WordPress.org vs WordPress.com - What’s the Difference?

Many people starting their journey with WordPress wonder about the actual difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Although both share the common theme of WordPress, they actually offer entirely different solutions.

WordPress.org

It’s a site where we can freely download the WordPress CMS without any limits or restrictions. Simply put, here you’ll find the full version of WordPress to install on your own server. However, it does not offer any hosting services.

On WordPress.org, you’ll find all components, detailed descriptions, and the entire WordPress community. This site includes essential resources like the documentation (Codex), plugin repository, theme directory, and many other critical elements for WordPress users.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com, on the other hand, is a platform where you can create an account with WordPress already installed and ready to use. You can choose from several plans, each offering different storage capacities and available features.

Summary

The basic, free version of an account on WordPress.com is quite limited, but many people choose it as an option for their first steps with WordPress. The question is, is this the right choice? WordPress.com does not offer many essential functionalities found in a standard WordPress installation, especially in its lower-tier plans. For example, users cannot install their own plugins, including WooCommerce. This raises the question of what to choose. We recommend our PRO hosting package along with a custom domain for the best experience.