WordPress is a free online blog service that is used by bloggers and SEO businesses around the nation. WordPress has two different domains, a “.com” website, and a “.org” site. Both sites are very popular blogging providers, but they have many different features that will suit different types of blog users. We always tell our clients to start a wordpress blog, but they usually ask us to explain the differences and compare Wordpress.com vs WordPress.org.
While WordPress is extremely popular, their is a clear distinction between the two services.
WordPress.com
The “.com” version of WordPress is free to use for anyone but has several limitations that the “.org” version allows. With WordPress.com, they provide you with a domain name that contains WordPress in its name. In other words, you don’t have to pay for a separate domain name, they provide one for you.
WordPress.com does not allow advertisements on your blog either because your blog is a part of their website. Also, this site limits the amount of space you have for use and the amount of customization you can do. You can download themes made by WordPress to customize your site, but you cannot use custom themes on WordPress.com. Using WordPress.com is recommended for beginner blog users that do not have serious aspirations for their blog. Nonetheless, it is a great blog service and is very simple for new bloggers to use.
WordPress.org
The “.org” service creates a blog for you, but instead of hosting it on their own page, you must purchase your own domain name to host your site. However, paying for your own domain is very beneficial in the long run. This allows you to have full customization abilities, including custom themes and unlimited advertising.
With these added features, you must be able to use more advanced computer knowledge to use a WordPress.org blog. WordPress.org makes creating your own website or blog extremely easy. It is very user-friendly and allows you to create a high quality blog for your business or personal use.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
Use the comparison below to make a final choice:
Pros of WordPress.com
- Easy to set up
- Themes are pre-installed. No dealing with finding a custom theme
- There is a like button on every post
- You get high domain authority for easier rankings
- Its Free!
Cons of WordPress.com
- You can’t use custom plugins
- You are limited to the themes they allow
- You are forced to show ads
- You don’t get your own branded domain
Pros of WordPress.org
- You get to fully deploy WordPress on your own branded domain
- Much more customization options with plugins & themes
- You’re allowed to sell ads on your site
- With more customization, you can make your site into much more than a blog.
Cons of WordPress.org
- You need to be a bit tech savvy to setup a server
- Slightly more vulnerable to attacks, since you are on your own server
- If your server is weak, it can crash with alot of visitors.
- You have to pay for your own domain & hosting
Is WordPress Good for Blogging?
Yes. Blogging can be used for personal use or for SEO purposes. If you are making a blog for personal use, using WordPress is an easy way to document your daily activities or personal interests. Also, WordPress is a favorite for SEO businesses because it is simple to use and very effective for SEO.
