Today almost everyone has heard something about WordPress. But when people talk about this platform, they may be referring to or . And if you think that both are the same, you are wrong. This could become a problem, especially if you are considering using either platform to create your next website without understanding the differences between the two.
In this article we will compare wordpress.com vs wordpress.org based on several criteria, including:
- Easy to use
- Flexibility and customization.
- Price
- Performance
- Security
However, before we get into the technical details, let’s explain the basic differences between wordpress.com Y wordpress.org. Let us begin!
Introduction to WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
As we mentioned earlier, wordpress.com Y wordpress.org they are not the same. Although you would be excused for assuming this, they are actually two completely different platforms that share the same name.
In the following sections, we will break down the many differences between wordpress.com Y wordpress.org. But for now, let’s focus on the main aspect that separates both platforms: hosting.
is the website that hosts the open source version of the famous Content Management System (CMS) known as ‘WordPress’:
In a nutshell, a CMS is a type of software designed to help you create websites and manage huge libraries of content. In the case of WordPress, the platform was developed with blogs in mind, but since its inception it has grown to be used for almost any type of website or application.
On the other hand, when people talk about wordpress.com, refer (primarily) to a blogging service that is operated by . With wordpress.comyou can use a custom version of WordPress software that’s easy to learn and you don’t have to install yourself:
The most prominent difference between the two is the way they are housed. wordpress.org It’s often called ‘self-hosted WordPress’ as you have to install it on your own site. Many web hosting providers offer , which makes this process much easier as no technical expertise is required to get your WordPress site up and running.
On the contrary, wordpress.com provides that service along with blogging software. You can choose from a variety of plans, including a free one, so you can focus on building your site without worrying about installation and hosting.
Now that you know the most basic differences between the two platforms, we can go deeper. Lets go buy wordpress.com vs wordpress.org to see how they differ.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Ease of Use
In this section, we will evaluate how easy it is to get started with wordpress.com vs wordpress.org. More specifically, we are going to review the process of setting up a new website and publishing your first post.
let’s start with wordpress.com. The first thing you need to do is create an account, which can be done for free. You just have to choose a name for your blog:
Then you can fill in some personal information to activate an account wordpress.com. This account can also be upgraded, and we’ll talk about that later.
When your account is ready, you will get access to the control panel. From there, you can manage your account in general, as well as all your websites. wordpress.com.
To see your new website wordpress.comclick on the tab My place. Now you’ll see an overview of your site’s stats, which of course don’t exist yet:
From here, you can view your website by clicking the button See site:
At this time there is not much to see. So to fix it you will have to start publishing content, which you can do by pressing the button Write at the top of the screen.
This will open the editor wordpress.com, which is relatively simple. It has fields to write both the post title and the content, and on the right, you can edit the settings:
When the first post is ready, you can preview it to see the final design. Then you can press the button Post to make the post visible to visitors to your site.
In general, getting your website up and running with wordpress.com it only takes a few minutes. Writing your first basic post should also be relatively quick, but of course it will depend on its length and scope.
Let’s now go to wordpress.org. To get started with the CMS, you will first need to find a web host. This means that there is an extra step before you can start working on your website. However, the good news is that you can choose the provider you prefer instead of being tied to a single service.
For example, offers great shared hosting plans at competitive prices. Even with our most basic plan, you get access to a lot of great features, like being able to use multiple versions of and SSH access.
In any case, once you choose a provider and subscribe to a plan, you should be on your new server. This should only take a few minutes, especially if you’re using a one-click install, but the process is a bit less simple than with wordpress.com.
When WordPress is ready, you will notice that your new control panel contains many more options than the previous ones. wordpress.com:
Having more options is great in our opinion, but it also means it can take longer to understand everything you need to know. However, when it comes to creating posts, the process is quite simple. you just have to go to Entries > Add Newand you will access the editor of wordpress.org:
The same as wordpress.com, you can define a title for the post and add content in the editor. Additionally, you can also edit your post settings using the options on the right of the screen.
In general, the publishing process is quite similar on both platforms. Yes ok wordpress.com has a slight edge in how easy it is to set up a first site, the two are even once the site is up and running.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Flexibility and Customization
Although many still associate WordPress exclusively with blogs, both platforms allow you to tackle multiple types of projects.
In this section, we will discuss the flexibility of each platform and compare wordpress.org vs wordpress.com As for your customization options. Ultimately, what matters to us is whether these platforms provide enough freedom to handle whatever type of website you want.
let’s start with wordpress.com. Right from the start, you can customize the style of the site using themes. wordpress.com It gives you several dozen free options, so you have a decent number of options. There are hundreds of other themes you can use to style your website, many of which are premium options:
Now, let’s take a look at plugins. These, along with themes, are one of the main reasons why WordPress is so popular. With plugins, you can add almost any functionality you want to your website, without the need to hire a developer or code it yourself:
With wordpress.comyou can use all the same plugins as with wordpress.org. However, the free plan does not allow you to install any plugins. To do so, you will need to upgrade your account to the plan Business.
On the other hand, self-hosted WordPress has no such limitations. As soon as you get your website up and running, you can install any of the ones available at wordpress.org:
The same goes for the themes, of which there are to choose from:
Looking only at the numbers, wordpress.org It has a clear advantage in terms of customization. The freedom to use any plugin or theme will make it much easier to create any type of site, customized to your exact requirements. If you are an experienced developer, you can even go further and, or even edit WordPress yourself.
By comparison, your customization options are quite limited when using the free plan of wordpress.com. So the second round of wordpress.org vs wordpress.com The first platform wins.
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: Price
There is no way around the fact that . At a minimum, you’ll most likely have to pay for hosting and a domain, along with a host of other fees that go into running a website.
Until now, we have mainly talked about the free option of wordpress.com. However, the platform also offers:
- Personal ($4 per month)– With this plan, you can get rid of WordPress.com ads and get a custom domain name.
- Premium ($8 per month): Premium users can with ads and use CSS to edit their sites.
- Business ($25 per month): This plan allows you to add plugins and themes, as well as on your site.
The plan you choose largely depends on the goals and purpose of your site. However, to get the most out of the platform, the most recommended option would be the Business, since it is the only one that allows you to take full advantage of the WordPress plugin system. Also, the integration of Google Analytics is essential if you want to understand your visitors and track their behavior.
With that in mind, to get the most out of wordpress.com, you will need to budget at least $25 per month for your website. You could continue with the free version of the platform, but that won’t get you very far if you’re looking to create a professional website.
It is also worth mentioning that there are several premium themes on wordpress.comwith prices typically starting at $30. While you don’t have to buy a premium theme, they often look much better than the free options, so that’s something else to factor into your budget.
Now let’s talk about wordpress.org. The platform itself won’t cost you a dime, but since you need a domain and a domain, that’s where you’ll need to start looking.
Just to give you an idea of the cost level, it’s usually possible to find decent shared hosting plans starting at around $5 or less.
Those prices go up a bit if you’re looking for a more robust solution, like a . A VPS can be overkill for a new website, so it’s probably not necessary to buy a more expensive plan up front.
And as for domains, prices vary significantly. However, it is not uncommon to obtain a domain .com for $10 a year. That means you can initially spend around $15 to set up the basics needed to get your website up and running, plus web hosting costs.
There are also many premium plugins and themes that you can use on your website. Costs can vary greatly depending on the type of tool you need, but premium plugins generally start at around $10 for a license, and themes tend to run between $20-30.
Of course, it’s not…
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