What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
WordPress.com and WordPress.org share a name and a similar editor. They are not the same product. WordPress.org is the open-source software you download and install on a host you choose. WordPress.com is Automattic's service, and that company hosts the site for you.
Check the address and the bill. A site on name.wordpress.com, or a plan you pay to WordPress.com, is the hosted service. A site you open at your own domain's /wp-admin, on a host you pay separately, is the WordPress.org software.
- WordPress.org is software you install
- WordPress.com is hosting and software in one Automattic account
- The editor looks similar. The owner of the server does not
What can you change on each one?
On WordPress.org you can install plugins and themes, and you can edit the code. You also apply updates and keep backups, unless the host does that work. Ads, a shop, and membership rules are yours to set.
On WordPress.com the free plan is the quick start. A custom domain and third-party plugins need a paid plan. Automattic applies the core updates. You do not run your own server, so you cannot move the files to another host from a control panel.
| WordPress.org | WordPress.com | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Free software you install | Hosted service from Automattic |
| Hosting | You buy it | Included |
| Address | Your domain | name.wordpress.com on the free plan |
| Plugins | Any you install | Only on a higher paid plan |
| Themes and code | Any theme, and you can edit the code | A set of themes; editing code depends on the plan |
| Updates | You, or your host | Automattic |
| Suits | A business, a shop, or a site that needs plugins | A simple blog you do not want to maintain |
What does WordPress.org cost?
The WordPress.org download costs nothing. You still pay for a domain and for hosting. WordPress.com includes hosting. It has a free plan, and Automattic sets the price of the paid plans. WebJi® is not Automattic, so those paid prices are not ours.
Self-hosted WordPress on WordPress hosting is ₹400 a month for WordPress Unlimited and ₹500 a month for WordPress Unlimited+. Both figures are before 18% GST. The one-year totals on the same card are ₹3,000 and ₹4,200.
Which one should you pick?
Use WordPress.com for a short blog when you will not install plugins and you accept Automattic as the host. The free plan fits a private journal. A public name usually needs your own domain, which the free plan does not give you.
Use WordPress.org when the site is a business, a shop, or a blog that needs its own forms, SEO, or membership plugins. You pay for hosting and you keep the files. It is still a capable website builder. It is not a locked account where the platform owns the server.
Shopify is a hosted shop, which is a different product from WordPress.com and from the WordPress.org software. A shop on self-hosted WordPress uses WooCommerce on a host you control.
How do you move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org?
A move copies the writing off WordPress.com onto WordPress you installed yourself. The XML file holds posts, pages, and comments. It does not rebuild a paid theme as a finished design. Open the new site before you change the domain.
- On WordPress.com, open Tools, then Export, and download the XML file.
- If the public address is still a wordpress.com name, register the domain you want and order hosting that can run WordPress.
- Install WordPress in the document root. This step is done when /wp-admin shows a login form. The panel clicks are in installing WordPress on cPanel.
- In the new dashboard, open Tools, then Import, run the WordPress importer, upload the XML, and download the attachments.
- Open the home page, one post, and the media library. If those three load, the content moved. Point the domain only after that, and leave the WordPress.com site online until they do.
That export is not a full design move. For an approved copy onto a new WebJi® plan, email support@webji.services. Free migration is subject to terms and approval, and it is not instant. A move that is quoted before you pay sits on the website migration service. WebJi® is not WordPress.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
WordPress.org is free software you install on hosting you choose. WordPress.com is Automattic's hosted service. The free WordPress.com plan uses a wordpress.com address, and plugins need a paid plan.
What does WordPress.org cost?
The software is free. You pay for a domain and for hosting. On WebJi®, WordPress Unlimited is ₹400 a month and WordPress Unlimited+ is ₹500 a month, before 18% GST. WordPress.com prices are set by Automattic, not by WebJi®.
Does WordPress.com allow plugins?
Not on the free plan. Third-party plugins need a higher paid WordPress.com plan. On WordPress.org you can install plugins from the first day, because you control the server.
Can I move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org?
Yes. Export the XML from Tools on WordPress.com, install WordPress on your host, and import that file. Confirm a post and the media library load before you point the domain. A host-assisted move is subject to terms and approval, and it is not instant.
Which is better for a business website?
WordPress.org on hosting you control is the better fit when you need your own plugins, a shop, or your own domain without a platform plan. WordPress.com fits a simple blog you do not want to maintain.
What is WordPress.org used for?
It is the download people use to run a self-hosted WordPress site: a blog, a business site, or a shop. You use it by installing it on a host, then logging in at /wp-admin.