result of how the site was built.

Sites that rely on too many plugins, lack a clear structure, or have been modified repeatedly without a long-term plan tend to become difficult to manage. Over time, they slow down, become harder to update, and lose consistency. That experience is understandably frustrating. But it is also avoidable.

When WordPress is set up with intention, supported properly, and maintained over time, it functions very differently. The difference is not subtle. It is the result of treating the website as a system rather than a one-time project.

A quick note on open source

This is one aspect of WordPress that I appreciate beyond just functionality. WordPress is open source, which means it is not owned or controlled by a single company. That has practical implications. It increases transparency, encourages ongoing development, and keeps the platform more accessible. It also reduces the risk of being locked into a single provider’s ecosystem.

I am not suggesting that every decision should be based on that alone, but it is a meaningful factor. It is part of why WordPress has remained relevant for as long as it has.

Why I still recommend WordPress

I did not start out committed to WordPress. If anything, I approached it with some hesitation based on what I had seen. Over time, that changed.

After working across multiple platforms and seeing how they perform in real-world scenarios, WordPress remains the option that best supports our clients’ needs in the long run. It is not the simplest platform. It is not the fastest to launch. But it is one of the most reliable when it comes to building something that will last.

It comes down to fit

There is no single platform that is right for every situation. Each option has strengths and limitations, and the best choice depends on what a business actually needs from its website.

For most of the clients we work with, WordPress provides the right balance of flexibility, control, and long-term viability. That is why we continue to use it. And until something consistently does that better, we are not in a hurry to replace it.