WordPress is the most popular way to build a website. But despite its popularity, there’s one question that many new users still struggle with – what’s the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org?

If you search for “WordPress” on Google, the two websites will rank #1 and #2. And if you’re new to WordPress, you might not know which one to use.

This article will explain the key differences between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org and help you pick the best one for your needs.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

The key difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is who’s actually hosting your website.

With WordPress.org, you host your own site (we recommend this).

With WordPress.com, on the other hand, it’s WordPress.com that takes care of all of this for you (easier to start, less freedom). And that’s the major difference.

Nowadays, hosting companies like Bluehost or SiteGround are as easy to start with as WordPress.com, cheaper and with more freedom.

The cost of using WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

WordPress.com does allow you to set up a website entirely for free, but there are some downsides to this:

• You can only place your site under a subdomain
• You cannot remove WordPress.com’s own ads and branding from your site
• You get limited disk space of 3GB
• You can’t monetize your blog or website
• You can’t install plugins or any themes that aren’t available on the platform by default

If you do want to use your site for a commercial purpose, you will have to pay at least $8 / month on your WordPress.com plan + the cost of a custom domain name usually in the range of $15 / year. In total, this means at least $111 annually to run a site on WordPress.com.

With WordPress.org, on the other hand, you can launch a completely functional website at $35 for the first year and then $50 every year after that.

To make that happen, you first need to pick a web host. We have some suggestions for you here, but if you’re in a hurry, just go with Bluehost. They’re a respected company with tons of options for WordPress. Here’s what’s good about Bluehost’s offering:

• You can get started at $2.95 / month
• You get a free domain name for the first year
• WordPress will be installed for you automatically

From a user’s point of view, Bluehost works similarly to WordPress.com – as in, you sign up, pick a hosting plan, tell them to install WordPress for you, finalize the purchase and you’re good to do.

Plus, what you also get is complete freedom over what you want to do with your site – something that WordPress.com doesn’t give you. Go here to get started with Bluehost and WordPress.org.

If you need some more info before making up your mind, here’s a more in-depth look at the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org:

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Pros and cons

Each version has its own pros and cons. (Although, I personally think the .com version has more cons than pros. But you can decide for yourself!)

When to use WordPress.com

With WordPress.com, you don’t have to worry about purchasing hosting or maintaining your site. It also can be free, though there are paid plans as well.

The free plan limits you to 3GB of data and a subdomain (like mywebsite.wordpress.com). It also includes WordPress.com ads.

Furthermore, you won’t be able to install your own “plugins” or “themes” unless you pay for the expensive business plan. Plugins and themes are one of the most helpful things about the WordPress software because they make it easy to customize your site, so that’s a pretty big loss.

If the thought of changing a domain name server (DNS) or backing up your website data sounds incredibly daunting, WordPress.com may be the way to go to create a basic blog/website. But if you want any kind of flexibility, plan to monetize your site, or want your site to grow in the long run, WordPress.com can be very limiting.

When to use WordPress.org

WordPress.org has to be set up with your hosting provider. In most cases, this is a simple one-click install, and is really easy.

In fact, if you purchase your domain name from your hosting provider, you don’t even have to worry about changing DNSs. It will be done for you!

Plus, WordPress.org has much better customization options. You’re able to install plugins, use custom website themes, and do just about anything you want with your site.

You can also monetize your website however you want, which is great if you’re planning to make it a business.

If you want full control over your site and the best possible options, go with WordPress.org.

Even though there’s a bit more of a learning curve, in the long run you’ll thank yourself for making this decision.

Ready to get started? As mentioned, we recommend Bluehost as the place to launch your WordPress website. The setup is easy and they help you along the way, too. For more guidance, here’s our 15 minute tutorial to starting a WordPress website.