Nearly 30% of all web sites are powered through WordPress, which is written in PHP. That includes this site. I have been using WordPress since 2004, and even did full-time development in that ecosystem from 2012 to the end of 2015.

WordPress is so popular due to its simplicity, but there have been bumps along the way. The WordPress core code works well, but due to backward-compatibility mandates, it can be a bit, well, messy. That makes development a challenge, but doesn’t really detract from the end-user experience. There have been security issues, but there are good ways of dealing with those. The same can be said for performance issues.

Combine WordPress’s famour ease of installation with top-notch tools like Beaver Builder, and you can create an attractive site with compelling content very quickly. The best part is that you can do it without writing a single line of code. You can even get a free site at WordPress.com.

There really isn’t a quicker way to get a web site up and going with the ability to manage users, content, comments, and media. I don’t do much WordPress development any more, but I still “dabble”. And I maintain a handful of sites in WordPress.

WordPress comes in two flavors

If you want to host your own WordPress site, get your hands dirty in code, or just play around, you’ll want to download the “dot org” version. It’s also the version used by all managed hosting (except for “dot com”). It’s free and the most flexible version. The “dot com” requires no real setup on your part other than filling out some information, but comes with limitations such as themes and plugins. I have “dot com” sites, but don’t really use them. I need the flexibility and control that “dot org” gives me.

• Free sites: https://wordpress.com/ (hosted by them)
• Source code, plugins, themes: https://wordpress.org/ (hosted by you or a managed host)