Mohamad Al Karbi

The web is full of comparisons between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, so I won’t repeat the usual feature-by-feature breakdown or list reasons to move. I’ll just simply say that you have to move to .ORG when .COM is not enough. WordPress.com is usually enough for normal user. “NOT ENOUGH”, on the other side, is when you need more control, flexibility, or extra features…

The key difference: On WordPress.com, you’re using the open-source WordPress software as configured and managed by Automattic. When we refer to WordPress.org (self-hosted), we mean using the same open-source system, but configured and controlled entirely on your own terms.

How to move?

Hosting

When you decide to move, you need a hosting to install the WordPress System. Good companies provide it installed or ready to install. Then, you need to move your data (posts, comments, followers, …). The process isn’t that difficult but needs another post to explain it in details.

Hetzner is a good hosting company.

WordPress.com is offering this too through its Business Plan. In other words, upgrading to Business Plan is the easiest option. They’ll handle everything for you. It seems expensive; but don’t expect a well-performing and high-quality site at much lower cost. This point is very debatable though.

Domain

Many hosting providers include a domain in their plans, while others require you to purchase one separately. Please refer to my post Let’s talk about domains

Plugins

In general, the less you install the better the performance is. This is another arguable point. The dilemma is that, sooner or later, you’ll have to make trade-offs or compromises. That’s, if an installed plugin can do a job, it might not wise to install extra plugin to do similar job…

Basically, there are five essential plugin categories to manage:

• Cache: Might be provided by your host
• Speed Optimization: To ensure fast loading
• Backup: For data recovery
• SMTP: To ensure your emails don’t hit the spam folder
• Security: You’ll likely need one for firewall and login protection

I’ve discussed this and WordPress Performance Plugins in my post “Why I Host with WordPress.com”, and I will explore SMTP in more details in “Transactional Emails in WordPress”.

Jetpack Plugin: If you need a similar experience to WordPress.com (free, personal, or premium plans) on self-hosted site, then you have to install Jetpack. You need it to stay connected with your friends from WordPress.com’s community. Jetpack is mostly free and the advanced features are somehow expensive. However, you might need to practice the compromise dilemma I mentioned above; I mean subscribing to Jetpack to avoid installing extra plugins.

Summary

Moving from WordPress.com to WordPress.org becomes relevant when managed hosting is no longer enough for your needs. Once you move, going back may not be possible. But, if the move is done in the right way, you likely won’t look back.

If you need assistance moving to WordPress.org, don’t hesitate to ask.