WordPress is a free, open-source blogging application that allows you to create your own site and get it up and running in minutes. Blogging is what WordPress really is about. Those who simply want to express how they feel about stuff or share to people what you know about WordPress is the right tool for the job. WordPress for creating a blog is free, but when you want a more customized business site or shopping site, you need to pay a particular fee for it.
WordPress is available in free and self-hosted. Self-hosted WordPress is the paid version of WordPress. You need to install and host WordPress manually before you can make a site go live. Below are some of the pros and cons of hosted and self-hosted WordPress website.
Hosted WordPress
This is the fastest way you can get a site online because all you need to do is register, setup you site, and then it is ready to go. It automatically updates whenever a new release comes out. However, it is less flexible than a self-hosted WordPress site.
Pros
- Free. You do not need to pay for domain and hosting. Just register to their site using your email address.
- Easy to use. Create your own WordPress account, select a name for your site, select a suitable theme, and start posting blogs.
Cons
- You cannot monetize your blog. Advertisements are controlled by WordPress and you are not allowed to post advertisements (Google ads, etc).
- Your domain is tied to WordPress. For SEO purposes: yourdomain.wordpress.com, won’t get you to the site optimization needed to make your site popular.
- Limited storage space. You won’t notice it at first, but when you plan to run your website for a long time, you will definitely require a larger disk space.
- Themes. Branding your blog is not possible, you only have 75 themes to choose from, and they cannot be customized.
Hosted wordpress is just for expressing thoughts or sharing a personal diary. If you want to earn from your website, you will need a more customized site and WordPress hosting.
Self-Hosted WordPress
With self-hosted WordPress, you need to download WordPress and then host the platform yourself. You have the freedom to choose your own domain name (no WordPress subdomain), thus, make it look more professional.
You need to have a WordPress hosting, and you have to perform the upgrades yourself when WordPress updates their software. The great thing about self-hosted WordPress is that you can customize your site according to your needs.
Another advantage is that you can earn income from your blog or website. You can display all your advertisements (AdSense, Yahoo, etc.) or all your affiliate links that can let you earn big revenues.
A WordPress hosted to your own domain means the site is optimized for search engine ranking. This also lets you provide the highest level of customization and help you earn more revenue.
Pros
- You have more power and control to your blog.
- Earn money. Sell products, place affiliate links, or let other websites place ads on your website. You are also allowed to put a shopping card or other plugins to help earn money.
- You can create the unique theme you desire. There are many free and premium themes available online that can make your site look professional and unique. Adding to that, the “branding” of your theme let people know right away how professional your website is.
- Customize your website without limitations.
- Self-hosted WordPress hosted in a reputable WordPress hosting is search engine friendly, every single page of your site are indexed.
Cons
- Not easy to setup. You need to learn how to install WordPress to make it work. However, WordPress hosting providers have one-click install script which will let you install WordPress successfully in just one click.
- You need to manually update WordPress when a new one comes out.
- You have to pay for the domain name each year and the web hosting provider each month.
- Find out how to run and test WordPress without paying a cent and follow our tips and tutorials on WordPress website related.
