WordPress.com and WordPress.org represent fundamentally different platforms despite sharing the WordPress name, with WordPress.org providing self-hosted open-source software offering complete control whilst WordPress.com delivers hosted service with simplified management and varying limitation levels. Understanding these crucial distinctions prevents frustration and ensures selecting appropriate platforms matching your control preferences, technical abilities, and website requirements.
WordPress.org hosts the free open-source WordPress software that you download, install on your own web hosting, and manage independently. This self-hosted version provides complete control over your website including unlimited customisation, plugin installations, theme selections, and monetisation freedom. You'll own your data and control every aspect of your site.
WordPress.org software remains completely free without usage restrictions, subscription fees, or feature limitations. Hosting costs represent your only mandatory expense though optional premium themes, plugins, or development services add value. You'll invest in infrastructure rather than platform subscriptions.
Self-hosting requires managing hosting accounts, performing WordPress updates, implementing security measures, and troubleshooting technical issues either independently or through purchased services. You'll accept technical responsibilities gaining complete freedom and control.
WordPress.com operates as hosted WordPress service managed by Automattic where WordPress.com handles hosting, security, updates, and infrastructure whilst you focus on content creation and site management. This simplified approach eliminates technical management reducing barriers for non-technical users.
WordPress.com offers free plans with limited features plus premium subscriptions unlocking additional capabilities including custom domains, plugin installations, and monetisation permissions. Free limitations include WordPress.com subdomain, advertising displays, and restricted customisation. You'll pay for capabilities that self-hosted WordPress provides freely.
WordPress.com's managed approach trades control for convenience through hands-off hosting, automatic updates, and guaranteed up-time. You'll sacrifice flexibility gaining simplicity and reduced technical responsibility.
Hosting: WordPress.org requires separate hosting whilst WordPress.com includes hosting in service. You'll manage hosting independently or accept WordPress.com's hosting.
Cost Structure: WordPress.org software remains free with hosting costs whilst WordPress.com offers free limited plans and premium subscriptions. You'll pay for infrastructure versus platform subscriptions.
Customisation: WordPress.org allows unlimited customisation whilst WordPress.com restricts modifications based on subscription tier. You'll achieve anything versus working within constraints.
Plugins: WordPress.org permits any plugin installations whilst WordPress.com allows plugins only on Business plans or higher. You'll access 60,000+ plugins versus curated limited selections.
Monetisation: WordPress.org enables unrestricted monetisation whilst WordPress.com restricts advertising on free and lower tiers. You'll monetise freely versus following platform rules.
WordPress.org provides complete website ownership including full database access, all files, and unrestricted export capabilities. You'll control everything maintaining independence from any platform or provider. Switching hosting providers, backing up locally, or migrating platforms occurs freely without restrictions.
WordPress.com maintains your content on their servers with ownership rights but practical access limitations. Exporting content remains possible but migrating away from WordPress.com requires effort rebuilding customisation and configurations. You'll own content whilst depending on WordPress.com for access and management.
Data portability differs dramatically with WordPress.org enabling complete site exports whilst WordPress.com exports remain more limited particularly regarding design customisation and advanced configurations.
WordPress.org permits unlimited customisation through any theme installation, complete CSS modifications, PHP code changes, and custom development. No restrictions limit your modifications. You'll achieve precisely desired designs and functionality through unlimited access.
WordPress.org enables installing WordPress plugins providing virtually any conceivable functionality. The 60,000+ plugin ecosystem addresses every need from simple forms to complex business applications. You'll extend functionality infinitely.
WordPress.com customisation varies dramatically by plan:
Lower WordPress.com tiers constrain customisation significantly whilst higher tiers approach self-hosted capabilities at premium prices.
WordPress.org costs include:
Total WordPress.org costs range from £50 annually for basic sites to thousands for professional implementations with premium hosting and extensions.
WordPress.com subscription tiers:
WordPress.com costs become predictable through fixed subscriptions whilst WordPress.org costs vary based on hosting quality and extension purchases.
WordPress.org performance depends entirely on hosting quality, theme optimisation, caching implementation, and site optimisation efforts. Quality managed hosting delivers excellent speed whilst budget hosting potentially struggles. You'll control performance through infrastructure investment and optimisation.
WordPress.com manages hosting and optimisation automatically providing consistent performance across their infrastructure. However, performance optimisation options remain limited compared to self-hosted control. You'll receive reliable baseline performance without optimisation flexibility.
High-traffic sites benefit from WordPress.org's hosting flexibility enabling dedicated servers or cloud infrastructure scaling infinitely. WordPress.com handles substantial traffic but extreme requirements might necessitate higher tiers or self-hosting consideration.
WordPress.org provides unlimited SEO control through complete technical optimisation, advanced SEO plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math, custom URL structures, and comprehensive schema markup. Professional SEO implementations achieve maximum search visibility through complete control.
WordPress.com includes basic SEO features covering essential optimisation without plugins on lower tiers. Business plans unlock plugin installations enabling advanced SEO tools. SEO capabilities improve dramatically at higher subscription levels approaching self-hosted possibilities.
Custom redirects, advanced technical SEO implementations, and specialised optimisation strategies work better on WordPress.org through complete platform control. WordPress.com constraints affect advanced SEO requirements.
WordPress.org enables unrestricted monetisation including advertising networks, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, product sales, membership fees, and any revenue generation methods. You'll monetise freely without platform restrictions or revenue sharing.
WordPress.com restricts monetisation based on subscription tiers:
Self-hosted WordPress.org avoids revenue sharing or monetisation restrictions maintaining complete earnings.
WordPress.org supports any WordPress theme or plugin installation from any source including WordPress.org repository, commercial marketplaces, or custom development. You'll access the entire WordPress ecosystem without limitations or approval processes.
WordPress.com theme selection varies by plan with free plans offering limited theme choices and Business plans enabling any theme installation. Free tier constraints force selecting from curated limited collections.
Plugin installations require WordPress.com Business plans (£25 monthly) or higher. Lower tiers provide no plugin access eliminating vast functionality available through WordPress's plugin ecosystem. This represents significant limitation affecting capabilities dramatically.
WordPress.org relies on community support through forums, documentation, tutorials, and third-party resources. No official WordPress support exists though premium themes, plugins, and hosting providers include their product-specific support. You'll access massive community knowledge requiring self-service problem-solving.
WordPress.com provides official platform support through email and live chat varying by subscription tier. Direct support from WordPress.com team assists troubleshooting and implementation. You'll receive guaranteed assistance from platform creators.
WordPress.org's larger community means more tutorials, courses, agencies, and developers available whilst WordPress.com offers focused official support. Choose based on whether you prefer abundant community resources or guaranteed platform support.
WordPress.org requires managing security including installing updates, implementing security plugins, configuring firewalls, and monitoring for threats. You'll maintain security actively through updates and security measures or purchase managed hosting handling these responsibilities.
Quality WordPress hosting manages core WordPress updates, security scanning, and malware removal though theme and plugin updates often remain user responsibilities. WordPress security demands attention but provides complete control over protection strategies.
WordPress.com handles all security updates, patches, malware scanning, and infrastructure protection automatically. Users never worry about security maintenance. You'll benefit from hands-off security management through fully managed platform.
WordPress.org scales infinitely from personal blogs to enterprise applications through hosting upgrades and optimisation. Major corporations and high-traffic websites operate successfully on self-hosted WordPress. You'll grow without platform limitations.
WordPress.com handles substantial traffic though highest-traffic sites eventually benefit from self-hosting's infrastructure flexibility. Most websites remain within WordPress.com capabilities though enterprise requirements might justify self-hosting.
Business evolution often drives WordPress.com users toward self-hosting when plugin requirements, monetisation needs, or customisation demands exceed WordPress.com capabilities even at highest tiers.
Migrating from WordPress.com to WordPress.org remains straightforward with content exports and plugin tools facilitating transfers. Design customisation require recreation though content, posts, pages, and media migrate reliably. You'll rebuild customisation whilst preserving content.
Moving from WordPress.org to WordPress.com becomes possible though less common as users typically move toward more control rather than less. The migration remains technically feasible when simplification becomes desirable.
Starting with appropriate platform avoids migration efforts though both platforms support transitions when needs change over time.
Choose WordPress.org when you:
Choose WordPress.com when you:
Can I switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org later?
Yes, migrating from WordPress.com to self-hosted WordPress.org remains straightforward with content exports and migration plugins facilitating transfers. Posts, pages, media, and basic content migrate reliably though custom designs require recreation. Many users start with WordPress.com then migrate to WordPress.org when outgrowing limitations. Plan for design rebuilding efforts whilst content preservation remains simple. Consider starting with WordPress.org avoiding future migration if you anticipate eventually needing advanced capabilities.
Is WordPress.org harder to use than WordPress.com?
WordPress.org requires managing hosting accounts and performing installations adding initial complexity compared to WordPress.com's simplified signup. However, modern managed hosting largely eliminates these challenges through one-click installations and automated management. Both platforms use identical WordPress dashboards for content management once installed. Difficulty differences lie primarily in setup and maintenance rather than day-to-day usage. WordPress.com simplifies initial setup whilst WordPress.org requires more setup effort but rewards with greater capabilities.
Why would anyone use WordPress.com instead of WordPress.org?
WordPress.com appeals to users prioritising simplicity, preferring hands-off hosting management, wanting guaranteed support, or operating within free/low-cost requirements where WordPress.com's free plan provides basic websites without hosting costs. Non-technical users appreciate automated security, updates, and infrastructure management. Simple blogs or personal websites function adequately within WordPress.com constraints. Business sites typically benefit from WordPress.org's flexibility though simple requirements sometimes suit WordPress.com adequately particularly at higher subscription tiers.
Do professional websites use WordPress.org or WordPress.com?
Professional business websites predominantly use self-hosted WordPress.org for complete control, unlimited customisation, and scalability. WordPress.org powers Fortune 500 companies, major publishers, and enterprise applications. WordPress.com serves some professional sites particularly at Business or E-commerce tiers but limitations constrain many professional requirements. Agencies and developers almost exclusively work with WordPress.org due to client customisation needs. WordPress.com suits professional users prioritising simplicity over customisation but represents minority of professional implementations.
Can WordPress.com Business plan do everything WordPress.org does?
WordPress.com Business plan approaches WordPress.org capabilities enabling plugin installations, custom themes, and advanced customisation. However, limitations remain including no server-level access, restricted file editing, platform-imposed constraints, and ongoing subscription requirements. WordPress.org provides complete freedom without any limitations. Business plan significantly narrows gaps between platforms but complete equivalence remains impossible due to fundamental hosting and control differences. Evaluate whether remaining WordPress.com constraints affect your specific requirements.
Which version is better for SEO?
WordPress.org provides superior SEO capabilities through complete technical control, unlimited plugin access, and comprehensive optimisation possibilities. Professional SEO implementations achieve better results on self-hosted WordPress. However, WordPress.com sites rank competitively when properly optimised particularly at Business tiers enabling SEO plugins. The platform matters less than content quality and optimisation efforts though WordPress.org provides advantages for competitive industries requiring advanced strategies. Most websites achieve satisfactory SEO on either platform with proper optimisation.
Is WordPress.com free forever?
WordPress.com offers free plans indefinitely without requiring upgrades. However, free plans include significant limitations like WordPress.com subdomains, displayed advertising, no custom themes, no plugins, and restricted customisation. Free plans suit basic blogs or personal sites accepting these constraints. Professional websites typically require paid plans unlocking custom domains, plugins, monetisation, and customisation. WordPress.com remains usable forever free though practical website requirements usually justify paid plans or WordPress.org migration.
Related WordPress Platform Topics:
Written by the WordPress specialists at London Web Design, with 12 years of experience implementing both WordPress.com and WordPress.org solutions for clients across London and the UK.
