Research Summary. In today’s digital landscape, having a reliable, functional, and visually appealing website can significantly influence the success of an online business. A website serves not only as a representation of a brand but also as a powerful tool for driving sales.
As we enter 2026, WordPress continues to be the leading open-source content management system (CMS), maintaining its dominance in the web development sphere.
To better understand the current state of WordPress, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of key WordPress statistics. Based on our latest research:
-
43.1% of all websites utilize WordPress.
-
Approximately 810 million websites are powered by WordPress.
-
WordPress commands a 64.2% market share among all CMS platforms.
-
Each day, over 500 new WordPress sites are launched.
The Benefits of WordPress
WordPress remains a top choice due to its numerous advantages. Here are some statistics reflecting its incredible appeal:
-
WordPress has a larger market share than all of the other top ten CMS combined.
In the CMS landscape, WordPress stands out as the unrivaled leader. Shopify follows as a distant second with a mere 6.2% market share, over ten times less than WordPress.
Content Management System (CMS) Market Share WordPress 64.3% Shopify 6.2% Wix 3.4% Squarespace 3.0% Joomla 2.5% -
14.7% of the top 100 websites worldwide run on WordPress.
A substantial 359,760 of the top 1 million websites (36%) are powered by WordPress, illustrating its effectiveness even among the most successful enterprises.
-
62% of the top 100 fastest-growing companies utilize WordPress.
Its affordability and user-friendliness make WordPress a favored choice for startups and rapidly growing businesses.
-
There are over 6.7 million e-commerce sites that utilize WordPress.
Many of these sites leverage WooCommerce, a WordPress plugin that facilitates online store management, with approximately 6,719,294 sites using it.
-
WordPress dominates Google’s SERP with more than 2 billion results.
This statistic places WordPress-related searches on par with food-related inquiries.
WordPress Growth Rate
In spite of growing competition, WordPress has shown steady growth over the years. This consistent rise has helped solidify its position in the market. For instance:
-
2 million new WordPress websites are created each year.
This represents approximately 2.2% of the 92 million websites developed globally annually, a notable figure relative to other CMS options.
-
From 2011 to 2026, the utilization of WordPress has increased by an average of 12% annually.
Back in 2011, WordPress was used by only 13.1% of websites, a figure that has risen to 43.1% by 2022.
-
Up to 70 million WordPress blog posts are published monthly.
This amounts to approximately 2.3 million out of the total 4.4 million blog posts shared daily, with 30% of these bloggers based in the US.
WordPress Products
WordPress extends beyond being just a CMS; it also offers themes, multilingual support, and various other products. Here are some key statistics that highlight the success and diversity of these offerings:
-
There are approximately 31,010 WordPress themes available.
Among these, 10,381 are free, indicating that 33.5% of all WordPress themes are available at no cost.
-
The average price of a WordPress theme is $57.54.
Users can expect to spend around $60 for a typical premium WordPress theme, while premium plugins may range from $100 to $200. Though the cost may deter some SMBs, the formatting and branding advantages often justify the investment.
-
WordPress version 6.1 is utilized by 54.4% of users.
Most users strive to keep their WordPress installation updated, with only 9.8% using version 6.0 and 4.7% using 5.9.
WordPress version Share of users 6.1 54.4% 6.0 9.8% 5.8 5.0% 5.9 4.7% 4.9 3.6% 5.7 3.1% 5.4 2.9% 5.5 2.8% 5.3 2.2% 5.6 2.1% -
WordPress’ English (US) locale is preferred by 44.2% of users.
English (US) leads, followed by Spanish (Spain) at 5.9%, Japanese at 5.9%, German at 5.7%, and French (France) at 4.4%.
WordPress locales Share of users English (US) 44.2% Spanish (Spain) 5.9% Japanese 5.9% German 5.7% French (France) 4.4% English (UK) 3.5% Portuguese (Brazil) 3.1% Italian 3.1% Russian 2.5% Dutch 2.5% -
WordPress supports HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and PHP.
This versatility contributes to its widespread popularity, enabling website creators to utilize a range of powerful programming languages.
WordPress Statistics FAQ
-
How many websites use WordPress?
Approximately 810 million websites are built on WordPress. This means WordPress accounts for a remarkable 43.1% of all websites on the internet. While it doesn’t hold a majority, it represents a larger share than most other CMS platforms combined.
-
What is WordPress’ market share?
WordPress has a 64.2% market share among CMS. This not only signifies a majority but is also greater than the collective market share of the other top ten CMS.
Shopify ranks second with only a 6.2% market share, roughly ten times less than WordPress.
-
Is WordPress losing market share?
No, WordPress is not experiencing a significant loss in market share. Although its market share slightly declined by 0.4% to 42.9% in May 2022, it has since rebounded to 43.1%. Overall, WordPress’ market share can be described as stable over the past few years.
-
Why is WordPress so popular?
There are numerous factors contributing to WordPress’ popularity, such as its cost-effectiveness and adaptability. Here are the primary reasons why WordPress continues to lead the market:
-
Free. The core WordPress software is available for free, lowering the barrier for new businesses with limited capital.
-
Open-source. This allows users to modify, adapt, and enhance their websites, fostering a vibrant community of contributors over the years.
-
Plugins. WordPress offers a vast array of both free and premium plugins that extend website functionality.
-
SEO Friendly. WordPress is built with strong SEO capabilities, empowering users to create optimized permalinks, manage metadata, and optimize media effectively.
-
Media Support. WordPress facilitates easy integration of various media types, including images (.jpeg, .png), documents (.pdf, .doc, .pptx), and audio/video files (.mp3, .mp4, .m4a, .mov, .wmv, .avi).
-
Conclusion
As we move through 2026, WordPress remains the undisputed leader in the CMS market, boasting a remarkable 64.2% market share. This translates to 43.1% of all websites being built on WordPress, totaling around 810 million sites.
Despite the rise of competitors, WordPress continues to thrive. Shopify, the closest competitor, holds only a 6.2% market share, highlighting the substantial gap in dominance. In fact, WordPress’ market share surpasses that of the remaining top ten CMS combined.
Overall, WordPress’ extensive benefits and features ensure its position as the leading CMS, and it is poised to maintain this status for the foreseeable future.
References
-
Search Engine Journal – CMS Market Share Monthly: 64.2% Of Sites Use WordPress
-
MobiLoud – CMS Market Share: The Most Popular Website Platforms in 2023
-
Barn2 Plugins – How many websites use WooCommerce? Usage stats + Infographic 2023
-
Caldera Forms – Basic Things You Need to Know to Become a WordPress Developer
Author
Jack Flynn is a writer for Zippia. In his professional career he’s written over 100 research papers, articles and blog posts. Some of his most popular published works include his writing about economic terms and research into job classifications. Jack received his BS from Hampshire College.
