WordPress vs WordPress.com
Compare WordPress and WordPress.com by publishing scope, licensing, migration work and the operating responsibilities of a live site.
Which CMS model fits the publishing team?
Choose between software you operate with a chosen host and a hosted WordPress service. WordPress.org supplies the free CMS; it does not operate your production site. WordPress.com packages hosting with plan entitlements. Compare who maintains the website and which tools the required plan supplies before comparing subscription prices.
Seven differences that change the shortlist
| Buying question | WordPress | WordPress.com |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | Open-source WordPress software plus chosen services | A hosted WordPress service plan |
| Core licence | GPL software without a core licence fee | Access to WordPress within the service |
| Free access | Free self-hosted software; infrastructure separate | Permanent hosted Free plan with service restrictions |
| Plugin installation | Supported by the software and chosen host | Available on all current paid plans |
| Custom domain | Arrange the domain and hosting connection | Requires a suitable paid plan |
| Operations | Buyer or host owns the agreed maintenance scope | Hosting bundled; plan-specific service capabilities |
| Budget boundary | Host, extensions, support and implementation | Plan, optional services and implementation |
Four worked buying briefs
These are hypothetical scenarios with explicit assumptions. They do not establish equal capabilities, measured usability or a negotiated price.
| Requirement | Evidence to collect | Acceptance condition |
|---|---|---|
| Content migration | A sample export and import covering references, media and languages | The approved sample preserves meaning and editable structure |
| Publishing control | A demonstration using the intended editor and reviewer permissions | Unauthorised changes cannot reach the live site |
| Delivery ownership | An architecture naming CMS, frontend, hosting and integration owners | Every production dependency has a support and recovery owner |
| Commercial scope | A quote for the required licence, capacity and operating services | The estimate includes renewal and implementation responsibilities |
Existing business website
Who will keep the plugins compatible after updates?
WordPress: Set a hosting and maintenance contract for the selected extensions.
WordPress.com: Confirm the required plugins and service support in the chosen paid plan.
A CMS update and a custom integration fault can have different support owners.
Free publication
Can the site launch without a paid hosting subscription?
WordPress: Find and assess infrastructure separately; free software is not hosting.
WordPress.com: Review the hosted Free plan, advertising and address limitations.
Do not assume a custom domain or plugin installation is included in Free.
Custom development
Which tools does the developer need in production?
WordPress: Confirm server access and deployment tools with the host.
WordPress.com: Check the plan for the exact developer access required.
Plugin entitlement and server-level tooling are separate questions.
Hosting move
What will be exported, redirected and tested?
WordPress: Inventory files, database, media and configuration.
WordPress.com: Test the applicable content export and new hosting workflow.
A content export alone may not recreate the theme, plugins or integration settings.
Start with the maintenance agreement
Write down who handles backups, restores, extension updates and security incidents. A managed-hosting label is useful only when those activities and their exclusions are explicit. Include custom code, since a host may manage the server without maintaining a bespoke plugin.
Ask the future site owner to walk through a broken form or failed payment integration. Establish who receives the report, how the issue is diagnosed and whether restoring an older backup would lose recent submissions. This makes competing service proposals comparable.
Check current plugin rights and practical access
WordPress.com now permits plugin installation on all paid plans. An older shortlist that treats Business as the first plugin-capable tier can therefore overstate the minimum plan needed. The right tier still depends on storage, developer tooling, support and the actual site.
For a self-hosted proposal, list every paid extension and its renewal owner. For a hosted proposal, distinguish an available plugin from a vendor-supported configuration. Demonstrate the exact combination before transferring the production domain.
Questions before you choose
Is WordPress.com the same as WordPress.org?
Both use WordPress, but WordPress.org distributes software and WordPress.com operates a hosted service. Hosting and commercial terms are different.
Do WordPress.com plugins require Business?
No. Current official terms allow installation on all paid plans. Free sites must upgrade; other tools still vary by tier.
Is self-hosted WordPress free to operate?
The core software is free. Hosting, domains, maintenance and any commercial extensions still need a budget.
Turn the comparison into your own evaluation
Use the same criteria and priorities for both products, keep unknowns unassessed and record the plan and evidence behind your ratings.
Build a WordPress vs WordPress.com scorecard →Keep the assumptions with the figures
Use the date, billing cycle, units and limits with each example. Check current account terms before purchasing. Unverified prices and model costs stay unpriced.
Download the buying examples as JSON ↓Share the comparison
Use these examples when discussing the shortlist with your team.