WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – Which to Choose for your Blog?

Are you going to start a website? Since the beginning there exists confusion on the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. This confusion is common as the names are almost the same. Now comes the question of what is the difference between two and which one should anybody use for starting their first website.

WordPress.org is self-hosted WordPress and is an as open-source of WordPress software that can be downloaded by anyone who wants to use. You are required to have a domain name and Web hosting and then you will have full power on everything.

On the other hand, WordPress.com is one particular website as service executions develop on WordPress.org software. It helps in site hosting and controls everything but need some flexibility.

If you want to know the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, then it is better to have a close look at each of the platform independently.

About WordPress.org

WordPress.org is one of the highly popular website platforms that are available 100% for anyone. You only require a domain name and WordPress hosting. This is the reason it is called as self-hosted WordPress.

Benefits of WordPress.org

• You can do anything with your website and customize it according to yourself.
• Available free, customized as well as paid plugins for your website.
• One can easily personalize the website as required using the best WordPress themes.
• You can make money from WordPress sites by posting your ads.
• For personalized analytic and tracking you can utilize a tool like Google Analytics.
• By using Self-hosted WordPress you can create an online store for selling digital products, payments, and shipment from our own website.
• You can also design membership websites and design a community on your website.

But it also comes with its own disadvantages.

Disadvantages of WordPress.org

• Like every website, you will require web hosting. This is the place where your files are stored. When your website will grow then your web hosting will also expand.
• You are held responsible for your updates and all backups.

If you want to create a website with WordPress.org then I have written a step by step guide for you:

• How to make backlinks on photo sharing webistes (seo guide)

If you want to make money from your website then here you can check the 12 different ways to make money from your WordPress website.

About Wordress.com

Wordress.com is another hosting service formed by the WordPress co-founder. If you are thinking about its benefits it is one of the best choices for hobby bloggers and those initiating a blog for their own family.

Benefits of WordPress.com

• It is free up to 3GB of space. After that, you have to change to a paid plan for getting more space.
• With this, you will not have to worry about backups and updates.

It has also the limitations that distinguish it from WordPress.org.

Disadvantages of WordPress.com

• The ads are placed on all free websites, therefore, your user will get to see ads and you will not be making money from it. Unlike WordPress.Org, you have no permission to sell ads on your website.
• You don’t have permission to upload plugins or themes If you are using free version then there are very fewer options for customization.
• You cannot add any tracking platform and it doesn’t provide any features of e-commerce.

Thus, now we will summarize the difference between WordPress.Org and WordPress.com.

There are large numbers of differences but they are vital.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org Summary

• On WordPress.org you will receive the complete domain but in case of WordPress.com, you will get a subdomain.
• The number of limitations in WordPress.com is more than WordPress.org.
• You are the owner of the contents present on WordPress.org but not WordPress.com.

Expenses on both Platforms

In a debate about WordPress.com and WordPress.org, confusion arises as it is said there that designing a website is free. Cost depends on various aspects you choose.

With WordPress.org you can make as much website as you can that too free of cost. But there are little expenses like that of the aforementioned domain and the space for hosting. But with WordPress.com you cannot create as many websites as you want. After a certain amount, you are required to pay.

Website set up management in both Platforms

There is a huge difference in two platforms regarding website set up and its management including its maintenance. For making a website in WordPress.com the only thing you have to do is set up an account. All other things are done for you. You can create content by customizing your site. The technical part is also taken care of.

But on the other hand, creating a website with WordPress.org is little difficult. It involves downloading software, forming a database, upload of WordPress in your server and running the installation script.

Now Which one is better – WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

Well! it depends on your own requirement. If you are a blogger and have no intention of making money from your own website then you must go with WordPress.com and if you are a blogger and keeps an intention of making money from your own site, then you must select WordPress.org. It offers the freedom to develop your website according to your needs.

According to the opinions of some expert, WordPress.org is the better platform that is used by most of the bloggers, big-name business owners and also the small business owner.

It all depends on where your website is hosted and the amount of power you have on it. Based on this the difference between both arises. We can say that with WordPress.com you will remain in limit unless you pay money for using advanced features. Hosting is easy to start and many things are taken care of on things related to maintenance and site security.

On the other hand WordPress.org you have full power on each and every aspect. This way the potential of your website also increases. It’s up to you how to run and maintain the website.

Final Words

We can see that there is no specific answer to the query which is better among WordPress.com and WordPress.org and based on particular requirements we can decide which is better in that situation.

I recommend you to choose WordPress.org even if you don’t want to make money from your website. Because if you want to make money from your blog or want to customize your website at an advanced level then you need WordPress.org platform. So choose only WordPress.org platform to make your website.