How are WordPress.com and WordPress.org Related?

WordPress.com and WordPress.org may sound similar, but they serve different purposes. Many users often wonder why they share the same name and how they are connected.

We have been asked this question repeatedly, so we wrote a detailed comparison of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.

Though they operate separately, these platforms share a long history. WordPress.org is the self-hosted, open-source version, while WordPress.com is a hosted service with more managed features.

In this article, we will explore the relationship between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, sharing insights into their origins, how they split, and the ways they continue to collaborate.

Here is a quick overview of the topics we will cover in this article:

The Birth of WordPress.org

WordPress.org was first launched on May 27, 2003. It is an open-source website builder that allows anyone to easily create a website with no coding skills.

The story behind its launch is quite interesting. Before WordPress, there used to be another popular open-source blogging software called b2/cafelog.

However, it was not getting any updates, and many users were considering alternatives. One of those users was Matt Mullenweg.

He wrote about it on his blog, and in the comment section, another user called Mike Little joined the conversation.

The two of them got to work together and released the first version of WordPress on May 27, 2003.

It became an instant hit among the users of b2/cafelog who started adopting it. Other folks began joining the development. And that’s how WordPress.org got started.

Source: The Complete History of WordPress

The Arrival of WordPress.com

WordPress.org co-founder Matt Mullenweg’s company Automattic launched WordPress.com for beta testers on August 8, 2005. It was later opened for signups on November 21, 2005.

WordPress.com uses open-source WordPress core software and offers a hosted solution to users who want to try out WordPress but don’t want to host it themselves.

The launch of WordPress.com helped the engineering team, along with the rest of the WordPress community, learn how WordPress core software can be scaled for a massive number of users.

WordPress.com is a for-profit company. Like many other WordPress companies, they use open-source WordPress to create products and services.

However, their usage of the WordPress name raised questions about the ownership of WordPress.org, the open-source project.

Ownership of the WordPress Trademark

Automattic, founded by WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg, filed the trademark registration for WordPress and the WordPress logo on March 1, 2006.

Trademarks are important for businesses, organizations, and for open-source projects.

Free software licenses like GPL (used by WordPress.org) only protect the terms under which a program can be distributed, but they don’t grant trademark rights.

Automattic, holding the trademark, protected the WordPress project.

As a company, it had the money and resources to register and protect the trademark, which the open-source project didn’t have.

However, in order to safeguard the open-source project, the trademark ownership was transferred to the WordPress Foundation in September 2010.

Unlike Automattic, the WordPress Foundation is a non-profit organization. Its mission states:

The point of the foundation is to ensure free access, in perpetuity, to the software projects we support. People and businesses may come and go, so it is important to ensure that the source code for these projects will survive beyond the current contributor base, that we may create a stable platform for web publishing for generations to come.

WordPress Foundation

The transfer of trademark ownership to the foundation ensured that the open-source WordPress.org project would continue to run even if Automattic and WordPress.com were sold to a different company.

However, as part of the ownership transfer, WordPress.com was granted the right to use the WordPress trademark in its name but not for any future domains.

Matt Mullenweg was granted the license to use the trademark for WordPress.org and WordPress.net websites which are owned by him personally.

To summarize, the WordPress trademark is owned by the WordPress Foundation.

However, WordPress.com is given exclusive permission to use the trademark in its name. That doesn’t mean WordPress.com owns WordPress.

Further reading: Who Owns WordPress and How Does It Make Money?

What’s the Relationship Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?

WordPress.com and WordPress.org are two different projects that benefit from each other greatly.

As a company, Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, donates significant resources and manpower to the development of the WordPress.org open-source project.

On the other hand, they benefit from the WordPress code used in their services and products, not to mention the advantage of having WordPress in their name. This lets them borrow the good reputation and recognition of the open-source software.

However, it is important to note that WordPress.com or Automattic are not the only companies benefiting from WordPress.org.

Thousands of other businesses are selling products and services based on the WordPress.org code.

Our partner companies offer a number of premium WordPress plugins and tools. We give back by contributing to the open source project and sponsoring contributors.

The open-source, free software license grants those permissions to anyone who wants to use the software, even commercially.

How Does WordPress.org Benefit From Automattic and WordPress.com?

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, sponsors 105 contributors to the open-source WordPress.org project.

These contributors spend a total of 3,799 hours per week across 22 teams. (Source: Five for The Future)

They help contribute code, translations, documentation, support, marketing, testing, and more.

Each new WordPress release contains significant contributions from contributors who are sponsored by Automattic.

Matt Mullenweg himself, the CEO of Automattic, also spends a significant amount of his time contributing to the open-source WordPress project.

How Do Automattic and WordPress.com Benefit From WordPress.org?

The most significant benefit is that WordPress.com has the right to use WordPress in its name.

It helps them borrow the reputation of the open source project for their brand, which helps them sell more products and services.

They also use open-source WordPress code on their WordPress.com platform.

However, WordPress.com is not the only product that uses or relies on the WordPress.org code. Here are some of their other notable products that benefit or rely upon the WordPress.org code:

• WooCommerce – The world’s leading eCommerce platform that runs on top of WordPress as a plugin.
• WordPress.com Apps – Mobile apps that allow users to manage their WordPress.com blogs but can also be used to manage WordPress.org blogs.
• Jetpack – A suite of add-on features combining the functionality of several WordPress plugins.
• JetPack Mobile Apps – A replacement for the WordPress.com apps, allowing users to manage their WordPress websites on mobile. It requires the Jetpack plugin to be installed.
• Akismet – The leading antispam WordPress plugin.
• WP VIP – WordPress development agency targeting enterprise clients.

Why Is There a Naming Confusion Between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?

Many beginners who want to make a website come across WordPress as the #1 recommended choice.

Now, if they Google WordPress, then they will find WordPress.org and WordPress.com.

Generally, a .com website is considered official in most cases. However, in this scenario, WordPress.org is the official one.

Another reason for the confusion could be the booths at WordCamps or other tech events where WordPress.com / Automattic booths and WordPress foundation booths could look very similar.

This confuses new users.

A lot of users end up signing up for WordPress.com. However, after a while, they realize the limitations of WordPress.com.

There is an option to pay for upgrades on WordPress.com, but switching to a self-hosted WordPress.org is much cheaper and more flexible for most users.

Quick Summary of Similarities Between WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org

Here is a quick summary of the similarities between the two platforms.

Similarities	Description
WordPress in Name	Both platforms use WordPress in their name.
Ease of Website Creation	They both allow users to make websites easily.
Use of WordPress Software	WordPress.com and WordPress.org both use the WordPress open-source software.
Matt Mullenweg’s Involvement	Mutt Mullenweg is the CEO of Automattic (behind WordPress.com) and also the co-founder of WordPress.org
Mutual Benefits	Matt Mullenweg’s involvement
Community Support	Both benefit from and contribute to the WordPress community.

For a more in-depth discussion of each platform’s differences and pros and cons, take a look at our WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org comparison.

Which One Is Right for You?

We recommend WordPress.org as the perfect platform for most users. It gives you access to the full capabilities of the free WordPress.org website builder.

Why we recommend WordPress.org:

• It gives you access to all features of WordPress website builder out of the box.
• You can use it to create any kind of website you want, including eCommerce stores.
• Install any WordPress plugin or theme you need.
• Complete ownership and control of your website. You can take it to a different hosting company, shut it down, own all your data, and more.

For a detailed overview, look at our comprehensive WordPress review with its advantages and disadvantages.

On the other hand, WordPress.com offers a customized website hosting service based on WordPress core software. You don’t have to worry about managing software, installing updates, and security. Plus, you can get 50% off your first year of WordPress.com hosting with our coupon code WPB50 .

Additionally, you can pay for upgrades to use a custom domain, remove ads, install any themes you want to use, or move to an eCommerce plan to set up a store.

However, this also means you don’t get access to all the features that a self-hosted WordPress website offers.

For example, with WordPress.org, you can start with Bluehost for a discounted price of $1.99 / month and a free domain name.

At that price, you get a free domain, full control of WordPress, the ability to install any theme or plugins, and even use it for eCommerce.

And Bluehost is not the only provider. You can choose any of the top WordPress hosting providers, like Hostinger and SiteGround, and get the same flexibility.

We hope this article helped you understand the relationship between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. You may also want to see our article on the history of blogging or our expert pick of the must-have WordPress plugins to grow your website.

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