Wordpress.com vs Wordpress.org | Wordpress Guide #1 - Techusers

Wordpress.com vs Wordpress.org

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If you’re new to WordPress, you might be wondering: what’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?

While two have same functionality there is some big difference.This article shows the clear information. There we Go!

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

The major difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is who is hosting your website.

• WordPress.org is a free, open source content management system. You have to download the software and set it up with your own hosting provider. That is why it’s often referred to as “self-hosted WordPress”.

• WordPress.com is an all-in-one hosted solution. You don’t have to download any software or manage a web server. But it comes with a loss of certain freedoms.

Price Comparison

At the most basic level, WordPress.com and WordPress.org are both free. But, of course, it’s a bit more complicated than that.

• WordPress.com allows you to set up a website for free. But if you want to use it for commercial purposes, it’s a minimum of $8 per month. In addition, you’ll have to pay for a custom domain name, which is $15 a year. That works out to roughly $111 annually.

• WordPress.org is free to download, modify, and update. The only real costs are for a domain name and web hosting, which you can get for as little as $7.95 a month. Other costs may include professional themes and plugins, but you are not required to use those.

Pros and Cons of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

Both WordPress.org and WordPress.com have their pros and cons, depending on your needs.
WordPress.com Pros:

• Don’t have to find or pay for your own hosting
• No need to manage your own web server
• User-friendly and easy-to-use
• Lots of options for customization (premium features are offered for a fee)

WordPress.com Cons:

• Your domain will, by default, include “wordpress.com”
• You can’t remove WordPress.com’s ads or branding from your website
• You can’t upload custom themes or plugins, or modify the PHP code behind your site
• You get limited disk space at 3GB

WordPress.org Pros:

• Build anything you wants from an ecommerce store to a membership site
• You have more control and flexibility with your own website
• You can use your own domain name
• You can upload custom themes and plugins and use custom code

WordPress.org Cons:

• You have to download the software and install it on your server (though, most hosting companies will do this for you)
• Domain registration and hosting plans mean it will never be completely free to use
• Premium themes and plugins can be pricey
• You are responsible for your site’s security and maintenance

Which One Is Right For You?

If you dread the thought of downloading your software onto a server or backing up your data on a regular basis (or even just finding a hosting company to do it for you), then you may want to go with WordPress.com. For a basic blog or website, it is a perfectly reasonable option.
If, however, you want the flexibility to control your own site, and you plan on monetizing, then you might want to go with WordPress.org. Even more importantly: it’s a scalable option. That means that it will grow with your business and you’ll never run out of space. You can start with a shared hosting plan, move up to a VPS, and then even on to a dedicated server if you need to–with no interruption in service.