FAQ July 26, 2018

Difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org

WordPress.com and WordPress.org can be a confusing topic for those just starting with WordPress. The following article explains what WordPress is and the difference between the two, pros and cons and why we use WordPress.org. Alethemes can only be used on WordPress.org as it is a premium theme.

WordPress is a publishing platform or content management system (CMS) that makes it easy for anyone to publish a site online. WordPress.com is the fully-hosted version, with WordPress.org being the self-hosted version, available for free at WordPress.org.

 

What is WordPress.com

WordPress.com is the fully hosted version of WordPress. Hosting, security and backups are all included. WordPress.com is great for starting out as it’s free, it has built in spam protection and automatic updates.

All you need to do is sign up, choose your blog name, select your theme and get started. It’s all there ready, under one roof and it’s all managed for you.

Pros

Cons

WordPress.com is a great platform allowing you the freedom to just add your content. However it lacks the freedom of a WordPress.org account, and it’s better for those who aren’t using it for business.

 

What is WordPress.org

WordPress.org is an open source project, by the makers of WordPress.org. That means you can download it for free and install it on any WordPress compatible hosting service.

Pros

Cons

Don’t let the cons scare you, most of these items are relatively simple to do and there is plenty of support available online. If you’re serious about your business, then WordPress.org is the platform for you, as it allows greater flexibility and control over your site.

 

Why is Alethemes on WordPress.org

At Alethemes we believe in you having the ultimate control over your website, everything from your branding, domain name, to your voice. WordPress.com doesn’t quite give you that freedom. WordPress.org allows you to add your own plugins, use premium themes (such as Alethemes) and allows you total control and ownership over your content.

Both interfaces are similar in terms of use, so ease of use is not a consideration when deciding. Whilst it may be a little more expensive to run a WordPress.org site, if you’re serious about your business and want that extra control, then WordPress.org is going to give you that. With only 3gb of space with the free version of WordPress.com it’s likely that as a photographer or creative, you’re going to run out of space fast.