Web Design and Development
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org
WordPress, the popular blogging software, comes in two flavors. There is one version provided at WordPress.org, and another at WordPress.com.
In overall functionality, both are pretty much the same. But their are some BIG differences when it comes to features and cost. So it is very important to choose the one that will be best for you.
WordPress.org – The Original
WordPress.org is the original WordPress. It is open source (blog) publishing software that can be freely downloaded and used for any website. Because this works on your own web host, you are free to use it in just about any way you want to.
But there is one big drawback to using this software. Users need to have some technical knowledge to (1) find a suitable web host, (2) install the WordPress, and (3) customize their websites.
WordPress.com – Created For Technical Novices
Unike WordPress.org, WordPress.com offers the version of WordPress that requires no technical knowledge. According to WordPress.com:
We wanted to bring the WordPress experience to a larger audience. So we created WordPress.com, a hosted version of the open source package where you can start a blog in seconds without any technical knowledge.
But this option also has its drawbacks which include:
- You cannot place advertisements on your website. If you are planning to make money from your blog, WordPress.com is not the way to go. Placing your own ads is expressly forbidden and can get your blog removed.
- WordPress.com displays their own ads on your site. Since the basic service is completely free, WordPress displays ads on your blog to defray the costs to maintain the service. To Go Ad-Free, you can pay a fee of $30/year.
- Limited freedom for website customization. You can easily customize your blog by choosing a theme and adding images. But if you want to completely change the way it looks by editing the CSS, you will need to upgrade to Custom CSS which costs $15/year.
- Limitations on storage space. Each WordPress.com blog comes with a 3GB storage space limit, which is sufficient for most users. But if you are running a photoblog, you'll find yourself running out of space. Space upgrades can be bought at $20, $50, or $90/year for an additional 5, 15, or 25GB respectively.
- You cannot use your own domain. The default service gives you a WordPress blog hosted at yourblog.wordpress.com. But many users want to use their own domain names. To use your own domain, you can purchase a one directly from WordPress at $15/year or you can use an already registered domain name for $10/year.
- Limitations on number of registered users. WordPress.com sets a 30-person cap on how many users can be registered at your blog. You can upgrade to unlimited users for $30/year.
Indeed, these are some big restrictions which will definitely affect what you can do with your WordPress.com website. So, which should you choose?
WordPress.com or WordPress.org?
This question of choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org has been debated time and time again. And with people on both sides of the fence, the answer might not be obvious to you. So here are our suggestions.
For maximum flexibility, we suggest WordPress.org. If you are concerned about the requisite technical knowledge, don't despair. Many web hosts (such as HostGator and GoDaddy) now offer an easy one-click WordPress install. Additionally, hosting WordPress yourself can be more cost effective. While the basic WordPress.com service is free, many users need to upgrade to premium features. And as the upgrades add up, you'll notice that they can quickly become very expensive.
On the other hand, if you don't plan on having anything but a personal blog, WordPress.com is for you. It's free, full of great features, and perfect for your first foray into blogging.
Tags: affiliate advertising, blogs, CSS, open source, WordPress
17 Responses to “WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org”
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I didn’t know this difference till now, I thought they were of the same like clones.thanks for sharing this Vital info
Yeh, neither WordPress.org nor WordPress.com adequately address the differences. You know, WordPress.org has a huge knowledgebase (ie. Codex), but there is not one article in it which discusses the difference between the two!
Great comparison. It looks like wordpress.com can get pricey very quickly if premium features start being added. I agree that wordpress.org is the way to go. Perhaps for those looking for free tech-free blogging they will want to look at wordpress.com vs. blogger ..?
Yes, I was shocked as I started looking at all of the prices. And yes, blogger vs. wordpress would be a great comparison. But I already know the answer. In terms of features and price, Blogger would win, hands down! What WordPress charges for, Blogger gives away for free.
ah i had no idea about how pricey .com can get… they are really charging! anyway i am among the fortunate to have some tech knowledge so the prices seem sky rocketed to me… very nice comparison!
Yeh, I too am glad that I have the tech knowledge. Their prices really are a bit unrealistic. But, they do need to make money. And the price of those services probably help fund development which enables us to get our open source version for free.
Yes but does WP.com have a history of deleting blogs just whenever and why ever they feel like it? Blogger sure does.
Also I’ve heard Google adores WP.com – great for linkage.
Well, I don’t know about how often they delete blogs. But if you ever look in their Terms of Service they leave the door wide open for that possibility. They say that they will delete content because they don’t want to be liable for anything.
Yes, Google does like WP.com… Many people use it in their SEO strategies.
Well there’s a nifty difference right there. I never heard of blogger having any such thing in their TOS…they just did/do it.
Do you know of these SEO strategies? I’m very curious.
Yes, in the simplest cases, some people have fake blogs at WordPress.com and just link to their real websites from these blogs. Other people develop legitimate blogs or network w/ people w/ legitimate blogs to get links. Many people swear by WordPress blogs and think that Google looks upon them very favorably… I haven’t had the time to verify it.
Frankly, I was confused when I first began and I thought its the same thing. Thats sad and I wasted some money and time figuring out nothing.
Of course WordPress.org is best. The advantage of the free .com wordpress is that it is set up in some clicks without any much effort.. its good for someone who will just blog occasionally.
WordPress.org is another world… u feel the ownwership of your blog as in the other one… u always have the feeling that you are in a rented house.
Same applies for blogspot. Blogpsot allows more customisation than wordpress.com though (adsense and template editing). If someone does not have the mean to pay for a host then he can go for it… but hosting is nt that expensive nowadays and it can easily be installed with the fantatico thingy in some clicks.
You are right. Hosting has gotten a lot less expensive and technical than it use to be. A few years ago, there were also not as much information and tutorials floating around the web.
And I think I might write an article comparing blogspot blogs and wordpress blogs as Kim recommended. Between the two, blogspot is cheaper because it gives you the ‘upgrades for free’ (ie. the CSS, domain name, etc…). But for the average user, WordPress.com is more user-friendly and ‘feature-full’ in my opinion…
I know this from before. The only reason i chose self-hosting is i cannot place ads if i have a blog in wordpress.com.
Very nice comparison. I am a technical guy, but never knew there was even a difference between the two until I tried to login to wordpress.org with my friends wordpress.com id.
After I couldn’t get in, I started to click around and realized they are two different products. Wow. No wonder I felt like my hands were completely tied when trying to customize her wordpress.com blog. I was looking for the “theme editor” which was referenced in the docs, but appears to be a .org only feature!
Really looking forward to digging into the .org version. Thanks again for the great post
trying to decide between wordpress.org and wordpress.com. my major concern is search engine optimization. can you have as much success with wp.com as with wp.org? i can’t seem to get a straight answer on this.
thx in advance!
I knew It! I sensed ‘something’ wasn’t right with both the .com and .org version pf the wordpress. I queried google and lo, i found this cmparison. Cheers mate.