Anyone who is thinking about starting up a website that they can use to generate revenue will need to first consider the benefits of self hosted vs. WordPress.com blogs. There are certainly benefits to each of these options, and it is important to take a close look at them before making a final decision of any kind.
Theme Support
Themes are a very important thing for many people with websites, so it is therefore important to look at what each of these options has to offer when it comes to theme support.
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- Self Hosted: WordPress.org allows its users access to custom/commercial themes as well as the many different free themes that exist. With this option, you will be able to customize or do anything else you want with your website.
- WordPress.com: With this option you can only choose from free themes from WordPress.com, and you will not be able to modify the CSS or other codes within the theme in any way.
Plugins
Another crucial factor to consider when trying to determine whether to go with WordPress.com or the self hosted WordPress.org is the plugins that each one allows. These two options are very different when it comes to plugins, so take a look at what each one has to offer if this is an important issue to you.
- Self Hosted: With websites like WordPress.org, you will be able to upload free, paid or even custom plugins. By being able to do this, you will be able to increase your chances of success as well as the convenience that comes with having so many different plugin options.
- WordPress.com: Plugins are not allowed with WordPress.com, so you will not be able to upload any, whether free, paid or custom. There are, however, numerous built-in features that are similar to plugins but not nearly the same. By purchasing the VIP program, you will be able to get full control over all your plugins, PHP code, ads, themes and everything else. This program does, however, cost a steep $2500 per month.
Cost
Nobody wants to pay more than they have to for a website, so it is important to look at what each of these options costs before deciding which one to choose.
- Self Hosted: WordPress.org charges for web hosting on a monthly basis. Users are required to pay a registration fee each year as well. For sites that get an especially high amount of traffic, the cost of hosting can be quite steep. With WordPress.org, it costs a total of $10/year for a domain name and $7 per month for hosting. With unlimited storage space and no need to pay for ads though, it is a fairly attractive deal.
- WordPress.com: WordPress.com offers free blogs with up to 3 GB of storage space. The catch is that there will be text ads displayed on your blog to logged-out users. You are also required to pay a domain registration fee ($10 per year) for custom names if you do not wish to have a sub-domain. This website does, however, offer a number of plans, including the Basic, Premium and Business. Each of these plans come with their own features and cost, so it might be a good idea to look into some of them before making a final decision.
Monetization
- Self Hosted: With the self hosted WordPress.org, you will be able to sell an unlimited number of ads on your website. You can also use any ad service you like. Above all, you get to keep every penny of what you earn from your own site, which is something that is definitely not available everywhere.
- WordPress.com: Monetization on WordPress.com is restricted. You are not allowed to sell any ads on your own website unless you receive at least 25,000 unique views each month. If you do receive this many views per month, you are required to apply to try the feature called Ad Contorl.
Those who want to keep everything they earn from their websites will definitely want to think about what WordPress.org has to offer. The self hosted option is much better when it comes to how much you get to keep from all of your hard work.
Maintenance
- Self Hosted: With the self hosted WordPress.org option, you are completely responsible for maintaining your site and updating it as well as keeping regular backups and making sure your website is optimized. This is more work, but people who want full control of their websites usually like it that way. If you want to be in full control of your site, having to do all of the maintenance yourself is probably a good thing overall.
- WordPress.com: You do not have to do any maintenance whatsoever. The website’s staff takes care of all the maintenance, including backups, updates, optimization and just about everything else.
Although it may seem tempting to choose the option that requires little to no maintenance, doing so will mean that you have less control of your own website and the direction it goes in. If you are serious about making money from your website, the self hosted option is much better because it allows you to control every aspect of it.
Conclusion
While it is true that there are both benefits and drawbacks to self hosting and WordPress.com, the former option provides those who want more control over the direction of their websites with a lot more. And although hosting on WordPress.org may not be free like it is on WordPress.com, there are many other benefits to consider, such as the unlimited ads you can put on your website and the unlimited storage space. Self hosting is the very best option for those who are tired of putting their website on cruise control and want to get back and take control of the wheel. With so many benefits and drawbacks with each of these options though, you will need to take as much time as necessary to make the decision that is right for you.