Getting started with a brand new blog can seem like an overwhelming process at first.
There is a lot to understand, including your hosting plan and your blogging platform. You’ve probably already heard a lot about WordPress and then you’re ready to get started and you learn there there a Wordpress.com vs. Wordpress.org
What’s the difference anyway?
In short, the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is how your blog is HOSTED. We’ll explain this in detail in this article, so you can make sure you’re making the right decision when starting your blog.
WordPress.org (Self-Hosted)
If your blog is self-hosted (with a company like Bluehost), you will use WordPress.org with your blog. In this case, you will pay for your blog hosting and own your domain name.
We love Bluehost for a variety of reasons, but one of which is because it comes with a FREE domain name. Owning your domain name means that no one else can use it but you.
When you hear awesome things about how great WordPress is, peeps are talking about WordPress.org, which has a lot more features than WordPress.com.
It’s also free to use when you have a domain name and blog hosting plan.
Some of the top reasons why you should go with WordPress.org:
- Access to plugins, applications, and other extensions for your blog
- More control over your blog and content
- Ability to monetize your site with ads (free version does NOT allow this)
- Google analytics can be integrated to track your website visitors and stats.
- More customizability over your blog design with both free and paid themes
- Option to create an online store and monetize by selling products
The only downside is of course that you have to pay for hosting for your blog, which is generally one of your biggest costs for getting started.
We’ve partnered with Bluehost to get our subscribers a discount on their hosting plan – as low as $2.75/month (paid annually).
If you are planning on turning your blog into a business, this is the only way to go.
Next, let’s move on to the free version: WordPress.com.
WordPress.com (Free Version with Limitations)
WordPress.com is the free version, and as with most free software, this comes with a big asterisk.*
There are a few different options when it comes to using WordPress.com. There are both free and paid plans, with the paid plans having different costs and different options (from Personal all the way to Business).
WordPress.com is better suited for people wanting a hobby blog that aren’t interested in monetizing it. If you love writing and you just want to have a creative outlet to share your thoughts, this is probably for you.
If you want to monetize your blog and turn it into a business, WordPress.org is the better option.
Here are some of the reasons why we feel that you should NOT start with a free WordPress site:
- Only allowed up to 3GB of space until you have to upgrade to a paid plan
- You CANNOT monetize with ads, which is the way that most new bloggers monetize first — BUT they still put ads all over your website. You just don’t earn any money from them. (Yikes…)
- Can’t upload any plugins, which help you design your blog, collect emails, add social media icons, and more.
- Can’t upload a customizable theme to help you design your blog (only use the limited options that WordPress provides)
- Your site can be deleted at any time if WordPress feels that you have violated their terms of service for any reason.
- You do NOT own your domain name. You’ll have .wordpress.com attached to your otherwise nice blog name.
The last point is a big one. For example, we own the domain and blog, createandgo.com. If we opted for the free version of WordPress, our website would be www.createandgo.wordpress.com.
We wouldn’t OWN the domain name, which means that if we chose to blog with a free site for a few months before upgrading, someone else could purchase the domain name createandgo.com and we would no longer be able to use it.
As you can see from the list above, your use of your WordPress.com blog will be very limited. That is why it’s best for hobby bloggers.
Is It Okay to Start Off With a Free Blog?
We often get asked if it’s okay to start off with a free WordPress blog to test the waters and decide if it’s right for you and then upgrade at a later point.
The answer is that’s fine if that’s what you want to do.
You’re going to create more of a hassle to transfer your blog over to a self-hosted version at some point. You should also make sure to purchase your desired domain name regardless of whether you pay for hosting because if you don’t, someone could take it.
Most people that end up starting with the free version end up abandoning it or very quickly decide that it isn’t going to do the job and upgrade to the paid version.
We personally feel that the only way to get started is to DIVE IN and invest in yourself and this new business. Blogging is no different than any other business and has start-up costs. It deserves time, attention, and some initial costs to get started on the right foot!
How to Start the RIGHT Way
If you feel like you want to really give blogging a real shot, starting with Bluehost + WordPress.org is the way to go! There are a few different hosting options out there, but Bluehost is one of the best in the biz, and for good reason.
Read This Next: How to Start a Blog (on WordPress) Step-by-Step Guide
If you found this article on WordPress.com and WordPress.org for blogs or have any questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section below!
Please let me know how can I make money
Hey Badal! I recommend signing up for our FREE 5-day email course, linked on the homepage. That will give you a good overview of how this works 🙂
You have very well described the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. WordPress.com handles all software updates on their own, as needed. WordPress.org software is built to adhere to all modern standards & security requirements.
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
how do I know that I have the right wordpress (.com versus .org?
when I login the url says that com.
If I have .com and to change to .org, how do I do that? I already got a theme and have to personalized it. What do I do?
Who is your host provider?
Hi Lauren, I’m really turning into a fan of guys. Love the information that’s delivered. I bought my Domain name through Hover and I had already bought the business plan through Wordpress.com. Should I transfer my Domain name over to Bluehost? I really wish I had found you guys before I bought wordpress.com. What is the difference in what I have now vs wordpress.org and Bluehost?
Hey Tammy. We always recommend that you pay for hosting as it will give you more freedom to do what you want with your website, including monetization. We recommend Bluehost for beginners, but any paid hosting service is better than free 🙂
This was so helpful!! I was logging into .com and I kept getting mad that my website wasn’t there but after going into .org I see that it is there and it makes so much more sense now. I have a bluehost and wordpress combo. Do I still have to download wordpress from the .org website? or do I just login through bluehost always.
Hey Ariana, you can log in from the Bluehost site or by adding /wp-admin to the end of your URL
I’m confused. I signed up just like this but it automatically took me to Wordpress.com from Bluehost. It never gave me the option for wordpress.org. I paid for the 36th month plan just like your video instructed.
When we talk about WordPress.com and Wordpress.org, we are referring to hosting. But WordPress is also a platform. When you host with Bluehost you have the option to download the WordPress platform.
How can I find out if someone is already using my name and idea before I sign-up for a .org?
Hey, Kelly. When you get to the point where you are choosing your domain name through the hosting company or other domain name website, it will tell you if the name is already taken.
If you’ve already had a .com site for a while, (it’s horribly neglected) can it be transferred over to a .org site later??
Hey, Christian. Absolutely! The article above walks you through the process!
Thanks! That what I get for just skimming 🙂
So I accidentally started with a wordpress.com site instead of buying hosting. I didnt know the diffference. I also paid for wordpress.com premium. Can I monetize wordpress.com Premium version?
Also, I was under the impression that I own the domain. If I need to pay for Hosting again I will most likely buy hosting from one of the affiliate offers since it is 1$ cheaper through you guys.
You’re okay as long as you own your own domain name and have a premium hosting service!
Thank you guys for being so Genuine!
Hey, Frederick! Yes, absolutely! You’ll be fine as long as you pay for a premium hosting service and own your own domain name!
thank you so much for all the information above. It’s really help. I’m currently planning to start blogging activities, but was unsure which site should I used. Again, thank you.
I just spent 3 – 4 days setting up wordpress.com :/
Well, I haven’t published anything yet but I have written a lot in a few drafts which I can use. I’m going to make an account on wordpress.org
My plan is to start free blogging, and if I see that it gets any attention, I’m going to invest money into it. If anyone steals my domain, I have a backup name.
That’s a great idea! Good luck! 🙂
Happy Sunday and trying to adjust to Daylight Savings (at least on the East Coast). I just took my first swan dive in to setting up my blog using your link. I am using a .com not a .org but have upgraded to all the bells and whistles. Does it mean that I can not monetize my blog if I’m a .com or was that just related to using the FREE option?
I believe it’s just related to the free version!
Trust me you guys are really amazing. I had zero knowledge about how to start a blog but through your articles and videos i have been able to create a blog. Am so happy about that because it saved me thousands of dollars i would have spent on a professional to do same for me. Thank you duo so much.
Congrats on getting started!!
A & L—I want to monetize my blog and I have had a WP Premium and own my domain. Currently, WP is hosting my site and I am so confused as to why I would want to use another host other than the Mothership? I have not made any progress for at least one year but I am making 2018 my launch year….help!
Hey, Kim! Not all hosting companies were created equal. Prices for hosting vary and some are known for having far better hosting service and customer service than others. For example, we’ve had all sorts of problems with Siteground and had to leave their company after our website kept losing connection repeatedly. We recommend Bluehost personally because they have incredible service and customer service and because it’s what we personally use on our two blogs and various other websites. But if you’re happy with your current host, there is no need to switch! 🙂
This is really informative! I have a free plan for my wordpress blog and have been trying to figure out how to go about attaining a domain name for it. I started off with a free platform a couple of years ago to see how it would go, but have recently wanted to look into monetizing it.
Glad that you found it helpful, Hannah!
Great information! Thank you both !!
Pls how can u help me to start my blog, & which of hosting site will be good for someone like me in Nigeria, Africa. Thank u
Hey, Lawrence. We recommend Bluehost, but I’m not sure if they provide service to Nigeria or not. I would look for more information on their website to see!