May 2021 was a steady month for the WordPress community. Developers focused on refining performance, tightening security, and preparing for the next major release. The 5.7.2 update kept WordPress stable while improving reliability and fixing vulnerabilities in core components.
Across the ecosystem, theme authors, plugin developers, and hosting providers worked together to strengthen compatibility and site performance. Collaboration and consistent improvement defined the month, showing that even small steps can build lasting progress for WordPress users worldwide.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Strategic Investments
The WordPress ecosystem continued to expand in May 2021 through a series of strategic acquisitions, particularly within the plugin and e-commerce sectors.
Groundhogg Acquires HollerBox
On May 25, 2021, Groundhogg, a marketing automation plugin for WordPress, acquired HollerBox, a popup and lead generation tool. The acquisition strengthened Groundhogg’s ability to provide integrated marketing solutions directly within WordPress.
Memberium Acquires WishList Member Plugin
On May 3, 2021, Memberium (now Membershipper) acquired WishList Member, one of the most established membership plugins for WordPress. The deal aimed to expand Memberium’s product line and offer more comprehensive tools for managing online memberships.
Newfold Digital Acquires YITH
Newfold Digital, a major web solutions company, acquired YITH, a suite of over 100 WooCommerce plugins and themes. This move significantly increased Newfold’s reach within the WooCommerce ecosystem, giving it greater influence in the e-commerce plugin market.
Arryved Acquires Craftpeak
In May 2021, Arryved acquired Craftpeak, a WordPress-based e-commerce provider specializing in brewery websites. The acquisition allowed Arryved to offer end-to-end online sales and marketing solutions to beverage brands.
Additional Acquisitions
Several other notable deals shaped the WordPress landscape in May, including:
- Liquid Web acquiring GiveWP (Impress.org), a leading donation and fundraising plugin.
- PublishPress acquiring The Post Expirator Plugin, expanding its publishing management tools.
May 2021 reinforced a clear trend of consolidation within the WordPress ecosystem. Plugin developers, hosting providers, and service companies focused on integrating capabilities and strengthening their positions in the e-commerce and content management space.
WordPress Core Updates
WordPress 5.7.2 Release
On May 13, 2021, WordPress released version 5.7.2, a short-cycle maintenance update that patched an XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability in a third-party audio library. The update improved core stability and ensured protection against potential XML-based attacks.
Preparing for Full Site Editing
Development efforts during May continued to focus on Full Site Editing (FSE), the next major evolution of the WordPress block editor. Contributors tested early block theme features, improving layout consistency and preparing for the larger rollout expected with WordPress 5.8.
Performance and Accessibility Improvements
The month also saw steady progress in optimizing the editor’s loading speed and enhancing keyboard navigation. Developers refined color contrast settings and improved the experience for users relying on assistive technologies.
Contributor Activity
Contributors worldwide participated in testing, translation, and documentation updates. Their collaboration ensured a smooth transition from the 5.7.x series toward the upcoming 5.8 release.
Other WordPress News
May 2021 was relatively calm in terms of major events or announcements. The focus remained on maintaining plugin security, preparing for WordPress 5.8, and ensuring compatibility across the ecosystem.
No major community events or feature launches took place beyond ongoing contributor efforts and routine plugin maintenance releases.
Security Alerts and Plugin Vulnerabilities
May 2021 saw a surge in plugin and theme vulnerabilities. Researchers found hundreds of flaws, and brute-force attacks grew across WordPress sites.
WordPress released version 5.7.2 to fix an XML External Entity (XXE) issue in a third-party audio library. Most risks came from plugins like The Plus Addons for Elementor and Thrive themes, which allowed site takeovers and privilege escalation.
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) remained the most common threat, followed by CSRF and SQL Injection. Attackers also exploited outdated sites and weak hosting setups. Site owners were advised to update quickly, enable firewalls, and use strong passwords to stay protected.
Industry Trends and Insights
May 2021 reflected a growing focus on security maturity and accountability within the WordPress ecosystem.
- Rise in vulnerability reporting: More researchers began identifying and disclosing plugin flaws, leading to faster fixes and stronger collaboration between developers and security teams.
- Plugin risk awareness increased: Over 99 percent of security issues came from plugins and themes, pushing users to become more selective with third-party tools.
- Faster response cycles: Developers shortened patch turnaround times as coordinated vulnerability disclosure became more common.
- Hosting security improved: Managed WordPress hosts started adding built-in firewalls and malware protection to reduce risks from shared environments.
- Password defenses strengthened: The sharp increase in brute-force attacks encouraged more users to adopt two-factor authentication and stronger password policies.
- Security education expanded: Awareness campaigns and documentation helped users understand the importance of regular updates and safe configuration.
May demonstrated a clear shift toward proactive security practices and a maturing response culture across the WordPress community.
Theme of the Month: Breakdance
Breakdance takes the spotlight this month for its fresh approach to visual design in WordPress. It offers a simple drag-and-drop interface, over a hundred design elements, and smooth compatibility with tools like WooCommerce and Advanced Custom Fields. Many creators appreciate how it lets them build entire sites without stacking multiple plugins, keeping performance fast and workflow clean.
Plugin of the Month: Orderable
Orderable has become a favorite for restaurant and small business owners who want an easy online ordering system. It helps users create custom menus, set delivery or pickup options, and accept payments directly on their WordPress site. The best part is that it doesn’t charge transaction fees, giving businesses full control over their earnings while keeping setup simple.
Agency of the Month: Seahawk Media
Seahawk Media earns this month’s recognition for its strong presence in the WordPress service world. The agency works with global brands, hosting companies, and businesses of all sizes to design, develop, and manage WordPress websites. Its white-label services, creative quality, and deep understanding of WordPress make it a trusted partner across the industry.
Founder of the Month: Ben Pines
Ben Pines, the co-founder of Elementor, earns this month’s spotlight for his lasting impact on WordPress design. Under his leadership, Elementor transformed how millions of users build websites by making professional design tools accessible to everyone, regardless of technical skill.
His focus on creativity, simplicity, and community helped Elementor grow into one of the most widely used page builders in the world. Even after stepping into a broader product leadership role, Ben continues to influence how WordPress evolves toward a more visual, user-friendly future.
Host of the Month: HostGator
HostGator stood out in May 2021 for its reliable and beginner-friendly WordPress hosting. Its one-click installation, free domain for the first year, and built-in Cloudflare CDN made it easy for users to launch and manage fast, secure websites.
The hosting platform also offered free site migration, daily backups, and 24/7 support, which helped small businesses and creators focus on growth instead of technical setup. HostGator’s consistent uptime and balanced pricing made it one of the most dependable choices for WordPress users during the month.
Looking Ahead to June 2021
June 2021 is expected to be an important month for WordPress development. The community continues to prepare for the release of WordPress 5.8, with testing focused on block-based widgets, WebP image support, and early Full Site Editing features.
Plugin and theme developers are working on compatibility updates, while hosting providers focus on optimizing performance and stability ahead of the rollout. The month highlights collaboration and steady progress as WordPress moves closer to its next major milestone.
For more such WordPress related updates visit our editions section.