Many top site builder ratings go with WordPress occupying the leading positions. Yet, a beginner might not know that there are actually two WordPress sites with .org and .com extensions. The difference between them is colossal.
If you choose the wrong platform, you might end up disappointed with the site-building experience and its result. So, let’s polish your understanding of WordPress.org and WordPress.com to let you make the right choice.
Brief Overview of WordPress and WordPress.com
In two words, the platforms represent different types of software:
- WordPress.org is a CMS to download, install, and use for creating websites.
- WordPress.com is a cloud-based service you can subscribe to and use to build a site.
These specialties determine all the other differences between the instruments (important for your choice of a site builder). Their hosting, SEO, analytics, and other capacities will be explained in this comparison.
Understanding the Key Differences
Why do products offered and maintained by the same team differ so much? Let’s start by clarifying the key factors that make WordPress.org (see review) and WordPress.com different.
Exploring the Fundamental Distinctions between WordPress.org and WordPress.com
WordPress.org is a downloadable software and a website from which you can get this software to install on your computer (all options are free). As soon as you install it, you can use all the software’s potential for building an online presence for your project. Access to custom code is also free.
The WordPress CMS will let you create designs of any complexity and singularity. At your disposal will be myriads of themes and plugins (for free and premium ones). However, it’s up to you to decide which add-ons and features are necessary for your website and which it can do without. You’ll need to pick a host, connect a domain, etc.
WP.com is an online platform that offers a straightforward site-building process based on the subscription system. You choose a suitable plan and create a simple website with all the needed features.
The basics, like hosting, security options, and SEO, will be built into your plan. You cannot expect the same freedom here as with WordPress.org. Yet, the option is beginner-friendly and can be used without skills in web development.
Self-Hosting vs. Hosted Platform
Self-hosted (like WordPress.org) and hosting-included (like WP.com) platforms have their benefits. If you wish to base your project on a certain hosting service, WordPress.org is an ideal option for you. You’ll be able to connect any host to your WP site.
If you wish to simplify the building process to the maximum, with all the basics like hosting included in your plan, opt for WordPress.com. However, remember that you won’t be able to change your host.
Cost Comparison
WordPress is famed for its free-of-charge options. How much will your WP project actually cost? Let’s compare both platforms’ pricing possibilities.
Analyzing the Cost Factors Associated with Each Option
The pricing scheme of WordPress.com is easier to get into. It includes six plans with a fixed monthly fee and a specific set of features built-in. The options include a free and a fully-managed plan:
WordPress.com Pricing System
- 40+ themes;
- unlimited pages;
- unlimited users;
- a 10% fee for transactions.
All free options plus:
- a 1-year free domain;
- no ads;
- fast DNS;
- an 8% fee for transactions.
All Personal features plus:
- premium themes;
- custom CSS;
- LiveChat support;
- Word Ads;
- a 4% fee for transactions.
All Premium features plus:
- unlimited traffic;
- plugin/theme installations;
- global CDN;
- advanced security;
- real-time backups;
- a 0% fee for transactions.
All Business features plus:
- premium eCommerce themes;
- advanced product management options;
- unlimited items;
- marketing automation tools;
- a 0% fee for transactions.
WordPress.org may offer you much more. Only the number of themes here exceeds 30,000. The platform contains a countless number of plugins. You can use the software for a zero cost. However, you’ll need to pay at least for a domain and hosting.
Hosting, Domain, and Premium Features
So, WordPress.com offers ready-built solutions with limited but consistent sets of features. You choose a fitting plan and create your website in minutes. It has a domain, hosting, and tools in your chosen plan.
WordPress.org is an ocean of possibilities that you can access for free. Yet, you yourself should pick a theme (free or paid) and connect the necessary plugins. You should take care of your website’s domain, hosting, security, SEO options, etc.
Control and Flexibility
Will you be the permanent owner of your website built on WP.com/WordPress.org? Which platform offers better suppleness?
Evaluating the Level of Control and Flexibility Offered by Both Platforms
Base your website on WordPress.org, and your creation will be yours for good. You will be the owner of your content. You can add/remove plugins, change design settings, etc. Your website can be adjusted to your actual needs. You can turn it into anything on your mind.
You are the one who controls everything. You or a hired specialist should maintain all the plugins, create backups, tune up SEO, take care of security, etc.
WordPress.com also entrusts the ownership of all your content published on your site based on the platform to you. Together with this, WordPress.com will maintain the fundamental features – like security and SEO – on your website, so you can manage it, hands down.
However, you should comply with the company’s terms and guidelines. If something violates the WP.com general rules, access to certain services can be blocked for you, or even the entire site can be removed.
WordPress.com allows users to switch between plans and upgrade their feature sets. However, it trails far behind WordPress.org in flexibility.
Customization Options
WordPress.org scarcely has a decent competitor in terms of customization freedom. Your possibilities on the platform depend uniquely on your knowledge level. You can create complex designs, customize themes the way you wish, integrate any functionality to your website, etc.
Your customization options will be restricted on WordPress.com. If you prefer the free plan, be ready for a very limited set of editing instruments (a narrow choice of themes with fonts and colors as the only options supported). The available storage, features, and add-ons will be limited to your chosen plan. You’ll be able to extend the functional capacities of your website by purchasing extras. Still, you cannot expect the freedom of WordPress.org.
Ease of Use and User-Friendliness
Is WordPress a good solution for you if you have no web development experience or your code knowledge is pretty basic? The answer depends on the exact WP platform you choose.
Comparing User Experience on WordPress.org and WordPress.com
Will you be able to create a website without coding on WordPress.org? Today, yes. Still, you must have definite experience and basic skills to use the software. The optimal usage cycle looks like this:
- Purchase hosting and a domain.
- Install the WordPress CMS using the automated installation software offered by your host.
- Pick a WordPress theme or create your own “from scratch” design.
- Supply your website with all the necessary features by connecting plugins (from must-have security options to optional eCommerce tools).
- Check everything and publish your site.
- If anything works inadequately, it’s your responsibility to fix errors.
- Maintain your website in a proper form.
WordPress.com offers a much more effortless approach. You’ll need to choose a plan, pick a theme, customize it a bit, add some plugins if necessary, and here you are. Your website is ready to be published. If there are security issues or other problems, you’ll be able to contact support (starting from the Premium plan).
Which One Is More Beginner-Friendly?
Both WordPress.org and WordPress.com unite massive communities with forums. There, you can find solutions to every problem possible while you create or maintain your WP project. Yet, WordPress.com is a better choice for beginners anyway. Though its possibilities are much more limited than those of WordPress.org, you can pick a plan with enough features, and the platform will let you build a site without much pain.
Themes and Customization
Your design expectations are decisive for your choice of WordPress.org or WordPress.com. Let’s compare their capabilities in this respect.
Exploring the World of Themes and Design Options
While WordPress.org offers over 11,000 officially registered themes, WP.com offers a supply of about 250. Both platforms have free and premium options. On WordPress.org, you are free to customize everything in your chosen theme. You can create your own theme from scratch if you have enough skills. On WordPress.com, your customization options will be pretty limited if you subscribe to the Free or Personal plan.
Availability of Themes and Custom CSS
WordPress.org gives full access to its custom code for free. It means you can pick a premium theme or create your own and modify your website’s design just as you wish. With WordPress.com, your options will be more restricted. For instance, access to custom CSS will be open to you starting from the Premium plan. The same is true for premium themes: they are not available within the Free or Personal subscriptions.
Plugins and Functionality
What are the specifics of the WordPress platforms? Surely, their functional capacities hinge upon plugins.
Discussing the Role of Plugins in Extending Website Functionality
A WordPress plugin is a kind of extension you can connect to your website and thus increase its functional possibilities. On WordPress.org, with about 60,000 plugins, the potential is endless. The platform offers add-ons in the following categories:
- Security.
- Analytics.
- eCommerce.
- Marketing.
- SEO.
- Caching.
- Design, and many more.
Yet, you cannot connect a thousand add-ons to your website! The more plugins you add, the higher the chances of compatibility issues between them. It may weaken your site’s performance. Then, plugins work properly if maintained properly. Be ready to update them, disconnect the unneeded ones, etc.
What WordPress.com offers in each of its plans is a predetermined set of features and tools. Take any plan, and you’ll see security, SEO, and other solutions already built in and tuned up. You can connect more plugins if subscribed to more expensive plans. Yet, the choice of available options will be limited compared to WordPress.org.
Access to the Plugin Repository
All plugins (free and prepaid) available on the WordPress.org platform are equally accessible to all users. Their set includes recommended plugins from trusted sources and quite dangerous options. It’s up to you to check the reliability of each plugin and decide whether to add it or not.
As for WordPress.com, expect to get access to a limited number of plugins if you subscribe to at least the Business plan. However, it’s a good option for beginners. Although the platform offers fewer add-ons, they are all trusted and secure. Each plugin may help you improve your website’s possibilities in the domain you need (online store, analytics, etc).
Monetization Opportunities
Should you choose WordPress.org or WordPress.com to monetize a blog, business, real estate, educational website, etc.? Let’s overview both site builders’ capacities from this perspective.
Analyzing the Potential for Making Money with Each Platform
WordPress.org allows users to build everything and connect plugins in whatever category. Affiliate marketing, eCommerce, or CPC are no exclusions. WordPress.com is again a more limited competitor, with fewer options available only within expensive plans.
eCommerce, Ads, and Affiliate Marketing
Thus, on WordPress.org, you can add monetization-oriented plugins such as Google AdSense, AdThrive, and Mediavine. Connecting your Google Analytics account to your WordPress.org site is not a problem. At your disposal are tons of eCommerce and affiliate marketing add-ons.
For subscribers to cheaper WordPress.com plans, the only affiliate marketing option is WordAds. The platform offers certain built-in stats, hardly enough for a serious project. Even Google Analytics will be available if you opt for the Premium or a more expensive plan. As for eCommerce, you need to subscribe to the Business or Commerce plan to be able to build an effective online store with enough options for making money from your goods or services.
Scalability and Growth
Will your WordPress.org/WordPress.com website be scalable enough? Let’s find the answer by comparing both platforms’ scalability performances.
Planning for Future Growth and Scaling Your Website
One of the vital advantages of WordPress.org – making it the most-used site builder in the world – is flexibility. This ensures great scalability for your WP website in the future. If you know what to do and how to keep your project growing adequately.
WordPress.com allows you to upgrade from a free plan to a premium one, thus letting you grow the capacities of your website. Yet, do not expect too much. For instance, if your project requires a lot of storage, bear in mind the fact that even the most expensive Commerce plan offers 50 GB, while the Premium one has only 13 GB. Unlimited traffic is offered starting from the Business plan. Still, the platform allows for enough scalability for small projects.
Handling Increased Traffic and Content
How do you extend your website’s capabilities to remain effective as your business grows? There are plenty of measures, the most workable of which are as follows:
- Clear your website’s code from errors and dependencies on side-party software;
- Grow your CPU and RAM capacities;
- Ensure you use fast hosting;
- Tune up proper caching;
- Connect CDNs;
- Check all integrations on your website;
- Fix search indexing;
- Optimize your database;
- Extend your site’s storage.
The WordPress.org CMS will let you do all this, but you need to have skills or hire someone who can scale up your website for you. WordPress.com is much more limited in this respect.
Support and Resources
Which platform offers better customer service? Let’s check the two site builders’ resources.
Availability of Support and Learning Resources
Both WordPress.org and WordPress.com are websites with loads of technical and tutorial information. Still, WordPress.com can offer more. Starting from its Premium plan, clients get access to LiveChat support. Moreover, the platform itself offers a more secure site-building experience with many options built-in and initially fixed by the team (security, SEO, hosting, etc.). WordPress.org entrusts all this responsibility to a user.
Community and Official Documentation
Both .org and .com websites have their T&Cs clearly explained. You can also join their immense communities with plenty of forums. There, you can find answers to all questions, as well as find a specialist to help you with building and maintaining your project.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Option for You
So, which platform should you choose? Before we summarize, let’s make a list of must-do actions to make the optimal decision.
A Step-by-Step Guide to Making the Right Choice
You can only pick a website builder properly if you know the answers to the following quotations:
- What is my project’s budget?
- What exactly do I need to build?
- What design do I plan?
- Is customization freedom crucial for my project?
- How easy-to-use should my site builder be?
- Do I need customer care services to create/manage a website?
- How capable should my website be from an eCommerce perspective?
You need to think over the slightest details of your future project. Its complexity will be decisive for your choice.
Factors to Consider in Your Decision
The more freedom you need, and the more complex your website should be, the higher chances you’ll need to use WordPress.org. Yet, the CMS requires good knowledge of coding and web development. If you do not possess any, be ready to hire a professional and include extra expenses in your pricing scheme.
If ease of use and support are crucial for you, opt for WordPress.com. Its plans are quite fitting for smaller projects. They all include hosting, security options, etc. Your customization and add-on options will be limited enough, but you’ll be able to build and maintain an effective website easily.
