Many beginners struggle to choose between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. In fact, this is one of the most frequently asked questions by our readers.
Due to the similarity of the names, users are not sure what the difference is and which one is better for their needs.
WordPress.com offers a fully hosted WordPress platform for creating websites. Its free and low-tier plans are quite limited, but upgrading to the Business or Commerce plans removes many restrictions.
WordPress.org, on the other hand, is home to the open-source WordPress website builder. It is ideal for users who want full control and unlimited customization options for their website.
This guide will explain the differences, highlight each platform’s strengths, and help you decide which one is right for your needs.
Since choosing the right platform is crucial for your online success, we have created the most detailed comparison of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org (text comparison, table-based comparison, and a full infographic).
You can use the links below to jump to a specific section:
If you just want to start a blog or make a website the RIGHT way, then you can skip this article and head over to our guides here:
- How to Start a Blog with WordPress (step by step)
- How to Create a Website with WordPress (step by step)
- How to Start an Online Store with WordPress (step by step)
- How to Create and Sell Online Courses with WordPress (step by step)
Having said that, let’s take a look at the differences between self-hosted WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com.
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org (Infographic)
Note: This infographic and article compare the powerful self-hosted WordPress.org with the free WordPress.com website hosting service. You can unlock additional functionality in WordPress.com by upgrading to their paid service. We have highlighted those features as well.
If you’d prefer a written comparison, please keep reading.
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org Comparison
The best way to understand the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is to examine each platform individually.
Here’s a comparison of both versions of WordPress:
WordPress.org
WordPress.org, aka “self-hosted WordPress,” is the popular website platform you have heard all the great things about.
It is an open-source software, and it’s 100% free for anyone to use. All you need is a domain name and web hosting.
Below are the pros and cons of using the self-hosted WordPress.org to build your website or blog.
WordPress.org Benefits
WordPress.org gives you complete control over your website. You can customize every aspect and tailor it to your needs without restrictions.
Here are the main pros of WordPress.org:
- The WordPress software is free, open-source, and incredibly user-friendly. It powers over 43% of all websites on the internet, making it the most popular website builder in the world. (See: Why is WordPress free?)
- You have full ownership of your website and data. Unlike other platforms, your site won’t be taken down unless you violate the law. You’re in total control.
- You can use free, paid, or custom WordPress plugins to add powerful functionality to your website.
- Your website design is completely customizable. Choose from free or premium WordPress themes or create a custom design that suits your brand.
- You can monetize your website by running your own ads without sharing revenue, opening up many opportunities to make money online.
- You have access to powerful tools like Google Analytics for tracking and analyzing your website’s performance.
- It’s an excellent platform for eCommerce. With WordPress.org, you can create an online store to sell digital or physical products, accept payments, and handle shipping, all from your site.
- You can build a membership site to sell premium content, courses, or even access to a private community.
WordPress.org Cons
While WordPress.org is packed with benefits, it does come with a few responsibilities. Here’s what you need to consider before choosing WordPress.org:
- Hosting costs: Since WordPress.org requires self-hosting, you’ll need to pay for a hosting provider. Costs start around $3–$10 per month but may increase as your site grows. That said, a growing website should also generate enough income to cover these costs.
- Installing WordPress: You will need to install the WordPress software yourself. Luckily, most popular hosting providers offer one-click installation, making it super easy to get started. For more guidance, check out our tutorial on how to install WordPress.
- Updates: You’ll need to update your WordPress site manually. Thankfully, it’s just a single click from the dashboard.
- Backups: You’re responsible for keeping backups of your site. However, there are many backup plugins that let you automate this process, so it’s hassle-free.
The total cost of building a WordPress.org website depends on your project. For example, a simple blog costs less than an eCommerce store or a membership site. You can build a website for as little as $46 per year by using free themes and plugins. (See: How much does it really cost to build a WordPress website?)
Why We Recommend WordPress.org
For 99% of users, WordPress.org is the best choice because of its flexibility, ownership, and ability to scale. We have been building WordPress websites for the past 16+ years, and almost all our businesses have websites built using WordPress. You can read more about our experience in our full WordPress review.
If you’re ready to get started, then just check out our guide on how to start a website.
Bonus: Our friends at Bluehost are offering WPBeginner readers 75% off web hosting plus a free domain name. They’re one of the officially recommended WordPress hosting providers.
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a hosting service created by Automattic, which is the company co-founded by WordPress creator Matt Mullenweg. Because of the same founder, many users confuse WordPress.com with the self-hosted WordPress.org platform.
WordPress.com offers several pricing plans to cater to different user needs:
- Free: Basic features with limitations.
- Personal: $48 per year.
- Premium: $96 per year.
- Business: $300 per year ($120 / yr with our WordPress.com coupon).
- Commerce: $540 per year ($270 / yr, 50% off with our WordPress.com coupon).
- Enterprise: Custom pricing for large-scale needs.
Let’s explore the pros and cons of using WordPress.com.
WordPress.com Benefits
WordPress.com is an excellent choice for users looking for a low-maintenance platform, especially hobby bloggers or individuals creating personal websites.
Here are the key benefits:
- Managed Maintenance: WordPress.com handles updates, backups, and security, letting you focus on your content.
- Cost-Effective Entry: The Free plan offers an easy way to start with no upfront costs. However, paid plans offer real value with more customization, storage, and features that you will need.
- Scalability: Upgrading to the Business or Commerce plans unlocks powerful features like custom plugins, premium themes, and advanced eCommerce tools.
- Built-In Features: Free plan users get pre-installed Jetpack features, offering basic performance and security tools.
WordPress.com Cons
While WordPress.com is user-friendly, there are some limitations, particularly on lower-tier plans:
- Advertising: Free plan sites display ads that you don’t earn revenue from. Paid plans remove these ads.
- Monetization Restrictions: Selling ads on your site is prohibited on Free and Starter plans. WordAds is available on higher plans but requires revenue sharing.
- Plugin Limitations: Custom plugins are restricted to the Business and Commerce plans, which are more expensive than WordPress.org hosting plans.
- Theme Customization: Free plan users have limited themes. Paid plans allow for premium themes and custom CSS.
- Analytics: Integration with Google Analytics is available only on Pro and higher plans.
- Domain Names: Free plan sites use a WordPress.com subdomain (e.g., yoursite.wordpress.com). Custom domains require a paid plan.
- Content Control: Sites must follow WordPress.com’s terms of service, with potential removal for violations.
- Branding: Free plan sites display “Powered by WordPress.com,” removable with paid plans.
- eCommerce Features: Available only on the Business and Commerce plans, designed for online stores using WooCommerce.
- Membership Sites: Building membership sites is not supported on low-tier plans.
Why We Recommend WordPress.com
We believe WordPress.com‘s Business and Commerce plans offer an ideal fully managed platform for users who don’t want to worry about technical overhead.
It does have some limitations, but the ease of scalability, security, and safety balance them out. For more details, see our full WordPress.com review.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org (FAQs)
Since this is a popular topic and WPBeginner is the largest free WordPress resource site for beginners, we get tons of questions about WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.
We have done our best to answer the most frequently asked questions below:
1. WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org – Which one is better?
If you are a personal blogger and you don’t care about making money from your website, then go with the free WordPress.com.
If you are a business or a blogger wanting to make money from your site, then we recommend using the self-hosted WordPress.org. It gives you the freedom and flexibility to grow your website how you want.
On the other hand, the WordPress.com Business plan ($120 / year for each website) offers a powerful platform with fully managed hosting. If you are willing to spend a little exta for a worry-free setup, then you may find it an excellent option.
In our expert opinion, WordPress.org is much better in terms of cost, flexibility, and control. It is the platform that almost every professional blogger, small business owner, and even big-name brands like Disney uses.
2. Can I monetize a free WordPress.com website?
WordPress.com does not allow you to run ads on free WordPress.com websites. If you are on the Premium plan or above, you can join their WordAds program and share your ad revenue with WordPress.com.
You can put some affiliate links on your website, but that’s about it.
Basically, you have very limited options to monetize content on your WordPress.com website.
With WordPress.org, you have full control over your new website’s content management system and unlimited monetization options.
3. WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org – Which one is better for eCommerce?
WordPress.org offers the easiest way to build an eCommerce website. You can use WooCommerce to build your store or choose from many other WordPress eCommerce, membership, and LMS plugins.
WordPress.com also offers a Commerce plan starting at $270 per year, which is a hefty amount if you are just starting. However, it is still limited in features, and you’ll have to follow WordPress.com’s terms of service for your eCommerce store.
See our guide on how to start an online store without a high budget. It includes how to get your domain for free and all the powerful features you need to grow online.
4. How do I start a WordPress.org Website?
To start a self-hosted WordPress website, you need a domain name and WordPress hosting.
A domain name is the address of your website on the Internet, such as google.com or wpbeginner.com. Web hosting is where your website files are stored on the Internet.
We recommend using Bluehost to host your website because it is one of the largest web hosting companies in the world. It is also an official WordPress.org recommended web host. Last but not least, it offers our users a free domain, free SSL, and 75% off hosting.
For step-by-step instructions, you can check out our free guide on how to make a website.
If you need help, the WPBeginner team can even install WordPress and build your website for free. Learn more about how our free WordPress blog setup works.
5. Can I Move From WordPress.com to WordPress.org?
Often, new users who don’t know the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org start with the free WordPress.com service. Once they see the platform’s limitations, they want to switch to self-hosted WordPress.org.
Luckily, you can definitely switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org and fairly easily move all of your content.
We have created a step-by-step guide on how to move your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, or you can take advantage of our free blog setup service, and we will transfer your blog for free.
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org – Summary
The best way to consider the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is to compare them to renting versus owning a house.
WordPress.com is similar to renting a house. You have limited power and control over what you can and cannot do.
WordPress.org is like owning a house. Where you have full control, no one can kick you out, and you can do anything that you want.
Below is the summary of everything we discussed above in our self-hosted WordPress.org vs WordPress.com comparison:
| Feature | WordPress.org (Self-Hosted) | WordPress.com (Free Plan) | WordPress.com (Business Plan) | WordPress.com (Commerce Plan) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $46 – $100/year | Free | $120/year | $270/year |
| Custom Domain | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Hosting Storage | Unlimited | 1 GB | 50 GB | 50 GB |
| Monetization Freedom | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Branding Freedom | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| SEO Features | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Analytics | Yes (Google Analytics, etc.) | No | Yes | Yes |
| Theme Support | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Plugin Support | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| eCommerce | Fully customizable | No | Yes | Yes |
| Membership Site | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Migration Options | Flexible | Limited | Flexible | Flexible |
| Developer Resources | Extensive | Limited | Limited | Limited |
| Control and Ownership | Full ownership | Limited | Improved | Improved |
| Maintenance | User-managed | Fully managed | Fully managed | Fully managed |
| Community Support | Extensive (forums, docs, etc.) | Limited | Limited | Limited |
Video Tutorial
Final Thoughts
The confusion created by similar domains, WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org, is quite unfortunate for beginners. There is a lot of history behind the decisions, and you can read more about that in our article about how WordPress.com and WordPress.org are related.
We hope that you found this article helpful in understanding the main differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
We wish you all the best with your website and hope that you choose the right platform.
If you have chosen WordPress.org, then you may want to follow these useful guides:
- How to learn WordPress in 7 days or less
- Best WordPress plugins for your website (expert pick)
- Ultimate WordPress security guide to improve your website security
- Ultimate Guide on how to speed up WordPress (including power user tips)
- Ultimate WordPress SEO optimization guide to help improve your own website ranking (without hiring an expert)
- Proven tips to increase your blog traffic
We hope this article helped you understand the difference between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. You may also want to see our guide on the history of WordPress and proven ways to make money online with WordPress.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Poorwa Vishwakarma
I have a question here.
What will happen to my followers and likes on WordPress.com when I’ll transfer my blog to WordPress.org?
Please help me.
WPBeginner Support
You can transfer your followers but your likes you would need to check with WordPress.com for what is currently allowed
Admin
Neelam
Thank You for sharing this information. Its really helpful for beginners like me
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our guide was helpful
Admin
Victor
Thank you so much for this post. To be honest, it’s really got me informed on the above mentioned topic. Thanks alot.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome
Admin
Nina
I am new to blogging on Wordpress and I made the mistake of not doing enough research before starting and I signed up to wordpress.com. I haven’t even started posting content and i’m desperately trying to set up on .org.
I have my domain and hosting, but the WP admin is directing me to wordpress.com and don’t know how to change it. Has anyone else experienced this and knows how to fix it?
WPBeginner Support
You would likely need to point your nameservers to your new host, you may want to take a look at our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-properly-move-your-blog-from-wordpress-com-to-wordpress-org/
Admin
Dixon
Nice write up,
So its clear .org is good for a beginner at zero cost.
But few query:
Can i build a site before i buy a domain name.
Thank you in advance
WPBeginner Support
You would still need to purchase hosting but to test a site you could install WordPress on your computer using our guide below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/how-to-install-wordpress/#installlocal
Admin
Acolade
Is it wise to build your site on free hosts like blogger or wp.com (free) and gain large followers before migrating to paid?
WPBeginner Support
That is a personal preference question more than a best practices question.
Admin
Michelle C
Do I need to purchase the extras on blue host? security? Code Guard?
WPBeginner Support
It is not required to purchase the addons.
Admin
Pallavi
Hi…
The article was really helpful…
I have a question.
I want to start a blog to write short stories. Or say some articles. Can I still get paid for it if I open a blog on wordpress.org. I am completely new to the digital world and want to make some money from it. Can writing a blog help me???
Thank you for the wonderful article.
WPBeginner Support
If you have a method for making money for writing stories you certainly could. You may also want to take a look at our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/make-money-online/
Admin
Mr Aggarwal
Thank you very much. This clears my all the doubt about it.
I made a big mistake by choosing wordpress.com because I am not aware of that.I am a beginner. Thank You very much.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our article could clear up any confusion
Admin
Antoinette Truglio Martin
If I change from WordPress.com premium plan to WordPress.org, can I keep the current theme and can I change my domain from my domain to a new one and if I can do that can I do something that allows the old domain to goto the new domain name for a year or so?
Thank you in advance.m
WPBeginner Support
You can keep non-paid themes and WordPress.com has a redirection service you can use to point your site to its new location
Admin
Grace
Thank you so much for this article. I just want to create my website and this has really enlightened me. Thank you!
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article was helpful
Admin
David Blaska
Yet, this site seems to be on the Wordpress.com platform. Yes?
WPBeginner Support
No, our site is a WordPress.org site and our content is for WordPress.org sites
Admin
Jeramy Gella
Thank you for this Article, it really helps.
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our article was helpful
Admin
Marie Nicholson
Hi, I’ve downloaded your ToolKit but I don’t think it can help me.
Over a year ago I bought a Domain from WP and got an email wp address ending in .org. All went well until two or three weeks ago when I accidentally clicked on a theme and changed mine. This seemed to result in my paid Plan changing itself back to a Free Plan. The result is I can no longer load my images to the website, and of course, I’ve lost all the other benefits of having a domain.
I have put queries up on two forums, the general one and the .org one but so far no one has replied to me.
I am at my wits’ end. I cannot move on and am stuck without a site. Anything you can suggest?
WPBeginner Support
The ending of your domain name does not determine what type of WordPress site you have. If you create the site through the WordPress.com website you have a WordPress.com site. If you create a site on a different hosting provider it would be a WordPress.org/self hosted site. From the sound of it, you would want to reach out to WordPress.com’s support and they should be able to assist.
Admin
Vasile
WOW!
What an awesome guide!
Thank you so much Sir..i have a question:
With wordpress.org everything is possible, correct?
I can also create emails pop up, landing pages,etc.. right?
Thank you for your time!
Vasile
WPBeginner Support
Yes, WordPress.org sites do not have a limitation on what you can add to your site.
Admin
Vanessa
Am I missing something? I used to thing that blog were moved to wordpress.org if they switched to the wrodpress.com ‘premium’ plan.
WPBeginner Support
No, you would need to purchase hosting on a hosting provider and transfer the site to make it a WordPress.org site. The closest to a self hosted/WordPress.org site on WordPress.com would be their business plan.
Admin
Gabriela
Thank you for sharing such clear and useful information!
Have a lovely day!
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad you like our content and hope you have a great day too
Admin
Satvik Jain
Great! Post made everything cleared.
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad our post could clear up any confusion
Admin
Andy Knight
Great blog – just what I needed – a little enlightenment on the differences which I now understand so much better. Thank you.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article was helpful
Admin
Marco Giacomo
Great website, I am looking forward to using WordPress and building a successful blog like yours. Thanks again.
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, glad you like our content
Admin
Harsh
Excellent guide, looking forward to use WP!
WPBeginner Support
Thank you, hope the guide made the choice between the two easier
Admin
Saravanan
Such a great article for beginners who don’t know the difference between these two. really appreciated
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad you found our guide helpful
Admin
joel
so if i create a website by com or org. can i than hire a programmer to edit or add anything with any of this 2? if yes, which one?
WPBeginner Support
If you wanted to be able to have custom code on your site you would want a WordPress.org site.
Admin
Cheyenne Blythe
Hello, so .org is self hosted whereas .com is not? I am a beginner and do not understand very well. Maybe this is an obvious question. Is a template considered a type of hosting? Thank you for your time and answers.
WPBeginner Support
Correct with WordPress.org being self hosted while .com would not be considered that. A theme or a template is not considered a type of hosting, for a better understanding of hosting you would want to take a look at our guide here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/whats-the-difference-between-domain-name-and-web-hosting-explained/
Admin
nigel morris
I know i sound stupid but how do i know i will get wordpress org when i sign up. If they give me wordpress.com can i ask to change it ?
WPBeginner Support
You would only have a WordPress.com site if you create your website on the WordPress.com website. If you purchase hosting and install WordPress then it would be a WordPress.org site to hopefully clear that up. If you created and set up a site on WordPress.com then the steps for transferring it to WordPress.org can be found in our article here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-properly-move-your-blog-from-wordpress-com-to-wordpress-org/
Admin
Julia Recipes
This is the first understandable explanation of wp.com & wp.org I have found. Hallelujah!! Thank you guys very much for this article! My only question is now, if I migrate my wp.com blog to wp.org, is the traffic count of my blog going to migrate as well or will this be like starting from zero? Meaning is my content going to be visible to search engines as if I would just posted for the first time?
WPBeginner Support
Some counters are not transferrable so your number could reset but your visitors should still be the same for your site.
Admin
Nahumy Mwangangi
Hello,
An informative blog post over there.
Now here is my question that requires an honest reply. Why do you feel that .org is superior to .com while you are using .com yourselves? I have a free .com website that I am thinking to upgrade to premium. When I read this article, I had to confirm which one you are using only to find that it’s a .com. Please let me know what you think.
Thank you.
WPBeginner Support
We use a WordPress.org installation, just because our domain ends in .com does not mean it is part of WordPress.com
Admin
Aman
Thanks for sharing the much required knowledge.
I subscribed a premium plan on wp.com. After reading your article i tried to switch to wp.org and successfully transferred my data to wp.org.
But i had some doubts or confusions.
My website address is created on wp.com.Now i want to use wp.org, so what will be my site address on wp.org.
Should i need to delete the site on wp.com?
Will the hosting provided by wp.com will work on wp.org or should i cancel the hosting there?
WPBeginner Support
For these questions, you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-properly-move-your-blog-from-wordpress-com-to-wordpress-org/
Admin
Roberta C Capasso
Hi! I am currently a WordPress user. However, I don’t like Facebook controlling my blog site: Blog of my Book: Sky Woman Lives in Me. Will I have more control over my blog is I switch over to WordPress.org? Does Facebook control the org site also? Please give me some honest, helpful advice on this matter. I would be very grateful. Thank you! Sincerely, Roberta (Bobbie)
WPBeginner Support
Facebook shouldn’t be controlling your site if it is on WordPress.com or org. If you feel someone has control over your site without your permission, you would want to reach out to WordPress.com’s support.
Admin
Thelma
I’m so confused. I started building a wordpress site but the work is too much and I am thinking of using wix. Now I’m even more confused. My WP domain is hosted on siteground which I dont believe could host wix so what would I do. I just want to create an ecommerce store to sell my wreaths. Great information though
WPBeginner Support
As long as you have hosting as well as a domain on SiteGround then you would have a WordPress.org site and you can follow our guide to create a store after the installation steps here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-start-an-online-store/
Admin
sankara
This is really a great job.You are the best.Thank you so much.
WPBeginner Support
Thank you for the kind words
Admin
Man Deep
Can I use wordpress.com for online dropshipping store?
WPBeginner Support
You would want to check with WordPress.com for that question but you would likely need their business plan.
Admin
TheBeerThrillers
Wow, this is so extremely helpful. Makes me wish I would have read this before setting up the original blog. At least with your other guide “its not too late”. And I’ll have to look into doing that for our blog, especially once it starts gaining more steam. Thanks!
WPBeginner Support
You’re welcome, glad our guide could be helpful
Admin
Gina Rodriguez
Thank you so much for creating this helpful guide. I’ve had issues getting any data into Google Analytics from the site I created using Hostgator’s simple site builder, and that got me interested in moving to something more widely used like WP.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our guide could help you see the difference between the two forms of WordPress
Admin
Lou Fields
Hey there! I’m a little confused!! I’m just literally starting out creating a blog and I’ve got my website set up through Siteground and have downloaded WordPress through them. Does that mean I have WordPress.org or WordPress.com as I’m able to customize my site and can add plugins and I don’t have the Wordpress.com at the end of my domain name but when I go to the dashboard and sign out of there it says it’s WordPress.com??
Thanks,
Lou
WPBeginner Support
Your site should be a WordPress.org site, for the WordPress.com message, do you have the Jetpack plugin installed on your site? That plugin connects and gives some WordPress.com interaction between your site and WordPress.com.
Admin
Mike
I’m confused as to why anyone would use WordPress.com over .org? (Unless it was a mistake)
WPBeginner Support
For a free personal site if you’re not looking for many features it’s a good entry point to using WordPress that can be swapped to a WordPress.org site as needs grow.
Admin
Edem Emmanuel
Thanks for the post.
I love your comment box cos its simple and allow everyone to say a word unlike some blogs that one wil be asked to signin to google account before he can comment, and some even ask to login to facebøok b4 u can comment.
pls wpbeginner how can i use your same comment box on my personal blog?
Pls treat as important
WPBeginner Support
We are using the default comment system of WordPress, we’ve removed the website and are using a plugin to allow subscriptions for replies
Admin
Akshay
How to purchase domain name ?
WPBeginner Support
For that, you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/beginners-guide-what-is-a-domain-name-and-how-do-domains-work/
Admin
Gianna
Hi! Im in the same situation as a previous commenter. I bought the premium plan, but I want to switch to wordpress.org. I followed steps to do so, but it says I can’t transfer my domain to a different host until I have had the domain with wordpress for 60 days. Should I still try to cancel wordpress premium while I wait till I can transfer my domain?
WPBeginner Support
You would want to reach out to WordPress.com for how they handle the purchased domain when you don’t have an active plan for if they would allow you to change the nameservers for the domain which would allow you to point the domain to a different host while the domain is still on WordPress.com.
Admin
Savannah
Hi, this information is so helpful! I was looking to move my Wordpress.com over to .org but I literally just bought the premium package. Do you think I can get a refund or somehow transfer that over to my .org site? Or is that just gone forever?
WPBeginner Support
For plan upgrades, they normally offer a 30 day refund period if you reach out to them
Admin
Abdulrazaq Yahaya
This post is good.
Can i be able to publish a blog post if i have not been purchased a domain and hosting from wordpress.org? I am about to register wordpress.org to and create my website, so i don’t know if it will allow me to publish a post, i.e to learn how it works before i can tap into wordpress.org.
Please reply to my comment.
WPBeginner Support
To test a WordPress.org installation you could install locally on your computer using one of the methods in our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/how-to-install-wordpress/#installlocal
Admin
Eva
I just started reading the .com vrs. .org page. This, “often users confuse WordPress.com with the popular WordPress.org,” is stated way too frequently.
WPBeginner Support
Apologies if it caused any confusion and thank you for your feedback
Admin
TyroPharma
Thanks for sharing information u can I shift my blog to wordpress and question is that can i get more revenue compare to blogger by adsense please reply
WPBeginner Support
The platform your site is on would not be a large factor in your revenue, your content would decide that. For moving from blogger to WordPress using the steps in our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-switch-from-blogger-to-wordpress-without-losing-google-rankings/
Admin
Pam
Thank you for this info and for making it easy to understand – no, I did not realize the difference between the org and com. I wanted to begin a new blog but have become unhappy with WP.com and the new way of blogging by sections. I do not know any techie stuff and need a simple platform. I think I will be looking into the .org version. I may even switch some of my other blogs. Need to go read some of your other links.
WPBeginner Support
Glad our article could help clear up the confusion between the two
Admin
Thomas H. Thomsen
Hi!
I purchased Wordpress Premium through wordpress.com, including a domain name, but I want to use wordpress.org instead. Should I cancel my Premium on wordpress.com or can I transfer my Premium to wordpress.org?
Also, I would like to host my future website at Bluehost, but what about my domain name? How do I transfer it to Bluehost? Thanks!
WPBeginner Support
For the steps involved in transferring your site, you would want to take a look at our article here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-properly-move-your-blog-from-wordpress-com-to-wordpress-org/
Admin
Lyndsay
Hello! I am having trouble with ediditing my site on Wordpress.org. This is my first time using it and when I make a template “active” to use it, it doen’t show up like the demo… any thoughts?
WPBeginner Support
You would want to first reach out to the support for your specific theme to see if there are theme specific settings that need to be enabled. It could be that you were also viewing a setup page while a page you are creating has no content to style yet.
Admin
Edward Tucker
This is great information!
I want to begin selling online for myself. I have an old sight that does not allow me to do this. With this old sight I have a main domain name and also a subdomain. Do you know if that is possible to have subdomains with the hosting company that you direct people to?
WPBeginner Support
It would depend on which host and which plan. If you reach out to the hosting provider they can clarify what you will need for what you’re wanting.
Admin
Carlise
I found a misspelled word in this paragraph…”servie” should be “service”
“We have created a step by step guide on how to move your blog from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, or you can take advantage of our free blog setup servie, and we will transfer your blog for free”.
WPBeginner Support
Thanks for letting us know, we’ll fix that typo
Admin
Andrea Magdalena
Hello, A few years ago I purchased a Genesis framework and the Beautiful theme with it. I closed down that blog but now I am restarting with another genre and with a different domain. My questions are: 1. Can I use the Genesis framework and its themes on the Wordpress.org platform? 2. Since I am a beginning of setting everything up, how do I know if I am going with .org or .com? 3. If my domain is: domain.com or domain.org does it mean I am using wordpress.com or .org OR domain extension has nothing to do with wordpress extensions? Silly questions I know. But I am 101.
WPBeginner Support
You can use Genesis and its themes on WordPress.org, If you are purchasing hosting on a site other that the WordPress.com website then you are likely setting up a WordPress.org site, and your domain does not determine if your site is a WordPress.com or WordPress.org site unless your domain is similar to yoursite.wordpress.com
Admin
Charles Torres
Hi,
I purchased the wordpress website and I use hosting through go daddy. However, I am trying to get the google adsence and it has been impossible? Is there someone that I can pay to look at it and get me going?
Thank you,
Charles Torres
WPBeginner Support
If the code is being removed from your site, you would want to reach out to your hosting provider and they should be able to assist.
Admin