I've been using WordPress since version 0.72. WordPress helped me start podcasting. I knew how to build a site with it, and plugins made it possible to publish a podcast feed without building one from scratch. It still gives podcasters remarkable control.

But I’ve decided it’s time for me to leave. That doesn’t mean you should. If WordPress does what you need and you’re comfortable maintaining it, you may have no reason to move. Here’s what changed my mind, along with options for staying or leaving.

1. WordPress uses outdated technologies

WordPress has improved over the years, but parts of its foundation and workflow still feel old to me. Its plugin repository, for example, uses Subversion for version control while many developers do their day-to-day work in Git. Even a small thing like the lack of a native dark mode in the admin dashboard makes me wonder why familiar improvements take so long.

PHP itself isn’t a reason to abandon a working site. You don’t even need to know it exists to use WordPress well. But when I want to build new features, I increasingly find that WordPress’s older approaches shape what’s easy and what takes another workaround. Think about the features you need next, not merely the age of the technology underneath your site.

2. WordPress gets slow

A basic WordPress installation can be fast. The trouble often comes as you add the theme and plugins that make it useful. My own Subscribe & Follow plugin, for example, loads code on pages that don’t display its widget. That’s not unusual: plugins can add scripts, styles, and database work beyond the one place you intended to use them.

Caching can help visitors, but the admin experience may still be slow. I feel that when routine changes on my sites take seconds that add up over a workday. Before adding a plugin to solve one more problem, ask what it will cost in performance and maintenance across your whole podcast website.

3. WordPress can have security risks

WordPress isn’t inherently insecure. But every additional plugin introduces code you need to trust, update, and sometimes replace. I spent about two years dealing with repeated compromises on one of my sites. I eventually found that someone was using an administrator account, though I still don’t know exactly how the original access happened. I suspect a plugin may have been involved, but I can’t say that for certain.

That experience made the responsibility feel less abstract. If your site stores audience information, a breach affects more than you. Check when your plugins were last updated, remove what you no longer need, keep backups, and protect administrator accounts with two-factor authentication. Then decide whether you want to keep managing that risk yourself.

4. WordPress doesn't connect well with AI

I’m not asking AI to write my podcast for me. I’m interested in tools that could help with specific work, such as checking show notes against an episode or updating information across older posts.

WordPress has an API, but my publishing workflow also depends on information handled by plugins. Publishing a post is only part of the job if I also need to populate PowerPress and SEO fields and put images in the right places. Plugins may offer integrations, but I haven’t found a simple, complete connection for what I want to do. If automation matters to your workflow, test every step it must handle before assuming an integration can publish an episode for you.

5. “Free” WordPress can get expensive

The software from WordPress.org is free. Hosting, premium themes, plugins, and the time to maintain them aren’t. I added up the recurring plugins and services I use to run my WordPress sites, excluding lifetime purchases, and the total was nearly $1,200 a year.

Those tools have been worth paying for. Still, “free WordPress” isn’t a useful comparison against a paid website service unless you include everything needed to run the site you actually want. Add up your renewals and your maintenance time before deciding which option costs less.

6. WordPress's founder is hurting his own ecosystem

I once met Matt Mullenweg at WordCamp US and thanked him. WordPress has enabled a great deal of my business, and I’m grateful for what he started.

That’s why I find the conflict involving Matt, WordPress, and WP Engine so troubling. During that dispute, WP Engine customers temporarily lost access to WordPress.org updates, putting them in the middle of a fight they didn’t choose. I can’t speak to anyone’s motives or settle the larger disagreement here. But I think that kind of conflict can make developers and businesses less confident about building within the ecosystem. It’s one more consideration when you’re choosing a long-term home for your podcast site.

Recommendations for a podcast WordPress website

If you’re staying with WordPress, these are tools I recommend considering according to your needs and budget. I use several of them myself. I have affiliate relationships with some of the companies mentioned in this article, but none sponsored this discussion.

• Pretty Links Pro: Create memorable URLs and automatically link selected terms in your content.
• Blubrry + PowerPress: Host your media with Blubrry and manage your podcast feed from WordPress with PowerPress.
• SecondLine Themes: Use a theme designed for podcast sites, including features that work well with PowerPress.
• All in One SEO: Manage your site’s search-engine information.
• Elementor: Build custom page layouts without having to code them.
• AAWP: Display Amazon affiliate products more easily, if that’s part of your site.
• WordFence: Check for security concerns, including outdated plugins.
• Gravity Forms: Build contact forms, surveys, and other forms.
• Darkify: Add a dark mode to the WordPress admin area.
• SearchWP: Improve how visitors search the content on your site.

You don’t need all of these. Each plugin should solve a problem you actually have, because each one also becomes something you’ll need to maintain.

Alternatives to WordPress for podcast websites

• Your podcast host’s website: Check what Captivate, Buzzsprout, Blubrry, or Transistor already provides. If it meets your needs, you might not need a separate website platform.
• Podpage or Beamly: Both build from your podcast RSS feed and let you add more to the site. I prefer Podpage’s features, but compare them against what you need your visitors to do.

My plan to replace WordPress

I’ve kept my podcast feed in WordPress because I want unusually precise control over it. For example, I want the concise notes people see in a podcast app to differ from the article on my website. I’ve even extended PowerPress to support parts of my workflow and experimental Podcasting 2.0 features.

So I’m not moving to a simpler hosted site. I plan to build with Payload CMS, an open-source content management system that works with Next.js, which I already use for Podgagement and PodChapters. It looks like a better foundation for the specific publishing features I want, though it’s a developer-oriented choice, not my default recommendation for every podcaster. I don’t yet know how long the move will take or whether I’ll make what I build available to others.

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Disclosure

This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship. I may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.

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