{"id":6445,"date":"2021-10-06T08:20:51","date_gmt":"2021-10-06T08:20:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elementor.com\/academy\/?p=6445"},"modified":"2023-02-21T09:41:12","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T09:41:12","slug":"wordpress-org-wordpress-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elementor.com\/academy\/wordpress-org-wordpress-com\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s the Difference Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Even if you\u2019re not long into your website building project, you\u2019ll have come across both WordPress.com and WordPress.org. This is the source of major confusion for many new users of the platform. Though, once you <a href=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/blog\/wordpress-com-vs-wordpress-org\/\">understand the differences<\/a>, which platform to use will be clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this lesson, we\u2019ll discuss both WordPress.com and WordPress.org, and talk about which one you should use to build and publish your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is WordPress.org?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, we\u2019ve already discussed <a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.org\">WordPress.org<\/a>. It\u2019s the open-source, self-hosted version of the platform. You download and install the software on your own server, whether that\u2019s your own computer or a live server for the web:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"443\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-org-1024x443.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6449\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-org-1024x443.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-org-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-org-768x332.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-org-1536x665.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-org-2048x887.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s called a Content Management System (CMS) because it\u2019s great for running a blog (along with almost any type of website you\u2019re thinking of).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The default WordPress installation includes a full-feature list, but you also extend the platform in two main ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Themes dictate how your site looks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Plugins determine the functionality on your site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s some cross-over between plugins and themes in terms of functionality, although the broad generalizations are correct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Self-hosted WordPress installations give you the greatest flexibility, and with this comes a steeper learning curve<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-hosted WordPress installations give you the greatest flexibility, and with this comes a steeper learning curve (although not by much). You\u2019ll need to have a domain, web hosting, and solid security. Each of these \u2013 in fact, everything \u2013 is under your control. This can be a liberating feeling when you first start to build your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is WordPress.com?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In contrast, <a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.com\">WordPress.com<\/a> is hosted on dedicated servers. It\u2019s a \u2019for-profit\u2019 company that uses WordPress as its base software. The owner, Automattic, looks after the servers and leaves you to run your site. For the unaware, Matt Mullenweg is the co-founder of WordPress, and also heads Automattic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"444\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-com-1024x444.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-com-1024x444.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-com-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-com-768x333.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-com-1536x667.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/wordpress-com-2048x889.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Though, the trade-off of control impacts your ability to design your site and make certain decisions. While you\u2019re able to click a few buttons and get up and running with a WordPress.com site in minutes, you\u2019re hampered by fewer customizations, obligatory ads on your site, and, perhaps above all &#8211; much less control over which themes and plugins you can install.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on the WordPress.com plan you choose, these drawbacks could have less of an impact. We\u2019ll talk about this next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Do WordPress.org and WordPress.com Compare On Price?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>WordPress.org is straightforward in the first instance: It\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.org\/download\/\">free to download<\/a> and use for whatever purpose you wish. Though, this isn\u2019t the full story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll need to also purchase a domain name and web hosting. These are unavoidable costs, although there are some semi-optional ones to consider too. For example, you may want to purchase a premium theme and some plugins. Despite there being thousands of themes and plugins available for free, premium options (<a href=\"http:\/\/elementor.com\/\">such as Elementor<\/a>) provide better support, additional features in some cases, and more frequent updates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"647\" src=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024,h=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-17.26.31@2x-1024x647.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6785\" srcset=\"https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1024\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-17.26.31@2x-1024x647.png 1024w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=300\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-17.26.31@2x-300x190.png 300w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=768\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-17.26.31@2x-768x486.png 768w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=1536\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-17.26.31@2x-1536x971.png 1536w, https:\/\/elementor.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/f=auto,w=2048\/academy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/CleanShot-2021-10-19-at-17.26.31@2x-2048x1295.png 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At a basic level, you may be paying around $70 per year for a domain and hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In comparison, WordPress.com has a free tier that requires you to invest nothing at all to build and publish your site. This is tempting for many users, but you\u2019ll have no choice in hosting ads on your site, the feature set is sparse, and you have limits with regards to your choice of domain name. As the tiers rise, you\u2019ll find that the features and functionality are more plentiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to try and match the functionality of WordPress.org, you\u2019ll likely want to consider the Business or Ecommerce plans. These range from $30-50 per month and give you the full-featured experience of WordPress.com.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a basic comparison, $360\u2013600 against $70 is no match. What\u2019s more, WordPress.org offers the most flexibility. With WordPress.com, you\u2019re paying more for reduced functionality and restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Do WordPress.com and WordPress.org Have the Same Name?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point, you\u2019re likely asking, <em>Why do these two solutions have the same name? <\/em>Of course, Matt Mullenweg is the co-founder of both WordPress as software, and WordPress.com. Though, there\u2019s more to the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a nutshell, WordPress.com runs on the free WordPress software, but is a freemium blogging platform in its own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this point in time, WordPress.com helps those without the inclination to gain technical knowledge get online. Automattic handles the entire experience, other than design and content choices. This is also true on higher-tiered plans. Even so, it\u2019s a viable solution for publishing your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, there are similarities in the features and functionality of WordPress.com and the core WordPress software. Despite this, the two solutions achieve different goals. Of course, in the case of <em>.com<\/em>, it\u2019s built on a modified version of WordPress anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org: Which One Should You Choose to Build Your Website?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While this lesson presents a two-way comparison between WordPress.com and .org, there are in fact three solutions to choose from. Self-hosted WordPress has WordPress.com\u2019s free tier and premium plans to face-off against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though, the free version of WordPress.com isn\u2019t going to be viable for all but the most simple of blogs, the race is close between the top premium tiers and self-hosted WordPress. Most users will want to go with a self-hosted option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In our opinion, most users will want to go with a self-hosted option. The price is cheaper, you get the greatest amount of flexibility, and there are plenty of resources (such as this one!) to help you learn how to use the platform in an optimal way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: inherit\">WordPress.Org has plenty of resources to help you learn how to use the platform in an optimal way.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Well done for finishing this lesson in our Getting Started course! You\u2019ve learned an important distinction that other new users don\u2019t grasp for a while. WordPress.org and WordPress.com are two different platforms \u2013 the latter is a commercial venture built on top of the core WordPress software. When it comes to choosing between them, WordPress.org\u2019s self-hosted solution will suit most applications. It\u2019s what we\u2019ll be talking about through this and every course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As such, we have no time to lose \u2013 we\u2019ll see you at the next lesson!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even if you\u2019re not long into your website building project, you\u2019ll have come across both WordPress.com and WordPress.org. This is the source of major confusion for many new users of the platform. Though, once you understand the differences, which platform to use will be clear. For this lesson, we\u2019ll discuss both WordPress.com and WordPress.org, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":6892,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-setting-up"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What\u2019s the Difference Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For this lesson, we\u2019ll discuss both WordPress.com and WordPress.org, and talk about which one you should use to build and publish your website.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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