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Hi All, hope you liked our recent Infographic on the web hosting warning signs that indicate you need to switch your hosting provider.
Today, we’ll discuss which is the best CMS in this WordPress.com vs WordPress.org comparison article. So, let’s get started!
WordPress is the best CMS there is! Most of the sites on the internet today that you know and love are powered by WordPress and one of its greatest advantages is the use of templates and themes for websites. These make it extremely easy even for novices, to set up a WordPress blog or a website in no time.
In fact, it is basically three steps;
- Find a WordPress theme that best represents your brand.
- Create high-quality content.
- Go live.
However, it is not commonly known that there are two different kinds of WordPress. There is WordPress.com and WordPress.org, with each serving a different function. Thus, if you are in the midst of the WordPress.com vs WordPress.org debate, then this blog post will help you figure out the key differences between each.
Contents
A. What is the Difference Between WordPress.com & WordPress.org?
The first and main thing to know is that WordPress is merely the underlying software that performs the content management. Thus it is known as the CMS or content management software. With content management, I mean, that it is running the site.
The difference between the two is based on what type of hosting you would need in order to use either one. It is a choice between your site being hosted by WordPress or you hosting it yourself through a third party hosting company. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
1. WordPress.com
Using WordPress.com hosting is great. It means that all you have to do is put together your site and WordPress will be responsible for getting it online, as well as maintaining it to make sure it runs smoothly. This service is also free of charge.
One of the drawbacks to having WordPress.com host your site is that your domain will have a WordPress.com at the end of it. An example of this would be mysite.WordPress.com. This may not be a problem when you are starting out, but it can put customers off when they see that you are still using the free version.
WordPress.com does offer you an upgrade option though. There are four main options available, with one being free. The other three cost between ₹200, ₹575, and ₹1665 per month/billed yearly.
With these three paid options you will get better features such as:
- Jetpack Essential Features
- Email & Live Chat Support
- Advanced Design Customization
- Hundreds of Free Themes and more.
You will also have the choice of a custom domain. This means that your website will not have WordPress.com at the end of it.
WordPress.com Pros
- It is completely free. You do not have to pay for the use of WordPress.com.
- It is easy to set up. You do not have to worry about coding, installation, or hosting. This process is very guided in comparison to WordPress.org in which all of this rests on your shoulders.
- Easy to customize. WordPress.com offers customization but it is important to note that you are only allowed to customize certain points such as colours and fonts. You will not have permission to customize the templates and themes, the key appearance or tweak underneath the hood.
WordPress.com Cons
- You will have to pay for an upgrade to use more advanced customization features.
- You will not have the use of plugins when you use WordPress.com. Plugins help make your website much more functional. You will not have this at your disposal.
- There are a limited number of free themes for you to choose from. WordPress.org, on the other hand, has a much larger selection for you to choose from.
- One of the major key differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com is that you do not have your website files, which means you can’t customise it.
2. WordPress.org
WordPress.org, on the other hand, is a website that allows you to download the WordPress software, and install and host your own site. There are many web hosting companies out there. They all offer different web hosting packages that have different prices. You would have to research which of these companies works best for your needs and which package best suits your needs. HostGator is one of the most prominent WordPress web hosting providers and if you decide to go with it, then make sure to use these HostGator coupon codes to avail massive discounts on your purchase.
More importantly, you will also have to look at what features are available for you to use with each hosting package. WordPress.org offers a lot of features that one does not get with WordPress.com, but you may need to do a bit of coding in order to tweak your site the way you’d like it. WordPress.org offers a lot more control over your website, but it also means a lot more responsibility for the upkeep of your website.
WordPress.org is free to download onto your computer, however, your site will not be available online until you get the host. WordPress.org does not offer the same support that one would get from using WordPress.com, but you can get good support when you get a good hosting plan.
WordPress.org Pros
- The software is completely free to download.
- You can use plugins with WordPress.org, unlike WordPress.com.
- There are ample of WordPress themes for blogs as well as to create a website, compared to the limited choices you get when using WordPress.com.
- As you have all your websites documents you can do with them as you choose. This is another key difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. You have unlimited customization potential when you use.
WordPress.org Cons
- You will have to pay for the web hosting to set up your website.
- You will have to set up and install WordPress yourself with little to no support. However, this shouldn’t be an issue as most web hosting providers offer 1-click installation for WordPress through auto-script installers like Softaculous, Fantastico, MOJO Marketplace etc.
- You are fully responsible for your web server and maintaining your site. Many people usually get around this by choosing a hosting plan that includes these services.
There are many more differences between the two – WordPress.org vs WordPress.com and each has its pros and cons.
B. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – Key Takeaway
1. WordPress.com Is Hosted By WordPress, WordPress.org Is Self Hosted
There is a difference between Web hosting and WordPress hosting. Depending on your needs, having a WordPress.com hosted site may not be a bad idea. Using WordPress.com will get your site up and running really fast and you will not have to worry about many of the decisions involved with getting a self-hosted site. Fewer worries about hosting fees, as hosting is free.
Using the WordPress.org route means you will have to find your own host. You will also have to pay for a hosting plan and do the heavy lifting when it comes to installing the program. You will also have to deal with the web server as well as maintaining your WordPress site once it goes live.
However, in the long run, having a self-hosted WordPress site will garner you more revenue as it gives you the freedom to customize your site as per your needs and requirements.
2. With WordPress.org And Self-Hosting You Will Have A Domain Name, While You Will Use A Sub-domain When You Use WordPress.com
Domain names are easy to remember URLs that we type in, in order to get to a specific website. www.WordPress.com is an example of a domain name.
A sub-domain is usually tacked on to the main domain. As such, when you are using a sub-domain you can always see what the main domain name for that site is.mysite.WordPress.com is an example of a sub-domain. You can get an upgrade on your plan on WordPress.com, so you can use your own domain, but that would mean that WordPress.com is no longer free.
3. WordPress.org Gives Your Brand More Clout As People See Domain Names As More Legitimate Versus WordPress.com’s Sub-Domain.
When readers see a site that is a sub-domain, it makes them question the site’s legitimacy, longevity, and credibility. This may hurt your brand in the end, as you may be losing viewers without even knowing it. Would you believe an “important” email from a company that still uses free email services such as Google rather than an email address under their own domain name?
On the other hand, websites that use a domain name and not a sub-domain, give the readers a sense of commitment, credibility, and legitimacy with regards to the site’s content. If they trust the site, that means they are more likely to stay on it and more likely to recommend it to their network.
4. You Own All Of The Content And Files On WordPress.org, You Do Not Own Content On WordPress.com.
On WordPress.com you have much less control over your content. In fact, if WordPress.com deems your content or site in violation of the terms of service, they may delete it with no notice to you. This is one of the reasons you can get the service for free. This means all your hard work and intellectual property is not in fact yours. They also have the right to add whatever ads they see fit. This may not always happen, however it is possible and it may.
WordPress.org uses hosting and as such, the only usage policy you have to worry about is the one legislating the use of the server. Other than that all content is yours to do with as you deem fit. This also protects you, as you will not one day find all your hard work down the drain or that there are random ads on your site that you feel are not in line with the brand you are building unless your site got hacked.
5. You can do much more on WordPress.org than on WordPress.com
As stated above, on WordPress.com you do not own the content on your site or blog. This also means you will have limitations as to what you can and cannot do with it. WordPress.com offers free themes for you to use, but these are limited.
On the other hand, WordPress.org has over 10 times more themes than WordPress.com does. So you have much more freedom around what your site will look like.
WordPress.org gives you full access to all the files on your website or blog. Thus, you can easily customize and change what you like at will. If you are proficient at coding, you can even delve under the hood and change the coding of a theme or template to better suit your needs.
WordPress.com does not allow the use of plugins. This means that you are missing key functionalities that would make your blog easier to use and better for your readers. WordPress.org, on the other hand, lets you use WordPress plugins as you choose.
However, the choice of which plugin to use, may in part depend on the server you are hosted on. Thus, when you are shopping around for a hosting company, make sure to choose a web hosting plan that matches your needs.
6. WordPress.com takes a shorter time to setup than WordPress.org
WordPress.com is super easy to set up and is guided. They go as far as to give you the choices of themes you may use, which will best showcase your work. The setup and going live takes 5 minutes max. You don’t have to deal with hosting concerns and that also helps in reducing the time needed to set everything up.
WordPress.org, on the other hand, leaves everything at your doorstep.
You have to download and install the software. You have to find and host your finished website. This takes time. To get a bare-bones website up and running, assuming you have already taken care of the hosting concerns can take maybe 15 minutes.If you choose HostGator as your hosting provider then here is a simple and quick guide on how you can buy a domain, hosting and install WordPress on HostGator .
7. Monetization of your WordPress.org site is faster and easier than on a WordPress.com site.
Monetizing one’s site means putting up ad on your site or blog and thereby make money off it. This is crucial for those looking to making a living from their blog. WordPress.org lets you do that when you set up. With WordPress.com, on the other hand, you have to “earn” the right to monetize your site by having at least 25000 page views a month. This can be difficult for those starting out.
WordPress.org lets you choose what ads are on your site as well as where they are placed. WordPress.com does not. They will choose what ads go where, as they have full ownership of the content on your blog or website. These ads may not always be in line with your vision for your site.
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C. Our Experience : What We Chose And Why
We followed the WordPress.com vs WordPress.org debate for a while before we choose to go the WordPress.com route. We figured we were new and therefore it would be easier to get this set up and be live as soon as possible. We were correct about these two factors, however, we did not take into account other factors. In our rush to get our content out there, we did not read the fine print, which made things harder for us.
Starting out on WordPress.com was good for experience. We got to use the WordPress platform and also were able to learn more about the cosmetics of website and blog building, however, there was a lot we still did not understand. We only found out much later about the fact that they could delete your content whenever they chose.
We quickly ran into the customization block. We found themes we liked but did not love. There were small features we wanted to change but couldn’t. We were also losing readership because our readers took the fact that we were using a sub-domain from WordPress.com to mean that we weren’t as dedicated or to be taken as seriously as we had hoped when we started the blog.
Using the self-hosting WordPress.org changed things drastically. We were satisfied with the fact that all our content would always be at our disposal and we didn’t have to worry about losing it all. Moving to our own domain meant that we were gaining more credibility and more of an online presence. All in all moving to WordPress.org was the better option for us.
D. FAQS – Frequently Asked Questions
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