Should you choose to build a WordPress website? WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

The text is the 14th article in the topic “Introduction to WordPress (19 Articles in Total)”. Before reading this article, it is recommended to read the previous article first:

  • 1.Introduction to WordPress What is WordPress?
  • 2.What conditions do I need to build a WordPress site?
  • 3.Getting started with WordPress: How to install WordPress
  • 4.Basic WordPress Settings for Getting Started with WordPress
  • 5.Getting Started with WordPress Creating and Managing Article Categories
  • 6.Getting started with WordPress is a little-known backstage secret”
  • 7.Getting Started with WordPress Publishing New Articles and Managing Articles
  • 8.Getting Started with WordPress: New and Management Pages
  • 9.WordPress Getting Started Settings Navigation Menu
  • 10.Installation themes and plug-ins for getting started with WordPress
  • 11.Getting Started with WordPress: Manually update WordPress cores, themes and plug-ins
  • 12.Getting Started with WordPress: Guide to Revised Articles
  • 13.What types of websites can WordPress build?

Occasionally, I encounter some friends who ask,”Can WordPress be used after registering? Which package should I choose?” The first reaction was that they thought that what we usually call WordPress website building is to register and purchase packages at WordPress.com. Not really, weGenerally speaking, WordPress website building means purchasing your own domain name and host, downloading WordPress programs from WordPress.org and building a website on the host。Today, Zhang Meng will briefly explain to everyone, WordPress.com and WordPress.org, and which method should we choose to build our own WordPress website.

Should you choose to build a WordPress website? WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

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3 types of WordPress

When you first come into contact with WordPress, you can feel very confused. That’s because you can have three different types of WordPress websites. They all have their own functions, advantages and disadvantages:

  1. WordPress.com:This platform is fully hosted by the WordPress.com developer team. In other words, to use this free software, all you have to do is sign up for an account and start publishing content. Everything else will be handled for you.
  2. Advanced WordPress.com:You can choose to upgrade your free WordPress.com account. Packages range in prices from $4 to $45 per month and have a variety of more advanced features.
  3. WordPress.org:This platform is self-hosted, you can download the WordPress installation package from this website, and then purchase your own domain name and hosting server. The WordPress program is completely free to use. Using this method to build a website, you are also responsible for all site maintenance, including software updates, speed optimization, site security, etc. In other words, there is a lot of freedom.

This is just a brief introduction, let us continue to introduce it in detail.

1. Free WordPress.com

Should you choose to build a WordPress website? WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

With the free WordPress.com website, all you have to do is focus on publishing high-quality content, while you do everything else.

The free WordPress.com website has the following features:

  • Hosting, backup and site security
  • Hundreds of themes to choose from
  • Social sharing skills (social interaction abroad)
  • Built-in contact form, review system, image library, surveys and polls, and site statistics
  • SEO optimization so that search engines can find and index your website in relevant search results and attract traffic on their own terms
  • Built-in XML sitemap helps Google Rover better understand your website, allowing you to rank higher in search results
  • Limited customer service support and access to community forums
  • Supported by WordPress.com links on your website

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of WordPress.com:

Advantages of WordPress.com

WordPress.com is free to use and provides a great starting point for beginner website owners or amateur bloggers. This is an affordable way to keep your site up and running. Other benefits of WordPress.com include:

  • It provides up to 3GB of storage for free. After that, you must pay for a premium plan with more space (the personal version provides you with 6GB of space for only $4 per month, the premium version provides you with 13GB of space for only $8 per month, the business version provides you with 200 GB of space for only $25 per month, and the e-commerce version provides you with 200GB of storage for $45 per month).
  • You never have to worry about registering a domain name, paying for a virtual host, or performing updates or website backups, because WordPress.com will do it for you.

Disadvantages of WordPress.com

Although the free WordPress.com website is affordable, there are many limitations:

  • they willadvertisingPut it on all free websites you don’t make money from. In fact, you are not allowed to monetize and receive all of your revenue through the website in any way. If you want to remove ads, you must upgrade to a paid plan.
  • youUnable to upload WordPress themes or plugins。Even if you pay for a premium WordPress.com plan, you can only use whatever is available to you.
  • If they think you violated your registrationagree with the terms and conditions, they can delete your website at any time.
  • If you want to run a businessonline store, you need to invest in the highest-paying premium plan, which is ultimately better than using a self-hosted WordPress.org website with high-quality web hostingexpensive。In addition, you will still be inLimited in design and functionality

As you can see, even with the premium WordPress.com plan, you can use theWebsite appearance and functionality are also limited。This may actually limit online business owners seeking to grow and succeed.

2. premium WordPress.com

If you decide you need more features but want to stick with WordPress.com, there are several advanced features available with the Premium Plan compared to the free WordPress.com.

In fact, premium WordPress.com is a hybrid between the limited free WordPress.com platform and the 100% flexible WordPress.org content management system.

For example, youYou can use a custom domain name, upload themes, install plug-ins and choose your own host, but you still have to agree to the terms of service

Available features depend on the package you choose.

Should you choose to build a WordPress website? WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

Some of the most famous advanced features of WordPress.com include:

  • extra storage space
  • One year of free custom domain names
  • Access free and premium themes and plugins
  • social media integration
  • Website monetization (sharing revenue with WordPress.com)
  • Built-in SEO tools
  • Remove WordPress.com brand links
  • electronic commerce functions

With premium WordPress.com, you get a lot of customer support. You can even arrange a one-on-one session with an agent to build your website. After that, you will also have 24/7 access to live chat and email support.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of advanced WordPress.com:

Advantages of advanced WordPress.com:

Advanced WordPress.com expands the design and functionality of the WordPress.com website and has the following advantages:

  • Access additional storage space so your website can grow
  • Low-budget entry points
  • Free custom domain names
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Integrate with popular Jetpack plug-ins

Disadvantages of advanced WordPress.com:

Despite a step away from the free WordPress.com website, the premium WordPress.com plan still has many limitations:

  • Terms and conditions must be adhered to, otherwise your website may be deleted
  • Monthly plans maybecome expensive, especially when compared to the self-hosted WordPress.org solution
  • youLimited to plugins and themes that can be uploaded

Similarly, using the advanced WordPress.com website may be useful to some users. But for those seeking solutions that are flexible, affordable and fully customizable,Even a premium version of WordPress.com is unlikely to have everything you need.

3. Self-hosted WordPress.org

Should you choose to build a WordPress website? WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

WordPress.org is a completely self-hosted platform, which means you need to purchase a domain name and a hosting server to use it. That is to say,You can download WordPress software for free, install it in your own host space, and use your own domain name to access the website

Your virtual host is responsible for storing data and files for your website and delivering its content to users when they visit your website. WordPress installation is very simple, and many host spaces now provide one-click online installation of WordPress. The website is completely hosted on your own host, so you need to carry out daily maintenance of the website, such as updates, speed optimization, security, troubleshooting, etc.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of self-hosting WordPress.org:

Advantages of WordPress.org:

Using WordPress.org, youFull control of the entire website。not only can youCustomize the appearance and functionality of the website, you can also:

  • It is free and very suitable for beginners (Even if you need to pay for domain names and hosting space
  • youHave your own website and all of its data。No one can take it away from you because they think you have violated the terms and conditions. you alsoYou can create any type of website you want
  • youYou can make money through your own website and retain 100% of your revenue– No revenue sharing is required.
  • You can send a message to the websiteAdd free, premium and custom themes, plug-ins and apps
  • canAdd powerful tools, such as Google Analytics for advanced metric tracking

Disadvantages of WordPress.org:

There are also some drawbacks to using self-hosted WordPress.org:

  • you mustPay domain name and web hosting fees。In other words, the cost of a domain name is usually about 70 yuan per year, while the cost of a virtual host is about 100-200 yuan per year.
  • you needBe responsible for website maintenance, speed optimization, website security, problem handling, etc.

Which is better, WordPress.com or WordPress.org?

The type of WordPress platform you choose will depend on the features and skill levels you require. The table below outlines the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, so you can make informed decisions:

WordPress.com WordPress.org
WordPress.com is a hosting solution that lets you set up blogs or websites to run on WordPress. WordPress.org is a self-hosted solution, which means you must have host space or server and download WordPress software to install and use it.
Your domain name will bear the trademark of the WordPress.com subdomain. You will have a custom domain name.
You will not have to handle any website maintenance. You are responsible for all site maintenance, including backup, security and updates.
Whether you are using the free version or the premium version, you are required to create an account. You are required to create a separate virtual hosting account and install WordPress software to use it.
“Supported by” links must be displayed on your website or removed for a fee. You don’t have to display the “Supported by” link unless you want to.
In order to access advanced features, you must invest in advanced plans. WordPress software is completely free and open source, so you can change the design and functionality as needed.
Unable to upload plugins or themes; you are limited to available themes and plugins Free, premium or custom WordPress themes and plug-ins can be uploaded to extend the design and functionality of the site.
You are limited to the built-in analytics and statistics that are available. You can install third-party analytics tools to better track website metrics.
Although you can create e-commerce stores with the highest paying plans, even WordPress.com recommends investing in self-hosted solutions. You can easily create an online mall using WordPress.org.

our advice

The website built by WordPress.com does not have a good access speed in China, and it will load some files that cannot be accessed in China. You will need to pay to use some specific functions, and the final cost will be much more expensive than the WordPress website built by you!!

We strongly recommend:Buy your own domain name and host, and then download the WordPress program from WordPress.org for free to install and use. This is the most cost-effective and free way. You can use any WordPress theme and plug-ins, and build any type of website (including the mall website). All data is your own, so you can operate it whatever you want!

If you don’t know how to use self-built WordPress, you can take a look at our tutorial:

  • Getting Started with WordPress
  • WordPress Quick Start Video Tutorial

The various resources introduced by WordPress University are all for the WordPress website they have built and are not applicable to WordPress.com.

You have finished reading article 14 of the topic “WordPress Introduction Tutorials (19 Articles in Total)”. Please continue reading the article below on this topic:

  • 15.Unable to send email? WordPress uses Gmail to configure SMTP to send emails
  • 16.WordPress cannot be updated online. You need to fill in FTP information. What should I do?
  • 17.WordPress foreign trade website adds Google Analytics code to count website visits
  • 18.WordPress website adds Baidu statistical code to count website visits
  • 19.How to disable comments in WordPress: The complete guide

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