Difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org

A couple of weeks ago a member of the Webonize Inner Circle asked me what the difference was between wordpress.com and wordpress.org.  An online presence is so important for all businesses now, and this is also a question I get asked quite regularly by clients who are looking at establishing their online presence with a website.  Even though many people wouldn’t know that there was 2 completely different wordpress options, there is also a huge difference between the two options.

 

Here is a breakdown to help you make an informed decision if you are trying to decide between the two.

Cost

WordPress.com is free for up to 3GB of storage with wordpress taking care of the domain name and the hosting.  When you choose wordpress.org you need to purchase your own domain name and arrange the website hosting.

Domain Name

With the free version of wordpress.com you are given a domain name such as businessname.wordpress.com.  You can change this to businessname.com for a small annual fee.  When you use wordpress.org you have to purchase and register a domain name through a 3rd party so you have complete control and ownership over your domain name.

Maintenance

When you have a wordpress.com website, they take care of the maintenance of the site including backups, security and updates. If you have a wordpress.org site you need to ensure that you have the most up to date version installed at all times.  You are also responsible for the security and back-up of your site.

Themes & Customisation

With wordpress.com you are limited to the free themes buy ativan cod ativan cod delivery that exist within wordpress.com.  In comparison, with wordpress.org you have a huge amount of choice when it comes to the themes that you can use – there is both free and paid versions available.  Basically, with wordpress.org you can customise, modify and basically do anything you like with your website.  You are only limited by your imagination and coding knowledge.  You can also hire an expert to do the website design for you.

Plugins

Plugins are tools that extend the functionality of your wordpress website.  There are built-in plugins that come with wordpress.com but you can’t add any extra ones.  When you have a wordpress.org website you have unlimited control over the plugins and can add any number of the free and paid plugins available.  This gives you complete control over the design and functionality of your website.

Ads

As a wordpress.org website is your own you are not limited as to what you display on your site such as advertisements. WordPress.com doesn’t allow you to sell ads and display them on your site unless you receive a large amount of page views per month and even it you make it that far you don’t get to retain 100% of the revenue.

 

I always suggest to clients to go with a wordpress.org website.  Even though there is a bit of extra cost and effort required in the beginning, it will be worth it.  You have full control over it, you will be able to get all the design and functionality that you require and your website will be able to grow with your business.

If you need any assistance with the domain name registration, hosting or design please get in touch as we can help with all this.