Slight Revision vs WordPress.com
WordPress.com: same software, different landlord.
Same name, different thing. WordPress.com is a hosted service that runs WordPress software; we build on the open-source WordPress you can host anywhere. The difference matters more than the shared name suggests.
In short: same software, different landlord
What it is
WordPress, as a subscription.
WordPress.com is a hosted service run by a company called Automattic. You sign up, pick a plan, and they host a WordPress site for you. The software underneath is the same open-source WordPress the rest of the web uses, which is a real advantage: the editing is familiar and your content exports cleanly.
It is a hosted subscription, so the plan determines things such as storage, backup and developer capabilities, commerce features and other service levels. Plugins are available on the paid plans. That is a fair way to run a hosted product, and for a blog or a simple site you run yourself it works well.
Worth remembering: the name is the same. the landlord is not.
What changes
WordPress.com and us, compared.
What stays the same, and what changes.
| WordPress.com | Slight Revision | |
|---|---|---|
| Software | WordPress, on WordPress.com’s managed platform | WordPress, on our managed hosting setup |
| Who owns the site | Your content and site, within its hosted service | Your website and content, with some managed licenses and BrightFrame features supplied through our service |
| Can it move | Yes; the migration options depend on plan and how the site was built | Yes; the site can move, while some service-provided tools may need replacing or licensing |
| Plugins and features | Plugins on paid plans; service capabilities vary by tier | We choose and manage tools around what the site needs |
| Who does the work | Primarily you, or whoever you hire | We do, with you |
| Cost over time | Plan tiers as needs grow | Managed service with ongoing tools and support included |
| Support | Platform support | People who know your particular site and business |
What it does well
A solid home, run by people who know WordPress.
These are the reasons people pick it, and they are real.
Moving is easier than with most builders
Because WordPress.com runs real WordPress, moving away can be considerably easier than leaving a proprietary builder. The standard export is content-focused, but plugin-enabled sites can also use migration tools to move much more of the site to another WordPress host.
Easy to start
No hosting to choose, nothing to install. For a blog or a small site you run yourself, it is a comfortable place to begin.
Automattic runs the servers
Updates, security patches and backups are handled by the company that employs a good share of WordPress’s own developers.
The landlord’s rules
Where the plan decides for you.
Which plan you are on decides what you can install, and who does the work.
The plan sets the service level
WordPress.com is still a hosted subscription, so the plan determines things such as storage, backup and developer capabilities, commerce features and other service levels. That is normal for a hosted product, but it is different from paying us to manage a WordPress site around the needs of the business.
It is a product you manage
Choosing a theme, setting up plugins, connecting the domain and email records, deciding what to do when something looks wrong: on WordPress.com those are your decisions to make, with the platform’s support behind you.
Support knows the platform, not your business
WordPress.com’s support is real and knows the product. What it cannot know is why your domain is set up the way it is, what the site is for, or what changed last month.
Custom work is still on you
When the business needs a form that routes, a portal, an integration or a design that no theme quite fits, someone has to design, build and maintain it. On a hosted plan, that someone is you or whoever you hire.
Same WordPress
The same software, looked after for you.
WordPress.com is a hosted product you manage. We are a service relationship where we manage the website with you. Same software underneath; a different answer to who makes the technical decisions and who is responsible.
- Your website, content and domain are yours. If you ever stop working with us, the site can move to another WordPress host. Some tools, licenses and BrightFrame features we provide as part of our managed service may need to be replaced or licensed separately, but the website itself is not trapped here.
- More freedom to choose the hosting, plugins, custom code and architecture around the job rather than around a service tier.
- A design built for your business rather than a theme chosen from a catalog.
- People who choose and maintain the plugins, run the domain, DNS and email, and keep backups and monitoring in place.
- A move to us from WordPress.com keeps your content, and we rebuild the design properly around it.
- Managed WordPress hosting with many ongoing tools included, at a price we have not raised in years.
- Honest advice about what a business site needs, and what it does not.
Which fits
When WordPress.com is the better fit.
Yes, we sell websites, so of course we think our way is valuable. The point of this page is to say where that value actually matters, and where it does not.
Choose WordPress.com if…
- You want a blog or a simple site on real WordPress and you are happy to run it yourself.
- Your needs fit inside a plan and are likely to stay there.
- You value a big company behind the servers more than a person behind the site.
Choose us if…
- You want the same software with someone else making the technical decisions and taking responsibility for them.
- The site is part of the business and someone should be responsible for it.
- You would rather have a design made for you than a theme chosen for you.
Questions
WordPress.com questions, answered.
Mostly about moving over, and what comes with you.
Is WordPress.com the same as the WordPress you use?
Same software, different arrangement. WordPress.com is a hosted subscription run by Automattic, and you manage the site within its plans. We build on the open-source WordPress that anyone can host, and we manage it with you.
Can you move my WordPress.com site?
Often, yes. WordPress.com is real WordPress, so it can be one of the easier platforms to move from. The best method depends on the plan and how the site was built. Sometimes we can migrate much of the existing site; sometimes a rebuild is the better opportunity. We look first and recommend the sensible path.
Will my content look the same?
Your words and images will be intact. Whether the layout stays or is rebuilt depends on the path we recommend, and we check every page before anything goes live.
Do I need to change my domain?
No. Your domain stays yours; we point it at the new site when you are ready, and we handle the records.
Found something that changed?
These tools move fast. If we have something wrong or out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
Last reviewed: September 2026
On WordPress.com and outgrowing it?
Send us the address. We will tell you what a move involves and whether it is worth doing now, later, or not at all.
