A lot of people don’t realize that WordPress.com and WordPress.org are two different platforms. They both provide you with a way to create, host, and customize a website. There are, however, important differences you must know.
In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about the two — including:
After reading this you should have all the answers you need — and which is best for your needs.
Let’s get into it.
WordPress.com and WordPress.org were created by the same person: Matt Mullenweg. WordPress.org is the free open-source software he co-created, which can create websites, but not by itself. It still requires web hosting and a domain name.
Alternatively, WordPress.com is a web hosting service. It bundles the open-source WordPress.org software with web hosting, and a domain name. It offers a somewhat limited free plan, along with paid upgraded options.
WordPress.org is used in conjunction with a third party web hosting service, like GoDaddy, Bluehost, DreamHost, or Siteground. They’ll not only provide hosting, but a domain name as well.
So basically:
Which one is more suitable for you will obviously depend on your needs. Although WordPress.com has a free plan, it’s very limited. You’ll probably need to upgrade to a paid plan, which is why you’d need to also consider WordPress.org as well.
In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about the two — including:
After reading this you should have all the answers you need — and which is best for your needs.
Let’s get into it.
WordPress.org
WordPress.com (Free Plan)
WordPress.com (Paid Plans)
Cost
Free
Free
$4-45 per month
Hosting
No (Requires external purchase
Yes
Yes
Domain Name
No (Requires external purchase)
Yes (Will have .wordpress.com)
Yes
Web Storage Space
Depends on hosting plan
3 GBs
6-200GBs
SSL Certificate
Depends on hosting plan
Yes
Yes
Complete Theme Support
Yes
No (Restricted)
Only some paid plans allow premium themes
Plugins
Yes
No
Only some paid plans allow premium themes
Monetization
Yes (No restrictions)
Restricted (Affiliate links + sponsored posts only)
Yes (No restrictions)
eCommerce Functionality
Yes
No
Only the eCommerce plan does
Membership Site Functionality
Yes
No
Only some paid plans
WordPress.com is priced on a “freemium” model, which means they offer a free plan, as well as paid ones. Each plan comes with a domain name and web hosting.
The 5 different pricing plans are listed below:
The free plan gives you 3GBs of web storage space, and a domain name with WordPress.com in it. For example, our website would be plentyofpixels.wordpress.com on there. Websites on the free plan will also have to deal with ads being placed throughout.
On the other hand the premium plans cost anywhere from $4 per month, to as much as $45 per month. Web storage space ranges from 6GBs all the way up to 200 GBs. All paid plans receive a free domain name in the first year, which doesn’t have .wordpress.com in it.
WordPress.org is free, but obviously doesn’t come with web hosting or a domain name. To be able to create a live website you’ll need them. These two expenses will determine how much WordPress.org costs.
Some popular web hosting companies include:
A domain name will be bundled in with web hosting, and storage space varies depending on provider and plan chosen.
It depends on what type of website you wish to create.
For most websites, WordPress.org is going to be cheaper because it’s less restricted. There are more web hosting providers available, which makes plans more competitive. You also have a greater access to plugins, which makes it more viable for any form of website, like eCommerce.
The only instance in which WordPress.com would be the cheaper option is if the free plan is enough. This means you’d be okay with 3GBs of space, a wordpress.com domain, and ads all over. You’d also be okay with very limited features, like no plugins or eCommerce functionality.
Generally websites suited to the WordPress.com free plan include:
Setting up a WordPress.com website is really easy. All it takes is simply going to WordPress.com and pressing this button.
You’ll then have to go through a short configuration process. You’ll need to provide an email address, a select a name for your website, as well as a theme/layout.
That’s all there is to it — only a few minutes and you’ve got a functioning website, live on the internet. You can mess around with some of the settings and tweak components to your liking.
Setting up on WordPress.org is a little more complicated, requiring more steps.
First, you’re not going to start on WordPress.org at all — you’ll be researching for a web host provider. Take your time with this, analyze all available options. What are your needs? Look for the best price, considering web storage space.
Once you’ve chosen your web host provider and plan you’ll be able to install and set up your WordPress.org website. It should be effortless — one click — you’ll then give your website a name, and complete other appropriate information.
WordPress.com is definitely easier to set up. The WordPress CMS software, web hosting, and domain name you need to create a website is all under one roof.
With WordPress.com, your themes are limited by what plan you have. The free/personal plans have access to over 150+ different free themes. The higher plans (premium, business, eCommerce) get an additional 200+ premium themes, which are far superior.
With WordPress.org, you are able to access insanely large libraries of themes, free and premium. There are literally 7,500+ different free themes to choose from, with more being added all the time. You can also use themes that are compatible from all over the internet.
WordPress.org is by far the superior option when it comes to themes. You aren’t restricted by your hosting plan — options are endless.
If your WordPress.com website is on a free, personal, or premium plan, you won’t have access to any plugins. Business and eCommerce plans do get access to plugins — 50,000+ in fact.
Regardless of what website hosting plan you have, you’ll be able to access and use all 50,000+ plugins. You’ll also be able to use even more plugins from third parties around the internet. All of these plugins are absolutely free, available on even the cheapest hosting plans.
The customization you can do on your WordPress.com website is restricted by the plan you have. Even though it uses the same open-source software as WordPress.org, they’ve deliberately modified and limited it.
A WordPress.org website has absolutely no restrictions when it comes to customization. You’re using the complete open-source WordPress software, not a modified version like WordPress.com.
WordPress.org is leaps and bounds better for customizing a website, compared to WordPress.com. There are no limits to what you can do to your website.
The customization you can do on your WordPress.com website is restricted by the plan you have. Even though it uses the same open-source software as WordPress.org, they’ve deliberately modified and limited it.
A WordPress.org website has absolutely no restrictions when it comes to customization. You’re using the complete open-source WordPress software, not a modified version like WordPress.com.
WordPress.org is leaps and bounds better for customizing a website, compared to WordPress.com. There are no limits to what you can do to your website.
WordPress.com provides your website with security and backup features from the get go, the minute you launch.
All WordPress.com websites are encrypted with HTTPS, thanks to a SSL certificate. Firewalls are also routinely run, frequent backups occur, and a security team is on standby.
The WordPress.org open-source software meets standard security requirements. The chosen web host will determine whether or not a website is encrypted, and website backups occur. Most will, but security features will vary.
It’s a draw.
WordPress.com is a more complete security package, but most WordPress.org web hosting providers will be as good. WordPress.org also has the benefit of being able to more easily access plugins. Many great security plugins exist that’ll protect your domain.
The websites on free and personal plans are extremely limited in how they can be monetized. You aren’t allowed to have any paid ads — the only ways you can monetize are affiliate links and sponsored posts.
There are literally no monetization restrictions for WordPress.org websites. You can do whatever you want.
WordPress.org is far superior for monetization. You have more monetization strategies at your disposal, and you aren’t restricted like many plans on WordPress.com are.
For most types of websites WordPress.org will be the better option. This is due to its greater array of features available via third-party plugins. You also have access to more web hosting options.
WordPress.com still has some value though, because it does offer a free plan. Some people also like that everything they need for a website (CMS, web hosting, domain name) is under one roof.
Choose WordPress.com if:
Choose WordPress.org if:
Most of the time you’ll simply be better off with WordPress.org — it’s simply way more flexible.
Technically, no.
WordPress.com is owned by a company named Automattic, which was founded by Matt Mullenweg. This is also the man who co-founded the original WordPress open-source software, available on the WordPress.org website.
WordPress.org is owned by a charitable organization called the WordPress Foundation, which was also founded by Matt Mullenweg.
Automattic makes money from its freemium website building/hosting services on WordPress.com.
On the other hand, the WordPress Foundation is not-for-profit. It simply aims to ensure the WordPress software remains true to itself and stays open-source, as it was intended.
It’s also important to understand that even though the two websites are owned by separate companies, they still have interaction. WordPress.com uses the open-source software available on WordPress.org, and Automattic employees often contribute to it.
Yes, but your monetization options are sparse — and limited.
A free WordPress.com website isn’t allowed to run paid ads. Only those on the premium, business, or eCommerce plans can.
WordPress.com might also run ads on your free website, which you gain no money from. If you want to get rid of these, you’ll have to upgrade to a personal, premium, business, or eCommerce plan.
A free WordPress.com website can only be monetized with 2 strategies:
You are allowed to add affiliate links to your free WordPress.com website, assuming your blog creates original content.
Sponsored posts can be featured on your free WordPress.com website. These are pieces of content that promote a product or service from a company who’ve paid you for it.
For full monetization details check out the WordPress.com support post.
WordPress.org is definitely superior and cheaper for eCommerce. This is because you’ve got better access to necessary eCommerce features, thanks to third-party plugins like WooCommerce.
To get these features on WordPress.com you’d need to have the eCommerce plan. This costs $45 per month, or $540 annually.
You’re better off using WordPress.org as $45 per month is a lot for new eCommerce websites. Even a big eCommerce website is better off with WordPress.org, due to more options and features available.
WordPress.org is far superior for creating a membership site.
Like with eCommerce, WordPress.com is limited with regards to membership site functionalities. You’d need to have one of the more expensive plans to access plugins you’d need to create a membership site.
Yes.
It’s a multi-step process that involves downloading your WordPress.com data and importing it into WordPress.org. It’s free and won’t cost you a thing, just your time.
Detailing the exact steps would be beyond the scope of this article. There are many great guides available online.
In this article we covered everything you need to know about WordPress.com and WordPress.org, and the differences between the two.
You should now know which is the right choice for your needs.
Did you find this article helpful? Got any questions?
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