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The WordPress vs WP Engine Drama

The Drama

Matt Mullenweg, founder of WordPress, has sparked controversy by having WordPress conduct a hostile takeover of Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), a popular plugin owned by WP Engine. ACF’s team was taken by surprise. WordPress then forked ACF, creating a new plugin called Secure Custom Fields (SCF) to "remove commercial upsells" and address security issues.

“Forking” typically involves creating a personal copy of a project to develop independently. However, WordPress did a “reverse fork” by taking control of the original ACF listing, including its user reviews, installs, and forum posts. WP Engine and its supporters are calling this move a forceful takeover, not a legitimate fork.

Who’s Right and Who’s Wrong?

This move is the latest in a series of escalations between Mullenweg and WP Engine. The dispute began when Mullenweg accused WP Engine of exploiting the WordPress ecosystem for profit without contributing back. After demanding WP Engine pay 8% of their revenue—approximately $32 million annually—WP Engine responded with a cease-and-desist letter, accusing Mullenweg of extortion.

The ACF takeover has raised concerns that Mullenweg, who controls both WordPress.org and his for-profit company Automattic, is blurring the lines between open-source stewardship and commercial interests.

Critics, including notable figures like David Heinemeier Hansson (creator of Ruby on Rails) and Pieter Levels, argue that Mullenweg’s actions are putting millions of WordPress users at risk by destabilizing essential plugins like ACF.

This internal conflict within the WordPress ecosystem has already caused unrest. Recently, 8.4% of Automattic's employees accepted buyout offers due to disagreements with Mullenweg's direction for the company.

Lessons For Indie Hackers And Startups

For indie hackers and startups, this drama serves as a stark reminder of the risks involved in building on third-party platforms, especially when those platforms are managed by companies with conflicting commercial interests.

The hostile takeover of ACF demonstrates how even widely trusted, open-source platforms can experience internal power struggles that affect millions of users.

While Mullenweg’s actions may have been driven by concerns over security and commercial interests, the way the situation was handled has led to a loss of trust within the WordPress community.

For those building on WordPress or other major platforms, it’s essential to consider contingency plans in case platform governance or policies change unexpectedly.

At the end of the day, relying too heavily on someone else's platform can make your business vulnerable to decisions outside of your control. It's important to avoid becoming collateral damage in larger disputes by keeping alternatives open.

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