A lot! WordPress, a free and open-source blogging, publishing, and Content Management System (CMS) that powers 43% to 44% of websites as of January 2025, is one of the most significant web tools. It has revolutionized the web space in ways no other tool has. But first, let’s look at what WordPress is, what you can do with it, and where and how to find it.
First, there are two seemingly similar but distinct WordPress versions in terms of their working environments and ecosystems, management options, limits, accessibility, and platform ownership. All of which may seem complex at first, but by the end of this piece, you’ll have everything at your fingertips.
WordPress.org
This is your go-to version of WordPress if you are looking to build a website from scratch, something you can truly control and can customize as much as you want in any way you want. It is open-source and a part of most domain/web hosting packages. You manually install and run it as a Content Management System and regularly update its components.
WordPress.com
In this version, WordPress Automated Systems does everything, including setup, security monitoring, regular updating, and more, letting you worry only about creating and publishing. Additionally, it has a low learning curve, making onboarding easy. However, it has limited customization options, and your website or blog’s address is only a subdomain, i.e., myblog.wordpress.com. Meaning it is not fully yours.
What Makes it So Good?
In addition to being free and open source, the following also make WordPress one of the best things to ever happen to the web.
- Search Engine-Friendly Structure: In addition to supporting various SEO plugins, WordPress has a clean structure that can help you optimize content, meta tags, site structure, and more, for high search rankings, reach, and visibility on the web.
- Friendly User Interface: The WordPress dashboard is easy to use. It helps you publish and edit text, images, video, and more, and install plugins to enhance your website’s features and usability.
- Scalability: This characteristic of WordPress allows it to adapt and grow in tandem with various work environments and situations, including handling growth and increasing workloads, making it suitable for all types of web platforms, from personal blogs to large multi-user web applications.
At a glance
| WordPress.org | Available as open source in your domain/web hosting package |
| Self-setup and updating | |
| Full customization options | |
| Steeper learning curve | |
| WordPress.com | Available for free on your web browser |
| Automatic setup and updates | |
| Limited customization options | |
| Low learning curve |
What Next?
By now, you know that you don’t need to be a web developer to get started with WordPress and that all you need is a desire to get yourself, products, or services out there on the web. But you’ll still need someone to guide you on your first steps, an able hand to give you a smooth start on your WordPress journey. Contact us for a free consultation.