Updated: Dec 26, 2023, 4:36pm
Reviewed By
Reviewed By
WordPress has options for all your website needs whether you need a site to run your e-commerce business, want to start a blog or need a landing page to collect leads for you. If you’re considering WordPress to build your site, you may have come across two different types of WordPress sites: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. We’ll walk you through the key features, pricing and pros and cons of each option so that you can decide which is the best for you.
Featured Partners
1
Bluehost
Price Per Month
From INR 165.53 ($1.99) onwards
Benefits
Free CDN, Domain and SSL for 1st year
Features
10 GB SSD Storage and 1 Website
On Bluehost’s secure website
2
Hostinger
Price per month
INR 149 onwards
Features
Drag-and-Drop Editor, Free Domain and Unlimited Free SSL
Free trial
30 days
On Hostinger’s secure Website
3
HostGator
Price per month
INR 219 ($2.64) per month
Benefits
Free domain and SSL for 1st year
Features
10GB SSD Storage and Basic email included
On HostGator’s secure website
Remeber, the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is to remember .org provides advanced customization and monetization options. WordPress.com gives users a quick and easy way to get started for free and can expand to more custom paid options as they grow.
Some
Yes
No
Some
Yes
No
WordPress.com can help merchants to monetize through selling their own products and services, affiliate marketing, WordAds, sponsored posts and donations or tips from readers. WordAds is the only ad network available for use with your free WordPress account. If you want to qualify for an ad service like Mediavine or AdThrive, you must use a self-hosted account instead.
Unless you pay for a Premium (or better) plan at INR 1,165.39 ($14) per month, you won’t generate ad revenue from the ads WordPress places on your site—they keep it. With a free account, you give WordPress the right to share your content how it sees fit.
Business or eCommerce plan of WordPress.com offer plugins, which extend the functionality of a site. However, there are standard themes that are easy to install in minutes. While it lacks customization, you can have your site live quickly.
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
WordPress.org software is free. Despite WordPress.org being known as the self-hosted WordPress option, you typically don’t host the site yourself (unless you do own a hosting setup). Instead, you pay for a web hosting company such as Bluehost or SiteGround to host your site for you. Web hosting providers generally offer plans from INR 832.42 ($10) to INR 2497.26 ($30) per month. Often, they provide a free domain name for the first year you’re with them.
WordPress.org gives you virtually limitless creative options thanks to HTML and other coding languages. If you’re not coding-savvy, you can use premade themes to change the look and layout, and plugins to increase the functionality of your site. You can purchase advanced themes that work best for the goal of your site at marketplaces. For example, there are options specifically for e-commerce or travel blogging.
You own all the content you share on your self-hosted site, as well as all the rights. This means WordPress cannot reshare your content anywhere. Site owners can also sell ad space on their websites with WordPress.org, whereas you can’t with WordPress.com (unless using WordAds). Provided it’s legal, you can use any type of monetization method when self-hosting. It’s best to double-check with your host company, in case it has specific rules around certain niche industries (such as CBD or adult content).
Advanced features of WordPress.com come with a cost. These start at INR 582.69 ($7) per month and go up to INR 4,911.28 ($59) per month. While the free version comes with a custom subdomain, such as mysitehere.wordpress.com, you must pay for a domain name if you want full customization (mysitehere.com). With WordPress.org, most host companies provide a free, custom domain name for the first year.
There’s a glaring difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org in ad options. With .com, you can only use WordAds, which is WordPress’ official advertising network. A self-hosted account allows for any ad network, such as Google AdSense, Mediavine or AdThrive.
Bloggers who want to make money bloggin must have a self-hosted blog via WordPress.org. This is because the vast majority of influencer networks require you to self-host so you own the content you produce without giving WordPress the blanket right to use your content as they see fit.
Similarly, let’s say you want to publish a book traditionally, and you build your audience via a blog or website by sharing excerpts from your book. Whether you use .com or .org, a traditional publisher won’t take any content you’ve posted online. This is because you’ve already “published” the content, even if it was just on your own website.
Google Analytics can be installed on a self-hosted site to help you measure the site traffic. If you want the option for your WordPress.com site, you must purchase a Premium plan or above. Most influencer networks and brands require a blogger or influencer to have Google Analytics installed on their site.
If you don’t need advanced customization or monetization tools and are okay with display ads, you may enjoy using WordPress.com. An example is someone keeping a journal online about a family member’s health updates; you don’t plan on making money off this and need a place to share updates with friends and family.
WordPress.com offers backup and storage as per the plan you choose. Free plans get 3 GB, and with its paid plans you can have up to 200 GB of storage. For WordPress.org, the amount of storage available depends on your host company package. Many offer unlimited storage, particularly with higher-tiered packages.
An e-commerce option is available on WordPress.com for INR 4,911.28 ($59) per month, so users can accept payments in over 60 countries, integrate with shipping carriers and have better design options. With plugins, WordPress.org users can integrate their site with e-commerce solutions, as well as choose themes best suited for selling online.
Featured Partners
1
Bluehost
Price Per Month
From INR 165.53 ($1.99) onwards
Benefits
Free CDN, Domain and SSL for 1st year
Features
10 GB SSD Storage and 1 Website
On Bluehost’s secure website
2
Hostinger
Price per month
INR 149 onwards
Features
Drag-and-Drop Editor, Free Domain and Unlimited Free SSL
Free trial
30 days
On Hostinger’s secure Website
3
HostGator
Price per month
INR 219 ($2.64) per month
Benefits
Free domain and SSL for 1st year
Features
10GB SSD Storage and Basic email included
On HostGator’s secure website
WordPress has options for every need no matter the reason for needing a content management system (CMS) webiste. However, there are certain situations that warrant using a self-hosted option. If you’re a blogger or business owner selling products or services, you’re best sticking with a self-hosted website through WordPress.org.
Although an e-commerce plan exists with WordPress.com, you can’t beat the customization options available with WordPress.org for your online store. Use WordPress.com if you just want a free website to experiment with, or don’t need customization or plugins.
Kathy Haan, MBA is a former financial advisor-turned-writer and business coach. For over a decade, she’s helped small business owners make money online. When she’s not trying out the latest tech or travel blogging with her family, you can find her curling up with a good novel.
Cassie is a deputy editor, collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. She is passionate about economic development and is on the board of two non-profit organizations seeking to revitalize her former railroad town. Prior to joining the team at Forbes Advisor, Cassie was a Content Operations Manager and Copywriting Manager at Fit Small Business.
Rob is an SMB writer and editor based in New Jersey. Before joining Forbes Advisor, he was a content producer at Fit Small Business. In that role, he was responsible for writing, editing, and strategizing content geared toward small business owners. Before that, he worked at PCMag as a business analyst.