Are you ready to build your website with WordPress but are confused between the .com and the .org version? Don’t fret, in this post I will tell you what’s the difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org.
Knowing the key differences between the two versions will save you time and money. Let’s get started!
As you may know WordPress is one of the most popular platforms for building websites. Its flexibility for design and functionality has no match. This is why it’s my #1 recommendation for my clients.
WordPress itself is free. But when choosing a hosting service, you can decide to either host it yourself (wordpress.org) or do it under their domain name (wordpress.com).
Here are the key differences:
What’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
- With WordPress.com it’s them who host your site for free (though they also have paid plans). Creating a basic website is easy, but you have less flexibility to grow and monetize your site.
Your domain name will look like this: www.mycoolsite.wordpress.com
- With WordPress.org you have to shop for a quality domain and hosting service. There’s a learning curve, but in the long run it’s more flexible for growing, customizing and monetizing your website. See wordpress.org
Your domain name will look like this: www.mycoolsite.com (personally, I think this looks more professional).
When to use WordPress.com
If you want to set up a basic website without the trouble of getting a hosting, and don’t want to grow or monetize it , then wordpress.com is right for you. Their free plan includes up to 3GB of data, a subdomain and includes wordpress.com ads.
But if eventually you want to grow it, add functionality and make business with it, then:
- You have to pay a costly business plan that allows you to install plugins (for more functionality) or themes (to change your your site’s appearance).
- You may need to hire someone to help you migrate from wordpress.com to your own hosting service.
When to use wordpress.org
If you want to grow your website through a blog, make business with it and have the flexibility to change its appearance, then using wordpress.org is the best choice.
Keep in mind though that there’s a learning curve and you have to shop around for quality hosting. But the investment in time and money is worth it. You’ll end up getting full control over your site.
To sum up
WordPress is a great platform for building websites. But when choosing between free or paid hosting, it’s best to think about your goals first.
If you need a basic website, the tech side overwhelms you, and you don’t want to grow or monetize it, then host it on wordpress.com.
But if you want to grow your site, monetize it and gain full control of it, then I recommend you to choose a quality hosting service an build it with wordpress.org.
That said, consider long term goals so you can choose the right version for your needs.
I hope you found this post useful. If you have any questions, feel free to ask away on the comment section below.
To your success, 🍷
Estela.
