Open source refers to software whose underlying source code is made freely available for anyone to view, use, modify, and redistribute. WordPress itself is open-source software, which is a major part of why it's free to use and has such an enormous surrounding developer community.
Why Open Source Matters
- Free to use, with no licensing fees required
- Fully transparent — anyone can inspect exactly how the software actually works
- Community-driven improvement, with contributions coming from thousands of developers
- Genuine freedom to customize the software to fit specific needs
WordPress as an Open-Source Project
WordPress is developed and maintained by a large, global community of volunteer contributors, overseen by the WordPress Foundation. This open, collaborative structure is a big part of why WordPress has such an enormous plugin and theme ecosystem — anyone can build on top of the platform's open codebase.
Open Source vs. Proprietary Software
- Open source — freely available source code, generally free to use, community-maintained
- Proprietary — closed, private source code, typically requiring a paid license
- WordPress.org (open source) is distinct from WordPress.com (a commercial hosted service built around the same open-source software)