Key Variations and The right way to Select in 2022
Struggling to know the distinction between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org and which one is the perfect place to make your WordPress website?
This has lengthy been one of the crucial complicated issues for WordPress newbies. Belief me – you might be not alone.
To irritate the problem much more, the variations between WordPress.org vs WordPress.com have been blurring and slimming as time goes on, so the 2 are extra comparable than ever.
However on the identical time, there are nonetheless some essential variations between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org which may make one possibility higher than the opposite in your particular scenario.
On this put up, I’m going to attempt that will help you perceive the significant variations between them. Then, I’ll enable you to choose the fitting possibility in your web site in 2022 and past.
To perform that, I’m going to cowl the next data for each platforms:
That’s a number of floor to cowl, so let’s dig in!
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Primary Introductions
Right here’s the high-level distinction between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org:
- WordPress.org is the non-profit dwelling of the free, open-source WordPress software program. Anybody can obtain this software program totally free and use it to make an internet site. WordPress.org is run by the non-profit WordPress Basis.
- WordPress.com is a for-profit enterprise that offers you a technique to create an internet site utilizing the WordPress software program. Nevertheless, WordPress.com is not the one technique to create an internet site with WordPress.
If you wish to make an internet site with WordPress.org, that you must set up the WordPress software program by yourself webhosting. Buying webhosting is basically renting house on a pc (known as a server) that you should utilize to energy the WordPress.org software program.
Due to this, you’ll additionally see WordPress.org known as self-hosted WordPress. For those who ever see somebody say “self-hosted WordPress”, they’re all the time referring to putting in the open-source WordPress software program by yourself webhosting.
Because it exists at the moment, you’ll be able to type of consider WordPress.com as one possibility for internet hosting the WordPress software program. Nevertheless, in contrast to an everyday net host, WordPress.com does lots to simplify the method of making and sustaining a WordPress web site.
I like to explain WordPress.com like this – “it’s just like the open-source WordPress.org software program and Squarespace had a child”.
All WordPress.com web sites use the WordPress software program, however not all websites that use the WordPress software program are constructed on WordPress.com.
While you see stats like “43% of all web sites on the web use WordPress”, that stat is referring to the WordPress.org software program and not WordPress.com.
Actually, most web sites constructed with WordPress are self-hosted web sites and don’t use WordPress.com.
Why Do They Have The Identical Identify Then? That’s So Complicated!
For those who’re questioning why WordPress.org and WordPress.com have the identical title when one is an open-source non-profit mission and the opposite is a for-profit enterprise, you’re not alone.
The rationale behind the naming confusion actually comes all the way down to the individual/folks behind every mission.
In Might 2003, Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little launched the primary model of the open-source WordPress software program.
Then, in August 2005, Matt Mullenweg created Automattic, which is the corporate behind WordPress.com. Mainly, it gave Matt an opportunity to monetize the open-source mission that he co-created with Mike Little.
Since Matt is each the co-founder of the WordPress.org mission and the founding father of the WordPress.com enterprise, that’s the place the naming confusion comes from.
As of 2022, WordPress.org and WordPress.com are purported to be separate entities (although there’s clearly some overlap, with a number of Automattic staff engaged on the open-source WordPress mission).
How You Make a Web site With WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
Right here’s a fast rundown of what it’s wish to create an internet site with each self-hosted WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
I’ll begin with WordPress.org…
Self-Hosted WordPress.org Setup
To get began with self-hosted WordPress, you’ll first must buy webhosting from one of many many WordPress internet hosting suppliers.
We’ll focus on pricing afterward, however this could value underneath $5 monthly for a very low cost WordPress host.
After you have your internet hosting, that you must set up the WordPress software program on that internet hosting. Whereas that sounds complicated, it actually isn’t as a result of nearly all net hosts these days provide easy WordPress installers.
For instance, right here’s the WordPress installer at Kinsta, a host that we’ve reviewed:
As soon as you put in the WordPress software program, you’ll be able to log in to your WordPress dashboard to handle your website and begin creating content material:
General, it’s fairly dang easy!
WordPress.com Setup
Whereas establishing self-hosted WordPress.org is already fairly straightforward, WordPress.com makes issues even simpler by eliminating the internet hosting a part of the equation.
As an alternative of needing to buy internet hosting after which set up WordPress, you simply register for a WordPress.com account after which you’ll be able to immediately begin constructing your website.
While you register for WordPress.com, you’ll see a easy setup wizard that will help you configure the fundamentals of your website:
You’ll be able to simply configure key fundamentals like your weblog title and design:
After operating by means of this brief wizard, you’ll be able to handle your website from a dashboard that’s nearly precisely the identical as what you’d get with a self-hosted WordPress website:
Nevertheless, WordPress.com does make a couple of of its personal tweaks, reminiscent of altering the interface that you just use to handle photographs and different media information.
Options
Right here’s a fast comparability of the options that you just get entry to between WordPress.org, WordPress.com Professional (the paid plan), and WordPress.com Free (the perpetually free plan).
| WordPress.org | WordPress.com PRO | WordPress.com FREE | |
| Customized area | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Set up plugins | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Set up themes | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Monetize web site | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| eCommerce retailer | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Membership website | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| FTP entry | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Full technical entry | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
As you’ll be able to see, the WordPress.com Free plan is extremely restricted and doesn’t actually provide you with entry to the complete flexibility of the WordPress software program. Nevertheless, the WordPress.com Professional plan offers you shut to the identical performance that you just get with self-hosted WordPress.org.
Nevertheless, there are nonetheless some vital variations the place self-hosted WordPress.org is extra versatile…
Flexibility
Whereas WordPress.com beats WordPress.org in relation to simplicity, the massive benefit that self-hosted WordPress.org has is that it’s extra versatile.
Don’t get me improper – in case you pay for the WordPress.com Professional plan, you do get lots of the flexibleness of WordPress. You’ll be able to set up plugins and themes, add information through FTP, and so forth.
However you’re nonetheless utilizing WordPress.com’s platform, which implies you solely get the flexibleness that WordPress.com offers you.
With self-hosted WordPress.org, however, you will have just about limitless flexibility.
There are three ways in which this could affect you:
- Guidelines round monetization – this may be a problem in case your main purpose is to earn an revenue, particularly with online marketing or sponsored posts.
- Some blocked plugins – this received’t have an effect on most individuals, however it’s value checking earlier than you determine.
- Technical entry – it will actually solely have an effect on superior customers as most informal customers will probably be high-quality with the extent of entry that the WordPress.com Professional plan gives.
WordPress.com Guidelines for Monetization
If you wish to use WordPress.com, you’ll must abide by the Phrases of Service, which incorporates some added restrictions for monetization:
- Whilst you can add affiliate hyperlinks to your website, WordPress.com does “not permit websites that exist primarily to drive visitors to affiliate hyperlinks”.
- Whilst you can promote sponsored posts, WordPress does “not permit websites the place the overwhelming majority of content material is sponsored content material”.
How do you outline if a website “exists primarily to drive visitors to affiliate hyperlinks”? Nicely, in case you use WordPress.com, you’re leaving that definition as much as them.
All these restrictions are why I don’t suggest WordPress.com for web sites the place your main purpose is monetization.
You’ll be able to show adverts from third-party suppliers reminiscent of AdSense, Mediavine, and AdThrive, although. So in case you’re completely utilizing show promoting, you ought to be high-quality with both.
WordPress.com Blocked Plugins
Whereas the WordPress.com Professional plan does allow you to set up customized plugins, WordPress.com does nonetheless ban some plugins from its platform.
Many of those bans are just because the plugin overlaps with options that WordPress.com gives (reminiscent of backups). Nevertheless, there are some plugins that WordPress.com bans for different causes.
Listed here are some examples:
- Caching plugins
- Backup plugins
- SQL heavy plugins – e.g. WordPress Fashionable Posts, WordPress Classifieds Plugin, and others.
- Computerized content material plugins – e.g. WP RSS Aggregator, Woozone, and others.
- Database/file system altering plugins
- Safety plugins
I encourage you to learn the complete record as a result of there are another incompatible plugins reminiscent of AliDropship, Occasion Espresso, WP Staging, and extra.
For those who particularly want one in all these plugins, you’ll need to use self-hosted WordPress.org.
Restricted Technical Entry at WordPress.com
The final limitation is that WordPress.com doesn’t provide you with full entry to your website’s underlying internet hosting such as you’d get at a real net host.
This received’t actually have an effect on common WordPress customers, however superior customers is likely to be delay by it. Listed here are some examples of what you’ll not get with WordPress.com:
- SSH entry
- WP-CLI
- Customized databases (you do get phpMyAdmin, although).
Ease of Use (Upkeep and Safety)
Whether or not you employ WordPress.org or WordPress.com, you’ll use the identical fundamental dashboard to handle your website, so there aren’t any main variations by way of ease of use in relation to creating content material and managing settings.
Nevertheless, the place there are variations is in relation to sustaining and securing your web site. I’m speaking about issues like:
- Backing up your knowledge
- Making use of updates
- Implementing safety hardening
- Eradicating malware (if wanted)
With self-hosted WordPress.org, the accountability that you just’ll shoulder for sustaining and securing your website is determined by which host you select.
With an inexpensive host, you might need to do a lot of that work your self.
Alternatively, in case you use a kind of internet hosting known as managed WordPress internet hosting, the host will do a number of that for you (nevertheless it prices extra money).
With WordPress.com, nonetheless, you don’t want to fret about any of that stuff as a result of WordPress.com does it for you.
Actually, I believe that this is without doubt one of the greatest benefits of WordPress.com. Whilst you do sacrifice some flexibility in change for this simplicity, not having to consider fundamental upkeep and safety might be very nice, particularly in case you’re not a really technical individual.
Pricing
By way of WordPress.org vs WordPress.com pricing, I’m going to disregard the WordPress.com Free plan as a result of it’s not a viable possibility for a severe website. However clearly, if the WordPress.com Free plan works in your wants, WordPress.com goes to be cheaper.
By way of the paid plans, it’s a bit difficult:
- WordPress.org might be cheaper than WordPress.com. So in case you’re on the lookout for the most cost effective technique to make a WordPress web site, self-hosted WordPress.org is the winner.
- However on the identical time, WordPress.com can even be cheaper than WordPress.org in sure conditions.
Actually, all of it comes all the way down to what you pay for internet hosting.
With the WordPress.com Professional plan, you already know precisely what you’ll pay – it’s $15 monthly, billed yearly at $180.
With WordPress.org, it is determined by which host you select. An inexpensive WordPress host might value you ~$5 monthly, however a premium managed WordPress host might simply run $30+ monthly.
Right here’s a fast comparability desk of the yearly value:
| Kind of internet hosting | Yearly value |
| Low-cost WordPress.org internet hosting (GreenGeeks) | $70 |
| WordPress.com Professional plan | $180 |
| Premium managed WordPress internet hosting (Kinsta) | $300 |
For low visitors websites and/or easy websites (e.g. a weblog or portfolio) an inexpensive WordPress host like GreenGeeks is all you want, by which case WordPress.org is cheaper.
However for higher-traffic websites and/or extra complicated websites (e.g. an eCommerce retailer), you’ll in all probability want internet hosting that prices greater than the $15 monthly WordPress.com Professional plan.
Distinctive Benefits of Every Platform
As we close to the tip of our WordPress.com vs WordPress.org comparability, let’s recap among the distinctive benefits that you just get with every platform.
If I needed to sum these variations up in a couple of phrases, I might say it like this:
- Self-hosted WordPress.org offers you flexibility.
- WordPress.com offers you simplicity.
However let’s go into a little bit extra element…
Benefits of self-hosted WordPress.org:
- Extra flexibility. You might have full entry to the flexibleness of the WordPress software program with zero restrictions on what edits you make, which plugins you put in, and so forth.
- Monetize your website nonetheless you need. You should use any monetization technique and don’t want to fret about following any guidelines.
- No content material restrictions. There aren’t any guidelines for the forms of content material that you just put up. Your host would possibly block sure content material, however you’ll be able to repair this by shifting to a bunch with completely different insurance policies.
- Extra technical entry. For extra superior customers, you get a lot fuller technical entry to your website and internet hosting. For instance, you should utilize SSH, WP-CLI, and so forth.
Benefits of WordPress.com:
- Easier setup. You’ll be able to create an internet site simply by registering for a WordPress.com account.
- Fear-free safety and upkeep. With WordPress.com, you just about don’t want to consider fundamental safety and upkeep as a result of the platform handles all of that for you.
- Don’t take into consideration technical stuff. Tying with the purpose above, you simply actually don’t want to consider the technical features of your website with WordPress.com, which might be interesting for non-techies. Keep in mind – it’s like WordPress.org and Squarespace had a child.
FAQs
To complete out our WordPress.org vs WordPress.com comparability, let’s run over a couple of widespread questions.
Are you able to switch a WordPress.com website to WordPress.org?
Sure! For those who begin on WordPress.com and alter your thoughts afterward, you’ll be able to migrate WordPress.com to WordPress.org with minimal fuss. The identical holds true for shifting from WordPress.org to WordPress.com.
Is WordPress.org free to make use of?
The WordPress software program that you just get from WordPress.org is 100% free and open-source. Nevertheless, to energy that software program and create a functioning web site, you’ll must buy webhosting.
For those who use an inexpensive net host, you’ll be able to pay just some {dollars} monthly, although.
Is WordPress.com free to make use of?
WordPress.com does have a free plan, nevertheless it has very giant limitations so you’ll be able to’t use it for severe web sites. For instance, you’ll be able to’t set up plugins on the WordPress.com Free plan. Critical websites will want the paid WordPress.com Professional plan.
Remaining Suggestions on WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
Previously, I believed that just about everybody who needed to make a severe WordPress web site could be higher off utilizing WordPress.org (self-hosted WordPress).
In 2022 and past, although, I not assume that.
Don’t get me improper, I nonetheless assume that self-hosted WordPress is sensible for lots of people.
However the brand new WordPress.com Professional plan may provide actually good worth in sure conditions.
Mainly, right here’s how I see it:
When to Use WordPress.org (Self-Hosted WordPress)
For those who’re making a WordPress web site to construct some sort of enterprise that earns income, I might nonetheless suggest going with self-hosted WordPress.org as a result of it will provide you with extra flexibility and management over what you are promoting. Examples right here embrace…
- A weblog the place your main purpose is to earn an revenue (somewhat than simply sharing your ideas with the world)
- An internet course or membership website
- An eCommerce retailer
Whereas utilizing self-hosted WordPress does add a little extra complexity vs the WordPress.com Professional plan, it’s nonetheless one thing {that a} non-technical individual can deal with.
By utilizing self-hosted WordPress, you make sure that you will have 100% management over the muse/platform of what you are promoting. You can also make any edits that you just want, monetize nonetheless you need, totally entry your internet hosting setting, and so forth.
If you wish to make a self-hosted WordPress website, take a look at these posts:
When to Use WordPress.com Professional Plan
Alternatively, in case you’re simply seeking to “hold your on-line shingle”, so to talk, then I believe the WordPress.com Professional plan is likely to be a greater possibility due to its simplicity. Examples right here embrace:
- A easy restaurant web site with contact particulars, a menu, and so forth.
- Any fundamental enterprise brochure web site. For instance, an internet site in your plumbing enterprise.
- A easy private portfolio or on-line CV.
For some of these websites, you actually don’t want any flexibility past what the WordPress.com Professional plan gives. With the Professional plan, you’ll be able to nonetheless set up your personal themes and plugins, add information through FTP, and so forth.
By going with WordPress.com, you’ll profit from the simplicity of the platform in relation to sustaining and securing your web site.
And with the brand new pricing of simply $15 monthly, you’re actually not paying a lot of a premium.
If you wish to get began, simply join a WordPress.com account.
When to Use WordPress.com Free Plan
I do not suggest the WordPress.com Free plan for any sort of significant web site. The one scenario the place I might suggest the free plan is a few sort of pastime weblog the place you’re simply on the lookout for a easy technique to share your ideas or content material with folks (and you don’t have any plans for monetization).
Constructing a journey weblog with the intention to share photos and tales together with your family and friends? Certain – you should utilize the WordPress.com Free plan.
Constructing a journey weblog with the intention to earn money? Use self-hosted WordPress as an alternative.
And that wraps up my ideas on selecting between WordPress.org vs WordPress.com in your web site.
For those who nonetheless have any questions on your particular scenario, let me know within the feedback!