Why WordPress Is Dropping React: Licensing Clash and Future Tech Choices
WordPress announced it will abandon React after its founder cited Facebook’s patent‑related licensing restrictions, sparking industry debate as the platform, which heavily relies on React for projects like Calypso and Gutenberg, seeks new front‑end technologies.
WordPress is a PHP‑based blogging platform that can also serve as a content management system (CMS). Most recent WordPress projects, such as the Calypso redesign of WordPress.com and the Gutenberg editor introduced after version 4.8, are built with React.
Yesterday, WordPress founder Matt announced on his blog that the project will stop using React, citing patent‑related licensing issues.
Facebook recently issued an official statement on the React license, declaring that anyone cannot use React for projects that directly or indirectly compete with Facebook or its partners, otherwise the license would be automatically revoked.
This declaration caused a stir in the tech community because React is widely adopted, including by many large companies.
Matt explained that while WordPress has been very satisfied with React in recent years, the decision has been made to abandon it, and discussions with core developers are underway to select new technologies.
There are also rumors on Zhihu about Baidu possibly dropping React, though no official confirmation has been provided.
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