At least once a month someone tells us they “have a WordPress site”, and it turns out to mean one of two quite different things. One is a subscription service. The other is software you install on hosting you control. They share a name, a logo style and a lot of code, and that’s about where the similarity ends for a business owner.
Two products, one name
WordPress.org is where you download WordPress, the free open source software. You (or your developer) install it on a hosting account of your choosing. This is usually called self-hosted WordPress, and it’s what agencies including us mean when we say we build on WordPress.
WordPress.com is a commercial hosting service run by Automattic. You sign up, pick a plan, and they run WordPress for you on their servers. It’s closer to Squarespace or Wix in how you pay for it, though it’s more flexible than those.
Think of it like a ute. WordPress.org hands you the vehicle and you choose where to garage it, who services it and what you bolt on. WordPress.com is a lease where the company garages and services it for you, and the lease tier decides what modifications you’re allowed.
Side by side
| Self-hosted (WordPress.org) | WordPress.com | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the server | Your host, chosen by you | Automattic |
| How you pay | Hosting plus any paid themes and plugins | Monthly or yearly plan |
| Plugins and themes | Anything you like | Depends on the plan |
| Moving to another host | Copy the files and database, done | Export is possible, but you’re leaving their platform |
| Updates and security | Your responsibility (or your developer’s) | Handled for you |
| Free option | The software is free, hosting isn’t | Free plan with a wordpress.com address and their branding |
| Page builders like Elementor | Yes | Only on plans that allow plugins, and with their hosting rules |
What changed recently
For years, the big practical difference was plugins. On WordPress.com you couldn’t install your own plugins or themes unless you were on the Business plan or higher, which pushed the price up quickly for small sites.
That has loosened. At the time of writing (late 2026), reporting on the change says WordPress.com opened plugin installs to its paid plans from April 2026, while the free plan still can’t install them. Plan names, prices and limits change often, so check the current details on WordPress.com before you rely on any of this.
Even with that change, the core difference stays the same. On WordPress.com the platform decides the rules for the server you’re on. On self-hosted WordPress, you do.
How to tell which one you’ve got
If you’re not sure, four quick checks:
- Look at how you pay. An invoice from WordPress.com or Automattic means WordPress.com. An invoice from a hosting company (or your web developer, for hosting) means self-hosted.
- Look at the login. WordPress.com sites usually send you through a wordpress.com account login. Self-hosted sites log in at yourdomain.com.au/wp-admin with a username that only exists on your site.
- Check the dashboard. WordPress.com wraps the dashboard in its own menus and upgrade prompts. Self-hosted looks like plain WordPress, plus whatever your developer installed.
- Ask who your host is. If the answer is “WordPress”, it’s probably WordPress.com. If it’s a hosting company’s name, it’s self-hosted.
Why most businesses mean self-hosted
When a small business says it wants a WordPress site, it usually wants three things: to own it, to have it built properly by someone, and to grow it later without a rebuild. Self-hosted WordPress delivers all three with the fewest strings attached.
Ownership is the big one. With self-hosted WordPress the site is a set of files and a database sitting on hosting in your name. If you change developers, the new one gets the hosting login and carries on. We cover what you should hold the keys to in who should own your domain, hosting and logins, and it’s worth a read whichever version you’re on.
Flexibility is next. A self-hosted site can run Elementor Pro, WooCommerce, a proper SEO plugin, a booking integration and a custom post type for your projects, all on hosting that’s tuned for them. You can choose Australian hosting close to your customers. You can choose a host with good backups and support. None of that needs anyone’s permission.
The real downside is responsibility. Self-hosted WordPress needs updates, backups and someone keeping an eye on it, either you or a hosting and care plan. WordPress.com takes that off your plate, and for a hobby blog or a very simple site that’s a perfectly good trade. Our take on when WordPress suits a business at all is in is WordPress still the right choice for small business.
When WordPress.com makes sense
We’d consider it reasonable for:
- A personal blog or a small community group with no budget for maintenance
- A short-term project site you’ll retire in a year
- Someone who wants to build it themselves, wants WordPress specifically, and never wants to think about hosting
For a business that relies on its site for enquiries or sales, we’d almost always go self-hosted. The cost difference is usually small once you’re on a WordPress.com plan that does what you need, and you keep full control.
If you’re moving from one to the other
Going from WordPress.com to self-hosted is a well-worn path. Content (pages, posts, media) exports cleanly. Design rarely comes across exactly, especially if you used a theme that only exists on WordPress.com, so plan for some rebuild work. Keep your domain registered somewhere you control, and set up redirects for any URLs that change so Google doesn’t lose track of you.
If hosting itself is still a bit of a mystery, start there. It’ll make the rest of this decision much easier.
Not sure which one you’re on, or whether it’s worth moving? Our website ownership page includes a free review, and our web design page shows how we set up self-hosted builds.