What is WordPress?

WordPress is essentially a CMS, but it’s more than a CMS. In fact, WordPress calls itself a “platform.” That’s because you can use it to create anything from personal blogs and complex applications to enterprise websites. In that sense, it’s a lot more than just a content management system.

For users, WordPress is refreshingly easy to work with. Anyone, regardless of technical skill, can start publishing posts, pages, or even entire websites in just minutes. 

And yet, for developers, it provides the power and flexibility needed to build even the most complex digital ecosystems, all while maintaining the simplicity that has been central to WordPress’s philosophy since its inception.

WordPress is:

• Open-source, so it’s an excellent CMS to add to any best-of-breed DXP solution
• Free to use—there’s no licensing fee
• Nearly limitlessly extensible, integrable, and customizable, so you can make it a part of any digital infrastructure
• Scalable, grows with you
• Low maintenance, with minimal upkeep—freeing up resources for growth

Difference between WordPress.org, WordPress.com, and WordPress VIP

While we’re talking about WordPress, let’s talk about WordPress.com too. 

So WordPress (or WordPress.org) is your downloadable CMS software that you can install on your host and get started with WordPress. While WordPress.com is a WordPress-managed hosting solution from Automattic, WordPress’s parent company. And WordPress VIP is Automattic’s WordPress enterprise content management platform. You also have many other hosts providing enterprise-grade WordPress infrastructures, such as Pantheon and Pagely.