A lot of individuals are familiar with WordPress and are thinking about utilizing it to launch their first website. In addition, the variety of WordPress subscriptions just adds to the complexity.
When first starting started with WordPress, the pure size of its ecosystem can be overwhelming. However, its widespread acceptance demonstrates that the minimal learning curve is justified. Actually, WordPress powers over 40% of the entire web.
Today, I’ll help you figure out which version of WordPress is best for your needs.
There are actually two types of WordPress, but they both make use of the same software, at least partially, so answering this issue is tricky. We can take this a step further and inquire as to the nature of WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
WordPress.com is a website that allows users to create their own content, specifically blogs. It is based on WordPress software, but the basic files have been tweaked to better suit this specific application.
The software and hosting services are both a part of this whole package.
Although you can get started with WordPress.com for nothing, the content you can create is severely restricted. Put another way, the ability to make money off your material is part of WordPress.com’s ownership.
The paid plans come in handy here because they include tools for making money off of your site that is missing from the free one. In addition, you’ll need a plan in order to make use of the platform for any kind of electronic commerce.
Self-hosted WordPress refers to WordPress.org, which is open-source software anyone can use for free. This is the WordPress version people are referring to when they say they want full control over their site.
The prices are low because competition is severe. Web hosting services now cost less.
This WordPress allows you to create websites of any kind you can imagine. Plus, there are many more plugins and themes to choose from than are available on WordPress.com.
WordPress.com is a SaaS that offers different pricing tiers and a variety of add-on capabilities for your website, while WordPress.org is open-source software that you can download and use for free.
As a self-hosted user, you can use all of WordPress’s functions without paying anything extra.
On WordPress.com, however, several extra functions are locked behind premium subscriptions. Costs associated with this option may be much higher than those associated with a self-hosted website. It’s also open-source, so there are many more free add-ons and skins to choose from.
In a self-hosted setup, you get more for your money and have more leeway to make adjustments.
Depending on one’s needs, there are a variety of WordPress.com pricing tiers available. I will list these plans in ascending price. However, keep in mind that each successive plan includes not only everything in the prior plan but also some additional features.
Then, let’s go right into the specifics of each package.
All plans are billed annually, despite having monthly costs listed. As a result, the initial investment is far more than you might anticipate. In general, this is true of web hosting providers, so be vigilant.
Due to its popularity, the WordPress free plan will serve as our jumping-off point.
This plan includes a free subdomain that will display as “URL.WordPress.com,” and no, it is not optimized for search engines. You will receive 3GB of space and an SSL certificate at no cost.
You’ll also be able to use WordPress’s free, pre-made themes. If you’re just dipping your toe in the water, this isn’t a terrible place to begin, but there are some significant caveats.
There is no way to make money off of your website, no unique domain names are allowed, and no help is offered.
WordPress.com advertisements will replace any content you add to your site.
The personal plan is affordable for anyone’s budget. The primary distinction between this and the Free plan is the availability of a personalized domain name for free during the first year of service. In addition, you’ll be able to get rid of the WordPress.com banner advertisements.
In addition, your storage space has been doubled to 6 GB, and email support has been added. The ability to make material that is accessible solely to paying customers is the most exciting new addition.
It’s not a lot, but it’s a significant upgrade from the free option.
Everything found on the personal plan is on MyResellerHome, with several options expanded and new ones added.
In particular, you may now use paid themes that are fully modifiable via CSS.
The implementation of this strategy will also allow for new forms of monetization. WordPress Ads give you the option to show advertisements and earn revenue. Additionally, both Google Analytics and the PayPal payment processing system can be incorporated.
Because it provides so many customization options at an affordable price, this WordPress.com plan has quickly become the most popular choice for website owners.
You may anticipate the same great services as with the older plans, plus some new ones.
The massive jump from 13 GB to 200 GB in available storage space is just one of the many improvements.
The primary benefits of this plan are the elimination of all WordPress.com branding in favour of your own, the option to upload and use any plugins and themes you like, and regular backups.
While the price is somewhat more than with prior plans, the upgrade does contain numerous helpful tools for enterprises of any size.
The strategy for e-commerce comes last. The most expensive option encompasses all the platform has to offer, with a special focus on e-commerce.
The most notable upgrade from the Business plan is the addition of support for payments from more than 60 countries, integration with several shipping providers, a wide range of professional eCommerce themes, and a profusion of promotional resources.
However, the price is extremely high when compared to the other plans, but it includes everything.
It’s important to note that there are no subscription options when using WordPress.org (self-hosted WordPress). Instead, the program is at your disposal in its entirety. It has all the features of WordPress.com’s top-tier service, plus a few extras, right out of the box.
However, you still need to pay for web hosting on a regular basis. In order to host your website online, you will need to rent space on a web server from a web hosting business. Your website’s efficiency will be directly related to how well it runs.
You’d save a tonne of money compared to WordPress.com’s most expensive plan, which is still restricted in comparison to self-hosting your site.
In spite of the abundance of options, not all web hosts are created equal. As a result, it’s crucial that you make the right choice. And we at myresellerhome are pleased to be among the top web hosting providers without resorting to harmful practices.
A domain name is the only other expense except web hosting, and most web hosts provide one free of charge. Optional premium plugins and themes can add expense.
This begs the question, why is self-hosted WordPress so much more popular than WordPress.com? In fact, there are a number of factors that I shall discuss.
You may choose from even more than a hundred themes on WordPress.org, making WordPress.com seem like a joke by comparison. When using WordPress on a self-hosted server, you can choose from thousands of both free and paid themes.
In contrast, if you want additional theme choices or the ability to tweak them, you’ll need to increase your plan. However, even with all these features, WordPress.com is still lacking.
Furthermore, a WordPress.org theme can be altered in any way you like.
The flexibility of the platform’s theme system means it may be used for practically any kind of website.
There are plenty of other e-commerce sites out there, and this one isn’t even close to being the best. Thanks to the WooCommerce plugin, WordPress.org is the best platform for managing an online business.
When compared to WordPress.com, it allows you to turn WordPress into an online store without charging any extra fees. It presently powers over five million online stores and has native support for several payment gateways (PayPal, Stripe, etc.).
It’s a no-brainer that WordPress.org self-hosted sites provide the best conditions for establishing an online store with their zero-cost setup, a plethora of customization choices, and negligible transaction fees.
It’s possible that a lot of sites will desire to link up with external services.
For instance, Mailchimp is a popular option for launching an email marketing campaign. There are various platforms where this service is offered, but the more you look, the less flexible WordPress.com seems to be.
On WordPress.org, though, you have practically infinite freedom. Being the most widely used content management system, WordPress is widely supported. The ease of integration is greatly enhanced by the fact that most of these solutions include either specialized plugins or API support.
Even WordPress.com’s most fundamental integrations are only available to those on more premium plans. Self-hosting your WordPress site is the best option here.
The only costs involved with using WordPress.org are for web hosting and the domain name. And even at that, it’s still much less expensive than any of WordPress.com’s subscription options.
In addition, you never have to worry about being unable to generate income. Your website’s advertisements are entirely under your control, and you can profit from them at any time. Also, there are a lot of additional methods to earn money from people that visit your website.
It’s also important to remember that some WordPress.com subscriptions have premium features that you may never use. Whereas, with WordPress.org, you may easily bargain with your web hosting company to pay only for the resources you actually need.
WordPress.org has more to offer and is more lucrative than any of its rivals.
On WordPress.com, though, you have zero selection. This leaves you with little recourse in the event of service dissatisfaction or the requirement for more server space beyond the allowances of your current package.
Therefore, the service you select is entirely up to you. Because of this, you can switch web hosts if you’re not satisfied with the current one. Alternatively, if you require additional room or assets, it is not an issue either. If you want to switch plans, you can do so easily by calling your web host.
Web hosting plans can easily accommodate a company’s future expansion needs. In most cases, they will be able to accommodate your growth no matter how large it becomes.
In any case, a WordPress site that is hosted on your own server is the superior choice. Self-hosted WordPress, aside from the free plan, is cheaper and has more features than WordPress.com’s paid plans.
Over 40% of all websites are built with WordPress.org, and that’s because it’s reliable. It’s unparalleled among content management systems in the breadth and depth of its features. A website of any scope and complexity can be created.