I do a lot of training with WordPress users, whether in classes, one-on-one with clients, or at meetups. I find running these courses both rewarding and challenging, and I really enjoy seeing people leave at the end of the day, or come into a session with an "I think I finally figured it out" look on their faces.
One of the conversations that keeps popping up in all of the training revolves around the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Specifically, the difference between a free hosted WordPress service and downloading a free copy of WordPress and hosting it yourself.
While the core of the software is the same, and the look and feel of everything you do when managing your website from the dashboard is the same, there are some key differences you should be aware of if you're in the process of deciding which options Suitable for you.
The most basic difference between the two is that WordPress.com puts your site into a network of sites, all essentially running from one WordPress instance, while WordPress.org takes your own copy of WordPress and Run it for yourself.
On the surface, WordPress.com is indeed attractive, not least of which is that it’s free. It's also attractive because it's fully managed and you don't have to worry about things like behind-the-scenes security (of course, if your password is password1234, you're on your own), updates, and Maintenance; WordPress.com takes care of this for you. Finally, the dashboard on WordPress.com is protected by SSL, which is another helpful security measure.
I'm afraid there are some things you have to trade for free factors. Free WordPress.com is ad-supported, so you will have to put up with the ads unless you pay to have them removed. Your server space is limited to 3GB, which isn't too bad if you don't use a lot of photos (or you post photos via Flickr or some external site), but if you really want to add audio files etc. content, you will have to host them elsewhere, or upgrade your account, as you cannot host audio files on WordPress.com without upgrading your space. If you want to have your own personal domain (e.g.
mycorneroftheweb.com) that directs people to your WordPress.com site, you will have to pay for domain mapping. In fact, $13.00 per year is not that expensive, if you purchased the domain from WordPress.com it would also cost you $5.00 per year. That said, there are many additional features you can add to WordPress.com to make it better/smarter/more feature-rich, such as space upgrades, VideoPress, custom CSS, ad removal, premium themes, etc. Understanding what these features are and their associated costs may help you make your decision. You can get more details here.
The biggest disadvantage of WordPress.com is that you can’t extend your site with plugins or many of the cooler features available with self-hosted sites.
You also cannot run your own ads (such as Google AdWords) or other ads from affiliate marketing type services. You might be considered a failure because you have to pay to upgrade features on WordPress.com, whereas a one-time annual hosting fee for self-managed should completely cover your costs (unless you want to include add-ons that might is advanced).
Finally, some types of code (such as JavaScript and iFrames) cannot be pasted into your WordPress.com site or WordPress.com widgets - this is a trade-off for features that keep you and other WordPress.com users safe.
This can be a problem if you want to paste something like a snazzy Twitter widget or a signup form from another provider. Basically, with WordPress.com, you can only use what they deem safe for the entire web (to be fair, they have a lot of people to look out for).
WordPress.org - Self-hosted
When you set up a self-hosted WordPress installation, you gain total flexibility that you don’t get with WordPress.com. There is a huge library of plugins and themes (free and paid) that you can use to extend and customize your website. You can do anything you want by installing WordPress!
The disadvantage of full control is that it has full responsibility for maintenance and security. Keeping things like plugins, WordPress core, and themes up to date will be up to you or your web developer.
You can customize your theme to your liking without paying any extra to add functionality, and you can install plugins for e-commerce, memberships, and anything else you want WordPress to do.
However, if you are using a plugin that introduces security vulnerabilities, then you will also need to fix and clean up after any breaches that may have occurred. Finally, you must also be responsible for keeping backups of your website. Either using a plugin, or using the tools provided by your host (check with them so you know what backup plan they offer you).
To self-host WordPress, you must purchase the domain and web hosting and set it up yourself. There are articles and tutorials that can make this easier, but do your research before launching into it. Cheap hosting comes at a price, so look for a reputable host with good reviews, and remember, you get what you pay for. A lot of people I know paid for cheap hosting and needed to leave it within a short period of time because their hosting wasn't meeting the needs of their website.
So while with self-hosted WordPress you have more of the world at your fingertips, you also introduce a level of complexity and responsibility into the process. That’s the fun thing for some people like me; if this sounds like a nightmare, then, again, maybe WordPress.com is your best bet.
The best thing about WordPress.com is that it’s free, secure, and easy to manage, making it a great platform to get started with, and the flexibility to upgrade (for a fee) as needed. When you're willing to learn some of the finer, more technical aspects of website management, you can move from .com to .org. The biggest drawback is that you are limited in what you can and cannot do.
The biggest advantage of WordPress.org is that you can do whatever you want on your website, the disadvantage is the learning curve and the responsibility that comes with the freedom.
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