We’re deep into 2023, and WordPress shows no signs of slowing down. A seemingly endless tide of software updates, plugins, themes, and user trends characterize the world’s most popular Content Management System (CMS). Understandably, you may struggle keep up with this ever-evolving platform.
The answer is to focus on what’s important. By looking at some key WordPress statistics, you can zero in on the most relevant data and leverage this information to take your website to new heights.
In this article, we’ll look at key WordPress statistics for 2023, including facts about the core software, popular plugins and themes, and user trends. In doing so, we’ll provide a clear snapshot of what’s hot, what’s evolving, and where the platform is headed. Let’s get started!
1. WordPress Is the World’s Most Popular CMS
In 2023, WordPress continues to dominate the CMS industry, with 43.2 percent of all websites using the platform. This figure translates to an astounding 63.1 percent share of the CMS market:
To understand how popular WordPress truly is, you need only consider its closest competitor – Shopify. As successful as this e-commerce platform may be, it doesn’t hold a candle to WordPress, trailing behind with a comparatively 5.7 percent market share.
2. More Than 400 Million Websites Use WordPress
According to Netcraft’s June 2023 Web Server Survey, there are over 1.1 billion websites. Considering that WordPress powers approximately 43.2 percent of the internet, this data indicates that almost 480 million websites use the CMS:
In second place is Shopify, with roughly 43 million websites hosted on this platform.
The difference between WordPress and its competitors is quite telling. Clearly, the once simple blog publishing tool has evolved into a powerful platform that can host any type of website.
3. WordPress Has Grown By Over 25% Since 2013
Popularity is one of the most valuable currencies in the digital world, but some would argue that sustainable growth is even more important. While WordPress holds the crown as the world’s most popular CMS, what’s more impressive is that the platform has grown by 25 percent over the past decade:
This data indicates that the platform continues to go from strength to strength and reaffirms what most of us already know: that WordPress is here to stay.
4. WordPress Is Available in Over 200 Languages
Translate WordPress, an open-source project run by a team of translators, makes WordPress.org accessible to people in 208 languages. To date, there are 32 languages in which WordPress Core has been fully translated (100 percent), with many other languages sitting at 90-99 percent:
The WordPress team’s commitment to accessibility, combined with its willingness to involve others in its efforts, is certainly one of the key factors driving the platform’s sustained growth and popularity.
5. Most WordPress Sites Are Written in English
English continues to dominate the WordPress landscape, with 71 percent of blogging content published in this language:
This is significant, considering that the platform hosts blogs written in over 120 languages. It also reflects the W3Techs content language data, which show that 54.3 percent of all websites use English.
6. WordPress Rolls Out Core Updates 2-3 Times Per Year
Typically, WordPress rolls out significant updates to its core software two to three times annually, with each update occurring approximately every three to six months:
These updates help the platform stay ahead of the curve, while allowing website owners and developers to keep their businesses running smoothly.
7. WordPress Powers the Biggest and Brightest Companies
ABC, BBC America, and The Walt Disney Company are just some of the most popular companies that use WordPress:
The addition of Fortune 500 companies to the platform’s portfolio helps foster trust in WordPress. It’s also a testament to the platform’s versatility.
8. WordPress Powers 10.57% Of The Top 10,000 Sites
Here at GigaPress, we conducted a study analyzing some of the most popular websites, finding that WordPress powers 10.57% of the top 10,000 websites by traffic. This is an impressive stat given that most top sites opt to use their own architecture, rather than off-the-shelf software.
Among websites in the top 10,000 that use a known, publicly available CMS, WordPress controls 44.26% of the market:
As we wrote in our report:
…it’s easy to think of a free, open-source website builder as something used by hobby bloggers and small, cash-strapped businesses. But the numbers above tell a different story: even among the top 10,000 websites, an elite segment with the resources to build their own custom solutions, more than 10% have opted to use WordPress.
9. WordPress Users Generate 70 Million New Posts Each Month
WordPress users produce roughly 70 million new posts and 77 million new comments monthly. It’s easy to understand why many bloggers gravitate to WordPress. It was initially designed as a blogging platform, and it’s an affordable solution for many creators.
10. The Average U.S. WordPress Developer Earns Roughly $64,000
The rise of WordPress has brought with it a host of employment opportunities for budding and experienced web developers.
According to Indeed, a WordPress developer working in the U.S. can expect to earn between $43,000 and $96,000, with an average salary of $64,000:
However, other important factors such as experience, specialization, and location can significantly impact potential earnings.
11. There Are Over 60,000 WordPress Plugins
In 2023, there are over 60,400 plugins in the WordPress PluginA plugin is a software component that adds specific features and functionality to your WordPress website. Esse… More Directory. This significant number demonstrates the software’s versatility and the willingness of developers to invest in the platform.
12. WooCommerce Is the Most Popular E-Commerce Plugin
WooCommerce is the world’s most popular e-commerce plugin for WordPress. Millions of people worldwide use this software to build online shops.
To date, millions of people continue to use this platform for their e-commerce needs. As of July 2023, the company holds a 12.9 percent share of the CMS market. This gives it a significant lead over one of its biggest competitors (Shopify), which holds a 5.7 percent market share.
13. Elementor is the Most Widely Used Page Builder
Elementor is the world’s leading website builder for WordPress users. Currently, the plugin has the highest market share at 12.5 percent.
Elementor’s live usage sits atop its competition at 13 million websites. This shows that the plugin continues to be one of the best page-building tools available.
14. Yoast Is the #1 SEO Plugin
Yoast remains the top SEO plugin for professionals looking to optimize their websites for search engines. To date, there are almost 20 million websites that use this tool.
15. Wordfence Has Blocked Over 8 Billion Malicious Attacks
Wordfence is one of the premier security plugins responsible for protecting millions of WordPress websites.
The ever-increasing number of plugins brings with it new cyber attacks and threats. WordPress websites have become frequent targets of these attacks.
Fortunately, plugins such as Wordfence have successfully blocked over 8 billion threats thus far.
16. The WordPress Directory Holds Over 11,000 Free Themes
There are approximately 11,037 free themes in the WordPress directory. With this number expected to grow at an increasing rate, it’s safe to say that many developers still believe that WordPress is worth investing in.
17. Astra is the Most Popular Theme
Astra continues to forge through 2023 as the most popular theme overall.
Its user-friendly, secure, and highly-optimized software has helped it secure almost 2.4 million websites, slightly outperforming Divi which sits at roughly 2.3 million.
This data suggests that WordPress users value performance and minimalism when it comes to themes.
18. Divi is the Preferred Choice Among the Top 1 Million Websites
Astra may be the overall favorite, but the Divi theme remains the preferred choice among the top one million websites. It was detected 13,764 times compared to Astra’s 13,268:
This difference may not seem like much, but it may indicate that top-tier users value the more comprehensive, all-in-one package that Divi offers.
19. The Median Price of a WordPress Theme Sits at $59
A quick browse through a theme marketplace reveals that most themes cost roughly $59:
Considering how expensive it can be to have an expert build you a custom website, this is a very reasonable price. You might also be pleased to learn that most themes are a one-time purchase.
20. ThemeForest is the Largest WordPress Theme Marketplace
ThemeForest is the largest premium WordPress themeA WordPress theme is a set of files that determine the design and layout of a website. It controls everything … More repository on the web:
With its collection of almost 11,500 themes, there’s no shortage of free and premium themes available to WordPress users.
Conclusion
Navigating the dynamic landscape of WordPress can feel overwhelming. That said, understanding the popularity of certain themes and plugins and the sheer diversity of the platform’s user base can help you harness WordPress to its full potential.
WordPress has a whopping 63.1 percent market share in the CMS industry. It has also experienced a 25 percent growth rate over the past decade. This data (among other promising statistics) shows that WordPress is a powerful platform that’s worth investing in.
Do you have any questions about the WordPress statistics discussed in this postA post is a type of content in WordPress, a popular open-source content management system used for creating an… More? Let us know in the commentsComments are a feature of WordPress that allow users to engage in discussions about the content of a website. … More section below!
