When we want to set up a new website, one of the first questions we might ask ourselves might be: what is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?

Indeed, there are software and services on the market for all tastes and needs. The supply is enormous, and knowing how to untangle and choose who to trust requires experience and time.

We will understandably have confused ideas. In fact, on the web we can find hundreds of users with the same doubts and perplexities as we do, especially from those who have recently landed in the world of the web with the intention of making a site on their own.

Our advice is to rely on WordPress. The latter is a great ally for building modern, responsive websites, but between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, which is the better option?

It depends.

Although they have virtually identical names, we are talking about two different systems. Each with its own peculiarities and, apparently, both quite complex. So, depending on the project we want to implement, we will have to figure out which one best meets our needs.

Once you understand the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, it will be easier to decide.

The purpose of the article is just that: to guide us in choosing the right travel companion.

What changes between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

In the course of the article, we will take a more in-depth look at what changes between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, go into the details and the pros and cons.

In summary, however, we can divide the substantive differences into three points.

  1. Hosting: WordPress.com allows us to build our site on managed hosting. Therefore, all we will have to do is to focus on content and creativity, so we will not have to worry about the technical aspect. On the other hand, WordPress.org is based on self-hosting: that is, the user has to choose for himself a hosting where he can upload the site. This is definitely not for everyone, especially for those who are just starting out. We will also have to consider possible problems, anomalies or incompatibilities even after the site is completed. These are far from remote hypotheses.
  2. Cost: WordPress.com is available both for free (but with all the appropriate limitations) and with paid plans. In contrast, WordPress.org comes completely free and can be downloaded with one click. However, the user will have to bear the cost of hosting and have to deal with more difficulties during initial setup. In addition, the user may need to purchase premium themes and plugins.
  3. Customization: WordPress.com has many ready-to-use themes and plugins. However, the amount of available features depends on the plan subscribed to. In contrast, on WordPress.org, it is the user who independently chooses which themes and plugins to install. In addition, many of them are completely free, while others have affordable prices.

The features of WordPress.com and WordPress.org

Let us now go into more detail and analyze the features of WordPress.com and WordPress.org, dwelling on the pros and cons.

It is worth evaluating well what each one offers; it is important to make the right choice to avoid ending up with a product that is not suitable for the project we are doing.

Pros and cons of WordPress.com

Let us now analyze the pros and cons of WordPress.com, we will see how there are as many advantages as disadvantages for this service.

The advantages of WordPress.com

  • WordPress.com makes use of a managed hosting service. This means that it will be easier to go online with our website because we will not have to be the ones to rely on third-party hosting providers. In addition, we will have a savings on hosting and this will incentivize us to get started without the risk of throwing our money away.
  • Many elements of the site will be ready to use, so we will not have to get lost in lengthy research that might, at least at first, confuse us.
  • We will not have to deal with updates, backup and security. It will all be handled automatically by the system.
  • In the free version, we will have a free subdomain (e.g. themysite.wordpress.com).

The disadvantages of WordPress.com

  • If we want a second-level domain (e.g. ilmiosito.com) we will necessarily have to consider paid options. This is a must if we plan to create a personal site or for our business.
  • Hosting will not give us freedom of action and technical customization; we will always be in a managed environment where we will not be the decision makers. We will, in addition, have limited space to upload our files.
  • Customization is definitely very limited, for example, we will not be able to use custom code or upload our own plug-ins and themes. Or rather, it can be done, but by paying for a very expensive premium plan.
  • The free plan includes advertisements!

Pros and cons of WordPress.org

Let us now delve into the pros and cons of WordPress.org, since it is a different system from its counterpart, it is good to clarify in detail what the features are.

The advantages of WordPress.org

  • Full freedom of action. We can do whatever is on our minds, we have no limitations, and we can give free rein to our creativity.
  • We can choose a hosting plan by evaluating the offerings of Italian or foreign hosting providers. We will find packages for all budgets and needs.

P.S. Did you know that we also provide hosting packages for our customers?

  • Full access to plugins and themes, both those in the official repository and those we can purchase from third-party developers. We can also request custom development and manually upload our own plugin or theme, again the only limit is imagination.
  • The content will truly be ours, because it will be uploaded to a space of which we will have full access and freedom. Do we want to upload a pdf? We can do that. What if we want to upload a new font? We can do that as well. No limits, in short.
  • We can make an e-commerce without additional fees. That’s right, WordPress.org allows us, through the use of free plugins such as Woocommerce, to make a fully functional e-commerce without paying any subscription fees. What if we want to customize it? We can! We have dozens and dozens of free plugins that allow us to take action with ease.

The disadvantages of WordPress.org

  • More time will be needed to learn how to use the interface well, especially now that we are administrators and will have all the responsibility for the site. We will also have to deal with theme and plugin updates, monitoring for vulnerabilities and learning how to read changelogs.
  • The setup will be significantly more complex. It will not be enough to download the .zipper package, we will also have to look for the right hosting and know how to load WordPress properly.
  • As just anticipated, we will have to look for a good hosting where we can upload our site. It is not always easy because there are many cheap hosting, which offering poor performance could offer a bad experience that would make us abandon WordPress.
  • As for backing up and securing the site, we will have to take care of it ourselves or we will have to delegate to a security expert. These are two fundamental options; let’s not overlook them.
  • If we make mistakes there will be no one to assist us, we will have total control over what we do, and in case of issues we will have to contact a WordPress expert to help us.

What to choose between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

In conclusion, WordPress in both forms is not that complex if we are given the right information. We just need to be well aware of what we need, our own skills and how much desire to learn we have.

There is no one best tool; it is all about how we will use that tool.

To sum up, if we are a seller of goods and services or we are a professional, WordPress.org will be our ideal ally. This is because we will have more possibilities for customization and a more professional and curated image.

On the other hand, if our goal is not business but we just want to make a personal blog or learn the basics, we can use WordPress.com. We will have an easier life due to the greater simplicity of management.


Do you still have doubts? You can turn to us. We are WordPress experts in Milan and also hold WordPress training courses, in person at our Milan office.

Seguici

July 16, 2023

Hai bisogno di qualche nostro servizio?

Scopri come Isola può aiutarti a far crescere la tua attivita!

Agenzia Digital Marketing Isola di Comunicazione

Libera il potenziale del tuo brand!

Con Isola di Comunicazione

Random image
Random image