If you’re new to blogging or looking to build a new website, you might hear a lot of people recommending WordPress. It’s no doubt that WordPress is a powerhouse content management system. At the beginning of 2021, nearly 40% of all websites run on WordPress and that number continues to grow each year.
As you start to build your WordPress website you might quickly realize there are two different ‘wordpresses’ wordpress.com and wordpress.org – what the heck?! This is not a mistake and these two are very different from each other. So, what is the difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org ?
We’ll break it down in this post. Be sure to do your research before deciding which one you’ll use to build your website.
WordPress.com or WordPress.org
Let’s Look At WordPress.com
When you build a website with wordpress.COM, it means that you are using WordPress and your website lives on WordPress.coms servers. In other words, your website will be hosted by WordPress and by default live on a subdomain of WordPress.com.
This is sort of like renting an apartment. You don’t technically own your place. You have to follow the landlords’ rules or face being kicked out, and you’re limited as to what you can bring into your apartment, what you can do in your apartment, and what customizations or changes you can make.
These limitations hold true for renting and for WordPress.com. While this may seem like an easy way to set up a website quickly, you’ll soon find out that you’ll be nickeled and dimed for any and all upgrades or customizations you want to make to your website.
Think of things like being able to use your own domain name or URL, without having wordpress.com in it. Or installing plugins for extra features and functionality on your website. You’ll also need to make sure your website and all its content comply with wordpress.com’s terms and conditions, or they can shut you down at any time.
You also won’t be able to qualify for any third-party ad networks like Mediavine, Adthrive, or Monumetric if your site is hosted through WordPress.com.
The vast majority of creators who start on wordpress.com end up switching over to wordpress.org once they realize how limited it is and how much they need to pay to add features or customize anything.
Let’s Look At WordPress.ORG
When you build a website with wordpress.ORG, it means that you are using the free, open-source WordPress software installed on a website that lives on a server (or host) of your choice. In other words, you own your domain, and you own all the content, images, and files of your website.
This is referred to as being self-hosted. You can store your site files, edit them and move them around as you please.
This is sort of like owning your own home. You can paint the walls, replace the flooring, build your own cabinets, and even install a spinning dancing pole if you want to! You do you, boo.
Truly, the options and capabilities of what you can do on a wordpress.org website are endless. The only thing you have to pay for is your domain name registration and your hosting provider.
After that, you don’t need to pay to upgrade for any additional features, plugins, or themes. You can pay for premium plugins and themes if you want to, and can afford to, but there are many, many, many free themes and plugins that you can use on your site.
If you ever want to monetize your website, especially ad networks, you’ll need to be self-hosted, using wordpress.org + a host of your choice. You’ll need a domain name or URL and a hosting plan to get started. Then you’ll install WordPress onto your website – your new web host can help you out with this if you don’t know how to.
I purchase all my domains through namecheap.com, really like them, and have never had any issues. Whoever you use, be aware that they will try likely try to upsell you and add on a bunch of extra features and sometimes even their own hosting!
It’s a good practice to keep your domain registration and web hosting separate. In most cases, you do not need any of the add-ons that NameCheap or any other domain registrar tries to sell you.
If you’re on a budget, I recommend NameHero for hosting. I also use NameHero, like them a lot, and have never had any issues. Their customer service is always very responsive and is actually helpful…. unlike some other hosts I’ve used. (Ahem, ahem, GoDaddy! ahem. Phew I had something in my throat there.)
If you’re building an online business and want to invest in the best from the beginning, sign up for a managed hosting plan on BigScoots or FlyWheel – I’ve heard nothing but great things about both of them.
Hopefully, this clears up any confusion about wordpress.com vs wordpress.org and helps you choose the setup that is best for you and your goals online.
Let me know what questions you have about WordPress in the comments below!
About the author:
Mallory has been playing around with WordPress and building niche websites since 2017. It’s become a hobby and a challenge to see how many cool, new things she can create online each year.