Yes. For most businesses that want a website they own and can grow, WordPress is still worth using in 2026. It runs 39.3% of all websites according to W3Techs’ daily usage survey (10 November 2026), the software is on its seventh major version, and the pool of people who can work on it is enormous. The real question has shifted from “is WordPress dying?” to “is it built and looked after properly?”
A disclosure up front: we build on WordPress. So here is our verdict, including the parts that do not flatter it.
The health check: is the platform still moving?
Usage has eased, not collapsed
Every year someone declares WordPress finished. The numbers disagree. W3Techs reports WordPress on 39.3% of all websites and 58.1% of the sites whose content management system it can identify. Its share has slipped a little from its peak, but no rival is close. Wix, Squarespace and Shopify have grown mostly by winning people who were never going to run a WordPress site anyway.
The software is current
W3Techs shows version 7 already running on 68.8% of WordPress sites. That matters more than it sounds. A platform where most owners update promptly is one where security fixes actually land.
The 2024 dispute did not break it
In late 2024 a public legal fight between Automattic, the company led by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, and hosting company WP Engine rattled plenty of site owners. It was messy and it made headlines. For an ordinary business site on decent hosting, day to day running carried on.
What has changed since the WordPress you remember
The block editor grew up
If your last memory of WordPress is a cramped text box full of shortcodes, it has moved on. The block editor treats each heading, image, button and column as a separate block you can move, style and reuse. Full site editing extends the same idea to headers, footers and templates. Page builders are still popular too: W3Techs shows Elementor on 31.5% of WordPress sites. You get a choice of editing style rather than one imposed on you.
AI plugs in rather than replaces
AI writing, translation, image and search tools connect to WordPress through plugins and integrations. That is the advantage of an open platform. When a useful new tool appears, someone usually builds the connection quickly. Closed builders add AI features on their own timeline, and you get whatever they decide to ship.
Speed is in your hands
Google’s Core Web Vitals reward pages that load fast and stay stable. WordPress can score brilliantly or terribly. The difference comes down to hosting quality, theme weight and how many plugins load on every page. That is a build discipline problem, not a platform problem.
When WordPress is worth it in 2026
- You want to own the site and be free to change hosts or developers without rebuilding.
- Search traffic matters and you plan to add service, location or blog pages over time.
- You need integrations such as bookings, a CRM, quote forms, payments or a WooCommerce store.
- You want a big market of developers, which keeps support competitive.
When something else makes more sense
- Nobody will maintain the site and you will not pay for a care plan. WordPress needs regular updates.
- You need a one page placeholder this week. A hosted builder is quicker.
- Selling products is the whole business and you want checkout, stock and payments handled in one hosted platform. Shopify is often simpler.
Whether WordPress suits your particular business is a separate question from whether the platform itself is healthy. On the second one our verdict is clear. It is.
What a 2026 WordPress build should include
The platform is only as good as the build sitting on it. Look for a lightweight theme or block-based design, a short list of well supported plugins, quality hosting with Australian support, automatic backups, a maintenance plan, and editing set up so your team can change content without breaking layouts. Ask any developer how they handle each of those before you sign.
That checklist is the backbone of our WordPress web design work for Perth businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress dying?
No. It still runs roughly four in ten websites worldwide. What is fading is the old way of building WordPress sites, with heavy themes and a plugin for everything.
Is the block editor hard to learn?
Not for everyday edits. Changing text, swapping images and adding a page takes minutes once someone walks you through it. Designing whole templates takes more practice, which is why most businesses leave layout work to their developer.
Should I move an old WordPress site to a different platform?
Usually not just because it is old. A tired theme and too many plugins can normally be fixed with a fresh WordPress build, which keeps your content, URLs and search history intact. Switch platforms only if what the business needs has genuinely changed.
Can I use AI tools with WordPress?
Yes. Many AI writing, translation, image and chat tools connect through plugins. Treat them like any other plugin: install only what you will use and keep it updated.
Get a straight answer
Weighing up WordPress for a new site or a rebuild? See how we approach WordPress web design in Perth, or book a discovery call and we will tell you plainly whether it fits.
