The question “What’s wrong with WordPress?” is a question about whether the platform matches the reality of modern websites.
Websites today operate as systems. They support ongoing content production, marketing campaigns, lead capture, analytics, integrations, accessibility requirements, and performance goals tied directly to business outcomes. They are updated frequently, touched by multiple roles, and expected to behave consistently as they grow.
WordPress was shaped during a time when websites were smaller, publishing was slower, and structural decisions carried fewer downstream consequences. Those original assumptions remain embedded in the platform. today. As a result, modern sites built on WordPress accumulate complexity, tolerate inconsistency, and rely on workarounds that become part of daily operations.
The sections below explain how that plays out across site structure, editing workflows, administration, plugins, themes, performance, and long-term maintenance—and why organizations building for scale are choosing foundations designed for clarity, structure, and predictable behavior.
WordPress carries more than most sites will ever need
WordPress began as blogging software. That history still shapes how the platform behaves today.
Every WordPress install includes support for posts, pages, comments, categories, tags, taxonomies, feeds, archives, themes, widgets, menus, media handling, user roles, and plugin hooks. Even when a site uses only a small subset of these features, the rest remain present.
This matters because unused features still influence how the system is organized.
The admin exposes options for functionality that may never be used. Themes account for features that do not apply to most business sites. Plugins interact with systems that exist by default, whether or not the site relies on them.
Over time, this creates weight. Not in the sense of file size alone, but in decision-making. More options mean more places where behavior can change. More features mean more surface area to understand, configure, and manage.
Modern websites benefit from clarity. WordPress defaults to inclusiveness.
Flexibility without boundaries creates inconsistency
WordPress is often described as flexible. That flexibility comes from allowing many ways to solve the same problem.
Pages can be built using core blocks, custom blocks, page builders, shortcodes, theme templates, or combinations of all of the above. Content can live in posts, pages, or custom post types. Layouts can be controlled by the editor, the theme, or a plugin.
This openness feels helpful early on. It allows sites to grow organically, accommodating new needs as they arise.
Over time, the cost becomes visible.
Two pages that look similar on the front end may be constructed entirely differently behind the scenes. One page relies on blocks. Another uses a builder. A third pulls from custom fields rendered by a template. Changes that work cleanly on one page behave differently on another.
The platform does not enforce consistency. It allows variation to accumulate.
For modern websites that rely on uniform presentation, repeatable layouts, and predictable updates, this flexibility introduces risk.
Multiple page builders coexist on the same site
One of the most common WordPress patterns is a site that uses more than one layout system.
A site might start with a theme that provides its own blocks. Later, a page builder is added for landing pages. Blog posts continue using core blocks. Some pages rely on custom templates built by a developer.
Each system brings its own controls, spacing rules, styling assumptions, and limitations.
The result is visible during normal work:
- New pages require extra effort to match existing ones
- Layout adjustments behave differently depending on how the page was built
- Editors must remember which tool was used where
- Design consistency requires manual correction
WordPress allows this situation to exist because it treats layout as an editorial concern rather than a structural one.
Modern site foundations take the opposite approach. They define layout systems clearly and apply them consistently.
The admin reflects everything the platform can do, not what people need to do
The WordPress admin exposes a wide range of menus and settings. Many of them influence the same outcomes.
Posts, pages, media, appearance settings, plugin settings, reading options, writing options, discussion options, and custom plugin panels all coexist in a single interface. The admin does not adapt to the site’s purpose or simplify itself based on usage.
This creates friction during everyday work.
A request like “update the SEO title for this page” may involve opening an SEO plugin, checking theme behavior, and confirming which field controls output. Updating a form requires navigating the form editor, confirmation messages, notifications, and integrations. Changing layout behavior may require visiting theme settings, editor controls, or custom fields.
The admin does not guide users through tasks. It exposes configuration.
As sites grow and more plugins are added, this complexity increases rather than decreases.
Role management and permissions lack precision
Modern websites are touched by many roles.
Marketing teams publish content. Designers adjust layouts. Developers maintain structure. Editors review changes. External partners may need limited access.
WordPress role management remains coarse.
Roles are broad. Capabilities are often tied to plugins rather than content intent. Restricting access to specific actions frequently requires additional plugins or custom development.
As a result, organizations face tradeoffs:
- Grant broader access than desired
- Rely on process instead of system safeguards
- Avoid delegating tasks to reduce risk
This limits scalability. Modern platforms increasingly treat permissions as a first-class concern tied directly to content structure and workflow.
Plugins allow functionality to pile up without limits
Plugins are central to how WordPress operates.
Forms, SEO, caching, security, analytics, redirects, image handling, accessibility tools, and integrations are commonly added through plugins. Each plugin solves a specific need.
The platform places few constraints on how many plugins are added or how they interact.
Over time, this creates accumulation.
Each plugin introduces its own interface, settings, and assumptions. Plugins often rely on shared behavior and hook into the same areas of the system. As more plugins are installed, their behavior overlaps.
This becomes visible during updates.
A plugin update affects layout on pages that were not edited. A WordPress update changes how a custom feature behaves. Diagnosing issues involves disabling plugins, testing combinations, and restoring behavior through repeated checks.
Maintenance effort increases because stability depends on many independent parts continuing to work together.
The codebase reflects long-term accumulation
WordPress has been extended continuously for decades. Backward compatibility is preserved aggressively to avoid breaking existing sites.
This approach keeps older sites running, but it also limits architectural change.
Core systems remain intertwined. Legacy patterns persist. New features are layered on top of old ones rather than replacing them.
For developers, this increases complexity. For businesses, it translates into slower progress, higher maintenance cost, and fewer opportunities to simplify.
Modern platforms benefit from clearer separation between content, presentation, and delivery. WordPress retains many connections between these concerns.
Performance requires ongoing tuning
WordPress sites can be fast. Achieving and maintaining performance often requires effort.
Themes, plugins, hosting configuration, caching layers, image optimization, and database behavior all influence performance. Small changes can introduce regressions. Updates require revalidation.
As sites grow, performance becomes something that must be managed continuously rather than expected by default.
Modern architectures emphasize performance as a baseline characteristic rather than an ongoing project.
The platform encourages acceptable outcomes instead of excellent ones
WordPress makes it easy to get something working.
A site can be launched quickly. A page can be assembled visually. A feature can be added through a plugin.
This accessibility has value, but it also sets a ceiling.
When structure is optional and consistency is not enforced, many sites settle into patterns that are “good enough.” Layouts vary. Content structure is loose. Performance is adequate. Maintenance is tolerated.
Over time, the platform rewards accommodation rather than refinement.
Modern site foundations tend to do the opposite. They encourage structure early so quality is easier to maintain later.
What modern websites require from their foundation
Modern websites operate under different conditions.
They publish frequently. They rely on consistent presentation. They integrate with marketing, sales, analytics, and operations. They are maintained by teams rather than individuals. They are expected to perform reliably without constant tuning.
Meeting these needs requires:
- Clear content structure
- Consistent layout systems
- Predictable publishing workflows
- Deliberate integration points
- Strong performance defaults
- Reduced surface area for error
These requirements are architectural, not cosmetic.
The path forward: Astro and headless CMS foundations
Astro paired with a headless CMS reflects these priorities.
Content is structured independently from layout. Pages are assembled from defined components. Publishing follows a single path across the site. Changes remain contained to their scope.
Editors work within clear boundaries. Designers apply changes consistently. Developers maintain structure without interfering with content.
Performance is built into the delivery model. Integrations are explicit rather than layered on gradually. Roles and permissions align with content intent.
This approach reduces variability. It limits the ways things can go wrong. It supports growth without compounding complexity.
Why this shift is happening now
The move toward modern, headless foundations is not driven by novelty. It is driven by alignment.
As websites become central to operations, platforms designed for early-era publishing struggle to keep up with modern demands. The cost shows up in time, coordination, maintenance, and missed opportunity.
Organizations are choosing foundations that reflect how websites are actually used today.
Final thoughts
“What’s wrong with WordPress?” is not a complaint. It is a diagnostic question.
The answer lies in how the platform fits modern workflows, scales with growth, and supports consistent outcomes over time.
For many organizations, the next step involves choosing a foundation designed for clarity, structure, and predictability rather than flexibility without boundaries.
That is why Astro and headless CMS platforms are becoming the default choice for teams building websites meant to last.
