WordPress.Com vs WordPress.Org

WordPress.com vs WordPress.Org – How are they different?

A frequent question that most blogging newbies grapple with is – how is wordpress.org different from wordpress.com? In this article we will highlight the differences between the two and also help you make the best choice between them.

Which is the best choise for you?

A blog is essentially made up of two major components: a content management system and a hosting server. A content management system as the name suggests is used to manage all the content associated with your blog. It helps you create, store and publish content to your blog. A hosting server stores your data on the internet which is made accessible to anyone with an internet connection who requests it through a web browser.
WordPress.com provides you with a content management system and also hosts your blog on its server, both of which are free of cost. Blogs hosted on WordPress.com get automatic updates, regular backups, in-built security and spam protection.
On the other hand WordPress.org is the best open source content management system which is usually installed on a paid hosting server of your choice. If you use wordpress.org on a paid hosted server you would be responsible for updates, backups, spam protection and security of your blog.Wordpress.org is highly customizable. You can either create your own themes and plugins or you also have the ability to apply custom themes to your blog and select from a vast repository of plugins. Since these blogs are hosted on paid servers therefore they have their own custom domain names. A blogger has complete freedom when it comes to monetizing and branding their blogs.
WordPress.com provides very limited customization options to its users. The underlying code of your blog cannot be tampered with and also you can only choose from a fixed selection of plugin options. The domain names are always appended with wordpress.com, which does not give it a professional look. Additionally a blogger’s options are severely restricted when it comes to monetizing and branding their blog.
Although you would be responsible for making sure that your blog is updated, protected and optimized for search engines but It is always better to have complete control over your blog. You can only maximize the complete potential of your blog by having the ability to create your own custom themes and plugins. Also you would have to shell out an annual fee to a hosting service for hosting your blog but since you would prefer having complete independence when it comes to monetizing your blog and also keep your entire revenue therefore WordPress.org becomes an obvious choice.