The latter is a program that requires you to find your own website hosting server and then install it, therefore making it extremely customizable. WordPress.com hosting is very popular with free blogs, whereas WordPress.Org is a platform used by millions of business websites, blogs and much more. In this guide we're going to look WordPress hosting in more detail, so you can decide whether it is right for you.
WordPress.com:
This is the most basic type of hosting you can get, that comes with a subdomain; meaning your web address will go along the lines of “www.mysite.wordpress.com”. This is fine if you're just starting out as a small blog or are unsure of where you want your website to go, however it's not a long term solution. This free WordPress hosting is limited in terms of space you can use, bandwidth and data your visitors can use, adverts (they have their own) and customisation. Those who want something basic, with an easy to use interface and templates, should use this type of WordPress hosting. There are packages available in order to upgrade your WordPress.com hosting to something a bit more professional, including a domain, more data space and even more templates. You can do this directly through the store on your WordPress.com blog.
WordPress.org:
This is one of the most popular website hosting types in the World, due to it being such an easy to use platform. The only drawback with this is you need to find your own hosting company that is compatible with MySQL and PHP; although, this shouldn't be too difficult as most hosting companies come with this as standard now. Once you have found a web hosting package that is suitable and purchased your domain, you can then upload the WordPress.org program onto your website and control it from there. Going down this route ensures that everything is fully customizable, giving you greater freedom around your website features and themes. Although this may be a slightly pricier approach, this is the most professional looking. You could also make your money back using adverts on the site, if you like!
Who is WordPress hosting for?
If you are going to opt for the basic WordPress.com package then this is perfect for small websites, testing the water and blogs. If you're planning on creating a professional site then it's more likely that you'll need the WordPress.org option, along with a hosting company and a domain. It's good to get a feel of the platform by starting off with a free WordPress hosting account and seeing how it works. This will give you a better idea of whether you find it easy to use and practical for what you need.
WordPress is one of the most popular hosting packages in the World – and for good reason too! Make sure you have a look around at the free options to see whether this would suit your requirements, before searching for something a bit more professional and customizable.
