Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, has made a new purchase. It has acquired Harper, a lesser-known competitor to Grammarly. Harper offers grammar and language tools but with a twist: it processes checks locally rather than in the cloud.

This approach appeals to developers and privacy-conscious users. Harper’s features will now be integrated into Automattic’s services, including WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and the Jetpack plugin.

Local Processing Sets Harper Apart

Harper stands out in the grammar-checking field. It runs entirely on your device, respecting user privacy. Automattic claims Harper can deliver suggestions in under 20 milliseconds. This speed is said to be 100 times faster than other popular tools, likely referring to Grammarly.

The service is currently available as a language server through WebAssembly. Moving forward, expect tighter integration into Automattic’s platforms.

Automattic’s Vision for Harper

Automattic plans to use Harper’s technology to serve both creators and developers. The founder of Harper, Elijah Potter, will now join Automattic’s team. His role will involve spreading Harper’s capabilities across its products.

In a brief statement, Automattic shared their enthusiasm:

“We’re excited to welcome Elijah Potter to Automattic and look forward to integrating Harper into our products.”

The company didn’t share financial details about the deal. There’s no timeline yet for when Harper’s tools will appear in existing services.

Tensions Within Automattic

Automattic has had a tough year, including internal turmoil. It has been publicly clashing with WP Engine, a WordPress-focused hosting provider. Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg criticized WP Engine for using the WordPress brand without sufficient contributions to its open-source development.

Mullenweg also claims the company profits without giving back enough code or labor. Automattic is now pushing for WP Engine to pay a fee to license the “WordPress” trademark.

This disagreement has led to fractures within Automattic’s workforce. In October, 159 employees left the company. Severance packages were later offered to others who wanted to follow suit.

What’s Next for Automattic?

Automattic’s purchase of Harper signals its push to innovate in user tools. It’s unclear how soon these efforts will bear fruit. Still, adding Harper to the fold could make WordPress and its related services more appealing to privacy-first creators and developers.

However, the company’s legal battles and internal challenges remain hurdles for its long-term plans.

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