So, you wanna use WordPress to create your website? Great choice! WordPress is the most popular platform on the web—and it’s not close. But, how do you get started? Do you go to the WordPress website? Do you install the software from somewhere? Which website do you go to? Is it WordPress.com or WordPress.org? What’s the difference?
Here in my WordPress.com Review, I’ll answer all of the above questions as well as go through a detailed look at when and why WordPress.com is the best choice to create your website.
Okay, first let’s start out by going over the difference between using WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
I’ve written a complete detailed article on WordPress.com vs WordPress.org that you can read here if you want more information on when to use WordPress.com as opposed to WordPress.org.
WordPress.com used to be the lightweight or beginner edition of WordPress—but that’s no longer the case! While in the past, using WordPress.com could be considered similar to using a tool like Blogger.com, these days it can be used to create all types of websites—on the same level as Wix, SquareSpace, Shopify, etc. And, in many cases because of the quality and features of the WordPress platform, it’s actually a better choice.
You can choose from 5 different WordPress.com plans:
Free
The WordPress.com Free plan is a great way to get a feel for the platform and to see how well it works for your website. Be aware that it is meant to be an introductory plan that will include ads.
Personal ($4 mo.)
With the Personal plan, you can get rid of the ads on your website, plus you get a free domain for a year.
Premium ($8 mo.)
The Premium plan is the minimum level I would go with if you’re serious about your WordPress site. Here, you also get chat support, premium themes, and style customization.
Business ($25 mo.)
Although the Business plan does cost a bit more, it’s the plan I would choose for mission-critical WordPress websites. In addition to everything you get at the Premium level, you now get the ability to install plugins and themes, plus premium features for better performance and security.
The Business plan includes global edge caching, global CDN, unrestricted bandwidth, high-frequency CPUs, and automated datacenter failover. On the security side, you get managed malware protection, DDoS mitigation, web application firewall, and isolated site infrastructure.
Commerce ($45 mo.)
The Commerce plan is designed for online store owners that need an E-commerce website. It includes premium store themes, inventory management, store design tools, customer marketing automation, and a bunch of online store features for sales, inventory, discounts, etc. And, unlike the other WordPress.com plans, here there are 0% transaction fees for payment features.
There is also an option for larger Enterprise level plans.
Just as with using the WordPress.org software, WordPress.com includes a lot of great looking free websites themes you can use. There are also premium themes that require an additional fee, however the free themes are a great way to get started with WordPress. You can find themes for all types of niches including Health & Wellness, Authors, Restaurants, Music, Portfolios, Travel, etc.
Here are some theme design samples:
If you have an existing standalone WordPress.org website or a website on another platform such as Wix, SquareSpace, or GoDaddy, you can import it into WordPress.com. Otherwise, you can just go ahead and start creating your new WordPress site easily. With most WordPress.com plans, you get your domain name free for the first year. If you already have a domain, you can either transfer it or point it to your WordPress.com site.
Though the WordPress.com interface will guide you somewhat on getting started building your website, if you’re completely new to WordPress, I would strongly suggest watching some of the tutorial videos before you start creating your site. While WordPress.com is easy to use, it may take a bit to get familiar with where to find the link or button so you can perform certain functions.
If you’ve used WordPress.org before, then you shouldn’t have any trouble getting started and creating your website.
WordPress.com has done a great job incorporating the familiar WordPress dashboard and adding quick links and a step by step guide to help newbies build their website. If you’re already familiar with WordPress, then the process is even easier.
Adding pages to your website is very easy using the pre-designed layouts that are available. There are templates for pages such as About, Services, Contact, Events, Blog Posts, and even a Store page. You can easily customize your pages using the editor. And, WordPress.com now incorporates AI features to make your website creation even faster and easier (see below).
With the new WordPress.com editor, you can now utilize AI when creating your website content. For example, you can use AI to review your page content and give you tips on how to improve it. The other great feature is the ability to have AI automatically generate a feature image for your page or post. Just click the button and enter your description to generate the image. Here’s a sample below.
I also like how WordPress.com has streamlined the process of connecting your domain to your website. You get a free domain for one year with the paid WordPress.com plans. But, if you already have a domain somewhere else such as GoDaddy, you simple click the button on the left side of the dashboard to be guided on the proper NameServers to use to connect your domain.
WordPress.com is very impressive when it comes to website speed and performance. In our testing, websites were fast with excellent page loading times and core web vitals. It’s also worth noting that our testing was done with the WordPress.com Explorer plan. The Creator and Entrepreneur plans have the potential for even better speed and performance as they include premium features such as edge caching and a global CDN. As it is, I’m pleased to report that WordPress.com gets high marks for the speed and performance of WordPress sites hosted there.
Below are some of our sample speed test results via GTmetrix:
WordPress.com has definitely improved their customer support since our initial review. You can get immediate help through their automated chat support. And, if you need additional help, you can send your request via the chat message box. Stated response time is within 24 hours. I sent a support request after 4 p.m. and received a resolution email response at 7:20 a.m. the next morning. Hopefully, in the future live chat support will be added.
WordPress.com has definitely stepped up and greatly improved their line of hosted WordPress website plans. And, in our opinion, they are a better website option than Wix or SquareSpace.
While WordPress.com is suitable for all website owners, in my opinion it’s best suited for individuals or small businesses that need and easy and quick website solution that also has the option for growth and expansion in the future. If you have any previous experience with WordPress, that’s an even bigger plus and you’ll be very comfortable creating your website with WordPress.com.
WordPress.com can be used for more advanced types of websites, however the upper level managed hosting plans with WordPress.com do run on the expensive side—currently $25 mo. to $45 mo. At that rate, you may be better off getting a managed hosting plan from one of the WordPress.org hosting providers.
On the other hand, if you want the simplicity and convenience of having a quality website builder and quality hosting in one package, then we would recommend taking a look at WordPress.com.
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