WordPress is the most used CMS (Content Management System) in the world. It’s free software with the goal of enabling the greatest number of people possible to publish online without having to write code. Simple and accessible, WordPress can help you create any kind of website and manage content published on a website in real time.
What’s the difference between wordpress.org and wordpress.com, then? Which one should you choose?
What’s the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
WordPress.org is the website for the free, open source software, which also means it is not owned by a business and that anyone can contribute to it and improve it.
WordPress.com is a business website owned by the US-based Automattic Inc., which sells a website creation product based on WordPress.
WordPress.org
WordPress.org is the website where you can download the free, open source version of WordPress. Still, you’ll need to buy a domain name as well as web hosting in order to be able to install and use this solution.
Remember — a domain name is your website’s address it’s URL, for example, “gandi.net,” while your website’s hosting is “where your site is stored”.
By building your site this way, you get complete access to your website’s files and the ability to modify it without any restriction. That’s also leaves users free to choose the registrar (the business that registers a domain for you, like Gandi) and hosting provider.
That, in turn, enables a user to adjust their choices according to their budget and to shop for the best deal from amongst competitors. On the other hand, the website administrator will be responsible for the technical maintenance of the site, which entails a certain amount of technical know-how.
Want to install WordPress on a Gandi Simple Hosting instance?
WordPress.com
WordPress.com is a website owned by Automattic Inc., a US-based company. The site offers a hosted version of WordPress, with a turnkey solution including hosting and domain name. With this solution, your WordPress installation is already implemented on your website and ready to use, so it doesn’t require any technical handling.
This solution is better adapted for complete website creation novices who want to create a simple website without having to learn much about websites and the internet. It still has certain limits, like the price and plugins that are initially free when you install them but later require payment.
Which should you choose?
Overall, it all depends on your goals in creating a website.
If you want to make a site quickly with little to no technical knowledge, WordPress.com is probably the better option. This offers you the possiblity of a solution that encompasses all the pieces necessary to bring your website online. However, you should be aware that the amount of changes you can make to your website will be limited, and you may not be able to install plugins without having to pay extra. And unfortunately, you won’t be able to measure traffic on your website unless you opt for the premium package.
If you have basic technical knowledge (or you want to learn) about how to buy a domain name, find a hosting provider, and install WordPress (which can be done in a few clicks): we recommend using the free, open source software available at WordPress.org. This will enable you to be flexible in terms of costs, while maintaining your freedom to install or not install additional plugins on your website.
What’s the relationship between these two entities?
Automattic Inc. operates WordPress.com using the WordPress software and in return, it’s one of the main contributors to the open-source software. At the same time, Automattic comes from WordPress since some of the WordPress software’s founding members moved on to work at Automattic Inc.
WordPress, then, is not a product owned by Automattic or vice versa. Automattic “comes out of WordPress” in a sense, since several of WordPress’s founding members formed the Automattic Inc. company.
In summary, the two entities are distinct even if they are linked to one another: Automattic, by contributing to the development of WordPress software, and WordPress by being the software that Automattic uses for WordPress.com.
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