Wall Check
WordPress (Self-Hosted)
Open source CMS (GPLv2); zero software licensing cost; complete data ownership.
Gates 1/5 All five walls came back clear
Checked 2026-10-26 · re-check due 2026-12-25.
The five walls
✓ Price wall
The free tier ends. The limit you hit while everything still looks free.
Core software is 100% free and open source under GPLv2; zero core licensing fees.
source · checked 2026-10-26
✓ Permission wall
You can see the setting but not touch it. Licenses and admin roles decide what you control.
Full root control over PHP codebase, MySQL database tables, and site architecture.
source · checked 2026-10-26
✓ Gate wall
A human at the vendor decides your timeline — approvals, reviews, onboarding queues.
Direct software download and deployment on any standard web host.
source · checked 2026-10-26
✓ Meter wall
Cost scales with your success. Per-unit, per-seat, per-message pricing that grows as you do.
Core CMS carries zero meters; external server hosting and domain registration billed by web hosts.
source · checked 2026-10-26
✓ Exit wall
Getting out costs more than getting in. Your data, your domain, your number — who keeps them.
Built-in XML exporter and full MySQL dumps allow unconstrained migration.
source · checked 2026-10-26
The twelve questions
- What is the hard number where the free tier ends?
- Open source core has no free tier cutoff; completely free.
- Which settings need a paid plan to change, not just view?
- All configuration settings accessible to site administrator.
- Can one real record be exported on day one — and does it open?
- Native WordPress eXtended RSS (WXR) XML export available from admin panel.
Documents read for this check: wordpress.org documentation, GPL license terms, support forums.
Side-by-side comparisons
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