#How to Start a Website

[wjmdigitaldesign]

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: What’s the Difference and Which One Should You Choose?

If you’re thinking about launching a website or starting a blog, chances are you’ve come across WordPress. But there’s a common point of confusion: WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. At first glance, they sound like the same thing — but they’re actually quite different platforms with distinct features, pros, and cons.

In this blog post, we’ll break down the differences between the two, help you understand which one suits your needs, and guide you toward the best choice for your website goals.

What is WordPress.org?

WordPress.org is the self-hosted version of WordPress. It’s the open-source software that anyone can download for free and install on their own web hosting server. With WordPress.org, you have full control over your website.

Key Features:

Complete Customization: Install any theme or plugin, modify the code, and design your site exactly the way you want.

Ownership: You fully own your website and all its content.

Monetization Freedom: Use any ad network, sell products, offer memberships, or add affiliate links with no restrictions.

Advanced Functionality: Great for eCommerce (using plugins like WooCommerce), custom development, SEO tools, and more.

Pros:

Total control and flexibility

Thousands of free and premium plugins/themes

Full access to your site's backend and data

Ideal for business, large blogs, and complex websites

Cons:

Requires web hosting (usually $5–$15/month)

You handle security, backups, and updates (though plugins can automate much of this)

Slightly steeper learning curve for beginners

What is WordPress.com?

WordPress.com is a hosted platform created by Automattic (the company behind WordPress). It offers a simplified, all-in-one solution for building a website without worrying about hosting, maintenance, or technical tasks.

Key Features:

No Hosting Needed: Hosting is included. No need to buy a separate plan or domain (though custom domains are available on paid plans).

Easy to Start: Perfect for beginners who want a fast and simple setup.

Maintenance-Free: WordPress.com handles updates, security, and backups.

Pros:

Free basic plan available

No setup or maintenance required

User-friendly dashboard

Great for hobby blogs, personal websites, or simple portfolios

Cons:

Limited customization (especially on the free plan)

Cannot upload custom themes or plugins unless on Business or higher plan

Limited monetization options on lower-tier plans

WordPress.com branding unless you upgrade

WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: Quick Comparison Table

Feature

WordPress.com

WordPress.org

Hosting

Included

You provide (self-hosted)

Cost

Free with paid upgrades

Free software, hosting cost

Custom Themes & Plugins

Limited (paid plans only)

Unlimited

Monetization Freedom

Limited

Full control

eCommerce

Only on paid plans

Full eCommerce support

Maintenance

Handled for you

You manage it

Suitable For

Beginners, personal blogs

Businesses, pros, devs

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose WordPress.com if:

You want a hassle-free experience and don’t want to manage hosting or security.

You’re a beginner with no technical background.

You just need a simple blog or portfolio site.

You’re okay with limited flexibility or willing to pay for premium features.

Choose WordPress.org if:

You want full control and the ability to customize everything.

You’re building a business website, store, or scalable project.

You need to monetize your content freely.

You're comfortable (or willing to learn) about managing your own hosting.

Final Thoughts

Both WordPress.com and WordPress.org offer powerful tools for creating websites, but the right choice depends on your goals. If you’re starting out or want something easy and low-maintenance, WordPress.com is a solid option. If you're aiming for maximum control, customization, and scalability, WordPress.org is the way to go.

Still unsure? Start with WordPress.com to get your feet wet — and when you’re ready for more freedom, you can always migrate to WordPress.org.

Need help deciding or building your site? Contact WJM Digital Design for professional guidance, custom WordPress development, and support tailored to your goals. info@wjmdigitaldesign.com

[krokodil-zombie]

i remember when watching videos of people violently dying on the internet was a liveleak thing and not a shared everywhere all the time thing

not to sound religious but should peoples deaths not be treated with more heart and empathy than this?? you do not need to watch a video of life leaving them to "understand" a situation- its practically self-flagellation, it will not change anything, youre doing nothing more than treating their lives as content to be consumed for some kind of percieved moral high ground

liveleak visitors relentlessly desensitized themselves and became unable to see peoples deaths as anything more than some kind of twisted entertainment. do not do the same to yourself in the name of activism

[voidedtea]

[ID in alt]

my pieces for @strawberrij's thespius fashion zine!! quite the endeavour and adventure that turned out pretty neat i think :]

special thanks go to @ratchetclankarecute for posing/cloth references + the bulk of the image descriptions! that first image would Not have happened without them <3

[raycatzdraws]

ribbonwood

[icecreampizzer]

if 15 year old me was here today she'd be screaming and crying right now

[jorgyjuice]

teach me to stop my worrying and love the bomb [id in alt!]

[ominousgradient]

I feel like if the twins had a youtube channel it would all be SPENDING 24 HOURS IN A HAUNTED WALMART baby slop content with them pogging in every thumbnail

Meanwhile Snotlouts channel would consist of rant videos where he complains about his life and shits on media he dislikes and overall it'd just be him being a bitter little hater

[mvshroombae]

BRUCE WAYNE BIRTHDAY!! Feb 19th 🦇

[fashion-foxy]

The MH/EAH Deep Dive Formula

Only talk about webisodes, specials, and dolls.

Don't talk about any lore

Wildly speculate on why the reboot happened

Don't acknowledge websites, games, or books

Still find the time to talk about descendants or the dolls 'dressing like strippers'

[sieglinde-freud]

i think about nyx getting summoned by king garon and then telling him “uh no thanks” a lot. because what do you MEAN you said no?!?!?! HUHHHHHH??????? wouldnt it be crazy if he wanted to ask her to be his advisor. and then runner up was iago so thats why iago is so like that, hes upset he was the second pick to some random fuckass girl (one of nohr’s most powerful mages ever). what if when nyx joins corrin, iago sees her and gets sooooo fucking mad. nyx retainer to king garon au…….. camus archetype hang on hang on hang on

[threestargirls]

MY NAME IS LOTTIE AND MY NAME MEANS “FREE MAN”, SO WITH FREEDOM AS MY GOAL, I’LL GUIDE THIS DAGGER INTO THE HEART OF MY ENEMY. // LOTTIE MATTHEWS, BRUTUS

[deerspherestudios]

Hii, I wanted to know if you are thinking of making an official mychael plush in the future (sorry if this is written wrong, i use a translator)

I genuinely hope I can someday! I don't know the process in making a plushie like those from Makeship but it's definitely a goal to achieve as a creator haha! People have been asking for a Mychael plushie since Day 1 demo days so hopefully as the game continues developing there would be enough interest to fund a plush!

[hungrydata]

Day 9

Something came across my mind tonight, so I had to draw it. (TW: mild gore maybe? Oh and Jax)

I'm usually not a big fan of this type of shading, but it turned out good I'd say. Gotta leave your comfort zone to embrace another one better yada yada idk what I'm saying.

Maybe I'll do the rest of the crew like this someday. Don't expect this to become an AU or anything like that tho, I suck at writing stuff (also this design would be too much pain to redraw for comics lol. I just like overusing details that are painful to redraw again hahaha)

I love drawing psychopaths with big ol' axes. Always fun. Always insane. Always edgy but who cares?

[the-godly-beef]

kitty cat

[foldingfittedsheets]

Today we are devastated. Both my betrothed and I are just having too much of an allergic reaction to Wyvern to keep him. Neither of us have been allergic to dogs before and we thought his kennel miasma was the problem. Even after a bath and hardcore cleaning bouts our throats are both swelling up around him several days later. Even if we get allergy shots it could be months to see relief and we can’t go on like this.

We both just wanted a buddy, and he’s gonna be such a good dog, but he can’t be our dog. My betrothed is gonna call out tomorrow so we have a full day together with him before we have to surrender him on Tuesday. We wanted to look for his new home ourselves but the shelter wanted him back. I know he’ll probably be there like a day before he gets snapped up, he’s so precious.

We had a week with him and there was ups and downs but god we fell in love. We left him with better manners than we found him. He gave me such a gift in recognizing that I can do a lot more than I thought I was capable of. I know he’ll find a good home but god I wish it were ours.

[instupendousskylie]

I had to watch the thunderbolts movie on a pirated website because my family and I didn't have enough money to go watch it in theaters and the guy who recorded the movie DIDNT RECORD THE END CREDIT SCENE. I've been seeing stuff about the end credit scene and I've been going insane waiting to watch it and now I can't see it till it goes on disney+ 😕😕 LOVED THE MOVIE THO the only downside was not being able to see the end credit scenes 👍👍 ps spoilers in tags 🙏🙏