WordPress, as you know, is a popular, open-source content management system (CMS) that’s been around for over a decade. While it originally started as a blogging platform, it quickly grew into a robust environment capable of powering any size site, even when the blogging capabilities aren’t utilized. For example, Google Ventures, Acumen, and Justin Bieber (to pick a few from the WordPress showcase) all use the platform, as well as the majority of the sites our studio builds (and apparently ~23% of the entire internet).
But when most clients initially try to dive into or research WordPress, they find themselves here: https://wordpress.com/ which is the commercial, freemium (free to set up, but all add-ons typically cost extra) version of the platform. While it is powered by the same software, we find this commercialized side to be a bit locked-down and dumbed-down, for the sake of bringing it to the masses, in a hosted format.
On the other side of things, the open source platform that is powering the .com side, is WordPress.org. The .org side allows you to install the platform on any server space for free, and the ability to utilize any theme or plugin, instead of select, approved versions. While we feel this solution is typically more economical for most businesses, it does require some networking and HTML/CSS understanding, and some knowledge of general web development best practices. But that initial setup is worth it, to have a site for your business without additional subscriptions or fees beyond the web hosting and URL registration. (Of course, there may be fees tied to e-commerce payment processing or other third-party functionality). And while the open source side uses “.org” as its top level domain (TLD), there’s no restriction on what TLD it can be installed on (such as “.com,” “.net,” “.edu,” or otherwise).
Looking closer at WordPress.com
- All-in-one solution for someone wanting to quickly make a website on their own, with pricing structures similar to Squarespace, Wix, or Weebly.
- Requires zero coding knowledge to set up.
- WordPress.com automatically handles any security risks, and prevents malicious plugins from being installed.
- most modifications are priced a la carte, ie: removing the “.wordpress.com” from your assigned URL, or even minor alterations to the CSS, both have additional fees attached.
- the subscription-based model means you’ll be paying to use the platform indefinitely (unless you use the stripped-down free version).
Looking closer at WordPress.org
- No associated subscription costs
- No limitations on theming, custom code, or plugins
- Can be installed locally for development and testing
- it requires a little understanding of networking and code to install initially.
- security and maintenance are the responsibility of the site administrator (rather than the web host)
- you do need to have existing web hosting with another company (ie: Pair Networks, InMotion, GoDaddy, BlueHost, etc).
Conclusion
We find that WordPress.org is the way to go for nearly all of our clients that utilize WordPress. Of course, WordPress isn’t necessarily the best CMS for absolutely all scenarios (versus Drupal, Joomla, or various proprietary systems such as ExpressionEngine or even Tumblr), though that’s another conversation. Happy WordPressing!
