Does the blogosphere really need another post about the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org? I don’t know, but I still meet people who are trying to decide which platform to use and aren’t aware of their WordPress options. There are definitely other great platforms outside of the WordPress realm, but today let’s just focus on this .com/.org dealio.
What is WordPress.com?
WordPress.com is a blog platform for businesses, bloggers, and people who just have something to share. It doesn’t involve fancy coding – you can focus on your content while WordPress deals with the technical side. If you don’t need too many customizations, WordPress.com might work perfectly for you. You can easily create a clean, minimal design without being bombarded with codes.
Pros:
– Free to use
– Ability to create simple and clean designs
– Hosting is taken care of
– Extra maintenance isn’t required
Cons:
– Content is not owned by you
– No access to all of your website’s files
– Restrictions when it comes to monetizing website
– Plugins cannot be installed and used
– Limited space is provided
– Unauthorized ads may appear on your site
– Customizing and adding a domain requires annual fee
– Adding videos to your blog requires annual fee
What is WordPress.org?
WordPress.org is a publishing platform and CMS (content management system) software. In order to install it, you have to have a host for your website (we recommend Bluehost). Having a self-hosted site means that you have free reign over your content, files, etc. The customizations can go on forever depending on your level of code knowledge. At the same time, a lot of maintenance is required here. If you’re transferring to WordPress.org from another platform like Blogger, the initial process can be pretty time consuming.
Pros:
– Free to use
– Access to endless themes and plugins
– Unlimited space is provided
– Creative freedom with coding customizations
– Ability to monetize website
Cons:
– Hosting your site costs money
– More maintenance is required
When it comes to choosing a platform, there isn’t a “right” answer. It all depends on what you want to do with your blog. Are you blogging to keep your friends and family up to date on your traveling adventures? Or are you trying to build a strong following to promote your new shop? Because everyone blogs for different reasons, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all platform.
Judging by my pros and cons list, you can probably tell that WordPress.org is my favorite platform. It works perfectly for what I try to accomplish as a blogger. But if I didn’t love the challenge of figuring out web codes, I might choose something simpler.
Which blogging platform do you use?
Ashley says
Nice comparison. :) Another thing worth mentioning (which I always tell people) is that the second you’re prepared to pay for a WordPress.com “upgrade” (like enabling custom CSS, etc.) you should switch to WordPress.org instead.
Most WordPress.com upgrades end up being more expensive than self-hosted WordPress anyway, so why not switch over for the same price (or less) and open up so much more freedom?
Jennifer says
So true! It’s crazy how much cheaper WordPress.org usually ends up being.
Kassandra says
I prefer wordpress.org (the install it yourself wordpress) since I understand coding and enjoy attempting to create or customize the different templates. I don’t quite remember the flexibility of customization for different themes for wordpress.com, but I definitely enjoy having it installed myself. Definitely costs more in the long run, but worth it if you’re a aspiring designer.
Zadli says
Thanks for the explanation. Great work :D
Jennifer says
No problem! Glad it was helpful. :)