I recently came across a few articles discussing the idea of using WordPress as a SaaS application platform. Do you guys have any opinions about such an idea?
It seems to me that all articles come down to the following points:
WordPress already has a battle-tested user management infrastructure, and you can utilize a membership plugin to enhance it, hence allowing you to skip coding the entire membership management infrastructure from scratch.
You can utilize plugins, themes, and its powerful API architecture to create a SaaS user experience rapidly without having to reinvent the wheel.
I'm a little skeptical of it because, as far as I heard, WordPress isn't the most secure thing to keep around. But maybe it's not as bad as they say, just like how Windows OS isn't as bad as some people might say concerning security? I am curious, indeed.
For a techy, buying a server and setting up a WP blog isn't that hard. However there are plenty of no-techies how don't want to do these things, they prefer managed WP. I've seen many top bloggers using managed WP services like Kinsta so that he doesn't have to worry about security, scaling, plugins, etc etc, and he can focus on his passion!
Even for a WP developer like me (who can setup a VM in GC or AWS and install WP in few mins), I always prefer managed WP
Honestly, I think I know what the answer from competent developers will likely be, and I don't think it is a great concept myself. But I'm still curious to hear what others have to say about it.
Jason Knight
The less code you use, the less there is to break
Turdpress is enough of an incompetently coded train wreck, without trying to to turn it into ANOTHER thing it was never meant to be.
On security grounds ALONE it is the last thing I'd be looking at to make the basis of a service. But then I realize how mind-numbingly dumbass it is leaving the SQL connection in global scope, storing the connection info in DEFINE, leaving endless client-facing entry vectors open, allowing includes to output and set things when called directly, etc, etc...
YMMV.
It's a cute toy for a blog for grandma, but trying to use it for much of anything else is just taking a trip down the Chattooga River with Ned Beatty.
It did win that 2008 pwnie for M4ss 0wnage for a reason after all.