When you’re on the road to building a website using WordPress, immediately there is a fork in the road: Should you use WordPress.com or WordPress.org? They both have the same name, so you would assume they are the same company and the differences should be minor, right?

The truth of the matter is that while they are from the same company, they are very different, and those differences can be boiled down to one word: Freedom. In this article, I’ll run through the differences between the two, and then give my opinion on which is better.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a website builder that you can access at WordPress.com. You create an account, select from a tiered pricing plan, and then you have access to the website infrastructure, as well as some other features, and you can begin building your website from there.

The pricing plan selections range from a free website, all the way to a VIP account which starts at $2000 per month and goes up from there.

WordPress.com accounts include hosting, so you don’t have to worry about where the website is going to be stored or making software updates to the website. They will handle those details for you.

Their free website will have ads placed on them, which you will have no control over. You can get rid of the ads by using a pricing plan other than free. However, if you choose a pricing plan and decide you want to run your own ads, you’re not allowed to do so unless you go through their advertising program, at which point you’re forced to share the revenue with WordPress.com.

Plugins are little functionality additions that you can add to your WordPress website. They range from preventing spam in your blog post comments section, to adding an events calendar to your site, and everything in between. There are thousands of them, created by developers all over the world, and more are created every day. WordPress.com limits your plugins to a selection that they curate, and you can only choose from that selection.

The WordPress “theme” is the look and feel of your website. There are thousands of these, also created by developers all over the world. Again, WordPress.com limits your choices to a grouping that they select and your ability to customize those themes is limited.

If WordPress.com feels you’ve violated their terms of service, they can delete your website. There is no way to download your website if you wish to move it elsewhere.

WordPress.com can put their own brand on your website, including a “Powered by WordPress” link and forcing your website to have a sub-domain name such as www.yourwebsite.wordpress.com. Purchasing the higher priced plans will allow you to remove this branding.

A website with an online store requires the purchase of an eCommerce plan, their most expensive plan that isn’t VIP.

WordPress.org

These sites operate a little differently. After you get set up with a hosting vendor so that you have a place for the website to live and a website address, go to WordPress.org and download all of the WordPress files for free.

Most hosting vendors offer to install the files for you, but you can also do it yourself if you’re so inclined. There are tons of tutorials for this on the internet, and once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty simple. Once the files are installed, you’re ready to rock. So to get set up, all it should cost you is the server space you’ve purchased from your hosting vendor.

Periodically you will need to update the WordPress files, the theme updates, and any plugin files you are using. These are all pushed out to your website, so you don’t have to go searching for them, and all you have to do is click on a button to complete the updates. Also, you can now set your updates so that these updates happen automatically.

There are no ads showing up on your site, unless you want them to. Any ad revenue that come from ads you run on your website is yours.

You can install any plugin out there, no questions asked. It does help to look at ratings of plugins and how many installations they have, because not all plugins are created equal. Some are better than others, but they can add some really cool features to your website.

You can also install any theme, no questions asked. Not only that, but you can customize themes to any degree you are able. Some themes are easier to customize than others, and can require knowledge of basic programming languages. Usually themes come with a level of customer support you can use to get your website look and feel exactly the way you want it.

Since you have direct access to the WordPress files, you can download them and move them around to any hosting provider you wish. You’re only beholden to the terms of service of the hosting service.

There is no branding on the domain name or the website itself that you have to worry about. Some themes creators will include their own branding on the website, but usually that can be easily removed.

If you want to sell products online, you can choose from many different store and payment solutions, so you can choose one that fits your website and you think is user-friendly. You’re not forced into one solution.

Which is Better?

So which should you use? WordPress.com or WordPress.org? As I mentioned earlier, the differences between the two come down to freedom.

Freedom from excessive costs. The freedom to choose what you want to add to your site and how you want it to look. Freedom from having annoying ads that you don’t want to display on your site. The freedom to do whatever you want to do with your site.

WordPress.org gives you that freedom. WordPress.com is a good solution for someone who just wants a website handed to them that they can use and play with, and doesn’t really care about design or functionality.

If you’re serious about putting up a professional looking website for your organization or business, WordPress.org is the solution for you, and I can help you. Reach out to me and I’ll not only make sure you choose the right path when you reach that fork in the road of your WordPress website build, but I’ll walk along with you to make sure you get to your destination safe and sound.