If you’ve ever considered creating your own blog or website, then you’re probably wondering whether to go with WordPress.com or WordPress.org. Both of these options are free and easy to use, but they have some key differences that will make one better for certain types of users.
To help with making this decision, we’ve taken a look at all of the major factors that come into play when deciding between the two platforms.
WordPress.com is free that doesn’t require hosting, themes, or plugins. In fact, it’s free software, open source, and runs on a web server while WordPress.org is not free of charge but it is worth it.
WordPress.org was created by Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little (founder of Automattic), while WordPress.com was built on top of the open-source software platform of WordPress with thousands of contributors over its lifetime who helped build it into what it is today – an award-winning content management system (CMS) used by millions worldwide!
That being said, both services offer similar features but differ from each other in some key areas including pricing plans; domain names; server hosting options; design toolsets; ease of use vs. customizability; security protocols; user permissions; accessibility options; etc.
Read this also: top best WordPress plugins to install on your website/blog (2022).
Differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
There are several other areas where WordPress websites differ from each other as well like layout templates, themes, plugins, etc. Each has its own pros/cons when compared side-by-side so make sure before making any decisions about which platform would be best suited for your needs!
Now, let’s start looking at the meaning of WordPress.com and WordPress.org and also their differences.
What is WordPress
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that allows you to create websites, blogs, and other online content using programming languages such as JavaScript, PHP, CSS, HTML, etc. It also uses MySQL as its database, which means it’s easy to install and use.
Between WordPress.com and .org which one is better?
If you’re looking for the best option for your website, there are some differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org that need to be considered before choosing a platform:
Hosting – The first difference between these two services is their hosting options: while both offer self-hosted options as well as hosted ones, they differ in terms of price and features offered by each one (e.g., free vs paid). With WordPress.org.
However, it’s possible to host your own site without paying any additional fees or using premium features like WooCommerce integration or advanced security measures like Akismet anti-spam engine protection system; this makes it easier than ever before!
#1. Hosting
WordPress.org is the more advanced version of WordPress, and it comes with a few extra features that you won’t find in the free version (like custom fields). The main difference between these two options is how they handle hosting:
WordPress.com provides free hosting, but you’ll have to use their themes and plugins. You can also add your own domain name if necessary, but this isn’t recommended as it’s not secure enough for most users’ needs.
WordPress.org requires you to host your own site, but there are several providers available that allow anyone who wants one to get one easily without having any technical knowledge or experience whatsoever!
Once again though, this isn’t recommended because there are some security risks involved when using self-hosted sites; however, if none of these concerns apply then go ahead!
#2. Themes
If you want to customize the look and feel of your website, then WordPress.org themes are the way to go. WordPress.com themes are free but not as good as premium WordPress.org themes.
WordPress has two types of themes: free and paid for premium ones (you can find them here). Free widgets can be added by using WP-Admin > Settings > Widget or by embedding them into another page or post via shortcodes like [shortcode].[widget name].
Themes on both versions differ in price and complexity but can be customized with CSS, PHP, JavaScript (JS), or HTML. WordPress.com themes are free but not as good as premium WordPress.org themes.
WordPress has two types of themes: free and paid for premium ones (you can find them here). Free widgets can be added by using WP-Admin > Settings > Widget or by embedding them into another page or post via shortcodes like [shortcode].[
#3. Plugins
Plugins are a collection of functions and code that extend the functionality of WordPress. They can be downloaded from the official WordPress repository, which you can access by clicking “Plugins” on your dashboard.
Plugins are not included with your account on WordPress.com; they’re only available through the official repository (this is one difference between them).
The plugins you download from there will work just like any other plugin you install manually or automatically via a script called Composer Scripts (which I talk about below).
You can also install and activate plugins manually by uploading them to your WordPress.org account. This method is perfect if you don’t have access to the official repository or want more control over what plugin options are available.
#4. Ads
WordPress.com has ads on the free version, which is a bit of a turnoff for some of your audiences or users of your website. WordPress.org doesn’t have any ads on their free version and simply charges for upgrades to remove them completely.
WordPress.com offers a paid premium version that removes all ads and adds some extra features such as custom domain names and SSL security certificates (the latter is important if you’re running your own blog).
If you want a nice-looking website without spending much money or worrying about ads, then go with WordPress.com. It has all the features you need and is easy to use.
If you’re building an e-commerce site where customers will buy products from your store through their credit cards, then consider WordPress.org because of its superior security options.
#5. Branding and Licensing
WordPress.com is a free service, but it has limitations on what you can do with your site. If you want to use the full power of WordPress (and its development community), then you will need to pay for hosting and domain name registration with WordPress.org instead.
WordPress.org offers more plugins and themes than its sister site does it also makes it easier for developers to find resources if they need help building their own plugins or themes for their clients’ businesses or personal blogs.
WordPress.com is the most popular choice for beginners and small businesses because it’s easy to set up a website without having any coding skills.
WordPress.org has the advantage of being cheaper in terms of upfront costs per month, but it comes with a learning curve that can be daunting if you’re not sure how websites work under the hood or aren’t willing to spend time researching what each feature does.
#6. Design and Customization Options
If you’re looking for a more customizable platform, WordPress.org is the way to go. It offers many more themes and plugins than its counterpart, which makes it easier to customize your site without having to be a developer yourself.
In addition to this increased accessibility, WordPress.org also has a larger community of developers available who can help you with any problems that may arise when using their software (the majority of which are based in India).
This means that if something doesn’t work out as expected or if there are bugs in one of your plugins, chances are someone else has already encountered them before and fixed them!
Additionally, because so many people use the same tools, especially those who write articles about how great they are, and also there are already existing resources available online for learning how things work under the hood.
#7. Support
WordPress.com has a help center for your questions, whereas WordPress.org doesn’t have a support forum or premium support option.
WordPress.com’s premium support option is one of its best features; it allows users to submit their issues directly through the website without having to go through email or phone lines first (which can be frustrating).
The website also offers live chat support 24/7, so if you run into any issues while working on your site, they’re available by clicking on the help icon in the bottom right corner of their page and asking away!
For troubleshooting, both WordPress.com and WordPress.org’s websites offer detailed information about common issues people run into while working on their websitePress.org has a huge developer community, which means you’ll have more options when it comes to finding plugins and themes.
In addition, the team at WordPress will help you troubleshoot any problems with your site if needed. It’s important to note that both companies offer paid versions of their software the difference between them is that WordPress.com doesn’t allow developers access while Presses owns website files on their own servers so they can edit them.
#8. Security and Backup
WordPress.com offers automatic daily backups, but you have to install a plugin for that on your site if you want it. The good news is, that the plugin is free and easy to install (it’s called BackupBuddy).
If you don’t want to do that, just sign up for our WordPress security scanning service at wordpresssecurityscanner.com and we’ll scan your site with hundreds of different types of hackers in order to find out what needs fixing before they can get into your account or steal data from it!
WordPress.org offers automatic backups as well (with many more features than WordPress itself), but they require an extra step: installing the backup add-on after creating an account with them first (this process doesn’t seem too difficult).
This means that if anything goes wrong with your site while using WordPress.com instead of hosting services like Bluehost or DreamHost which offer better support options when things go wrong you might lose everything!
#9. E-commerce Capability
WordPress.com is not a good option for e-commerce, while WordPress.org is a better option.
WordPress.org is more flexible and customizable than WordPress.com, which means that you have more control over your site’s design, layout, and functionality in general and this makes it easier to build an e-commerce website on top of this platform than with something like Shopify or WooCommerce (which are primarily website builders).
So if you want to sell products online as well as deliver content online through blogs and forums then this could be an attractive option for you!
When you’re deciding between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, you’ll need to think about what’s more important to you in a blog or website.
Conclusion and more reading
WordPress.com is a hosted service that gives users access to the latest version of WordPress (the software), its plugins and themes, as well as support from their community of users and developers.
Users can log into their account at any time without having to download anything themselves because everything is already downloaded on their computer prior to logging in!
This means that there will usually be no lag time when posting content since everything has already been transferred over once logged into your account so don’t worry about waiting for files like images or videos after clicking submit button; it just happens automatically!
All these features make it easy for anyone new who wants to start blogging immediately without worrying about having technical knowledge beforehand; however there’s also something else called the “Premium” plan which costs $20 per month but provides some additional benefits depending on how much money you want to spend each month (upwards).
WordPress.com and WordPress.org are great options for bloggers and website owners who want to host their own websites, but there are some important differences between the two services that you’ll need to consider before making your decision. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, WordPress.org is definitely worth considering as well!
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