WordPress.org Ratings at a Glance
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) used around the world to build and manage websites. It is free to use, however, users must pay for a hosting company. WordPress offers customizable themes and designs, allowing users to be in full control of designing their website exactly as they wish. WordPress is not as user-friendly for beginners as other CMSs and coding knowledge is required for more advanced customization. That said, WordPress is the most-used platform for website creation and made our list of best content management software for 2024.
Pros
One of WordPress’ best attributes is its ability to customize website design. WordPress gives users full access to its codes, meaning users can customize any premade theme or design to their heart’s content. That, plus the availability of more than 59,000 free WordPress plugins that add features and functionality to websites, means the options for building a website are virtually limitless.
The fact that WordPress is an open-source platform is another massive advantage to its users. WordPress was designed to be accessible to everyone. There is a wealth of information available online as well as a large community of developers and users devoted to sharing their knowledge with anyone who needs assistance.
Cons
Users who are looking for a simple, straight-out-of-the-box design setup should look elsewhere. All the advanced customization WordPress provides comes with a steep learning curve. While other CMS platforms come with simple drag-and-drop themes accessible to the most basic user, WordPress is more complicated. To customize website design, users must be familiar with code. For even the simplest of changes to a template, users must need to know how to use and edit HTML/CSS/PHP or hire a developer who does.
Because WordPress is an open-source platform, no one person or company owns it. This means when users have a question or need help, they cannot go to a customer service department. Instead of personalized support, users are prompted to browse the community-supported forums and the WordPress support database. While these resources provide ample helpful information, they might not be helpful for every problem that arises.
WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com
It is important to note that there are two versions of WordPress—WordPress.org (which we are focusing on for this review) and WordPress.com. WordPress.com is the fully hosted version with a monthly fee similar to Wix or Weebly. WordPress.org is the free, open-source self-hosted version. WordPress.org comes with a steeper learning curve but gives users ultimate control over their website while WordPress.com is more limited.
For more details, review our side-by-side comparison of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.
Featured Partners
1
Wix
$17 per month
Yes
Yes
2
Web.com
$1.95 per month
Yes
Customizable templates, Easy drag-and-drop technology, SSL certificate
3
Squarespace
$16 per month
Yes
Yes
WordPress Pricing and Plans
One of the biggest advantages of WordPress is the fact that it is free. While the platform is free, WordPress users generally spend money on a domain name, web hosting, upgraded themes and premium plugins. All these extras can cost anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds of extra dollars each month.
- Web hosting: Expect to pay anywhere from $3 per month to $25 per month, depending on your unique hosting needs and host of choice. Learn more about the best website hosting companies.
- Domain name: The cost of a domain name is generally around $10 to $20 per year from the leading domain name registrars, such as Namecheap or Google Domains. However, many of the top web hosts include a free domain name with web hosting plans.
- Premium theme: While there are free WordPress themes (or templates), many businesses opt for a premium theme to help make it easier to build the site they’re looking for. Premium themes can cost anywhere from around $20 to over $200.
- Premium plugins: On WordPress, plugins give you added features and functionality, from SEO tools to the ability to accept online payments or edit your site in a drag-and-drop editor. Many plugins are free, but premium plugins are also frequently used for added functionality.
Additionally, businesses may also incur costs to hire professional assistance should they need help that tech support is not able to assist with or for implementing any design ideas that are beyond your capabilities. So keep in mind that it’s worth having money aside should you find yourself in need of a web designer or developer. For a more detailed look at pricing, check out our article on WordPress costs.
WordPress Ease of Use
Building a WordPress site is not for the faint of heart. It has a far steeper learning curve than many of the drag-and-drop website builders that are popular. If you are looking for a platform that lets you build a website from the ground up, WordPress is not for you. Not only do you need coding experience to customize the website, but you will also need coding knowledge to troubleshoot problems as they arise.
WordPress Security
A team of roughly 50 security specialists is in charge of constantly enhancing WordPress’ security. When addressing problems in shared dependencies, such as resolving the vulnerability in the PHP XML parser, the WordPress security team frequently collaborates with other trusted security teams, security researchers and hosting companies.
Web hosting plays a major role in website security. Because WordPress does not host websites, it is important to find a good hosting provider that takes the extra precautions to safeguard its servers against threats.
WordPress Customer Service and Support
As mentioned, because WordPress is a free, open-source platform, it does not have a dedicated customer support department. WordPress does, however, have a sizable support community. The amount of free guided and online tutorials to learn the basics of WordPress is almost endless. Users can ask questions or search for previously asked questions in the WordPress community forum.
When users need more than the free online resources, hosting providers, such as Bluehost offer 24/7 WordPress-specific customer support on their WordPress plans and freelance developers can help solve stubborn problems.
WordPress Flexibility
WordPress might be the most flexible website builder on the market today. Because it is open source, users can create code specifically for their website to customize tools or add specific functionality. If you can think of it, you can build code to make it happen. The open-source coding also allows anyone with coding skills to create plugins, which has resulted in WordPress having one of the largest plugin libraries in the world. WordPress has more than 59,000 plugins, with that number growing every day.
3 WordPress Alternatives and How They Compare
WordPress vs. Wix
WordPress is free, but you still have to pay for both the website builder and hosting. Wix has a free plan, but it is very limited. Its beginner plan starts at $16 per month, which includes hosting. WordPress is better suited for those who need advanced customization and have the coding knowledge to make that happen (or are willing to hire a developer). Wix is best suited for users who are looking for a basic, easy-to-use website.
To learn more about how the two compare, check out our comprehensive review of Wix vs. WordPress.
WordPress vs. Weebly
Weebly is one of the most affordable website builders on the market and, similar to Wix, it is very user-friendly even for beginners. Thanks to its drag-and-drop editor, it’s a fantastic choice for individuals who wish to quickly build a professional website or online store. However, users wanting to customize more robust websites will be better served with WordPress. While Weebly only has 50 or so built-in free themes, WordPress has thousands.
For more insights, check out our side-by-side comparison of Weebly vs. WordPress.
WordPress vs. Squarespace
Squarespace is known for its aesthetically pleasing themes and templates, but it is not cheap. The platform does not offer a free plan, but its monthly subscription includes hosting, templates, site management and plugins. If SEO is important to you, WordPress is the better option.
While Squarespace plans include SEO tools such as sitemaps, automatic markup, SEO page titles and clean URLs, WordPress gives users far more control over their website’s SEO than Squarespace does. In addition to built-in SEO tools, WordPress offers a wide variety of every SEO tool imaginable through its plugins. Yoast, in particular, is an essential WordPress SEO plugin that helps improve search engine rankings.
Get the complete breakdown of Squarespace vs. WordPress.
Featured Partners
1
Wix
$17 per month
Yes
Yes
2
Web.com
$1.95 per month
Yes
Customizable templates, Easy drag-and-drop technology, SSL certificate
3
Squarespace
$16 per month
Yes
Yes
Is WordPress Right for You or Your Business?
There is no doubt why almost half of the world’s major websites are WordPress websites. The extremely powerful website builders allow users to create the website of their dreams with virtually no holdback. This type of power, however, is not for everyone. Too much flexibility can be a bad thing, especially for users who do not have coding or website building experience. If you’re still on the fence, learn more about the best website builders for small businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there a difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
There are several differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The main difference is that WordPress.com is fully hosted while WordPress.org is self-hosted.
How many plugins does WordPress have?
WordPress has one of the largest plugin libraries in the world with more than 59,000 plugins available.
Is WordPress free?
WordPress.org is a CMS that allows users to build their websites for free. However, users must still pay for hosting to house their site. Hosting can cost between $4 and $59 per month. Check out our article on the best hosting services for more information.
Are website builders secure?
Because most website builders, such as WordPress.org, offer cutting-edge technology, they are usually ahead of the curve when it comes to keeping their sites secure. They do this by keeping their customers’ websites protected by using top-end technology. Because of this, most website building companies offer some of the best security options available on the internet.
