WordPress.com

A detailed review of WordPress.com's website builder platform with pricing, comparisons to competitors, key information, and FAQs.

Updated on July 28th, 2023

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WordPress.com is a website builder that helps users manage their content, create online stores, and more. The platform offers a range of affordable plans for individuals and businesses alike and its key features include unlimited pages, spam protection, inventory management, and global selling tools.

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At-a-Glance:

Feature

WordPress.com

Annual price

From $48.00

Month-to-month price

From $4.00

Free plan

Modern website templates

Ecommerce functionalities

Malware protection

SEO and marketing integrations

Visitor statistics

Customer support

Email and live chat.

Review:

WordPress.com is a robust website-building solution that enjoys widespread use in many settings. Individuals and businesses alike can choose to create new websites or transfer existing domains to WordPress.com. While the software is packed with useful features, some clients may find the lack of free phone support to be constraining.

WordPress.com has a free plan available for users on a tight budget and its paid packages are more affordable than some competitors, such as Weebly. The platform also offers free domain hosting for a single year, as well as an enterprise plan for scaling businesses.

Pros:

  • WordPress.com's free plan includes an SSL certificate, dozens of professional-looking themes, and 3 GB of storage.
  • There is free domain hosting available for a single year.
  • The platform offers a library containing over 40,000 copyright-free images.
  • WordPress.com is available in a wide range of countries and users have access to global selling tools.
  • Users can access comprehensive website analytics, visitor statistics, and automatic social media sharing.
  • The platform offers spam protection, malware scanning, and automated software updates.
  • The commerce plan includes powerful site design tools, product add-ons, loyalty programs, and inventory management.
  • WordPress.com integrates with a range of third-party apps for added SEO, marketing, and commerce functionalities.
  • Other services include customization tools, built-in caching, centralized site management, and custom marketing automation.
  • There is email and live chat support available.

Shortcomings:

  • Premium domains, as well as those ending in ".ca," ".fr," ".uk," and ".mx" cannot be transferred to WordPress.com.
  • Users must subscribe to one of the paid plans to remove WordPress.com ads and to be eligible for a custom domain name.
  • There are no AI-powered site building, text, or content creation tools available.
  • The platform does not offer phone customer support.

Reputation:

On Better Business Bureau, WordPress.com has a D- rating. The BBB cites the platform's reported failure to respond to several customer complaints as grounds for this low grade.

On G2, the site has a 4.4/5 rating based on more than 2,400 reviews, with many users citing beautiful templates and its beginner-friendly editing tools as highlights. Over 3,000 reviewers gave the platform an 8.5/10 rating on TrustRadius, while the platform has a 2.1/5 rating based on more than 3,000 reviews on Trustpilot.

Pricing:

Plan

Monthly Pricing

Annual Pricing

Free

Free.

Free.

Personal

$4.00

$48.00

Premium

$8.00

$96.00

Business

$25.00

$300.00

Commerce

$45.00

$540.00

Enterprise

N/a.

From $25,000.00

WordPress.com vs. Wix
WordPress.com vs. Wix:

Of the two, Wix offers a wider variety of solutions and a greater selection of subscription options. Wix also offers phone support, which WordPress.com does not. However, WordPress.com has a free plan and its paid packages start at $4.00 per month, while Wix does not feature a free option and its paid plans start at $16.00 per month billed annually.

Comparison Between WordPress.com and Wix:

Feature

WordPress.com

Wix

Annual price

From $48.00

From $192.00

Month-to-month price

From $4.00

From $16.00

Free version

Limited free trial only.

Website analytics

Multilingual support

Ecommerce functionalities

Customer support

Email and live chat.

Phone and email.

WordPress.com vs. Weebly
WordPress.com vs. Weebly:

WordPress.com and Weebly both offer a free plan, but the former's paid packages are more affordable, starting at $4.00 per month. In comparison, Weebly's pricing starts at $10.00 per month billed annually. Both platforms feature robust ecommerce functionalities and user collaboration, but only Weebly offers built-in lead-capturing and SEO tools.

Comparison Between WordPress.com and Weebly:

Feature

WordPress.com

Weebly

Annual price

From $48.00

From $120.00

Month-to-month price

From $4.00

From $13.00

Free plan

Customizable templates

Lead capturing

x

Custom domain hosting

Customer support

Email and live chat.

Phone, email, and live chat.

WordPress.com vs. Google Sites
WordPress.com vs. Google Sites:

WordPress.com and Google Sites both have a free plan, but the former is the more feature-rich option with robust ecommerce functionalities and a mobile app. While both sites are ideal for beginners in search of an easy-to-use website builder, WordPress.com is the better option for businesses and enterprises with more advanced needs.

Comparison Between WordPress.com and Google Sites:

Feature

WordPress.com

Google Sites

Annual price

From $48.00

N/a.

Free plan

Website analytics

Ecommerce functionalities

Limited.

Spam protection

User collaboration

Customer support

Email and live chat.

Online and live chat.

Key Information:

Legal Name

Automattic Inc.

Founder

Matt Mullenweg

Founding Date

Aug 01, 2005

Address

60 29th St., Ste. 343, San Francisco, CA 94110

Number of Employees

7000

Number of Customers

2000000

Website

https://wordpress.com/

FAQs:

What is WordPress.com used for?

WordPress.com is a robust and affordable website builder that helps users create, launch, and manage professional-looking websites. Users can also to power their online stores with an ecommerce package.

What is the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?

WordPress.org provides free, open-source software that clients can use to build their own websites. Clients need to secure their own domain name as well as web hosting. WordPress.com, in turn, is a website builder that offers a domain name and hosting with both free and paid plans available.

Is WordPress.com still free?

WordPress.com offers a free plan, which includes Jetpack's essential features, a pre-installed SSL certificate, dozens of free themes, and 3 GB of storage.

What is the official WordPress site?

For the hosted option, it is wordpress.com. For the self-hosted version, visit wordpress.org.

What is WordPress.com's price range?

WordPress.com's pricing starts at $4.00 per month. Users interested in its Enterprise plan should fill out the site's online contact form for pricing details.

Is WordPress.com good for small businesses?

Yes, WordPress.com is one of the best affordable website builders for small businesses. Their Business plan includes custom themes, 200 GB storage, and more. Small businesses that wish to use WordPress.com to manage their online stores can opt for the eCommerce plan, which includes the ability to accept payments in over sixty countries.

What are the alternatives to WordPress.com?