WordPress.com VS WordPress.org, Which is Best?
If you have decided to create a website or blog site using WordPress software to build that site, then you will need to know the differences between a wordpress.org and wordpress.com. If you are going to be using your own web hosting service to have your site hosted on then you’ll be using WordPress software provided by wordpress.org.
If you don’t want to deal with getting your own web hosting service and are looking for a completely free option, then you will be using WordPress software that is hosted on and provided by wordpress.com.
If you are new to creating and building your own website or blog then WordPress.com might be the choice you make. On WordPress.com, they provide the software to build your website or blog, the web hosting (the web servers your site is on), your own unique domain name (although it’s technically a subdomain unless you want to buy your own domain) and everything else you need to create and build your site.
This can sound like a good option in most cases and for many, it is. Though for some people, this isn’t the best choice. If you are using WordPress.com to have your website or blog on then you don’t have as many options, choices and not as much freedom to do everything that you can if you are using your own domain name on your own web hosting providers web servers.
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If you have a WordPress.com website or blog then you are limited on exactly which themes you can use, the features and functions that are available for your site, whether or not you want advertisements on your site or not, what you can have on your site, what you can do with it and some other limitations. Many people won’t be bothered by the limitations with a WordPress.com website or blog so it’s a good choice for them.
Now as for having a wordpress.org website or blog. It can be the right choice for people who want more freedoms with the WordPress themes and WordPress plugins they use, what ads if any that they might want to place on their site, what they can have on their site as far as content, where their site is hosted, any tweaking and/or custom modifying of their the site and a few other options that are not available on a WordPress.com website or blog.
One downside towards having a website or blog built with wordpress.org software is the expenses involved in having it. If you choose this route them you will need to pay for your own web hosting (the web servers where all your websites files are stored and shown across the internet) and domain name (www.EXAMPLE.com).
This however doesn’t have to be a big expense since there are some web hosting service providers out there that can be had for under $5 per month, even sometimes less than that. A domain name is often included in the price with some web hosting providers. You will also need to buy a domain name which is usually around $10 or so per year for most domain name extensions (the part at the end of the domain, like .com, .net, .org, etc.).
If you choose to use this option then you can use any WordPress theme that you want. The theme is what is responsible for the visual design and the layout of the site. You can also use any WordPress plugin that you want. A WordPress plugin is a small add-on piece of software that adds some kind of function or feature to your website or blog.
Another reason that you might choose to go with this WordPress option is that you have the choice on if you want to have advertisements on your site. If you have a WordPress.com website then you will automatically have ads placed on your site by WordPress themselves.
This is done to help cover the expenses of them providing you with your own website or blog. If you have a site built with wordpress.org software, then you can put any kind of ads that you choose and you will get to keep the money that they make.
There are many differences between the two different WordPress options for websites and blog. As you can tell, there are some notable ones in between having a website or blog built with either WordPress.org software or having a WordPress.com hosted site.
So you have to look at all of the differences and decide which option is best for your particular needs. Either way that you decide is the best choice for you, you’ll get the great WordPress software running your website and blog!
Good Luck and may your website or blog reach the Apex in its Niche!