Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you probably know that WordPress is the most popular website platform in the world.
Approximately 25% of all websites are built on WordPress, and there are more than 60 million active sites that use it. If you’re just dipping your toes into the amazing world of WordPress, you might be a little confused by all the different sites and services related to it.
There is a lot of information out there about WordPress — so much so that even an expert can get confused! With so many details to remember, we hope this article will save you a lot of headache.
Here, we’ll discuss the differences between two main branches of WordPress – WordPress.com vs WordPress.org – as well as some helpful tips and advice on how to choose which one is right for your website project.
What’s the Difference Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
Both WordPress.com and WordPress.org are popular blogging or website platforms. However, the two differ in many important ways, such as the types of websites you can create, how you can use them, how you can monetize your blog, and much more. In general, WordPress.com is used mainly for blogging, whereas WordPress.org is used for creating websites.
You can use WordPress.com to create a website, but it’s not recommended because it has more limitations. When you use WordPress.com, you get a free service however, you don’t have full control over your site. When you use WordPress.org, you have full control over your site, but it requires a little more technical know-how and a reliable web hosting provider to power your site.
WordPress.com: A Platform for Bloggers
When it comes to WordPress.com, you should use it if you plan to build and maintain a blog. You can sign up for this free service and have a new blog up and running in minutes. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be able to use the simple drag-and-drop interface to publish posts, add images and videos, schedule posts, and much more.
If you want to monetize your blog, you can also sign up for ads using a WordPress.com business account. There are millions of blogs on WordPress.com. In fact, WordPress.com is the most popular blogging platform in the world. It appeals to both experts and novices alike, making it perfect for those who want to start a new blog without a lot of hassle.
WordPress.org: A Content Management System
WordPress.org is a completely different platform to WordPress.com. It’s actually a Content Management System (CMS) that allows you to create and manage your own website. With WordPress.org, you can create all types of websites, such as business websites, landing pages, e-commerce stores, online portfolios, and more.
You can also create multiple websites under one hosting account, which makes it a great solution for agencies and freelancers who want to host multiple client sites from one place. Once you have your website up and running, you can fully customise the design, add pages, and include a wide range of plugins to extend the functionality of your site.
When to Use WordPress.com
If you want to build a blog, WordPress.com is a good option. It’s free, easy to use, and there are some themes, plugins, and customisation options available to help you get started.
WordPress.com has solid security features, and millions of people use it to build their blogs. As a result, there are lots of people who can help you if you run into any issues or have questions about how to use it.
However, if you plan on building a high-traffic website in the near future, you should probably use WordPress.org.
When to Use WordPress.org
You can create any type of website with this platform, including business websites, online stores, and more. You also gain full control over your site’s design, hosting, and functionality. The only thing you have to pay for is a domain name, which you can get for around £10 per year, and web hosting from £8.95 per month.
Once you’ve built your site, there are lots of ways you can monetise it, such as including affiliate links, running advertisements, and creating paid content.
Should You Use WordPress.com or WordPress.org?
If you’re just getting started with building a website, you can use either WordPress.com or WordPress.org.
If you want to create a small and simple blog, WordPress.com is a good choice. However, with WordPress.org, you can create both websites and blogs, and it has far more functionality than WordPress.com, so if you want to build a fully-fledged website, you should always use WordPress.org, as you have much more control over your site’s design, functionality, and hosting. If you’re not sure where to start, try using WordPress.org to create a basic website and see where it takes you.
You can follow our sea of online tutorials to get started, and if you decide to switch to WordPress.com, you can easily transfer your website over to it at a later date.
Wrapping up
Want our opinion? Yes, WordPress.com is an option and can be used for simple blogging sites, but if you are building anything more than that, WordPress.org wins every time. It allows you to build your site however you want with no limitations. It’s what we love and all our clients love it to. People are constantly switching from .com to .org, but not vice versa. Check out this article on how you can get started with WordPress.org.
What’s your thoughts?
