WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Comparing to Make the Right Choice

WordPress, the world’s most widely used content management system (CMS), powers over 40% of all websites. It’s important to know that there are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Each offers unique features and benefits for website creation and management. This article aims to compare these two platforms, according to your needs and budget, by addressing :

• The basics: WordPress.com versus WordPress.org
• Cost comparison: initial and recurring expenses
• Customization and control: your limits and freedoms on each platform
• Security and maintenance: who manages what

Whether you’re starting a blog, an online store, a portfolio, or any other type of site, WordPress offers the right options. Familiarize yourself with the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org to make the most informed choice for your project.

The basics: WordPress.com VS WordPress.org

The main distinction between WordPress.com and WordPress.org lies in theirhosting model. WordPress.org lets youhost your site yourself, which gives you greater freedom and control, but comes with a heavier burden of responsibility. On the other hand, WordPress.com offers hosting managed by Automattic, the company behind WordPress, making the experience simpler but introducing certain limitations.

Let’s take a closer look at the specifics of each option.

WordPress.com: The hosted solution

Opting for WordPress.com means choosing an all-in-one approach to creating and managing your site. This eliminates the need to worry abouthosting, security, maintenance or updates. Simply sign up, choose a domain name, select a plan and theme, and you’re ready to publish. WordPress.com offers a range of plans, from free to paid, to suit your needs and budget.

The free plan provides 3 GB of storage, a WordPress.com subdomain (example: monsite.wordpress.com) and basic functionality. Paid plans expand the possibilities with more storage space, a custom domain name (example: monsite.com), more options like appearance customization, e-commerce opportunities, web traffic analysis and monetization options.

WordPress.com is ideal for novices looking to get their site up and running quickly without technical complications, but it does have its limitations, such as the impossibility of installing external plugins, the presence of ads on the free plan, and restricted access to your site’s source code.

WordPress.org: The self-hosted platform

WordPress.org offers a downloadable version of the WordPress software, allowing you to install it on your own server. This option gives you complete control over your website: choice of hosting, domain, theme, plugins and customizations. You’re free to modify the source code, add as many features as you like, monetize your site as you see fit, or integrate analytics tools such as Google Analytics.

WordPress.org is ideal for advanced users who want to build a site without restrictions. However, this means additional costs for hosting, and managing security, maintenance, updates and technical issues.

Costs and budget: Comparison of initial and recurring expenses

WordPress.com: Prices and available plans

When it comes to choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, cost is a decisive criterion. With their distinct business models, each platform entails different costs depending on your expectations and objectives. Let’s find out how to evaluate and compare these expenses for WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

WordPress.com offers a range of plans, from free to paid, to suit your needs and services. The free plan includes a website under a WordPress.com sub-domain, 3 GB of storage and basic functionality, but imposes advertising. By opting for a paid plan, you benefit from additional advantages such as a personalized domain name, more storage space, more customization possibilities and monetization.

Below, an overview of the plans and rates offered by WordPress.com :

WordPress.org: Startup and maintenance costs

WordPress.org is a free, open-source solution that you can install on any web server. Therefore, the cost of WordPress.org is mainly related to thehosting and domain name you select.

The web hosting market is vast, with offers varying in terms of price, performance and security. Generally speaking, web hosting costs between €3 and €30 per month. The price of a domain name depends on its extension (.com, .fr, etc.), but is often offered free for the first year byhosting providers.

In addition to hosting and the domain name, consider the cost of plugins and themes. While many free plugins and themes are available on WordPress.org, premium options offering advanced functionality or professional designs may involve additional charges. These costs vary according to the quality and popularity of the product, ranging from €10 to €200 per year.

In conclusion, although WordPress.org may represent a higher initial investment than WordPress.com, especially for a complex, high-performance site, it offers greater freedom and control over your site, a significant advantage for many users.

Customization and control: Limits and freedoms on each platform

The choice between WordPress.com and WordPress.org depends significantly on the degree of customization and control you want for your website. Indeed, these platforms diverge in terms of design, functionality, monetization options and technical customization. Let’s take a look at the distinctions between customization and control offered by WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

Themes and extensions: Which platform offers the most flexibility?

With WordPress.org, you have the advantage of access to a vast selection of themes and extensions, both free and paid, with the freedom to install and customize them according to your preferences. You can even create your own themes and extensions, or purchase them from third-party platforms. In contrast, WordPress.com offers a limited range of themes and extensions, depending on the package you subscribe to.

The free WordPress.com package is limited to the free themes and extensions included. The premium package extends access to premium options, but is not exhaustive. The business package authorizes the installation of external themes and extensions, but their modification is restricted.

In conclusion, WordPress.org is synonymous with flexibility and diversity for themes and extensions, unlike WordPress.com, which imposes restrictions.

Monetization and advertising: restrictions and possibilities

When it comes to monetizing your site, the possibilities vary greatly between platforms. WordPress.org offers complete freedom of monetization, allowing the use of services such as Google Adsense, Amazon Associates, or other advertising networks, as well as the direct sale of products or services.

It’s also possible to launch an online store with plugins such as WooCommerce, or to receive donations via plugins like SureCart. Depending on the package chosen, WordPress.com significantly limits monetizationand advertising options. The free package includes compulsory advertising, the revenue from which escapes you. The personal plan allows you to remove these ads without the possibility of adding new ones. The premium package gives you access to WordAds, which shares advertising revenues with WordPress.com.

The business package opens the door to other advertising services, without including all of them. And the eCommerce package offers the possibility of creating an online store, for an additional fee. So WordPress.org is far more flexible and advantageous in terms of monetization and advertising than WordPress.com and its many restrictions.

Code access and technical customization

For those with technical skills or who want absolute control over their site, access to source code and technical customization are crucial. WordPress.org grants you unlimited access to the source code, allowing complete customization of your site in every respect, including back-end, front-end, database and files.

You can also use development tools such as Git, Composer or WP-CLI. With WordPress.com, access to the source code is restricted, making it impossible to technically modify your site or use advanced development tools.

In short, WordPress.org confers a superior level of control and technical customization, unlike WordPress.com, which limits the options available to its own offering.

Security and maintenance: Who’s responsible?

Security and maintenance are crucial to the optimal operation and security of your website. Responsibility and the scope of associated tasks vary between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Let’s explore the differences between security and maintenance on these two platforms.

WordPress.com: Simplified security and maintenance

With WordPress.com, a managed hosting platform, your site’s security and maintenance are taken care of. Technical aspects such as backups, updates, firewalls, SSL certificates and protection against malicious attacks are managed in the background. So your site stays secure and up to date with no effort on your part.

WordPress.com uses high-performance servers to guarantee your site’s speed and availability. This solution is ideal for those who want to delegate the management of security and maintenance while concentrating on their content. However, it limits control over your site and choice of host or domain name.

WordPress.org: Take control of security and maintenance

WordPress.org offers a self-hosted platform, putting you in complete charge of your site’s security and maintenance. This includes responsibility for backups, updates, firewalls, SSL certificates and defense against cyber-attacks.

The platform provides tools, guides and forums to facilitate these tasks. It allows you to choose your own host and domain name, directly influencing the security and performance of your site. WordPress.org is suitable for users who want complete control over their site, and who have the skills or means to manage security and maintenance.

However, this autonomy comes with additional costs and a higher requirement in terms of vigilance and management of technical aspects.

Conclusion

WordPress.com and WordPress.org each offer the possibility of creating and managing a website via the WordPress platform, differing mainly in aspects such as cost, customization, control, security and maintenance. Your choice between WordPress.com and WordPress.org will be guided by your specific needs, budget, technical capabilities and long-term goals.

Below you’ll find a concise comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each platform:

For a simple, personal website, where technical aspects are not a concern, WordPress.com represents a suitable solution. On the other hand, if you’re looking to create a professional, customized website with no restrictions, WordPress.org is the preferable option.

Whichever platform you choose, WordPress provides the right solution for your project. So it’s time to start building your website with WordPress!

To find out more about creating and enhancing websites with WordPress, explore the training courses available on schoolsWP and check out our additional resources. Whichever platform you choose, WordPress offers infinite possibilities for creating a website that reflects you.