shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use WP Tavern?

WordPress News — Free as in Beer. - wptavern.com

Worth it. There is nothing to buy — WP Tavern is a free WordPress news site, and a well-regarded one. Read it if you work in WordPress; ignore it if you are shopping for software.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 12 public sources. WP Tavern is a free WordPress news publication, not a purchasable product — treat this as a subscribe-or-skip decision.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depthNot software; no features to score
  • Support qualityPublication; no support channel exists
  • Security postureNot applicable to a news site

Pricing

Free

All content

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • WordPress developers and freelancers
  • Agencies tracking plugin and ecosystem news
  • Plugin sellers watching reviews and directory changes
  • Anyone wanting free WordPress vulnerability coverage

Not for

  • Anyone shopping for actual software — it's a blog
  • Non-WordPress teams; zero relevance
  • Buyers needing editorially independent WordPress journalism — founder funding matters
  • Enterprises wanting tools, dashboards, or support

Gotchas - check before you buy

medium

Historically funded by Matt Mullenweg — read with that ownership in mind.

medium

Publishing has gaps: a Reddit thread flagged no new posts after January 2025.

low

No support or SLA — it's media; a fan page runs its Facebook presence.

low

Old reviews still get cited years later; check publish dates before trusting.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free to read; historically funded by Matt Mullenweg
  • Called WordPress' newspaper of record
  • Publishes CVE and plugin vulnerability coverage
  • Product reviews framed around honesty and genuine experiences
  • Active Jukebox podcast interviewing ecosystem figures

Cons

  • Not software — nothing to deploy, buy, or integrate
  • Reddit users noticed posting stopped after January 2025
  • Funded by WordPress co-founder, not fully independent
  • No official social presence; Facebook page is a fan page

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/19/2026 - 12 sources - No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

official x3review x4security x2news x3

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • Free

    Starting price

  • 12

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Entire site is free to read
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Just open the site and read
  • Feature depth. Not software; no features to score
  • Support quality. Publication; no support channel exists
  • Security posture. Not applicable to a news site
  • Free Price 'Free as in Beer'
  • 4,488 Facebook followers Community fan page
  • Jukebox Podcast Hosted by Nathan Wrigley
  • 'Newspaper of record' Reputation Per BytePlate

Pricing

All content

Free

  • News, opinion, product reviews
  • Jukebox podcast

Security

No known vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed.

What users say

The community treats WP Tavern as essential WordPress reading, though some flagged publishing lulls in 2025.

“I don't see any new post after January 2025.”
Reddit, r/Wordpress
“Its alive: WPTavern is back”
Reddit, r/Wordpress
“WP Tavern is, by reputation, WordPress' newspaper of record.”
BytePlate
Full analysis

Based on 12 public sources. WP Tavern is a free WordPress news publication, not a purchasable product — treat this as a subscribe-or-skip decision.

Free WordPress news site, not software. Strong ecosystem coverage — read it, don't 'buy' it.

Methodology

Based on 12 public sources. WP Tavern is a free WordPress news publication, not a purchasable product — treat this as a subscribe-or-skip decision.

Sources

  1. WP Tavern homepage — Aboutwptavern.com
    official
  2. I wish I could take over WP Tavernbored.horse
    news
  3. Write for WP Tavern — newspaper of recordbyteplate.com
    news
  4. WP Tavern no longer active? (Reddit)reddit.com
    review
  5. Its alive: WPTavern is back (Reddit)reddit.com
    review
  6. Security categorywptavern.com
    security
  7. Tag: Wordfence — CVE coveragewptavern.com
    security
  8. Product Reviews in the WordPress Ecosystemwptavern.com
    official
  9. WP Tavern Podcast — Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
    official
  10. WP Tavern Facebook fan pagefacebook.com
    news
  11. Review on WP Tavern (WP Stagecoach)wpstagecoach.com
    review
  12. StudioPress reviews citing WP Taverncheckthat.ai
    review

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