WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – Which is to Choose?

One of the most confusing issues of WordPress for a novice is to apprehend WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. Even when I started my journey with WordPress didn’t know what’s the core differences between these two.

Actually, they are two very different platforms in WordPress. The persons who are pretty new to the WordPress industry get confused and sometimes, which leads them to choose the wrong platform for serving their purposes.

Even those who do know that they have differences aren’t aware of the in-depth differences between them. Sometimes we’re asked which is the better one: WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

To make things easier, this article aims to clear all the confusion you might have in this regard.

What is WordPress?

WordPress is the biggest CMS in the market and it’s by far the most popular website builder on the planet. According to the W3Techs, now, WordPress covers 39% of entire websites in the world. The number is increasing enormously over time.

It works as an operating system for a website. You can create and manage your websites as you wish. The most notable aspect of WordPress is it provides a wide range of flexibility while you manage your website.

You’ll get a maximum level of customizability crafting websites. Moreover, it packs a ton of features and functionalities that can be extended enormously using different themes and plugins.

Now, come to the most significant aspects of the WordPress.com vs WordPress.org issue.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

It’s very crucial to choose the right platform for your online success. That’s why I tried to put a detailed comparison in this article.

1. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org | Core Traits

If we see both entities, the first thing that comes to your eyes is the suffix of the domains. WordPress.org represents an organization whereas .com is used as a commercial. It means WordPress.com is used for commercial purposes that provide you with a complete solution with less flexibility. It takes care of your all needs in terms of website building. Normally, it’s easier to start but you’ll get less control while managing your site.

On the other hand, WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform that means you can host your own website using it. It’s an open-source platform means it’s scalable for any developer. You can add and omit different features as you need since promotes flexibility.

2. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org | Handiness

Both platforms are handy to use as starters, but if I want to tell something more specifically, then I should say that WordPress.Com is easy to start as you’re getting all the basic in-built. with WordPress.Com, you just need to start with minimal.

On the other hand, With WordPress.Org you need to follow some steps to get started. You need to have a domain & hosting to start with WordPress.Org. In that way, it’s not as easy as WordPress.Com.

3. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org | Flexibility & Customization

First off, WordPress.Com is fixed with the features and functionalities. You’ll get what just they provide you with their free and pro plan, you can’t add and omit things like your need. That means you’ll have less flexibility using this platform. Being a one-pack solution, you don’t have much customization facility with WordPress.Com.

Using WordPress.Org allows you to have more flexibility in creating and managing your website. There are tons of WordPress plugins & themes out there for making your job done effortlessly.

4. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org | Pricing

The pricing structure is a kind of tricky one for both versions. WordPress.Come is freemium in terms of pricing. You can use it for free of cost or you can upgrade your plan at any time. Usually, the pricing starts from $0 to $25/month. (Personal plan $48 /year gives you 6GB, Premium plan $96/year gives you 13GB storage or Business plan for $300/year for 200 GB storage).

On contrary, WordPress.Org is a free open-source platform. Basically, it’s completely free but you need to spend a minimal amount to maintain a domain & hosting. This costing isn’t directly associated with the WordPress.Org

5. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org | Benefits

Both versions of WordPress have distinct types of advantages for different audiences.

i. WordPress.Com

The free version of WordPress.Com could be used for hobby bloggers or small niches. You also can use it for your portfolio or personal documentation. Here, take a look at some of the core benefits of using WordPress.Com:

• Easy to start off.
• Free WordPress.Com is free for up to 3GB of space. If you want to extend your website, you need to switch to a paid plan for more space.
• Don’t worry about updates or backups of your existing website. Your in-built WordPress.com will take care of that completely.

ii. WordPress.Org

The true beauty of WordPress.Org lies in its extensive customizability and control that is being provided for you. Here take a look at the core benefits of WordPress.Org:

• Free & open source
• You own all your data and your site will not be turned off unless you want. That means you’re in full control of your website.
• You can scale up your website using different plugins and themes.
• Very handy to customize at any point of your website means you can have custom design & develop as you need.
• You can run your website by running your own ads and monetizing in different ways to earn revenue.
• WordPress.Org allows you to measure staying from your site using Google Analytics.
• Affiliate marketing also can be done effortlessly using a simple plugin. For instance, you can use affiliate management including affiliate link cloaking, and affiliate program management.
• You’ll have a lot of WordPress-managed service providers for hosting your WordPress-based website.
• If you want to create scalable sites like membership sites or directory sites, you can make it happen using WordPress membership or directory plugins.
• You’ll have a wonderfully supportive community to collaborate & cooperate things.

6. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org | Pros & Cons

Both the platforms have their own pros and cons, though I consider WordPress.Org has more pros than cons. You can decide yours after having a strong analysis. I’ll try to make it concise. Let’s start with WordPress.Com first.

WordPress.Com (Pros & Cons)

When it comes to choosing WordPress.Com, the very first thing that comes into consideration is you need not worry about purchasing any hosting or managing any site by yourself. You can use it for free though it has pro plans.

If I say about drawbacks, the free plan limits you to 3GB and you have to use a subdomain(yourwebsite.wordpress.com). Moreover, you have to show their native ads on your website. As per the customization, you’ll not get any option to install and use plugins and themes unless you pay for expensive plans.

Most importantly, you don’t have much control over your content, even if they shut down their platform, you can’t do anything with that.

WordPress.Org (Pros & Cons)

Being an open-source platform, WordPress.Org provides you with more flexibility. It allows you to use your preferred hosting provider with a simple one-click installation facility. You can use your own domain as you wish without changing any DNSs.

In terms of customization, you’ll get tons of options by using WordPress themes and plugins. There are tons of plugins and extensions that cover almost all the features you need for your website. Even if it seems to have a learning curve to master WordPress.Org, eventually, it’ll be a game-changer for you.

If I see the drawback of the plugin, it’s very hard to find something when you love to use it every day. To say the least, you just need to buy a domain and a plan for your hosting. All the other things can be done effortlessly.

Using WordPress.Org, you need to set up your basics, and it’s all in your hands. Finally, if I want to mention a drawback, I can say about security and maintenance. WordPress.Com takes care of everything you need while using WordPress.Org, you’re solely responsible for taking care of everything.

6. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org | A Comparative Checklist

So far we have discussed a lot about both platforms. Now, let’s have a quick checklist discussing WordPress.com and WordPress.org at a glance. This will help you to get decided.

Decide Between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

In most cases, those who want to have full control over the website, are most likely to choose WordPress.Org. If you want to have a scalable website for your business, this is also the best way to start off.

On the other hand, WordPress.com is great for personal blogs, and portfolio or resume sites that have no commercial intent. Moreover, you can also use it from a small perspective.

Wrapping Up

I hope this article helped you to know more about WordPress.Com vs WordPress.Org. The most significant difference being with WordPress.org is that you are in complete control of your website like hosting, themes, plugins, styling, content, and so on.

That’s why we use self-hosted WordPress.Org here at WPWax. On the other hand, WordPress.com could be suitable for novice bloggers, and portfolio sites. I think this article brings up enough reasons for using WordPress so you can give it a try.

I hope, this article helped to understand the facts between WordPress.Com and WordPress.Org. If you still have queries to ask, please, feel free to share with me in the comment section below. I would love to cooperate with you in the best way possible.

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