WordPress.com vs WordPress.org, what’s the difference?

I often get asked by potential clients, WordPress.com vs WordPress.org, what’s the difference?

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This post explains WordPress.com vs WordPress.org and highlights what the main differences are when creating a website on these platforms.

CEB Creative specialises in the bespoke design and build of self-hosted WordPress websites (WordPress.org) which are not the same thing as WordPress.com websites. The self-hosted version of WordPress gives clients maximum flexibility and ownership of their website. WordPress.com is essentially a website builder and has certain restrictions which you can read more about here.

If you are hosting with WordPress.com they own your website, it’s stored on their servers and you only have front-end access to it. If (for example) you ever wanted to move your site this would prove difficult. You are also limited by the set-up packages, off-the-shelf template themes they offer and the functionality (you don’t have access to certain plugins etc).

The WordPress sites I build still use the same content management framework as WordPress.com (which is open source) but they are completely customisable in terms of design, build and functionality. You get exactly what you want as opposed to trying to shoehorn your design and functionality requirements into templates.

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

The main difference

Using WordPress.com is absolutely fine, it’s just designed to be set up by you the end user rather than a developer like me.

The direction you should take to create your website really depends on your budget and what you hope to achieve from your website. If you just need a site to direct people to then WordPress.com is fine. If you want your site to bring you business, get found in the search results and generate leads then you need to invest a bit more in it and move to WordPress.org.

 Choose WordPress.org if you want…

A bespoke professional design, the best long-term solution for business, to get found in Google search for keywords and extend the functionality as much as you need too.

WordPress.org Home Page

 Choose WordPress.com if you are a…

Start-up business with no budget, that just needs something to show and tell. As long as you are happy with the design and functionality limitations.

WordPress.com Home Page

CEB Creative Websites

My website packages all include the following as standard:

  • Keyword Research
  • Bespoke design
  • Bespoke WordPress theme build (HTML, PHP & CSS)
  • Contact form
  • Social media feeds (twitter, facebook, Instagram)
  • Fully responsive on mobile and tablet devices
  • Basic on-page SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
  • 1 hour Skype WordPress Training
  • Two weeks free technical support
  • Six-week performance review

If you need a self-hosted WordPress website, contact me today!

Find out more about bespoke WordPress website design and build!