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Should you choose Wordpress.org or Wordpress.com for your blog
Date : 26th June, 2013
So you have done some thinking, searched around on the web, and decided you want to put your computer to work for you and start a blog. After searching and seeing the different platforms you have decided to go with Wordpress. However you have one more choice to make; do you go to Wordpress.com or Wordpress.org? What is the difference between the two?.
Wordpress.com
The wordpress.com site allows you to host your blog for free within their servers. When you sign up for a blog here your web address will look like this yourblogname.wordpress.com, and you generally have a limited amount of space.
Wordpress.org
The wordpress.org site is more of a plugin and designed for those who host their own blogs. Hosting your own blog means that you have purchased a domain name through your favourite provider, and paid a hosting service (can be the same as the domain registrar), so your brand and blog are more personalised.
Which is better?
Knowing which is going to be better is a case of knowing what you want from your blog. If you have a specific message, business or brand that you wish to get out self hosting is always the best route to go. Self hosting is more flexible; you can do more and have more control over plugins and other applications you can add to the site. Moreover, there are a lot of regulations on a free hosted site that dictate how you can monetize your traffic; regulations that are not imposed with self-hosted wordpress sites
That said, if you are looking for more of a general hang out and a place to put some thoughts you might not want to invest the money it takes for a personal hosted domain. You have to pay for the domain and keep that yearly, pay for the hosting, and, of course, you will want to have a custom design if you are self hosted. Visiting Gumtree or UK classifieds can show what freelancers charge for design services to give you an idea. If you free host there are a variety of suitable free designs that can work for a general blog that is not trying to brand.
In short, only you can decide which blog service is better for you. If you have the budget, or are truly trying to start a brand, your best bet is likely going to be self hosting. It is more flexible in every way and it looks more professional. If you just want a general place for thoughts, or a family newsletter, you don’t have to spend the extra money and can go for the free site. The free Wordpress blog is powerful and easy to use for a basic site.
