If you have recently started your journey with WordPress, you might have encountered these websites – WordPress.org & WordPress.com. Well, are they really different? How? And which one can be best for you? Right now, there could be so many questions in your head. However, by the end of this blog – you will get answers to most of them (if not all). So if that sounds exciting, let’s get going.

What is WordPress.com & WordPress.org?

WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress (software). By harnessing the platform, you can easily create your website with little to no technical know-how. What’s more, it is free to use and doesn’t require any external host/server for operation.

WordPress.org is where you can download the WordPress software. It is open-source and free! The software can help you create websites easily. However, you will need a domain name and a server to get started.

3 Key Differences between WordPress.org & WordPress.com

Cost:

WordPress.com – the cost of running a website on WordPress.com can be comparatively high than a self-hosted setup. While there is a free plan available here, it is preferable to go with the premium plan (unless you’re comfortable with the ads, limited disk space, and your website on WordPress.com’s sub-domain). The premium plans start from about $3 to $21 per month. That could sum up to a huge amount annually for someone who’s just starting out.

WordPress.org – as the software is open-source and free to use, the only cost you will have to consider is of hosting and a domain name. Hosting plans typically start from as low as $0.80 a month – and while buying a hosting package, you can get a free domain name for the first year. This way, you can easily cut through a good part of infrastructural costs and utilize them in building your website.

Flexibility & Customization:

WordPress.com – runs on the same software that you can download from WordPress.org. However, with basic WordPress.com plans, you get very little control over the code of the software. Meaning, if you desire to customize your website CSS, theme design or remove the WordPress.com branding, you will have to upgrade to the top-tier plans (business or eCommerce).

WordPress.org – the software gives you full control over the core code, that is, you can edit it to match your needs. Moreover, there are countless free and premium themes available on the internet to give you more control over the design and layout of your site. Most of the premium themes also allows you to remove the WordPress.org branding from the footer of your site.

Setup & Configuration:

WordPress.com – setting up the website is very easy with this platform. You simply need to choose a plan, and the domain name (if required) to get started. There’s no need of configuring the server or maintaining it – as everything will be taken care of, by WordPress.com.

WordPress.org – you can only download the WordPress software from this website. Once you have it, you’ll need a web server to get things moving. These days, most of the hosting service providers facilitate scripts through which you can install WordPress on your server in just a few clicks.

Which one’s for you?

In most cases, WordPress.org software is a win-win situation. It’s extremely affordable, highly customizable and can be setup easily with the help of a good web host. However, if ease of use is of paramount importance to you, WordPress.com versatile plans may fit right to your needs.