WordPress Multilingual (WPML) is the only plugin I use that makes me nervous. Every time I run an update I dread seeing what it’s broken and working out how much of my time it will take to fix. The team at wpml consistently seem to add unwanted, unnecessary and untested ‘features’ that never appear to serve a useful purpose and routinely introduce new bugs. Combine that with a UX from hell and it makes for a truly loathsome experience. Bloatware at its finest.

I hate it. I absolutely hate it.

If there was a practical way for me to switch, I would.

Point in question: version 4.5. Dear god, what where they thinking with the new menu system? Evidently, it’s a ‘feature’ to REMOVE your existing menus. What a fantastic feature. And despite it being a ‘feature’, my support request ended with them stating they “didn’t know why it was happening”. I can imagine what fun it would be to discover this superb ‘feature’ on a production site. To be fair, it actually does more than just remove items you’ve had in your menu for years – it also, in my case, adds items you don’t want or need because, you know, ‘features’. Awesome.

Now perhaps a new user might stumble upon wpml and decide they like it’s cumbersome interface and multitude of clunky features but if, like me, you first installed it years ago when it was a streamlined piece of software that served a limited purpose well, then being forced to constantly adapt your way of working to account for wpml’s marketing strategy is a headache and a frustrating time suck. I mean, what’s wrong with backwards compatibility ffs?

Can’t wait to see what utter nonsense they introduce next and read joyfully as they desperately try and sell how useful it will be to no one ever.

Love it? Hate it? Go on, I’m listening.