How much of the web runs on WordPress, and why that matters to a beginner

Roughly 4 in 10 websites run on WordPress. If you have never built a site, that can sound like trivia. I think it’s one of the most practical facts to know before you start.

As per W3Techs, 67.8% of websites use a CMS it can identify (a content management system, the software for publishing your pages), and WordPress alone is 39.5%. Compare this with the second most popular CMS, Shopify, at 5.3%. Such is the popularity of WordPress.

Why should a beginner care? Popularity means company. In almost 7 years in the WordPress ecosystem, I’ve rarely seen a beginner’s problem nobody had already written up.

It also means choice. The official directory lists over 77,000 free plugins, which are add-ons that give your site a new feature.

You can also choose your hosting (where your site lives): WordPress.com, Bluehost, DreamHost, GoDaddy and more. Hosted platforms like Wix, Squarespace and Shopify keep your site on their own servers.