Why am I spending more time on WordPress maintenance than publishing?
Content management systems like WordPress demand constant updates to core files, plugins, and server-side components just to stay secure. This endless upkeep consumes hours that should go toward writing and publishing, eventually driving creators to abandon the platform for simpler static alternatives.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 133.9× more often in r/Wordpress than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Migrating personal websites to static site generators like Hugo or home-rolled buildersDid this help you?
- 2Keeping platforms like WordPress strictly for client sites with complex dynamic needs while diversifying toolsDid this help you?
- 3Looking for another image optimization service that works with LiteSpeedDid this help you?
- 4Considering WordPress plugins despite concerns over plugin bloat and resource usageDid this help you?
- 5doing everything themselvesDid this help you?
- 6hiring someone to manage itDid this help you?
- 7using a managed platform like WordPress.com, Squarespace, or WixDid this help you?
- 8paying for a monthly care planDid this help you?
- 9DIY self-hosted updatesDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The last month of my life has been fighting with quic.cloud image optimization within LiteSpeed.”source ↗
“Things work for a week or two and break again. Currently the cron has no issue requesting the images for optimization, but the pull doesn't work.”source ↗
“I am personally tapped out on what to do, and quic.cloud doesn't seem interested to dig below the surface to figure out what's going on.”source ↗
“I've recently migrated my own website, which has no dynamic functionality and is updated rarely, to a home-rolled static site builder, because I got bored of the updates...it's so old even PHP updates became a consideration.”source ↗
“And I do understand your hurdles, cos at some point you get tired of battling WP🤣”source ↗
“Then, I slowly started to spending much more time using Wordpress than publishing itself.”source ↗
“I want to be able to do copy changes myself and have a web dev nearby for scoped work on anything bigger”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4Why are website builders so bloated and fiddly?
- 10How do I keep posting on social media when I am too busy?
- 4How to avoid paying $250 a month for routine website maintenance
- 2How do clients edit static websites without knowing code?
- 10Why does a WordPress site need a plugin for everything?
- 4Why are WordPress security updates delayed on WP Engine?