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Last updated on June 11th, 2022
WordPress is a popular content management system for self-hosted sites (like mine!). However, Automattic (the organization behind the software) also run a blogging service at WordPress.com. The latter is free, with premium levels of service offered for sale.
Some might wonder which version to choose, especially if they don’t have much experience with running a blog/website.
The infographic below (by Bluchic) lists the pros and cons of each version. Prices listed may have changed since the infographic was created (in 2015), so I’d double check those.
Which WordPress version to choose?
On a simplistic level, and summarizing the infographic’s points:
- Choose WordPress.com if you just want a simple, no-maintenance blog that’s free. It’s also ideal if you don’t care about ad revenue or heavy customization. However, some users might find this tier of service too limiting.
- Choose the self-hosted version if you need a more robust blog/website, want a lot of customization, or have business/commercial interests in mind. However, this version requires more technical skills by users. Users will also need to perform more maintenance.
Both versions are excellent services, and have their positive and negative points. Automattic also throws its full support behind both versions.
Which version do you use?
Image by StickerGiant (Flickr / CC BY)
