If you're a developer, you've probably felt the frustration of working with WordPress. It’s clunky, outdated, and often more trouble than it’s worth. But despite all its flaws, clients seem to keep coming back to it. Why is that? And why are you stuck in the middle, fixing issues that WordPress itself causes?

I’ve been in this situation, and I want to share some insights based on my personal experiences with clients who are too afraid to leave WordPress. This article is personal because I understand what it’s like to be frustrated with a platform that doesn’t serve anyone well, yet still be stuck in the middle between clients and an inefficient tool.

1. Fear of Getting Ripped Off

One of the most common reasons clients stick with WordPress is their fear of getting ripped off. It often sounds something like this: "I don’t want to go through what happened to my friend when their website guy overcharged them for simple updates." Many clients have horror stories about "website guys" who took advantage of them—charging exorbitant fees for small changes, leaving them high and dry, or locking them into a system they didn’t fully understand. This fear drives them to stay with WordPress, even if it’s not the best platform for their needs.

These fears are often valid. I’ve heard countless stories of clients being charged hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars for simple fixes that should take minutes. Their biggest concern is that they’ll end up needing help and be hit with sky-high prices. WordPress, being so widely used, feels like a safer option to them, even though it comes with its own set of issues.

2. The “Do-It-Yourself” Mentality

Another reason clients stay with WordPress is the illusion of DIY. WordPress offers easy-to-use tools like themes and plugins that clients believe they can manage on their own. They see it as the most affordable option because they think they don’t need a developer to make everything work—at least, that’s what they think.

But here's where it gets tricky: as soon as something breaks (and let’s be honest, WordPress sites break all the time), clients are left scrambling for help. They’ve installed plugins that don’t play well together or chosen themes that don’t fit with their other tools. Then, they need a developer to clean up the mess. Unfortunately, when that happens, I’m the one doing the hard work, while plugin developers are still profiting from the tools I’m fixing.

This DIY mentality makes clients dependent on developers, yet they still resist paying for fixes. They’ve already invested time (and sometimes money) into their site, so they hesitate to spend more—even when the problem lies with the platform itself.

3. Fear of Change

The final barrier is the reluctance to change. Clients don’t want to switch from WordPress because it’s familiar. They know it, they’ve used it, and they’re comfortable with it.

Switching to a new platform—one that may be a better long-term solution—means they have to learn something new, possibly train staff, and face some initial hurdles. WordPress, for all its flaws, is familiar and comfortable, so clients often stick with it rather than risk making a change.

Conclusion: They Are WordPress's Clients—You’re Just the Middleman

Here’s the hard truth: when you’re working with WordPress, these are not your clients they are the clients of WordPress, the plugin developers, theme creators, and other service providers and you are a glorified middle man who fixes issues that come up. Without you these groups wouldn't make as much money selling their products to non technical people. These groups profit from your time and expertise.

I’ve come to realize this after years of working with WordPress. When a client chooses WordPress, they’re not just selecting a platform—they’re entering an ecosystem that isn’t optimized for developers. And as a result, you become the middleman, fixing issues between the client and the plugins that are making money off your work.

WordPress is a massive business, and its plugins and themes are a key part of that. Every time you work on a site, those plugins and themes are generating revenue, but you’re the one putting in the hours to make everything work. They only needed to create the product once and keep updating it, while you’re stuck doing all the labor that makes it functional for your clients.

In essence, your clients aren’t your customers—they’re customers of the plugin developers, theme creators, and WordPress itself. And you, as a developer, are just the middleman, cleaning up the mess and making everything function smoothly while the real profits go elsewhere.