WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: What You Actually Pay in 2026
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org cost comparison 2026. Hosted vs self-hosted pricing, customization limits, plugin access, and which is right for your site.
"WordPress" refers to two different things. The name confusion is one of the most common mistakes people make when budgeting for a website.
- WordPress.org — the free, open-source software you download and install on your own hosting. Run by the WordPress Foundation.
- WordPress.com — a hosted platform built on WordPress software, run by Automattic. They handle the hosting; you pay a subscription.
Same underlying software. Completely different cost structure and capability set.
WordPress.com Plans (2026)
| Plan | Monthly (annual billing) | Annual Total | Custom Domain | Plugins | eCommerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Personal | $4/mo | $48 | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Premium | $8/mo | $96 | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Business | $25/mo | $300 | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Commerce | $45/mo | $540 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
US prices on wordpress.com/pricing, October 2026, billed yearly; month to month they are $9, $18, $40 and $70. The pricing page lists plugin installation on every paid plan. Annual plans include a free domain for the first year.
WordPress.org (Self-Hosted) Annual Cost
| Component | Low End | High End | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosting (shared) | $36/yr | $96/yr | Hostinger, Bluehost, etc. |
| Hosting (managed WP) | $240/yr | $1,200/yr | WP Engine, Kinsta, SiteGround |
| Domain (.com) | $12/yr | $18/yr | Namecheap, Cloudflare |
| Premium theme | $0/yr | $200/yr | One-time or annual |
| Essential plugins | $0/yr | $300/yr | SEO, security, caching, forms |
| Developer setup (one-time) | $0 | $5,000+ | DIY or hired |
| DIY total | ~$100/yr | ~$500/yr | |
| With managed hosting + plugins | ~$400/yr | ~$2,000/yr |
1-Year Cost Comparison by Use Case
| Use Case | WordPress.com | WordPress.org |
|---|---|---|
| Basic blog / personal site | Free–$48 | ~$60–$150 |
| Small business site | $48–$300 (Personal to Business) | $300–$1,500 |
| eCommerce store | $540 (Commerce) | $500–$3,000+ |
| Agency / content-heavy site | $300–$540 | $300–$2,000+ |
At $48–$300 a year, WordPress.com now undercuts most managed WordPress hosting. The main question is control: self-hosting lets you choose the server, move hosts freely and run anything the server allows.
Customization Limits by Tier
| Capability | .com Free | .com Personal | .com Premium | .com Business | .org (self-hosted) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custom domain | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom CSS | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Install plugins | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Install custom theme | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Full eCommerce (WooCommerce) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Server access | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Multisite | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Who Should Choose WordPress.com
- You want a simple blog or personal site at the lowest entry price ($4/month billed yearly)
- You want managed infrastructure with no server decisions
- You're comparing .com Business ($300/yr billed yearly) with managed WordPress hosting — .com is usually cheaper and simpler to run
- You're not a technical user and want the hosting-and-software bundle to "just work"
Who Should Choose WordPress.org
- You need plugins or server software that a hosted platform may not allow
- You need full design flexibility (custom theme files, child themes)
- You're building WooCommerce and want to control your hosting environment
- You want the lowest long-term cost (shared hosting + DIY can be very cheap)
- You need server-level access for staging, SSH, or custom server configurations
Migration Cost Warning
Starting on WordPress.com and later migrating to self-hosted WordPress is common — and more work than expected.
Budget for migration:
- DIY: 10–30 hours of work for a mid-sized site
- Professional: $500–$2,000 depending on site size and content volume
- SEO risk: URL structure changes require careful redirect management
If you know you will eventually need full server control, starting on self-hosted WordPress from day one avoids a future migration.
Use our Website Cost Calculator to estimate your WordPress project budget.
Related Articles
- WordPress Website Cost in 2026 — full self-hosted WordPress cost breakdown
- WordPress vs Wix — total cost of ownership compared
- Webflow vs WordPress — design-forward alternative
- Web Hosting Cost Guide — hosting options for self-hosted WordPress
- What Is WordPress? — platform overview explained