In the following article we’ll discuss the pros and cons of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org and we’ll shed some light over the confusion between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
So, you’ve discovered WordPress and you’ve made the decision to build your website using this fantastic publishing platform, good choice!
But, you’ve hit a road block and are wondering what way to go, WordPress.com or WordPress.org.
It’s a common question many beginners are asking. Before you decide, it’s a good idea to understand the pros and cons.
Pros and Cons of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
WordPress.com Pros
- It’s completely free to use for small websites only needing a small amount of storage (3GB maximum).
- It’s hosted and managed by Automattic, the creators behind WordPress.
- Your website’s backed up regularly.
WordPress.com Cons
- You can’t use custom themes unless you’re on the business plan.
- You can’t use custom plugins unless you’re on the business plan.
- There are many limitations on the smaller plans.
- They place ads on the free plans.
- You don’t own your content 100%.
- They can delete your WordPress website anytime if they think it violates their terms of service.
- You are NOT in full control of your website.
WordPress.org Pros
- You are in complete control. This is huge!
- It’s completely free and super easy to use.
- You can upload custom themes and modify the files if required.
- You can upload custom plugins.
WordPress.org Cons
- You are responsible for hosting. However, there are many very good and cheap hosting companies that are great for new WordPress websites.
- You are responsible for the management of your website. However, there are many tools to help you out here.
We Choose WordPress.org
For all our websites, we have always chosen WordPress.org.
Once we understood all the pros and cons outlined above the decision was simple.
Probably the most important factor is the sheer control you get with WordPress.org and the fact that you own your content 100%.
Conclusion
In this article we explained the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
We also discussed the pros and cons of WordPress.com vs WordPress.org.
Finally, we discussed why we’ve always chosen WordPress.org when building WordPress websites.
Are you new to WordPress? Did this article offer help you understand the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter or Facebook.
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