Should You Use WordPress.com or WordPress.org?
WordPress.com is definitely the most common platform. The reason for this is because people are accustomed to typing .com than .org. The first point you need to understand, however, is that WordPress.com is completely different from WordPress.org. This is something beginners do not understand and they often end up picking the wrong platform. Bearing in mind that selecting the right platform is very important in web development, it is very important that you take the time to understand the pros and cons of each. The purpose of this post is to do exactly that.
WordPress.org
This is the real WordPress. It is the platform you have heard all the remarkable things about. To start with, it is good to note that it is free for everyone to use. You just need web hosting and a domain name. As a result of this, this platform is often referred to as the self-hosted WordPress.
Pros
The great thing about WordPress.org is that you will have full control of your site. You can do anything and customize it as much as you want. The key benefits of using this platform include the following:
- Free and very easy to use.
- You own your website as well as all your data. Your website will never be turned off because you violate some terms of service you never knew about. You are in full control so long as you are not involved in illegal stuff.
- You can add custom, free and paid WordPress plugins.
- You can use free or paid WordPress themes that you need. It is also possible to create you own custom designs or change them the way you want.
- You can make money by running ads without sharing your earnings with anyone.
- You can use great tools like Google Analytics.
- You can use the self-hosted WordPress to create your own online store.
- You can create a membership site here.
Cons
- Web hosting is needed which you pay per month.
- You update your own site.
- You backup your website.
With WordPress.org, you will be able to build and run a website for $46 a year.
WordPress.com
This is the service created by the co-founder of WordPress. This is why most people confuse this platform from the .org platform. There are hosting service plans here. It is ideal for hobby bloggers.
Pros
- It is free for up to 3GB space. After that, you pick from the paid plans which start from $36 per year for the personal plan.
- Updates and backups will be done automatically for you.
Cons
- Ads will be placed on your website if you use the free website
- You cannot sell ads on your website. You have to apply for the advertising program.
- You can’t upload plugins or custom themes. Free plan users have a limited selection of plugins and themes to pick from.
- Your stats are restricted. You can use Google Analytics.
- Your site can be deleted if you violate terms of service.
- There are no ecommerce features/
- You can build membership website.
Your choice of the .com or .org will depend on what you want to use your website for. The above pros and cons will definitely help you make the right choice.