Are you confused between WordPress.com and WordPress.org? You are not alone, because the two names look almost the same.
WordPress.com is a hosted service that runs the WordPress software for you. You sign up, choose a plan and start writing, without buying separate hosting or installing anything. In this article, we will see how it works and who it suits best.
What is WordPress.com?
WordPress.com is a commercial platform run by Automattic, a company founded by WordPress co-creator Matt Mullenweg. It uses the same open-source software you can download from WordPress.org, but the company handles the server, updates, security and backups.
Think of it as renting a fully furnished apartment. You can move in today, but the landlord sets some of the rules.
Free and paid plans on WordPress.com
Here is what you can expect from the plans in general:
- Free plan: Your site lives on a subdomain like
yoursite.wordpress.com, and ads may be shown to your visitors. - Paid plans: You can connect a custom domain and remove those ads.
- Higher plans: You can install third-party plugins and themes, just like on a self-hosted site.
Plan names and prices change from time to time, so check the current list on WordPress.com before you decide.
You are not locked in. You can export your content from Tools → Export and import it into a self-hosted WordPress site later.
Is WordPress.com right for you?
WordPress.com is a good pick for hobby bloggers, writers and small businesses who don't want to manage hosting. Setup takes only a few minutes, and you never worry about server updates.
On the other hand, if you want complete control over code, plugins and monetization, the self-hosted route usually makes more sense. Our article on self-hosted and hosted WordPress compares both in detail. You may also like to read who owns WordPress to see how the company and the open-source project are related.
To sum up, WordPress.com trades some freedom for a lot of convenience. That's it. Do let us know in the comment box below which version you chose and why.