WordPress is open source web software that you can install on your web server to create your website, blog, association, or network. WordPress started out as a tool for blogging, but has evolved into a full-fledged Content Management System (CMS), capable of powering websites, networks, and communities.

WordPress is a powerful semantic broadcast platform, and it comes with a great set of features designed to make your experience as a publisher on the Internet as easy, pleasant, and appealing as possible. We are proud to offer you a freely appropriated standards-compliant, fast, light, and free content management system, with sensible default settings and features, and an extremely customizable core.

WordPress initiated out as a fork of b2/cafelog by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little. The first version was released in 2003.

The GPL is an open source license, this means you are free to modify and reconstruct the source code under certain conditions. You can read more about why we cast the GPL on the License Page.

WordPress.com is a blog network run by Automattic. It uses WordPress software, but original blogs are hosted and managed by WordPress.com.

At WordPress.org, you can download WordPress, the web software that WordPress.com runs on. Once you’ve downloaded it, you can upload it to a web server and run your own WordPress website.

WordPress was primarily inspired by Noah Grey’s Greymatter open-source web log and journal software. It is related to b2, sort of a second cousin twice removed. You can use WordPress to post your own stories, ideas, rants, reviews, links, pictures, etc. In addition, you can customize the look and feel of your site. Numerous themes are available and may be modified in many different ways. Through the use of WordPress Themes, you can quickly change the look and style of your site. You can also extend WordPress’ functionality through the use of Plugins. Plugins let you create the website or blog that suits your needs. As you can see, its functionality exceeds or at least is similar to what is available in most blogging tools today.