WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Difference and Comparison

WordPress is a popular website for website-building. You may utilize wordpress.com to establish a personal project for experimentation, presenting your opinions, or a leisure site.

Anyone may begin for free, with a simple setup and also no ongoing upkeep.

Use the WordPress.org platform to build a more professional site, whether it’s for a business, a project, or a professional blogging endeavour.

If you want to monetize your website, this is the option for you. WordPress.org does not put restrictions on monetization options, unlike WordPress.com,

Key Takeaways

  1. WordPress.com is a hosted platform that provides website builder and hosting services.
  2. WordPress.org is open-source software allowing users to download and install it on their web hosting.
  3. While both platforms use the same software, the main difference is the level of control and customization available to the user.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

WordPress.com is a web-based platform that allows users to create and host websites for free, depending on the plan selected. WordPress.org is an open-source software that can be downloaded and installed on your own web hosting server and offers complete control and flexibility over your website.

Wordpress.com vs Wordpress.org

Because of the same developer, WordPress.com is sometimes mistaken for the well-known WordPress.org platform. The freely available WordPress.com software is an ideal choice for casual writers and those starting a blogging website for their families.

The setting up process is easy, and there is no technical skill required to be learned by users.

WordPress.org, sometimes known as “the genuine WordPress,” is yet another popular website for creating custom websites.

It’s open-source software, which means it is available to anyone for free. A domain name and hosting can be needed initially. It is ‘a self-hosted WordPress.

Comparison Table

Parameters of ComparisonWordPress.comWordPress.org
DefinitionWordPress.com is a for-profit venture owned by Automattic, a company founded by the WordPress creator and mainly populated by full-time developers, designers, and support engineers.WordPress.org is for developers who want to build their website as their wish. That means you have to build everything from the initial concept.
Cost It is free, to begin with, and does not need a domain name or hosting.It is free but a hosting account is needed.
Setting up processThe setup process is really easy and can be done without learning any technical skills.The setup process Is easy but some technical skill is required by the user.
Number of themesIt contains hundreds of themes but has limited customizing options.It contains thousands of themes and is customizable.
MonetizationThere are some restrictions in Moentizating in WordPress.comThere are no restrictions to monetizing options in wordpress.org.

What is WordPress.com?                                                       

WordPress.com is a for-profit venture owned by Automattic, a company founded by the WordPress creator and mainly populated by full-time developers, designers, and support engineers.

WordPress.com is a great alternative if you wouldn’t want to bother with a domain name, hosting, or custom website capabilities.

You just sign up and suddenly have your internet area. The disadvantage is that unless you choose an expensive package, you won’t be able to personalize it too much.

Bloggers, photographers, painters, plumbers, physicians, restaurateurs, and virtually anybody may benefit from WordPress.com. On the other hand, techies who desire total control over their code may want to explore hosting their WordPress installation.

On free WordPress.com websites, you are not permitted to display advertisements. You may join their WordAds program and split your ad earnings with WordPress.com if you have a great website.

On a WordPress.com website, you have very few choices for monetizing content.

The amount of templates you’ll be able to view depends on the WordPress.com bundle you select. If you have free and premium memberships, you can select from many beautiful designs and themes.

Premium gives you more themes that are paid, and free membership gives you over a hundred free themes and templates to access.

wordpress com

What is WordPress.org?       

WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform for developers who want to be all by themselves. That means you have to build it all from the base level.

Above all, you have total control over the website’s look and operation and may include whatever features and tools you like. This is the best option if you wish to be completely self-sufficient.

WordPress.org is also known as “the genuine WordPress”. It’s open-source software, which means anybody may use it without any additional payment.

You only need a domain name and web hosting to get started. As a result, it’s also known as self-hosted WordPress.

WordPress.org gives you total authority over your website. You have total creative control over it and may alter it as much as you like. Your website, with all its data and material, is solely yours.

If your site violates someone’s terms and conditions, this will not be disabled. You are in complete command.

Briefly, the WordPress.org platform has hundreds of great and premium templates to choose from. Any theme can be chosen from the internet without any cost-there are hundreds available.

wordpress org

Main Differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

  1. WordPress.com is a for-profit venture owned by Automattic, a company founded by the WordPress creator and mainly populated by full-time developers, designers, and support engineers, whereas WordPress.org is for webmasters who wish to be self-sufficient. That means you have to build everything from the initial concept.
  2. WordPress.com is completely free to begin, and you won’t need any external hosting or domain names, whereas wordpress.org is free, but you’ll need a hosting account (a web server) to utilize it, which comes with a price tag.
  3. The setup process of WordPress.com is easier than WordPress.org, as there is no prior technical skill required in it, unlike WordPress.org.
  4. WordPress.com has hundreds of themes, whereas WordPress.org has thousands of themes available.
  5. Customization and monetization options are limited in wordpress.com, whereas there are no limits in wordpress.org.

Last Updated : 24 July, 2023

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25 thoughts on “WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Difference and Comparison”

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