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As WordPress becomes one of the most popular ways to build websites, many people ask whether they need WordPress.org or WordPress.com.
Both can be summed be simply as a platform to build a website, but WordPress.org is the free version while WordPress.com offers a free blog with add-ons at a pricey cost.
This guide goes through all of the different aspects of each and what advantages or disadvantages people find with both services.
WordPress.org Overview
If you want a free WordPress blog, you will likely use WordPress.org.
It offers thousands of plugins, and you can purchase premium plugins as well. If you like to customize and do things yourself, WordPress.org offers a valuable resource.
With support forms and tutorials, it’s easy to modify your website design and create more functionality than what the traditional WordPress theme offers.
WordPress.org allows you to install the WordPress engine, guide you through posting and setting up different categories.
There is a ton of support documentation to help you create a site with WordPress.org’s free tools.
You can even use your own domain and modify the core PHP. If you want to add jQuery, change the theme and install plugins, all of this is available as well.
However, if you need a web host, you won’t find free hosting with your own domain through WordPress.org.
You may set up hosting on your own through another company and use a domain name while installing WordPress, but there are also hosting options with WordPress, which is where WordPress.com comes in.
Benefits of Using WordPress.org
Besides being free to install and customize, there are a ton of other advantages to working with WordPress.org including:
Full control over your code and content management
Install any plugins, themes or other code that you want
Customize to your heart’s content
Learn how to program with PHP
As always there is a downside to working with the free side of WordPress, these disadvantages include:
More security risks
Potential to install malicious themes, plugins, and hack code
No personalized customer support if things go wrong
Costs may go up when more bandwidth is needed if using a private host
Site is slower when free
As you can see, there are some great benefits to using WordPress.org to create a full website if you choose hosting through another provider.
However, there are some great advantages to choosing WordPress.com as your hosting provider even if it’s just for the free version of the blog.
WordPress.com Overview
If you like the idea of a simple free blog such as Tumblr or Blogger, WordPress.com also has a free version that is hosted through their site.
Your domain will be “blog.wordpress.com” unless you buy a domain, however.
This is an easy way to get a blog up and running if you are completely new to blogging, but it may not offer the most benefits as opposed to paid hosting and your own domain name.
WordPress.com also offers spam protection, automatic backups, automatic updates, proven security and plugins and services that you won’t find elsewhere.
However, customization is more limited on WordPress.com. For instance, you can’t upload and install your own theme like you can with WordPress.org.
There’s also the advertising aspect.
If you don’t like seeing third-party ads on your site, you can only remove them for $30 a year.
You can pay for a custom design package that allows you some control over a theme’s design like changing the font or altering some of the CSS code, but it also costs $30 a year.
With WordPress.com, everything is a la carte. This means that you can purchase extra storage or even host your own videos but at a cost.
There are also premium themes that you can buy, which can range up to $100.
However, if you ever decide that you want to buy hosting, you won’t be able to use the theme.
Benefits of WordPress.com
There are some positives to using WordPress.com if you want to get a blog set up quickly to start writing.
Here are some of the advantages:
No charges for increased traffic
Little to no security risks
Don’t have to manage a server or mess with FTP
Full concentration on your content
Quick, easy and free to setup
There are also some disadvantages to going with this option. For one, you don’t get as much freedom as with WordPress.org. Some other cons include:
Limited choice of free plugins, themes, and settings
You don’t make any money through WordPress advertising on your blog
Custom domain is $25 per year
Additional storage, customization, and video hosting are expensive
If you don’t want to find a host and just want to get set up with a blog, WordPress.com may be the right choice for you.
It’s quick to sign up for WordPress.com and begin posting.
You also receive a lot of support from WordPress and can even troubleshoot with someone if something goes wrong.
However, it may not be ideal if you want to monetize your site or do something more than a blog.
Which One to Choose: WordPress.Org or WordPress.com?
The decision is really up to your needs and future plans for your site.
These are some different ways to look at each.
Do You Want a Lot of Control?
Then you should go with WordPress.org.
You won’t get as many plugins, themes and customization options if you choose WordPress.com.
The open platform of WordPress.org allows you to customize the code, upload your own themes and add any type of plugins that you want.
Do You Have Money for Hosting?
If you can pay for your own domain and hosting, then you should also go with WordPress.org. While WordPress.com is essentially free, you’ll need to pay more to expand in the future.
If you want to give your blog true freedom, you can purchase your own domain and hosting, which allows you to install WordPress through WordPress.org and start customizing your site.
It’s also the best way to get your site out there without having a domain that looks cheap such as “blog.wordpress.com.” With more creative control and your own host, you can expand when you need to in the future and continue to have control.
However, if you don’t have money for hosting, you can start with WordPress.com’s free version and see where your blog takes you.
If you just want a place to write, share images and video, it may be easier to go with the free version as well.
While your site may look cookie-cutter with a free theme, you may not want to customize or don’t know how to change CSS.
If you are just getting started, WordPress.com is a great way to get used to blogging online for no cost at all.
How much effort Can You Put In?
WordPress.com sites require little to no effort all. WordPress will handle all of your security and updates so that you are constantly updated with the latest plugins and WP files.
You won’t need to know how to upgrade on your own or handle your own security in a jam if a new exploit suddenly poses a risk to your site.
If you do want to put in the effort to understand and learn WordPress, you will be able to make upgrades pretty easily.
However, you will need to understand the risks of installing plugins, code, and themes that are malicious and pose problems to you and your visitors.
If you don’t want to work with another hosting provider or don’t want to customize CSS and install your own themes, WordPress.com is also the best choice.
You won’t have to know how to create or alter your themes, but you do lose a lot of customization.
This means that your blog will have a more cookie-cutter type of look and won’t stand out.
It’s still a good option if all you need is a platform for your writing and images.
Do You Have Big Plans for the Future?
If you want to see your site grow or you have plans to monetize your site, you have to go with WordPress.org and use your hosting.
However, WordPress.com provides you with all the free bandwidth you need if you suddenly get to the front page of Reddit with a cat meme.
However, how long that fame will last depends solely on your content and not the usability of your blog because you won’t be able to customize it.
You won’t have to cover any overage costs as hosts tend to charge when you go over bandwidth on these occasions either.
Your website may actually fold with so many people trying to connect if you choose your own hosting with WordPress.org and don’t have enough bandwidth to support it.
A Simple Way to Choose
If you just want to write, don’t want to bother with CSS, and don’t care about advertising on your blog, you should go with WordPress.com.
It will offer you a simple platform to get thousands of words out, and you can still share images and video.
However, if you do want to create a profitable website that you can customize and expand in the future, you should go with WordPress.org.
You’ll also learn more about web development, plugins and themes, which can help you create other sites in the future.
Published And Created By Christopher Pontine And Cynthia Adams
Image Credit: ahockley
