When you’re new to blogging and want to start your WordPress blog, you’re going to wonder about the differences between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.
And this is one of the most common mistakes bloggers make when choosing the wrong one.
So let me explain the differences between these 2 and which one to choose if your goal is to build your audience with it and turn this into a profitable business.
In short, here’s my recommendation:
If you want to start a blog to keep your friends and family up to date on things and your goal is to just share some updates, and you don’t want to make money from your blog, start a blog on WordPress.com
If your goal is to turn your blog into a profitable business, and grow an audience around a topic you love, with the potential of doing this full-time, start a self-hosted WordPress blog.
Important notice: You don’t have to visit WordPress.org to start. You get yourself a hosting plan and it will allow you to install the WordPress software with just 1 or 2 clicks.
I also published an in-depth article on all of the important details to look out for when choosing a good Web Hosting Package, which can be read here: What is Web hosting and what are best ones for your blog
Quick Rundown:
- WordPress.com and WordPress.org are not the same; they offer different experiences and features.
- WordPress.com is a managed WordPress hosting service, while WordPress.org is the open-source software.
- The choice between the two depends on your technical expertise, budget, and long-term goals for your website.
- Understanding the key differences can help you avoid common mistakes and choose the right platform for your needs.
- Factors like cost, customization, and control over your content are important when making the WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org decision.
This article may contain Affiliate Links, meaning if you click on a link and purchase my recommended product, I may receive a small commission. Read my full disclaimer here
Understanding the Differences
Choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is a big decision for website builders. Both use the same WordPress software but differ in many ways. These differences affect your website’s look, how you can change it, and whether or not you own your content.
WordPress.org: The Open-Source Software
WordPress.org is the open-source version of WordPress. It gives users a lot of flexibility and control. Users can see and change the code, and even help improve the platform. But, you must handle your own hosting, security, and updates. This means you’ll need to learn a thing or 2 about this software and how to use it.
But don’t worry, my entire goal for this site is to turn it into a place where you can learn all of these things.
WordPress.com: The Managed Hosting Platform
WordPress.com is a managed hosting platform that makes building websites easy. It handles the tech stuff like hosting, security, and updates. But because WordPress.com owns your content, you will be very limited on what you can do with it.
| Feature | WordPress.org | WordPress.com |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | Self-hosted, requiring a separate domain and hosting provider | Managed hosting, provided by WordPress.com |
| Customization | Unlimited customization options, including code editing | Limited customization options, depending on the plan |
| Plugins and Themes | Access to over 7,500 free themes and thousands of plugins | Limited selection of free and premium themes and plugins, depending on the plan |
| Support | Community-based support forums | 24/7 support from Happiness Engineers |
| Monetization | You can monetize it however you want, for free. Affiliate links, ads, selling your own products | To monetize any part of your blog, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan, and therefor it’s no longer free. |
It’s important to know the main differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. This helps you pick the best one for your website needs. Whether you like the freedom of WordPress.org or the easy setup of WordPress.com, your choice should match your future goals for your blog.
Cost Comparison: WordPress.com vs Self-Hosted WordPress
When building a website, the cost is key. WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress have different prices. Each has its pros and cons. Knowing these differences helps you choose the best for your site.
WordPress.com starts with a free plan. But, for more features and customization, prices go from $97 a year for the Personal plan all the way up to $540 a year for the Commerce plan. These paid plans give you more storage, customization, and e-commerce tools.
But my logical thinking would be that if you’re going to pay for it anyway, you do want to own your own content, and signing up with WordPress.com doesn’t make any sense here.
And with the free plan, you don’t have a custom domain, so a domain for this site would look like blogtechsupport.wordpress.com, instead of blogtechsupport.com, if that makes sense.
Self-hosting your WordPress site means buying a domain and web hosting, costing about $70 a year. But, you get full control over your site. You won’t pay extra to use all the features and tools.
If you want to get started with a self-hosted WordPress site, I recommend signing up for a professional account with Bluehost, which would cost you about $65/$70 a year.
This is what I personally used back in the beginning.
Below you see a pricing table from the hosting company Bluehost.
| Important Factors | WordPress.com | Self-Hosted WordPress |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Cost | Free to start | Domain and hosting required ($70+/year) |
| Recurring Costs | $97 – $540/year for paid plans | No recurring upgrade costs |
| Full Functionality | Requires paid plans | Unlocked without upgrades |
| Customization | Limited with free plan, more options with paid plans | Extensive customization with themes and plugins |
Looking at the wordpress.com cost and self-hosted wordpress cost, think about what you need. WordPress.com is easy to use but costs more for full features. Self-hosted WordPress gives you full control over your site. Think about your needs and budget to pick the best.
Ownership and Control: Who Owns Your Content?
When managing your website’s content, knowing who owns and controls it is key. Choosing between WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.org changes how much control you have over your content.
Content Ownership on WordPress.com
With WordPress.com, you keep the rights to your content. But, you let WordPress share and spread your work as they like. So, you own your content, but WordPress can show ads or promote it in ways you might not control.
Content Ownership on Self-Hosted WordPress
On a self-hosted WordPress.org site, you have full control and ownership of your content. You can manage, share, and make money from your content as you wish, without any limits from a third-party platform.
This big difference in who owns and controls your content is important to think about. It’s especially true if you want to make money from your content or work with others who need full rights to your work.
You are free to share affiliate links to your favorite products and services, as I do on this blog and you choose whether or not you want to work with brands you stand behind. As well as create and sell your own digital (or physical) products.
Customization Options: Themes and Plugins
When building a website, the choice between WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.org will decide how your blog looks. For example, with a free WordPress.com blog, you are very limited on which WordPress themes you can use, as well as plugins.
Themes and Plugins on WordPress.com
WordPress.com limits your customization options. You can only pick from the themes they offer and can’t change them or add your own. Also, on lower plans, you can’t use third-party plugins. These plugins are what make your site look better.
Themes and Plugins on Self-Hosted WordPress.org
Self-hosted WordPress.org gives you more freedom. You can use any free or paid theme you like. Plus, you can add many plugins to make your site work better, all for free. This lets you make a site that really shows off your brand and meets your audience’s needs.
I recently published an article on this blog, where I go over my favorite plugins I use on every new WordPress blog.
Click here to read that article.
Being able to use a wide range of themes and plugins is a big plus for self-hosted WordPress blog. This lets you make your site unique and functional, helping it stand out and reach your audience well.
Monetization Opportunities
Choosing between WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.org can greatly affect your website’s earnings. WordPress.com is easy to use but limits how you can make money, especially on the free plan. Self-hosted WordPress.org, however, opens up many ways to earn from your site.
WordPress.com lets you sell products, do affiliate marketing, use Ads, post sponsored content, and accept donations. But, if you’re on the free plan, you must share your content with WordPress and let them show ads. They keep the ad money.
Self-hosted WordPress.org gives you the power to choose any ad service and control how many ads appear. You also get to keep all the ad money. This means you can try different ways to make money, like online advertising, affiliate marketing, selling products and services, and membership programs. Self-hosted WordPress has more options than WordPress.com.
- WordPress.com has limited ways to make money, especially on the free plan
- Self-hosted WordPress.org gives you more control over making money
- You can pick any ad service and control where ads go on self-hosted WordPress
- Self-hosted WordPress offers many ways to make money, including selling things and memberships
In short, if you want to make money from your site, choose self-hosted WordPress.org. It gives you more ways and control to earn from your online presence.
wordpress.com vs wordpress.org: SEO Considerations
When looking at SEO, both WordPress.com and WordPress.org have their perks. WordPress.com is ready for SEO right away, with features that boost your site for search engines. You can also add more SEO plugins if you have the right plan to make your site even more visible online.
A self-hosted WordPress.org site gives you more control over SEO. You can pick from many SEO plugins to boost your site’s SEO. Like Rankmath, which is my favorite plugin. But you’ll need to handle these plugins yourself, which means a littlebit more work.
Both platforms help improve your site’s search engine optimization and website visibility. The main difference is how much you can customize and control your SEO. WordPress.com is easier for beginners, while WordPress.org offers more flexibility for those who know SEO well.
No matter your choice, focusing on search engine optimization is key. It helps your site get found online and rank better in search results. Using the tools and features of WordPress.com or WordPress.org can help you improve your online presence and bring more visitors to your site.
And don’t forget that platforms like Pinterest are built on SEO as well.
E-Commerce Capabilities
E-Commerce on WordPress.com
Looking to sell products or services online? WordPress.com has an e-commerce solution for you. For $59 a month, you can take payments from over 60 countries. You’ll also get to work with popular shipping carriers and have more design choices for your store.
E-Commerce on Self-Hosted WordPress
For self-hosted WordPress.org sites, you can use e-commerce solutions like WooCommerce. This gives you more flexibility and lets you customize your online stores. You can pick themes made just for selling products and services on your self-hosted WordPress e-commerce site.
Choosing between WordPress.com e-commerce and self-hosted WordPress e-commerce depends on what you need. Both can help you sell products and services well. However, self-hosted might offer more advanced features and customization for your online stores.
| Feature | Self-Hosted WordPress E-commerce | Self-Hosted WordPress E-commerce |
|---|---|---|
| Payment Options | Over 60 countries | Flexible integration with various payment gateways |
| Shipping Integrations | Built-in shipping carrier integrations | Extensive shipping plugin options |
| Design Customization | Limited to WordPress.com design options | Unlimited customization with themes and plugins |
| Pricing | $59 per month | Varies based on hosting and plugin costs |
Migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
If you started with a WordPress.com blog and want to move to WordPress.org, you’ll need to migrate your site over. And most hosting companies will even do this for you.
They move over your content but keep in mind that you do need to redesign your site. So the sooner you do this, the less work it will be.
When moving your site, think about using a good hosting service like Bluehost. They offer hosting starting at $1.99 a month, including a free domain and SSL certificate (this is what I started out with). Bluehost is far from perfect, but it will get you going for your first year and once you start making some money, you can switch to a better hosting company.
Cloudways is another great choice, which is what I’m currently using. They offer Cloud hosting which starts for about $13 per month, which can be paid on a month-by-month basis.
Moving your WordPress.com site to WordPress.org opens up more customization, better monetization, and more control over your online presence. Embrace WordPress.org’s flexibility and elevate your online projects.
And don’t be too hard on yourself if you made the wrong choice in the beginning. We all learn new things and most people assume that a dot.com is usually the official website. So this mistake has been made quite a few times by bloggers who went before you.
If you know someone who wants to start their WordPress blog, feel free to share this article with them so they don’t make the wrong choice and lose a lot of time.
Conclusion
Choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is a big decision for your website or blog. Each platform has its own benefits and the earlier you make this choice, the better off you will be, long-term.
WordPress.com is great for beginners because it’s easy to use and takes care of updates and security. But, it has fewer options for customizing your site and making money. WordPress.org gives you full control and lets you customize and make money more easily. But, you need more tech skills and a hosting plan.
Which platform is best for you depends on whether or not you are willing to learn new tech skills, how much you want to customize, and your online goals. Knowing what each platform offers helps you choose wisely. This choice will help your website succeed and meet your online goals.
FAQ
Do I have to download WordPress.org to use it?
When purchasing a hosting package, the WordPress software will be available to install rightaway. You don’t need to download the WordPress software.
Does WordPress.org have free plugins?
WordPress.org has free plugins available as well as 3rd party premium themes, which can then be installed on your website.
Are all themes on WordPress.org free?
From your WordPress dashboard, you can install thousands of different themes, but some will have paid upgrades and there are many premium themes available from 3rd parties.
Who owns the content on WordPress.com vs self-hosted WordPress?
On WordPress.com, you own your content but WordPress can share it. On a self-hosted WordPress site, you own all your content and control its rights.
Does WordPress.org cost money?
WordPress.org is free, open-source software which is free to use, but you will need to pay for a hosting package and a domain name.
