The names are nearly identical, and people regularly pay for the wrong one. WordPress.com is a hosted service: one plan, billed in US dollars, and the hosting is done for you. WordPress.org gives you the free, open-source software, and you pick your own host.
Same site, three bills
| WP.com Personal (3 yrs) | WP.com Business (3 yrs) | Hostinger Premium (48 mo) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid up front | $99 | $630 | ₹6,672 |
| Backups | Daily | Real-time | Weekly |
| Storage | 6 GB | 50 GB | 20 GB |
- Plugins now work on every paid WordPress.com plan, Personal included. The old “Business only” advice is out of date.
- SSH or SFTP on WordPress.com means Business, about six times the price; Hostinger includes SSH from Premium.
- WordPress.com monthly billing doesn’t include the free first-year domain; Hostinger Premium renews at ₹449 a month.
- Free software isn’t a free site. On self-hosting, the hidden cost is maintenance nobody does.
Checked 30 October 2026. WordPress.com prices are US-dollar list prices; Indian checkout may show rupees and GST. Hostinger before GST.
For a low-maintenance blog, WordPress.com Personal is a credible start, and it now allows plugins. For a serious affiliate business, I’d still choose self-hosted WordPress, because you can move hosts whenever you like. Just remember that free software doesn’t mean a free website.
Quick decision
Choose managed simplicity or infrastructure freedom—not a brand name
WordPress.com is the easier service: hosting, security protections and support are packaged together. WordPress.org is the open-source software route: you choose a host and control more of the site. For a small low-maintenance publication, WordPress.com Personal is credible. For a serious affiliate content business, self-hosted WordPress remains our preference because it offers host portability and wider system control.
WordPress.com for low-maintenance publishing; WordPress.org for adaptable, portable content businesses.
WordPress.com is not raw infrastructure freedom; WordPress.org is not a hands-off managed service by itself.
What to know first
- WordPress.com is a hosted product; WordPress.org distributes open-source software.
- All WordPress.com paid plans now list plugin installation, including Personal.
- Self-hosted WordPress has no software licence charge, but hosting, domain and operations still cost money.
- Your maintenance capacity should determine the model before a promotional price does.
Side-by-side comparison
| Factor | WordPress.com | WordPress.org / self-hosted |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hosted WordPress service | Open-source software |
| Hosting | Included | Chosen separately |
| Plugins | Listed on all paid plans | Install under host/security limits |
| Backups | Managed; feature varies by plan | You or host configure them |
| Server access | Higher plan features | Depends on chosen host |
| Portability | Export/migration supported | Full files/database host portability |
| Billing | Platform plan in USD | Host/domain/plugin mix |
Price check: Offers change. Confirm tax, billing term, renewal and included features on the official checkout before paying.
✓ Strengths
- WordPress.com reduces infrastructure decisions
- Self-hosted WordPress maximises provider choice
- Both use familiar WordPress publishing concepts
— Limitations
- WordPress.com reserves richer operational tools for higher tiers
- Self-hosting can become insecure when nobody maintains it
- Similar names create avoidable purchasing confusion
The ownership model is the real difference
With WordPress.com, one account provides the website service. You can publish and extend the site within the plan's capabilities while the provider manages core infrastructure. With self-hosted WordPress, you install the software at a host and can move the files and database to another compatible provider.
WordPress.org describes the software as free to use, modify and deploy for commercial work. That freedom does not mean a zero-cost website. Reliable hosting, a domain, maintenance time and optional premium tools remain part of the operating model.
Plugins and outdated advice
Many older comparisons state that WordPress.com requires Business for third-party plugins. The current official pricing FAQ says plugin installation is available on every paid plan. This is why ScaleSaathi dates its research and links the source rather than repeating a permanent-sounding rule.
Capability still varies. Business lists real-time backups, one-click restore and developer tools. A plugin being installable does not ensure the entry plan has every server-level feature a developer expects.
Cost and maintenance for Indian users
WordPress.com prices are shown in dollars and reward longer billing terms. Self-hosted offers often show rupee introductory rates with higher renewal and GST. Convert both to a three-year cash figure and include paid plugins, backup storage, email and expected technical help.
The hidden cost of self-hosting is neglected maintenance. The hidden cost of a managed service is paying for features or limits set by one platform. Choose the constraint your organisation is equipped to manage.
Same site, two bills
Take a simple brochure site with a blog, prepaid for the longest normal term. Prices seen 30 October 2026 on the providers’ own pages. The WordPress.com figures are the US-dollar list price on WordPress.com’s global WordPress.com pricing page; Indian checkout may show rupees and GST. The Hostinger figures are from the Hostinger India web hosting page, before GST.
| WordPress.com Personal | WordPress.com Business | Self-hosted on Hostinger Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.75/month on 3 years | $17.50/month on 3 years | ₹139/month on 48 months |
| Paid up front | $99 | $630 | ₹6,672 |
| Plugins | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSH access | No | Yes | Yes, on Premium and higher, per Hostinger’s SSH connection guide |
| Backups | Daily, automatic | Real-time, one-click restore | Weekly, free |
| Storage | 6 GB | 50 GB | 20 GB |
The table shows the real trade-off. If plugins and a tidy publishing workflow are all you need, WordPress.com Personal is cheap and does the maintenance for you. The moment you want SSH or SFTP access, WordPress.com puts it on Business, and the price goes up about six times. Hostinger includes SSH from Premium, its second tier.
Two more lines to add to your own sheet. WordPress.com monthly billing doesn’t include the free first-year domain. Hostinger’s Premium price renews at ₹449 a month after the first term. Neither is a reason to avoid either platform, but both change the long-run total.
WordPress.com plans, line by line
Prices seen 30 October 2026 on the providers’ own pages. These are the US-dollar list prices on the WordPress.com pricing page, excluding taxes. Every paid plan removes WordPress.com ads, lists plugin installation and includes a free domain for the first year on annual or longer billing.
| Personal | Premium | Business | Commerce | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly billing | $9 | $18 | $40 | $70 |
| Per month, billed yearly | $4 | $8 | $25 | $45 |
| Per month, billed for 3 years | $2.75 | $5.50 | $17.50 | $31.50 |
| Storage | 6 GB | 13 GB | 50 GB | 50 GB |
| SFTP, SSH, WP-CLI, staging | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fee on paid subscriptions and payments | 8% | 4% | 2% | 0% |
Two rows matter more than the headline price. The fee row is WordPress.com’s cut of paid subscriptions, paid posts and other payments through its own tools, before Stripe’s processing fee. It falls from 10% on the free plan to 0% on Commerce, so a newsletter that charges members can pay for the upgrade. The developer row is where Business earns its price: SFTP, SSH, WP-CLI, GitHub deployments and a free staging site. On self-hosted WordPress, those depend on your host, and Hostinger includes SSH from Premium.
Plugins WordPress.com still blocks
“Plugins on every paid plan” has an exception list. WordPress.com’s incompatible plugins page blocks or disables a small set because they clash with its managed stack: caching plugins such as WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache and WP Fastest Cache, backup plugins, SQL-heavy plugins, plugins that alter the database or file system, and some email, security and automated-content tools. A disabled plugin shows a “Disabled” status and can’t be activated.
For most blogs that’s a fair trade, because caching and daily backups come built in. For a developer it’s the clearest line between the two models. Self-hosted, the only rules are your host’s. WordPress.org’s requirements page recommends PHP 8.3 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or newer, and HTTPS. Check that your host meets it before you compare prices.
Moving between the two
Leaving WordPress.com is straightforward for content. Its export guide produces an XML file of posts, pages and comments that any WordPress site can import, with media handled as a separate step. Themes, plugin settings and anything built with WordPress.com-only features won’t come with it, so rebuild those on the new host and test before you switch DNS.
Going the other way, the WordPress.com import guide handles WordPress sites and also brings content in from Wix, Squarespace and Medium. Either way, keep the old site live until redirects, forms and email are confirmed on the new one. The WordPress.com comparison page is blunt on the point that matters: on both models, you own your content and can move it.
Our recommendation by project
Use WordPress.com Personal for a simple professional blog when ease and one-provider accountability matter. Use Business only when its backups, developer access and support are worth the jump. Use self-hosted WordPress for affiliate publishing, extensive integrations, client work or a site that may change infrastructure as it grows.
Whichever route you choose, maintain a content export, document domain ownership and avoid adding plugins without a clear purpose. Portability is a practice as much as a product feature. If you are choosing WordPress mainly to run a store, our Shopify vs WooCommerce comparison compares the WooCommerce route with Shopify on real Indian costs.
Check the live offer
Verify the final terms on WordPress.com
Confirm the exact plan, full invoice, tax, renewal and refund conditions before paying.
Visit WordPress.comDirect official link until an approved affiliate URL is added.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress.org free?
The software has no licence fee, but a public site normally needs paid hosting and a domain. Premium themes, plugins and help are optional additional costs.
Can WordPress.com use plugins?
Yes. The official current pricing FAQ says every paid plan can install plugins. Plan-specific resources and developer tools still differ.
Which is better for affiliate marketing?
Self-hosted WordPress is our stronger default for a serious affiliate publication because it offers broad tool choice, central link management and host portability.
Can I move from WordPress.com to self-hosting?
Yes, WordPress content can be exported and migrated. Themes, features and URLs may need adjustment, so plan redirects and test the move before changing DNS.
Does WordPress.com take a cut of my earnings?
Only on paid subscriptions and payments collected through its own tools: 10% on the free plan, falling to 8%, 4%, 2% and 0% on Commerce, plus Stripe’s fee.
Can I use my own caching or backup plugin on WordPress.com?
No. WordPress.com blocks caching and backup plugins because it supplies both. Self-hosted WordPress allows them, subject to your host.
What does a host need to run WordPress.org?
WordPress.org recommends PHP 8.3 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or newer, and HTTPS.
Sources and research notes
The facts on this page come from the official pages listed below, and the date at the top shows when the page was last updated. Plans and terms change from time to time, so check the official page before you buy.
- WordPress.com pricing — Plans, plugins, backups, storage and hosted features
- WordPress.org features — Open-source features, plugins, data ownership and licensing
- WordPress.com incompatible plugins — Blocked caching, backup and other plugins
- WordPress.org requirements — PHP, database and HTTPS requirements
- WordPress.com export guide — Exporting content to another site
- WordPress.com import guide — Importing from WordPress, Wix and others
- WordPress.com vs WordPress.org — Official comparison and ownership note
Product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. They are shown only to identify the products compared in this comparison, and their use does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with ScaleSaathi.