Over the years, I’ve met many entrepreneurs whose businesses were doing well and who wanted to upgrade their websites: add new functionality, improve SEO, or scale further.
Only then did they realize their site was built on WordPress.com, not WordPress.org.
That’s why I’m sharing this short comparison, to help you understand the difference early and choose the right foundation for your business website.
WordPress.com – Easy Start, Controlled Growth
Best for: beginners, simple websites, early-stage projects.
- Hosting is included, so setup is fast and beginner-friendly.
- WordPress.com runs on WordPress, but features are plan-based.
- To use a proper domain name (without
wordpress.com), you must upgrade your plan. - Advanced plugins, custom functionality, and deeper SEO control require higher-tier plans.
- I’ve upgraded WordPress.com sites successfully before but only with the Business plan was already in place.
Good choice if: you want simplicity now and accept limitations unless you upgrade later. Check pricing here (I always recommend to check the prices starting from the second year to make a proper choice):
WordPress.org – Open source, Flexible, and Cheaper Long-Term
Best for: growing businesses, professional websites, SEO-focused projects.
- WordPress.org is open-source, means that it is built and improved by a global community.
- You choose your own hosting and have full ownership of your site.
- No platform restrictions: install any theme, any plugin, any functionality.
- Often cheaper long-term, especially for business websites.
- Better SEO flexibility – clean URLs, full control over structure and performance.
Good choice if: you want freedom, scalability, and strong SEO foundations.
If you’re located in Spain, I usually recommend Webempresa for small to medium-sized websites. It’s reliable, well-priced, and works very well for locally hosted WordPress projects. Check out prices here:
For more global or professional-level websites, I prefer SiteGround, especially when performance, scalability, and international reach are important. Check our prices here:
https://www.siteground.com/index.htm?afcode=2bfbd1eba44c0605b6c9102abb5059bb
These links are an affiliate links. If you choose to purchase using it, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I appreciate your support.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | WordPress.com | WordPress.org |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source platform | No | Yes |
| Hosting included | Yes | No |
| Custom domain | Paid plans only | Yes |
| Plugins & features | Plan-restricted | Unlimited |
| SEO flexibility | Limited | Full |
| Long-term cost | Higher | Usually lower |
| Best for | Simple sites | Growing businesses |
Final Note
If your website is part of your business strategy, understanding this difference early can save you time, money, and future rebuilds. I can help your with WordPress.com websites, nevertheless I recommend using the open source wordpress.org version. Do you have questions? Feel free to reach out! 🙂
