General Information
211 Survey Participants from 42 Countries
- Argentina
- Australia
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Brazil
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Colombia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Egypt
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Japan
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Malta
- Mexico
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- South Africa
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- United States
Gender
- Male
- 2015:
- 2014: 89%
- Female
- 2015:
- 2014: 11%
- Prefer Not to Disclose
- 2015:
- A Gender Not Listed Here
- 2015:
Top Countries
- United States: 32%
- United Kingdom: 8%
- France & Germany: 7%
- Canada & Spain: 3%
- Italy, Brazil, Sweden, India, Australia, & New Zealand: 2%
- Singapore, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, & Denmark: 1%
Top U.S. States
- California & Florida: 12%
- New Jersey: 9%
- Virginia: 7%
- New York: 6%
- Washington: 4%;
- Pennsylvania, Texas, Oregon, Wisconsin, Utah, Idaho, Oklahoma, Michigan, Missouri, & North Carolina: 3%;
Your BuddyPress Sites
BP Versions Used
- BuddyPress 2.2
- 2015:
- BuddyPress 2.1+
- 2015:
- BuddyPress 2.0+
- 2015:
- BuddyPress 1.9+
- 2015:
- 2014: 85.13%
- BuddyPress 1.8+
- 2015:
- 2014: 23.64%
- BuddyPress 1.6+
- 2015:
- 2014: 4.72%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 1.01%
- BuddyPress 1.7+
- 2015:
- 2014: 4.72%
WP Versions Used
- WordPress 4.1
- 2015:
- WordPress 4.0+
- 2015:
- WordPress 3.9+
- 2015:
- WordPress 3.8+
- 2015:
- 2014: 88.25%
- WordPress 3.5+
- 2015:
- 2014: 6.02%
- WordPress 3.7+
- 2015:
- 2014: 18.67%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 1.8%
- WordPress 3.6+
- 2015:
- 2014: 5.42%
Why Still Using < BP 1.6
- I’m fine with the BP version I have installed.
- 2015:
- Other Option
- 2015:
- I don’t know how to update my BP site.
- 2015:
- I don’t know how to update BP theme/plugins.
- 2015:
BP Sites Built
- 1 site
- 2015:
- 2014: 38%
- 2 to 5 sites
- 2015:
- 2014: 44%
- 16 sites or more
- 2015:
- 2014: 8%
- 6 to 10 sites
- 2015:
- 2014: 8%
- 11 to 15 sites
- 2015:
- 2014: 1%
BP Sites Hosted
- Shared Hosting
- 2015:
- 2014: 59.58%
- Virtual Private Server
- 2015:
- 2014: 33.53%
- Dedicated Server
- 2015:
- 2014: 22.45%
- Managed Hosting
- 2015:
- 2014: 4.66%
- Cloud Hosting
- 2015:
- Not sure
- 2015:
- 2014: 5%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 1.70%
Sources of Survey Response
Browser: 91%. Mobile Device: 9%.
Browser Source Type
Resizable IFRAME: 92.2%. Direct: 7.8%.
Estimated Time to Build BP Site on single WP Install
- Three days
- 2015:
- 2014: 20.36%
- Seven days
- 2015:
- 2014: 31%
- One month
- 2015:
- 2014: 18.23%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 15.80%
- Two months
- 2015:
- 2014: 10.03%
- Six months
- 2015:
- 2014: 4.55%
Estimated Time to Build BP Site on WP Multisite Install
- One month
- 2015:
- 2014: 24.24%
- Seven days
- 2015:
- 2014: 20.20%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 26.26%
- Two months
- 2015:
- 2014: 12.45%
- Three days
- 2015:
- 2014: 9.42%
- Six months
- 2015:
- 2014: 7.40%
BuddyPress Users
- I use BuddyPress in my own site.
- 2015:
- 2014: 37.65%
- I build BuddyPress sites for others.
- 2015:
- 2014: 27.40%
- I am a site admin of a BuddyPress installation.
- 2015:
- 2014: 11.74%
- I build BuddyPress sites and create BP themes and plugins.
- 2015:
- 2014: 11.74%
- I am an advanced BuddyPress Developer - I can do anything BP.
- 2015:
- 2014: 8.13%
- I create BuddyPress Themes.
- 2015:
- 2014: 2.40%
- I create BuddyPress Plugins.
- 2015:
- 2014: 0.60%
- I am a member of a BuddyPress powered community.
- 2015:
- 2014: 0.30%
IE Versions
- IE 9
- 2015:
- 2014: 28.71%
- IE 11
- 2015:
- IE 8
- 2015:
- 2014: 36.30%
- IE 10
- 2015:
- 2014: 12.97%
- Other option*
- 2015:
- 2014: 11.55%
- IE 7
- 2015:
- 2014: 10.56%
BP in Your Language
BP Site Types
Themes and Plugins
Themes Used for BP Sites
- Commercial WP theme with custom BP CSS and/or template modifications
- 2015:
- 2014: 26.28%
- I create a brand-new WP theme and write my own custom BP CSS and template modifications using BP theme compat
- 2015:
- 2014: 23.86%
- Commercial WP theme
- 2015:
- 2014: 27.79%
- Free WP theme
- 2015:
- 2014: 28.39%
- I use an existing WP theme, but write my own custom BP CSS and template modifications using BP theme compat
- 2015:
- 2014: 23.26%
- Free WP theme with custom BP CSS and/or template modifications
- 2015:
- 2014: 17.82%
- Child theme of the BP Default theme
- 2015:
- 2014: 14.80%
- BP Default theme
- 2015:
- 2014: 10.87%
Preferred BP Theme Features
- Compatible with the latest BP version
- 2015:
- 2014: 79.02%
- Responsive
- 2015:
- 2014: 62.31%
- Light and Fresh Design
- 2015:
- 2014: 55.92%
- Responsive, mobile-first
- 2015:
- 2014: 41.33%
- Translation-ready
- 2015:
- 2014: 32.82%
- Mobile App
- 2015:
- 2014: 15.80%
- Dark and Edgy Design
- 2015:
- 2014: 7.59%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 7.90%
- RTL support
- 2015:
- 2014: 9.11%
Devices Used to Navigate Site
- Smartphone
- 2015:
- 2014: 55.31%
- Desktop
- 2015:
- 2014: 56.23%
- Laptop
- 2015:
- 2014: 56.23%
- Tablet
- 2015:
- 2014: 21.58%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 1.51%
- Television
- 2015:
- 2014: 0
Number of Activated Plugins
- More than 20 plugins
- 2015:
- 2014: 21.98%
- 6 to 10 plugins
- 2015:
- 2014: 24.09%
- 11 to 15 plugins
- 2015:
- 2014: 21.98%
- 1 to 5 plugins
- 2015:
- 2014: 19.57%
- 16 to 20 plugins
- 2015:
- 2014: 12.34%
BP Plugins Activated
Top BP-Specific Plugins Used
- BuddyPress Activity Plus
- BuddyPress Group Email Subscription & Invite Anyone
- BP Group Hierarchy & BuddyPress Global Search
- BP Profile Search, BuddyPress Docs, & BuddyPress Usernames Only
- BP Group Documents & BuddyPress Like
- BP Group Organizer, BuddyBoss Wall, BuddyPress Activity Comment Notifier, BuddyPress Cover Photo, BuddyPress Edit Activity, BuddyPress Moderation, & WooCommerce BuddyPress Integration
- BP Group Management, BP Login Redirect, BP Registration Options, Buddy bbPress Support topic, BuddyDrive, BuddyBoss Media, BuddyPress Cover, BuddyPress Follow, BuddyPress Friends On-line (FOL), BuddyPress Group Documents, BuddyPress Groups Extras, BuddyPress Live Notification, BuddyPress Members Only, BuddyPress Profile Progression, BuddyPress Security Check, BuddyPress Username Changer, Buddypress Xprofile Custom Fields Type, & Rendez Vous.
Top BP Compatible Plugins Used
- 1) bbPress.
- 2) Akismet, JetPack, & rtMedia.
- 3) Achievements for WordPress, CloudFlare, MyCred, User Switching, & WooCommerce.
- 4) Contact Form 7, GD bbPress Attachments, Gravity Forms, iThemes Security, List category posts, Members, Peter's Login Redirect, Regenerate Thumbnails, Revolution Slider, s2Member, WangGuard, & WooThemes Helper.
Forums Added
- Yes
- 2015:
- 2014: 58%
- Sometimes
- 2015:
- 2014: 23%
- No
- 2015:
- 2014: 19%
Forums Set Up
- Sitewide and Group Forums
- 2015:
- 2014: 48%
- Sitewide Forums Only
- 2015:
- 2014: 29%
- Group Forums Only
- 2015:
- 2014: 23%
- Not sure
- 2015:
Forum Software Used
- bbPress plugin (2.x)
- 2015:
- 2014: 90.17%
- Other Option
- 2015:
- 2014: 3.50%
- vBulletin
- 2015:
- 2014: 0
- bbPress legacy (1.x)
- 2015:
- 2014: 2.45%
- SimplePress plugin
- 2015:
- 2014: 1.75%
- Vanilla forums
- 2015:
- 2014: 0.70%
- Mingle forums plugin
- 2015:
- 2014: 1.05%
- phpBB
- 2015:
- 2014: 0
Components and Participation
Components Always/Almost Always Activated
- Extended Profiles
- 2015:
- 2014: 73.06%
- Activity Streams
- 2015:
- 2014: 69.69%
- User Groups
- 2015:
- 2014: 49.83%
- Internal Messaging
- 2015:
- 2014: 40.06%
- Notifications
- 2015:
- 2014: 44.44%
- Member Account Settings
- 2015:
- 2014: 52.52%
- Friend Connections
- 2015:
- 2014: 39.73%
- Site Tracking
- 2015:
- 2014: 10.10%
BP Components Rated
*2014 ratings are in parenthesis.
Components | Very Satisfied | Satisfied | Neutral | Dissatisfied | Very Dissatisfied |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Extended Profiles | 14.59% (16.02%) | 47.03% (43.55%) | 29.19% (29.61%) | 5.95% (8.36%) | 3.24% (2.43%) |
Activity Streams | 11.05% (12.8%) | 51.93% (41.86%) | 24.31% (30.1%) | 10.50% (11.7%) | 2.21% (3.46%) |
Member Settings | 8.38% (14.33%) | 44.13% (42.65%) | 33.52% (32.16%) | 11.17% (8.74%) | 2.79% (2.09%) |
Friend Connections | 9.39% (17.77%) | 45.86% (39.72%) | 35.91% (34.84%) | 7.73% (5.92%) | 1.10% (1.74%) |
Internal Messaging | 8.20% (18.4%) | 38.80% (36.11%) | 41.53 (31.59%) | 9.84% (9.37%) | 1.64% (4.51%) |
User Groups | 12.64% (14.64%) | 43.41% (39.02%) | 28.02% (33.44%) | 13.19% (10.1%) | 2.75% (2.78%) |
Notifications | 9.84% (12.93%) | 45.90% (38.46%) | 32.24% (34.61%) | 9.29% (8.39%) | 2.73% (5.59%) |
Site Tracking | 6.74% (8.99%) | 28.09% (21.94%) | 54.49% (57.91%) | 7.87% (7.91%) | 2.81% (3.23%) |
Contributed to BP Development
- No
- 2015:
- 2014: 67%
- Yes
- 2015:
- 2014: 33%
Signed Up to Learn How to Contribute to BP Development
31 respondents from 13 countries signed up to learn how they can contribute to the development of BuddyPress. We will be contacting you soon.
Thank you!
- Austria
- Bahrain
- Brazil
- Colombia
- Egypt
- France
- Germany
- India
- Indonesia
- Italy
- Slovakia
- United Kingdom
- United States
Ways Contributed to BP Development
- Helped out in BP forums
- 2015:
- 2014: 81%
- BP Trac: Reported Bugs
- 2015:
- 2014: 47%
- Joined in BP IRC/Slack dev chat
- 2015:
- 2014: 20%
- BP Trac: Submitted patches
- 2015:
- 2014: 30%
- Submitted a BP plugin to the WP plugin repo
- 2015:
- 2014: 26%
- Wrote article/s in BP Codex
- 2015:
- 2014: 20%
- Submitted BP translation/s
- 2015:
- 2014: 20%
- BP Trac: Tested patches
- 2015:
- 2014: 23%
- Submitted a BP-compatible theme in the WP theme repository
- 2015:
- 2014: 10%
Opinions and Requests
Evaluated other Social Networking Software
- ♦ Yes: 67% (3% less this year)
- ♦ No: 33% (3% more this year)
Other Social Networking Software Evaluated
BP Strengths/Opportunities
- Free and open-sourced
- 2015:
- 2014: 90.10%
- BP is an official WordPress plugin.
- 2015:
- 2014: 84.28%
- BP is extensible
- 2015:
- 2014: 70.00%
- BP has community support
- 2015:
- 2014: 66.35%
- Compatible with other WP plugins
- 2015:
- 2014: 63.60%
- BP lets you own your own data
- 2015:
- 2014: 58.92%
- BP is easy to set up
- 2015:
- 2014: 56.42%
- BP Theme compatibility
- 2015:
- 2014: 55.12%
- Positive feedback from your community.
- 2015:
- 2014: 23.92%
- Documentation has improved
- 2015:
- 2014: 22.26%
- Translation in your language
- 2015:
- 2014: 21.20%
Browsers Used During Survey
Chrome (36.5%), Unknown (36.5%), Safari (16.6%), iPhone (5.2%), iPad (3.8%), Internet Explorer (0.9%), and Firefox (0.5%).
BP Weaknesses/Threats
- Need more features added to BuddyPress
- 2015:
- 2014: 59.55%
- Developer Documentation is not complete
- 2015:
- 2014: 42.64%
- Performance
- 2015:
- 2014: 45.88%
- Not sure about the future of the plugin
- 2015:
- 2014: 40.00%
- User Documentation is not complete
- 2015:
- 2014: 42.64%
- Confusing for users to navigate
- 2015:
- 2014: 31.37%
- Spam
- 2015:
- 2014: 37.64%
- BP is not compatible with some WP plugins
- 2015:
- 2014: 27.57%
- It is free, development may not be market-driven
- 2015:
- 2014: 17.25%
- BP is not compatible with some themes
- 2015:
- 2014: 27.20%
- Confusing to set up
- 2015:
- 2014: 15.44%
- Translation in your language is not available
- 2015:
- 2014: 3.30%
- Not what I expected
- 2015:
- 2014: 2.20%
Requested Improvements & New Features
123 respondents posted 202 requests which were categorized as follows:
- Core - General: 12.86%*
- Core - Media: 10.75%
- xProfiles: 10.17%
- Activity: 8.06%
- Groups: 7.49%
- Theme Compatibility: 5.76%
- Members: 4.99%
- Core - Privacy: 4.22%
- Documentation: 4.22%
- Core - Anti-Spam: 2.11%
- Core - Chat: 2.11%
- Notifications: 2.11%
- Core - Email: 1.92%
- Core - Registration: 1.92%
- Forums: 1.92%
- Messages: 1.92%
- Core - Events: 1.73%
- Core - Search: 1.73%
- Core - Follow: 1.54%
- Core - Hashtags: 1.54%
- Core - Plugin Compat: 1.54%
- Core - SEO: 1.54%
- Core - Settings: 1.34%
- Core - Moderation: 1.15%
- Core - Navigation: 1.15%
- Core - Social Sharing: 1.15%
- Core - Like: 0.96%
- Core - Mobile App: 0.96%
- Core - Ajax: 0.77%
- Friends: 0.58%
- BuddyPress.org: 0.38%
*Core-General category includes some requests which are already being addressed in BP Trac as well as others with less than 1%.
Comments about BuddyPress or Survey