Why WordPress Sucks (or Does it?): A Comprehensive Look

Introduction

Here’s an unpopular opinion from an agency that’s been building WordPress sites for over 20 years: WordPress doesn’t suck. But the way most WordPress sites are built and managed absolutely does.

WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet. The White House runs on it. So do thousands of successful ecommerce stores, service businesses, and enterprise platforms. So why do so many business owners end up searching “why WordPress sucks” and nodding along with every result?

The answer is almost never the platform itself. It’s plugin bloat, cheap hosting, and a long line of people who thought installing a theme made them a developer. We recently took over a site with over 100 plugins. Some pages took 10 seconds to load. The business owner was convinced WordPress was the problem. It wasn’t.

This guide covers what’s really going on, what’s fixable, and when it might genuinely be time to consider something else.

The Real Complaints (And What’s Actually Going On)

There are several reasons why some people think WordPress sucks. Here are a few of the most common:

• WordPress security is often criticised for its security vulnerabilities. Because it’s such a popular platform, it’s a prime target for hackers who want to exploit weaknesses in the system. While WordPress does have security measures in place, it’s still up to individual users to take additional steps to protect their sites. At Devstars, our deployment, launch, update and hosting procedures ensure that WordPress can pass even the most rigorous penetration (PEN) testing.
• Complexity: WordPress is relatively user-friendly but can also be quite complex. There are many different options and settings to navigate, which can overwhelm new users. We recommend limiting user-level access, this not only improves security but makes the interface far easier to use. 
• Maintenance: Because WordPress is constantly updated, it requires regular maintenance to ensure everything runs smoothly. This can be time-consuming and frustrating for some users.
  We recommend that monthly or at least bi-monthly updates be done. Backups and rollback procedures need to be in place, and we always do a test run on a staging server to avoid any surprises.
• Customisation: While WordPress is highly customisable, some people find that customising their site can be difficult and confusing.

However, it’s important to note that many of these issues can be addressed with the help of plugins, themes, and other resources.

Why Most WordPress Sites Are Slow

It tends to fall into two routes:

• The site was built on a budget by someone who just installed plug-ins as they didn’t know how to code.
• The site was built professionally and then handed over to a succession of admins and freelancers who just installed plug-ins as they didn’t know how to code. (Tip: Website owners should limit admin access to admins who know what they are doing.)

There is a theme (excuse the pun) here. WordPress success is down to its ease of use, but this also breeds complacency.

When we took over Headmasters.com in 2018, some pages took 10 seconds to load, and the site had amassed over 80 plug-ins. Another site we reviewed recently (and will remain nameless) had over 120 plugins!

Bloated Themes and Plugins

Off-the-shelf themes and plugins, readily available for use in WordPress, are a double-edged sword. While they offer convenience and functionality, they can also contribute to slowing down your WordPress website. Let’s explore in detail why these pre-made themes and plugins can have such an impact:

1. Code Bloat: Many off-the-shelf themes and plugins have extensive codebases to cater to diverse needs, increasing website file size and loading times.
2. Unused Features: Off-the-shelf themes/plugins offer many features, but only some are needed, causing unnecessary overhead as the entire codebase loads.
3. Database Queries: Poorly optimised database queries by plugins can slow down site performance, accumulating with more plugin usage.
4. Security Risks: Using poorly coded or outdated themes/plugins can expose your site to vulnerabilities, risking performance and security.
5. Dependency on Third-Party Servers: Some plugins rely on external servers, affecting site speed and functionality if they experience downtime.
6. Lack of Optimisation: Off-the-shelf solutions need more fine-tuned Optimisation for optimal performance than custom-built ones.

How to Fix WordPress Performance

Optimise Image Assets for Improved Loading Times

One of the primary culprits behind sluggish websites is oversized and unoptimised image assets. To address this issue, we recommend using image compression techniques to reduce file sizes without compromising quality. Several online tools and WordPress plugins are available to simplify this process.

Furthermore, adopting modern image formats like WebP can result in substantial file size reductions, especially for transparent images. Leveraging the “lazy loading” technique ensures that images are loaded only when they come into the user’s view, further enhancing speed.

Minimise HTTP Requests and Combine Files

Each HTTP request a visitor’s browser makes to retrieve various website elements contributes to loading time. Reducing the number of HTTP requests is crucial for speeding up your website. Combine CSS and JavaScript files to minimise the number of files that need to be loaded separately.

Incorporate inline CSS and defer JavaScript loading to ensure that essential content is rendered quickly while non-essential elements load later. By optimising and prioritising the loading of your website’s components, you can significantly enhance its overall speed.

Leverage Browser Caching for Repeat Visitors

Browser caching allows elements of your website to be stored locally on a visitor’s device, reducing the need to download them with each subsequent visit. This caching mechanism expedites the loading process for returning users and enhances their browsing experience.

You can implement browser caching by adding appropriate headers to your server’s responses. Utilise tools like cache-control and expire headers to specify how long specific resources should be cached. However, be mindful when updating website assets, as caching may lead to visitors seeing outdated content.

Opt for a Reliable Web Hosting Service

The choice of web hosting service can significantly impact your website’s speed and overall performance. Opt for a reputable hosting provider with high-quality server infrastructure, ample resources, and excellent customer support.

Choose a hosting plan that best suits your website’s needs, considering factors such as traffic volume, server location, and the type of content you host. A dedicated or cloud-based hosting solution often performs better than shared hosting, ensuring faster load times and minimal downtime.

Implement Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

Content Delivery Networks are geographically distributed server networks that store cached versions of your website’s static content. When a user accesses your site, the CDN serves content from the server closest to their location, reducing latency and improving load times.

Integrating a CDN into your WordPress website can significantly improve speed, especially for international visitors. Popular CDN providers include Cloudflare, Akamai, and Amazon CloudFront. Set up your CDN correctly, and watch your website’s speed soar to new heights.

Monitor and Fine-Tune Website Performance

Improving website speed is not a one-time task but an ongoing process. Regularly monitor your website’s performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, or Pingdom. These tools provide valuable insights and actionable suggestions to optimise your website’s loading times further.

Conduct periodic performance audits and fine-tune various elements to maintain your site’s top-notch speed. Stay updated with the latest advancements in web technologies and Optimisation techniques to continually improve your website’s performance.

Core Web Vitals: What WordPress Owners Need to Know

To optimise a WordPress site for Core Web Vitals, which are critical for user experience and SEO, you can follow these strategies:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

• Set Up Page Caching: Use caching plugins like WP Rocket to speed up server response times and reduce Time to First Byte (TTFB).
• Optimise Images: Compress images and use modern formats like WebP. Consider using plugins like ShortPixel for on-the-fly Optimisation and delivery from a CDN.
• Minimise Render-Blocking Resources: Defer non-critical JavaScript and CSS to improve loading performance.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

• Reduce JavaScript Execution: Minimize or defer JavaScript to reduce the time the browser’s main thread is busy.
• Optimise Third-Party Scripts: Audit and optimise the loading of third-party scripts to prevent them from blocking interactivity.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

• Specify Image Dimensions: Set explicit width and height attributes for images to prevent layout shifts.
• Avoid Inserting Dynamic Content Above Existing Content: Ensure dynamically injected content doesn’t cause layout shifts.

WordPress Plugins and tools to Optimise Core Web Vitals

To optimise Core Web Vitals on your WordPress site, we use the following:

1. WP Rocket: A caching plugin that automatically sets up page caching to reduce server response times. It also helps optimise the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) by speeding up server responses.
2. Google Page Speed
3. GT Metrix – Gives you page speed insight history
4. Autoptimize: Optimises JavaScript, CSS, and HTML files to reduce page load time. It can also help with deferring scripts and styles to minimise render-blocking resources.
5. ShortPixel Image Optimiser or Imagify: These plugins are used for image Optimisation, which is crucial for improving LCP. They compress images and can be integrated with a CDN for faster delivery.
6. WP Super Cache: A free caching plugin that can help reduce page load times by serving cached static files.

When using these plugins, it’s important to configure them properly to ensure they are effectively improving your Core Web Vitals scores. Regularly monitor your site’s performance using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to track improvements and make necessary adjustments.

Common WordPress Myths (Debunked)

Several myths about WordPress are simply untrue. Here are a few examples:

• WordPress is only for bloggers: While WordPress is often associated with blogging, it can be used to build many projects. At Devstars, we’ve used WordPress for a one-page site to press centres for Nokia. Even the White House uses WordPress.
• WordPress is not secure: While there have been security issues with WordPress, the platform has come a long way in terms of security measures and is generally considered a safe choice for building a website as long as it’s managed competently and updated regularly.
• WordPress is difficult to use: While there is undoubtedly a learning curve when it comes to using WordPress, it’s also designed to be user-friendly and accessible to people of all skill levels.

WordPress doesn’t suck. But poorly managed WordPress sites absolutely do. The platform isn’t the problem, the approach is.

Please get in touch if we can help.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is WordPress really free?

Yes, the WordPress software itself is free. You’ll need to pay for hosting (typically £5-50/month depending on quality), a domain name (around £10-15/year), and any premium plugins or themes. The real cost is in proper development and ongoing maintenance, which is where most businesses either invest wisely or pay later in lost performance.

Do I need to know how to code to use WordPress?

You don’t need to code to manage day-to-day content on a WordPress site. However, building a WordPress site that performs well, loads fast, and ranks in search engines requires proper development skills. The gap between ‘installed a theme’ and ‘built a professional WordPress site’ is where most problems start.

Is WordPress SEO-friendly?

WordPress is one of the most SEO-friendly CMS platforms available, with clean URL structures, built-in sitemaps, and strong plugin support from tools like RankMath. That said, no CMS is SEO-friendly out of the box. Proper technical SEO, structured data, and content strategy are what actually drive rankings.

Can I use WordPress to build an e-commerce site?

Yes. WooCommerce powers millions of online stores worldwide. For straightforward product catalogues and checkout flows, it’s a solid choice. For more complex requirements like custom pricing logic, multi-vendor marketplaces, or heavy integrations, you may need bespoke development on top of WooCommerce, or a different platform entirely.

Do I need to update WordPress regularly?

Yes. We recommend monthly updates as a minimum. Always back up first, have a rollback plan, and test on a staging server before pushing updates to your live site.

Skipping updates is one of the fastest ways to end up with security vulnerabilities and plugin conflicts.

Is WordPress better than other CMS platforms?

It depends on what you need. WordPress is the strongest choice for businesses that want flexibility, SEO performance, and long-term ownership of their site. Platforms like Shopify work well for straightforward ecommerce, and Squarespace suits simple brochure sites.

If you need custom functionality, complex integrations, or a site that scales with your business, WordPress with proper development is hard to beat.

How do I know if my WordPress site needs rebuilding or just fixing?

If your site loads in under 3 seconds, passes Core Web Vitals, and converts visitors into enquiries, it probably just needs ongoing maintenance. If it’s slow, bloated with plugins, or hasn’t been properly updated in over a year, a structured cleanup or rebuild is usually more cost-effective than patching problems one at a time.

How many plugins should a WordPress site have?

There’s no magic number, but fewer is almost always better. A well-built WordPress site typically needs 10-15 plugins at most. If you’re running 30+, there’s a good chance several could be replaced with cleaner, hand-coded solutions. We’ve taken over sites with 80-120 plugins, and in every case, stripping them back dramatically improved speed and stability.

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