WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – let’s get started:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.com technically offers web hosting services<\/strong> but only for WordPress-based websites<\/strong>. It\u2019s owned and operated by Automattic<\/strong>, a company under Matt Mullenweg<\/strong>, who co-created the most popular CMS today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite this association, WordPress.com is mainly all about WP hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The site offers five WordPress web hosting plans<\/strong>, but similarities to traditional hosting providers end there. Instead of selling potential customers on plan capabilities, WordPress.com places greater emphasis on the platform itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a segregation of how much storage space each plan has, but the focus remains on the features supported<\/strong>. For example, the Free<\/strong> plan doesn\u2019t allow users to install any plugins. For that, you will need a Business<\/strong> plan or above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those who are unfamiliar with web hosting and want to get off to a quick start<\/strong>, WordPress.com offers many advantages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first obvious benefit is the option to test the service without paying<\/strong>. The free plan allows zero-cost ownership of a WordPress website – you can even make use of a subdomain they offer instead of having to buy your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.com is also extremely easy to manage<\/strong>. All plans come with WordPress pre-deployed, and there is not much in the way of hosting management. You get a site management dashboard<\/strong>, and the rest is just WordPress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jetpack Essential<\/strong> comes pre-installed with all plans, including the free tier. The plugin is a collection of utilities that supports WordPress websites and includes site statistics<\/strong>, basic cybersecurity protection<\/strong>, search engine optimization (SEO)<\/em> tools<\/strong>, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.com is all about the convenience of using<\/b> the WordPress Content Management System<\/strong><\/a> (CMS) <\/em>without any concerns about the web hosting part of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.org is the official website of the WordPress CMS. Here, you can download an<\/strong> installation package<\/strong>, get a wide range of themes and plugins, and even obtain support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.org doesn\u2019t offer any web hosting options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The critical thing to understand about WordPress.org is that you don\u2019t need to necessarily download your installer <\/strong>from this site, although it is an official source. WordPress and its accompanying themes and plugins are widely available online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Getting your information and other materials from WordPress.org is like buying a laptop directly from Dell <\/strong>or HP <\/strong>instead of a computer store. It isn\u2019t mandatory, but they\u2019ll be the ultimate authority<\/strong> on the matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main idea about WordPress.org is you can choose to deploy the CMS on any service provider<\/strong>. WordPress doesn\u2019t restrict you to any particular brand or model – you can use it on everything from shared hosting to dedicated servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need to clarify any doubts about WordPress – simply visit WP.org or try some of the online communities that often help with app issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although WordPress.com and WordPress.org may sound very similar, the details above spell out a very different story. One has WordPress-only web hosting, while the latter offers the tools needed to run WordPress anywhere you want.<\/p>\n This difference results in each model having distinct advantages and disadvantages.<\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress itself is free to use<\/strong> – all you need is \u0430 web hosting account and domain name. However, WordPress.com offers an entirely free web hosting tier available.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Still, you have to consider that using WP.com for free is suitable only for testing purposes or small personal projects. The company applies intrusive ads<\/strong> and high limitations<\/strong> on the Free plan, which you can only avoid by switching to one of the Premium options – starting from $7\/mo for the Personal deals<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you download the CMS from WordPress.org and deploy it on your hosting plan, chances are you get unrestricted access to all WordPress features. Before you shrug this off as inconsequential, WordPress.com heavily relies on its flexibility,<\/strong> and WP.com doesn’t offer much in that aspect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The best illustration would be WordPress plugins,<\/strong> which are the lifeblood of many WP-based websites. WordPress.com only allows plugin installation on Business<\/strong> plans and above, which start at<\/strong> $33 per month.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Using WordPress.org means you\u2019re free to monetize<\/strong> your website with ads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.com doesn\u2019t allow this – unless you\u2019re on one of their more expensive deals. Only users on Premium plans and above can earn ad revenue when using WordPress.com. This restriction is a major headache for most website owners, many of whom will want to use a service like Google AdSense<\/strong>, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.com also restricts content types<\/strong> based on the plan you choose. Choosing a Free or lower-tier plan means you cannot upload video content, for example. While this might not bother you at present, you have to also consider your future growth and expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Given that WordPress.com offers hosted solutions, it\u2019s slightly surprising that support channels can be pretty limited. For example, Live Chat support<\/strong> isn\u2019t available<\/strong>, even for ecommerce plan users who have to pay as much as $59 each month.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n WordPress.org gives you the flexibility to control this. You can sign up with any service provider you choose and test their support services even before becoming a customer<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Opting for WordPress.com is more about a smooth entry to the WordPress platform<\/strong> than anything else. From the comparative differences we\u2019ve covered above, you can see that in the overall scope of things, the cost and restrictions<\/strong> that come with using WordPress.com are seldom feasible for serious business projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of this, it would be better to consider saving yourself some trouble in having to migrate later by using WordPress.org right from the get-go.<\/p>\n For this to work, though, you need to choose the right web hosting provider.<\/strong><\/p><\/p>\n\n\n\n There are hundreds of web hosting companies around who offer a wide range of plans at varying price points. Choosing the right partner can significantly impact your user experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we go into some details on making the right choice, understand this – the kind of WordPress site you intend to build matters a lot. <\/em>Knowing your intentions will allow you to match your needs with what web hosts are offering<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On a more general note, here are some areas you have to always pay attention to when choosing your WordPress hosting provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"WordPress.com](\"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/wordpress-com.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWordPress.com Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What is WordPress.org?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWordPress.org Benefits<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – Head-to-Head<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cost of Operation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Access to Features<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Monetization<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Content Restriction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Support Channels<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Finding a WordPress Hosting Provider <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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