Many web professionals old and new, have always had their share of doubts when it came to WordPress.com vs WordPress.org. Though they may have some points in common there are many differences between the two that can be leveraged in order to make the most out of them. Hence, for any web pro who is serious about leveraging WordPress as a tool to build a website or publish content, it becomes imperative to know the difference between the two. This article seeks to lay emphasis on what is WordPress.com and WordPress.org, what their pros and cons are, what is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org and when can they best be deployed.
What is WordPress.org?
WordPress.org is an open source platform which is free for one and all. Since it is a free software, you can download and install the same on your own web server. With WordPress.org, you can host your own website or blog. Hence it is also referred by many as ‘self-hosted’ WordPress.
What are the benefits of WordPress.org?
Apart from the fact that it is free to download, WordPress.org has quite a few interesting benefits. Let us look at some of the benefits, shall we?
- With WordPress.org, you have total control over your website. Which means you will not be bothered with ‘take this content’ down notifications unless you violate internet rights.
- You can monetize the website by running the ads of your choice, without splitting the revenue.
There is no restriction in terms of downloading a theme for your website. Same is the case in terms of plugins. - Since the website is hosted on your own web server, you can make changes to the directory of the web files as you want.
- You can customize the website as you want and change its design, that too without incurring any costs.
What are the disadvantages of WordPress.org?
- You may require some prior technical knowledge. A sound understanding of HTML will be good to have but not a must.
- Since the website is self-hosted you are responsible for everything right from security updates, backup and support for the website. In addition to this, with WordPress.org, you are not a part of the WordPress network directly i.e as opposed to WordPress.org, WordPress.com makes their users a part of a large community where they explain ways of updating WordPress, provide information for resolving conflicts etc. Hence, promoting the website and marketing the same can be a daunting task.
What is WordPress.com?
WordPress.com is a WordPress hosting service created by WordPress for its customers. If you avail their hosting service, your website will be hosted on their servers. In short, WordPress.com takes care of all your hosting needs.
What are the advantages of WordPress.com?
WordPress.com basically takes away your worries when it comes to hosting requirements. But along with this major advantage, come many other advantages. Let’s see them one by one:
- WordPress.com does not require much investment in terms of time from the user’s point of view. Its setup time is considerably less.
- The overall management of the website is minimal since hosting providers take care of all the services right from file uploads etc. Which means you do not need to access the FTP account or even add domain through a control panel or conduct any such tasks.
- You need not have any technical know-how i.e you don’t need to code or know a coding language etc.
- Since it is a paid service, WordPress.com provides email and chat support to customers. In addition to this, since you are a part of the WordPress community, it can send traffic to your website by featuring your website on its marketplace portal.
What are the disadvantages of WordPress.com?
- WordPress.com allows access to a limited number of themes and templates for their website (only 165).
You do not entirely own the content on WordPress.com i.e, WordPress.com has the right to shut it down. You do not have the right to sell the website or blog without permissions. - The free plan of WordPress.com will provide you with a subdomain i.e your website will read as www.yourwebsite.wordpress.com and not www.yourwebsite.com.
The major point of difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com is that with the former you download the software whereas with the latter you are provided with an end-to-end hosting service for WordPress. However, it is only by pitting WordPress.com vs WordPress.org, against certain parameters will know which one is a better choice.
Difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com
Based on some crucial parameters, we have explained WordPress.com vs .org.
| Parameter | WordPress.org | WordPress.com |
|---|---|---|
| Control | WordPress.org gives you complete control over the content as well as the hosting aspects of the website. | WordPress.com the entire control of the website is in the hands of the hosting service. However, you can control which files have to be uploaded by telling your service provider. |
| Theme and Plugin support | Here, you can avail an unlimited number of themes and plugins.You can also avail third party plugins if necessary. | The access to the number of themes and plugins is limited. However, you can purchase themes and plugins with customized plans which could cost you dear. |
| Maintenance | Since the control of the website lies with the user, maintenance of the website is also in the hands of the user. However, this maintenance is not a tall order. | The maintenance of the website completely lies in the hands of the hosting provider i.e WordPress.com. |
| Monetization | Users can freely monetize through the WordPress.org since the platform allows one to create their own monetization models. | WordPress.com enforces stringent policies when it comes to monetization i.e. users need to have a certain amount of traffic on the website to use WordPress’ own monetizing model. |
| Analytics | With WordPress.org, your analytics end can grow more powerful by integrating your website with Google analytics or other powerful tools like KissMetrics, MixPanel etc. | One can avail Google analytics by integrating the plugin with the website only if they avail WordPress.com’s business plans. Else, the analytics come straight from WordPress. |
| Expense | The expense could be higher with WordPress.org since hosting charges, design charges incurred can go well out of control. | The expenses in case of WordPress.com can be mitigated since monthly hosting charges are limited. |
| SEO | With WordPress.org, you can install unlimited SEO features. | With WordPress.com, you can add a limited number of third-party plugins for SEO. |
In closing, we would like to add that WordPress.com and WordPress.org have their own peculiarities. For instance, WordPress.com’s free plans can be best used when you want to have your own free blog. Whereas, with WordPress.org, you can grow your own website as you want by adding more products, services or ads to monetize from. We hope that you have understood the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org is crystal clear. In case you have any doubts or queries, feel free to leave your comments below.
A Content Management System (CMS) is a software that enables you to create and manage digital content. It is a web application used to update pricing through its APIs, manage files, create content, manage images etc. to maintain your website or online portals . Examples of CMSes include Drupal, WordPress, Joomla and the like.
When should you consider building your own CMS?
Some consider building their own CMSes in the following cases:
- For more control in terms of customisation & to fit your required purpose (as you cannot modify a code from WordPress or an existing CMS)
- If the existing CMSes available do not have the functionality they’re looking for
- For a CMS tailor-made to their businesses with features & functionalities they require
- For greater security as many popular CMSs are open source. However, paid CMSs that are available but might not necessarily meet business needs.
While many companies & individual developers have opted to build their own CMS, it’s important to note that building one’s own CMS can be a difficult, time-consuming and not to mention, an expensive task. If at all none of the available CMS giants (WordPress, Joomla, Drupal) meet your needs, only then consider building your own.
How can you make money with your own CMS?
There are two ways a CMS can make you money:
- Licensing
- Support
Most CMS companies charge a licensing fee for usage and/or earn by providing technical support & custom development. If you choose to make your CMS open-source, then you can earn through support and possibly through premium themes & plugins.
There are benefits of open-source:
- Code fixes submitted by others to rectify your CMS means you get free code
- Could have more customers in open source
- Customers risk little when they have more than just you to fix bugs/ issues
How to plan to build your own CMS
Building a CMS is a huge project and will require proper planning & execution. The SCRUM approach might be useful for:
- Streamlining tasks
- Assigning tasks to team members
- Managing communication
- Allocating resources
- Setting deadlines & goals
- Managing time
Here’s how you can start:
#1 Evaluate your Aim & your Resources
The first step in the planning process is to evaluate who your CMS is for – Is it for generic use or for a niche market? The answer to this question will help you decide on your feature list as well as evaluate your resources at hand. Resources include:
- Developer team
- Skillset
- Time on hand
- Budget
#2 Prepare a Feature List
It’s a good idea to evaluate why you need to build your own CMS. Do this by creating a feature list of what you want your CMS to do. Categorize this into Frontend & Backend.
Frontend could include:
- Listing of products in a particular fashion
- Building a robust search functionality
- Homepage in a particular fashion or multiple themes for skinning
- Plugins for functionality
Management panel would include:
- Admin dashboard
- Dashboard login/log out
- List of products, pages
- Add new products, pages
- Edit existing files, dates, images, content
- Delete existing files, data, images, content
The backend would include:
- Database structure
- Server requirements
- Folder structure
- Security settings
- File permissions
- Building modular architecture for functions that work independently of other functions on a basic core
While at this step, find out what are the functionalities you want to build that no other currently available CMS will give you.
#3 Decide on a roadmap & milestones for each module
Now that you’ve created a feature list, you need to evaluate how much time you’re going to invest in building this CMS and if it’s worth the effort.
The few companies in the world who’ve built CMSes have spent a considerable amount of time doing so. A CMS could take years to build, depending on the team of developers, their skillset etc. I’ve come across far too many case studies of developers building their own product and recommending not doing so like this one.
However, if you do decide to go ahead and build a CMS, probably plan it phase wise. Figure out which features you want to roll out in Phase I, Phase II etc. This can enable you to launch your product early while still letting your customers know there’s more to expect.
How to Market a CMS?
The CMS you’ve built could be for your own use or to distribute commercially. If it is to distribute commercially, assess if your CMS is for a niche audience or for the generic audience. If it is for a niche audience, you will need a slightly different marketing approach:
- Advertise on Search Engine Marketing (SEM) with banners targeted to the specific industry
- Targeted Facebook ads to that industry
- Email marketing to a mailing list of those in the niche industry
If you wish to distribute your CMS to a wide audience, you will need to target the pain points of existing CMSs that your CMS solves. The USP of your CMS should be clear. Here are some tips to get the word out:
- Blog about it: A good way to get the word out about your squeaky new CMS is to blog about it. Set up a blog to share content about the features, pricing, why it’s different from other CMSs & more. A blog is an important channel to market your product. Additionally, it’s free.
- Issue a press release: A press release is always a good way to get exposure for a new product, an event or a CMS. The key is to write a good, meaty press release that’s newsworthy.
- Make use of forums: There are a bunch of forums and discussion groups online dedicated to web developers, designers, coders who would be interested in new CMSs. Also look for platforms where pain points of existing CMSs are discussed. Here are some I can recommend:
- Quora (search for questions related to CMSs or even start a blog there)
- Web Hosting Talk
- Google Community
- Web Dev Forums
- Do the same with social media: Like forums, social media gives you a wide reach. Create a product page & give regular, relevant updates about your CMS – upgrades, added features etc. Invite your contacts to follow the page, engage with customers, answer queries about the product etc.
- Use email marketing: Email marketing is another great way to target potential customers, especially if your CMS is for a niche audience. Your first step is to put together a mailing list with such customers. With email marketing, you can send updates, upgrades, product features etc.
Conclusion
Building a CMS is a mammoth task. Once a CMS owner, you will need to look at integrations with third parties, how to sustain your product, funding for the project, maintenance cost & compliance & a creating workable, evolving CMS solution.
If you’re considering building a CMS or currently are, we’d love to hear your thoughts & learnings in the comments section below.
Whether you want to set up a new internet presence or redecorate your modern website, you need to have a content material control machine (CMS) for preserving and updating your digital content. It’s important to select the right CMS that satisfactory suits your desires, due to the fact that after your preliminary design there is a good risk that it is going to be your most frequently used net renovation tool. But how do you make your preference?
There are many exclusive types of CMS structures which might be to be had for businesses to pick from. Most are template-based structures that are extra affordable, further to custom designed answers providing particular advantages. Your selection will, in the long run, be primarily based on which device suits your wishes the nice.
Customization possibilities
The most vital function that a custom CMS provides is the capacity to build your platform in step with your unique and precise specifications. An opportunity for custom improvement is WordPress, which offers plugins to assist meet the needs of man or woman groups. However, plugins most effective provide the restrained capability for a generalized platform.
WordPress is utilized by nearly 60% of websites as their center CMS software. However, it’s near impossible to create a platform in an effort to meet your individual marketing, content and net desires.
Customer Input
It’s a completely simple method to begin the usage of a WordPress CMS: take a present platform and make restricted adjustments to it to match in together with your overall digital approach, and run with it!
On the alternative hand, a custom CMS permits for plenty greater direct enter. From the very starting, you and your internet developer can paintings collectively to set up what your needs are for your platform. Then you assist to check the CMS to make certain it meets all of your specs, even as there are numerous possibilities woven in to provide comments. When a custom CMS is applied, you could be at once involved inside the whole layout in addition to implementation method of the device.
Security
WordPress is an open source CMS system, which means its code is obtainable to anybody. It’s low-priced, which is high-quality. But in phrases of protection, it isn’t very wonderful. New vulnerabilities and assaults on WordPress codes get up on an everyday basis, which locations your internet site at danger constantly because of the truth that it capabilities through using the equal base code.
However, a custom CMS doesn’t, as we installed above. The code receives designed from scratch, so you are loads less inclined towards assaults that won’t even be without delay aimed at you. Due to its customizability, you would possibly even be capable of getting your developer to combine extra safety features for you.
More reasons to choose a custom CMS
Having a proprietary customized CMS may be similar to LEGOs; the only limit there is is your creativity. However, if you plan on designing your own website, you’ll need to seriously consider customization. Your needs may be greater than the functionality of current software that exists.
- Flexibility: Having an internet site dressmaker and developer who permit you to build something you need is beneficial. However, 1/3-birthday party implementations are also simpler while using a custom CMS.
- Plugin-ins and Add-ons: Unlike WordPress, all additional tools need to be constructed to fit your custom design especially that may best be supported by means of your developer. Otherwise, you’ll want to pay a distinct improvement group to become familiar with the customization in an effort to provide support.
- Hosting: Monthly support and hosting is protected with most CMS solutions, which means you’ll need to use whichever issuer your clothier selects.
- Cost: Yes, a custom CMS does price more than a template-primarily based format. It calls for a sophisticated and specific set of competencies in addition to plenty extra time to construct a custom CMS, so you should expect to pay double at least (or extra) for a custom internet site compared to a WordPress website. That’s why it’s essential to decide what benefits are most crucial to you.
- Speed: Given that a custom CMS could be designed to do precisely what you want it to do, it won’t be dragged down by any useless bells and whistles. The code may be optimized so as to serve unique functions and boom the rate of your website.
- Ease of use: To do their jobs, customers simplest see what they actually need to peer. An intuitive, nicely-written CMS can be less complicated to educate workforce the way to use compared to a more complicated backend.
- Support: Usually a custom CMS has devoted in-residence aid from your developers. Therefore, commonly troubles are solved fast.
What selection is proper for you?
Before you may make a decision on a CMS to apply, evaluate what your business needs are. Start by using asking your self the subsequent questions:
- How big is the corporation? What will wide variety of stop users want to get right of entry to the internet site?
- How vital is the price to you?
- What amount of time do you’ve got to be had for enforcing a brand new machine?
- What degree of customization are you going to need?
- Are you planning on outsourcing the improvement? How about preservation?
Your answers to the questions above can assist guide you in making the satisfactory decision to your business.
Our opinion: In sure conditions, a custom CMS is probably necessary relying on your wishes.
To use a custom CMS it’ll normally require you to both decide to a web development company or have in-residence internet developers. The choice can make sense for a prime organization that is able to come up with the money for having a committed in-residence net improvement crew.
However, for maximum agencies, we assume WordPress offers an excellent solution. Websites which run on WordPress are lots more low cost, and nevertheless, offer sufficient functionality and customization for maximum companies. When WordPress is used, it additionally offers you with the flexibility if you want to paintings with diverse builders, and make sure that your website will be capable of adapt to adjustments in online layout developments.
At the cease of the day, you need a completely functioning internet site that’s designed for conversions. You can get there with a custom CMS, or templated WordPress website. The only difference is the effort and time you need to get it all executed.
Does design a website from scratch can seem like an intimidating task? Do you want to design a website and manage the content without coding or in-depth technical know-how? Enter CMS. CMS or Content management system is a software that allows publishing, editing and modifying content as well as maintenance from a central interface. CMSs are often used to run blogs, news portals, and e-commerce websites. Many corporate and marketing websites use CMSs as well. Websites built with CMSs can also be used by Resellers as an alternative to the SuperSite and are very easy to manage.
Content management systems help you keep track of each and every bit of your content on the website. The content on your website can be anything like simple text, documents, photos, music, videos. The best part of CMS is that it requires almost no technical knowledge or skill to manage and maintain it, everything about your content is managed by CMS.
Website building has become much easier with the availability of many content management systems. Although there are many content management systems out there, the level of complexity and the options that they offer can vary. Some of them are very simple, easy to use and also give the flexibility to customize the website. In this article, we are going to compare some of the most popular CMS’s to help you choose the one that fits your needs.
WordPress
WordPress is a content management software that you can use it to create a beautiful website or blog. WordPress is free, but the kind of features and ease of utilization are priceless.
This software is built by the community of hundreds of volunteers, and if you decide to use this CMS software you will find thousands of plugins and themes available that can transform your site into amazingly anything you imagine. There are over 60 million people who are using WordPress CMS to power their website. WordPress also has a wide range of third party themes as a part of its offering.
WordPress started as a blogging platform and has rapidly become a preferred platform for it. WordPress can accommodate multiple authors – this is a very important feature for serious publications. Because of its popularity and enormous community, it has evolved a lot from its original purpose, and now it is not just a blog, but an all-in-one web publishing platform or CMS.
“WordPress is an easy to use CMS and the codes are easy to understand. WordPress Themes can be deployed faster as compared to any other CMS. We generally recommend WordPress as its interface is easy to understand even for non tech guys.” – Domenico, Reseller/WordPress User
Pros – Easy to use, Themes
Cons – Very limited, Susceptible to Hackers
Drupal
Drupal is an open source content management platform powering millions of websites and applications. It’s built, used, and supported by an active and diverse community of people around the world. You find thousands of add-on modules and themes that will let you build any type of site you can imagine. Drupal can also be used to build advanced database management websites if one has the proper technical knowledge.
Drupal is a full-fledged, enterprise-grade CMS. It’s recommended for large projects where stability, scalability, and power are prioritized over ease of use and aesthetics. The application is quite popular and is also backed up by an enthusiastic community. Drupal was designed from the ground-up to be search engine friendly which makes it an excellent platform for any business website.
A bare Drupal installation looks like a desert after a draught. The lack of themes doesn’t make things any better. You will have to find a good designer if you want your website to look really good. Drupal also requires a bit of technical knowledge and has a steep learning curve.
“I prefer drupal because of its security aspect. It checks its modules for security breaches. Also, it allows role based authentication. One can assign different roles and permissions to those roles.
Drupal has a multi-site-feature (1 installation on many sites). It has been extremely useful for my e-commerce business with the use of the drupal commerce module.” – Aaron, Web Developer/Drupal Enthusiast
Pros – Most features and customization, Best CMS right out of the box
Cons – Steep learning curve, Lacks Design Options
Joomla
Joomla is an award-winning content management system which helps users build websites and also powerful online applications. Installing and setting up of Joomla is very easy and you do not have to be an advanced user. Joomla is an open source content management solution that is available freely for everyone. Joomla works extremely well as an enterprise-grade CMS. It’s capable of handling a large volume of articles when compared to WordPress. It also works well when it comes to handling e-commerce websites. Joomla can be used by Resellers to create their own E-commerce website from the ground up as an alternative to selling Domains and Hosting Products.
Joomla! is considered extremely powerful, with a wide range of functionality that allows you significant modifications and flexibility. What sets Joomla apart from the rest of the CMS’s is the amazing community that stays behind the software with its extremely democratic approach to running the Joomla! project. Making WordPress SEO friendly is as easy as installing a free plugin. With Joomla, you’ll need a ton of work to get to the same level of search engine friendliness. Unless you have the budget to hire a SEO expert, you might want to look at alternative solutions.
“We prefer Joomla! because we have a ready to start e-commerce site which uses 3rd party plugins suited to our needs. The maintenance is easy and no developers are required.” – Marco, Joomla User
Pros – Very flexible, handles large websites well
Cons – Not SEO Friendly, Lack of free plugins when compared to Drupal/WordPress
Even though WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal are built on the same technology stack, they vary heavily in features and capabilities. For beginners, WordPress is the one which will most likely satisfy the needs of the individual. It all boils down to the end result and expectations of the user. Joomla has a slight learning curve and is better at handling bigger websites than WordPress. Drupal is the most complex out of the three and has every feature that any CMS user can ask for. Resellers can choose either one depending on their requirements to build a beautiful website to help boost their businesses. Hopefully, the above comparative information will help you choose a CMS that fits your requirements.
Which CMS do you prefer and why? Please let us know in the comments below!
We promised to bring WordPress hosting to you by the end of March and we’ve delivered! Yes, one of our most awaited launches, WordPress hosting is now live on the ResellerBytes platform. WordPress thrived owing to its impeccable user-experience and is considered to be one of the most well-known and widely used comntent management systems for hosting websites. Let’s run you through why our WordPress hosting can help you deliver excellence to your customers.
Why choose WordPress Hosting?
Our WordPress hosting provides you with all the essentials to build resilient websites – speed, reduced load time, auto back-ups and security. WordPress, much like any other CMS or software could be vulnerable to attacks if not upgraded regularly and the same applies to its plugins and core. Don’t worry about frequently updating your WordPress sites, let us take care of that to ensure that you and your customers stay worry-free.
1) Pre-Installed WordPress
You can start building your website immediately and manage all your installations from one place.
2) Automated backups + CodeGuard & SSL
Our WordPress Hosting comes with regular pre-integrated cloud backups powered by CodeGuard. With CodeGuard, even the smallest of changes on your website will be monitored and a ChangeAlert email is sent to notify you regarding any modifications or deletions with a timestamp.
You can restore your website or database to any previous backup version as well as download a zip of contents at any time. You have the option to choose whether you want to restore your files automatically or restore individual files and folders. If CodeGuard’s monitoring process detects any changes to the website source code, the files that changed or were added are transmitted to the CodeGuard repository.
3) SiteLock
Give your WordPress websites world-class protection with daily malware scans, FTP scans & vulnerability removal with SiteLock! Sit back, relax, and keep those security threats at bay! Did you know that SiteLock has protected more than 1,000,000 online businesses around the globe? That’s more than any other website security or virus scan provider. Get 360° Website Security.
SiteLock’s technology combines patent pending scans with automatic malware removal tools and enterprise-grade firewalls to protect your website. After your website is scanned and secure, you can proudly display the SiteLock Trust Seal which is proven to increase sales. What’s a better way to fortify your websites for your customers!
3) Fully Managed Services
Now spend less time managing and more time doing what you love – building websites. Leave the technical stuff to us!
4) Scalable resources
Planning to start small? No problem. Scale up once your website expands. The best thing about WordPress is that it grows with you. Our WordPress hosting is built on cloud technology and is highly scalable. You can add up to 8 CPU cores and 8GB RAM to boost your site on the fly.
5) Intuitive Dashboard
ResellerBytes WordPress Hosting gives you a feature-rich control panel to manage your WordPress Websites, Email, SSL & more as well as monitor usage of CPU Cores and RAM on.your package. You also have the convenience of managing custom WordPress panels for easy SSL installations. You can:
- Monitor resource utilization
- Install & Manage WordPress instances
- Access Email, Backups & Security
- Login to WordPress Dashboard
Now that you’re well-versed with what we have to offer, you can have a look at plans in the table below.
| Standard | Business | Pro | Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Sites | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| CPU Cores | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB | 6 GB | 6 GB |
| Storage | 5 GB | 20 GB | 50 GB | 80 GB |
| SiteLock | Pro | Pro | Pro | Pro |
| CodeGuard | 1 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB | 25 GB |
| Email Accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Pricing (per month) |
$9.99 | $15.99 | $21.99 | $38.99 |
| Pricing (promos 1st month) |
$5.99 | $11.99 | $13.99 | $26.99 |
Did you know that a 2-second delay in page load time causes 87% abandonment of websites (according to Aberdeen Group, gomez.com, akamai.com)? We offer a complete solution that takes care of speed, security and makes WordPress extremely simple. If you have any questions regarding WordPress Hosting, you can refer to our FAQs here. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.