This is a very common question amongst those wanting to start their own blog.
Should I use a free Wordpress Blog? Or should I host my own Wordpress Blog?
To be clear, a free Wordpress blog can be obtained by simply signing up for one at Wordpress.com. The username you use to join becomes your blog name. As an example I have a username "howdoyoustartablog". This translates to my free wordpress blog site "howdoyoustartablog.wordpress.com"
The self-hosted Wordpress blog would be on your own domain on your own site you would install the Wordpress software on. The Wordpress software would then be the blogging system that manage the content of your website. These days, installation is quite easy with most hosting companies. Most use push button software such as Fantastico Deluxe or Simple Scripts to install Wordprses. Check out my website and watch a free video and watch before your eyes as I set up a blog and post to my blog all in about 10 minutes.
So now to address the question: which is the right one for you?
FREE WORDPRESS BLOG PLUSSES AND MINUSES
PLUS free to setup
PLUS installation is easy (done by Wordpress the company)
PLUS no worry system maintenance (setup, upgrades, backups, security are all done by Wordpress)
PLUS reliable servers (hosted on Wordpress.com servers)
PLUS possible extra traffic being a part of the Wordpress.com community
MINUS cannot update/upload your own theme. Must use Wordpress.com themes
MINUS cannot change/update any php code (useful for additional features you may want to include)
MINUS cannot upload plugins to extend functionality. The Wordpress plugin community is huge.
MINUS cannot monetize with ads. In fact, Wordpress will probably put their own ads on your blog.
MINUS Site will be a Wordpress brand
MINUS no content .ownership. Blog is still a Wordpress site .
SELF HOSTED WORDPRESS BLOG PLUSSES AND MINUSES
PLUS can upload your own Wordpress themes or non-Wordpress.com themes. There are thousands upon thousands of third party themes you can choose from.
PLUS can change the php Wordpress code as desired. This will allow nearly unlimited functionality in your site. There exists a large community of Wordpress developers with many out-of-the-box scripts to add function to your site.
PLUS can upload and install plugins!
PLUS you can add your own ad placements. This is one of the main reasons people blog in the first place: in order to earn money through ads.
PLUS since it is self-hosted, you will have a domain name and brand of your choosing.
PLUS ftp access to your site
MINUS you need to install Wordpress on your own. This has become much easier, though, as many hosting accounts now offer push button installation of Wordpress. My free "Start A Blog" tutorial will walk you through step-by-step a Simple Scripts Wordpress installation on hostmonster hosting site.
MINUS monetary cost to set up your site. Domain names PLUS hosting fees can vary from $5 to $15 a month.
MINUS site maintenance such as spam control, security, and backups, are all done by you. So you will need to spend some time getting familiar with Wordpress and how to back up and restore an installation
MINUS make sure and find reliable servers. You don't want slowness or crashes to bother your site. Most hosting companies these days to stay competitive offer some pretty good server reliability
In summary, if you are looking to blog in the "traditional" blogging sense adn only need a basic framework, there is no reason for you to go paid. You will be fine with a free blog. However, if you want to fully control and monetize your blog, you may do better with the hosted version. For the simple act of adding adsense to your blog you will need a hosted Wordpress site. From there, adding your own custom look and feel and function is only offered at a rudimentary level by Wordpress free blogs. If you are looking to maximize look, feel, and function, you are better off with a hosted Wordpress blog.
In most cases, I recommend a self-hosted paid blog.
I hope this article has been helpful. I will be happy to answer any questions you have. Feel free to email me or just post your question on this blog as a comment. And if you decide to start a hosted blog, make sure to check out my free video on how to set up a blog with hostmonster.
Should I use a free Wordpress Blog? Or should I host my own Wordpress Blog?
To be clear, a free Wordpress blog can be obtained by simply signing up for one at Wordpress.com. The username you use to join becomes your blog name. As an example I have a username "howdoyoustartablog". This translates to my free wordpress blog site "howdoyoustartablog.wordpress.com"
The self-hosted Wordpress blog would be on your own domain on your own site you would install the Wordpress software on. The Wordpress software would then be the blogging system that manage the content of your website. These days, installation is quite easy with most hosting companies. Most use push button software such as Fantastico Deluxe or Simple Scripts to install Wordprses. Check out my website and watch a free video and watch before your eyes as I set up a blog and post to my blog all in about 10 minutes.
So now to address the question: which is the right one for you?
FREE WORDPRESS BLOG PLUSSES AND MINUSES
PLUS free to setup
PLUS installation is easy (done by Wordpress the company)
PLUS no worry system maintenance (setup, upgrades, backups, security are all done by Wordpress)
PLUS reliable servers (hosted on Wordpress.com servers)
PLUS possible extra traffic being a part of the Wordpress.com community
MINUS cannot update/upload your own theme. Must use Wordpress.com themes
MINUS cannot change/update any php code (useful for additional features you may want to include)
MINUS cannot upload plugins to extend functionality. The Wordpress plugin community is huge.
MINUS cannot monetize with ads. In fact, Wordpress will probably put their own ads on your blog.
MINUS Site will be a Wordpress brand
MINUS no content .ownership. Blog is still a Wordpress site .
SELF HOSTED WORDPRESS BLOG PLUSSES AND MINUSES
PLUS can upload your own Wordpress themes or non-Wordpress.com themes. There are thousands upon thousands of third party themes you can choose from.
PLUS can change the php Wordpress code as desired. This will allow nearly unlimited functionality in your site. There exists a large community of Wordpress developers with many out-of-the-box scripts to add function to your site.
PLUS can upload and install plugins!
PLUS you can add your own ad placements. This is one of the main reasons people blog in the first place: in order to earn money through ads.
PLUS since it is self-hosted, you will have a domain name and brand of your choosing.
PLUS ftp access to your site
MINUS you need to install Wordpress on your own. This has become much easier, though, as many hosting accounts now offer push button installation of Wordpress. My free "Start A Blog" tutorial will walk you through step-by-step a Simple Scripts Wordpress installation on hostmonster hosting site.
MINUS monetary cost to set up your site. Domain names PLUS hosting fees can vary from $5 to $15 a month.
MINUS site maintenance such as spam control, security, and backups, are all done by you. So you will need to spend some time getting familiar with Wordpress and how to back up and restore an installation
MINUS make sure and find reliable servers. You don't want slowness or crashes to bother your site. Most hosting companies these days to stay competitive offer some pretty good server reliability
In summary, if you are looking to blog in the "traditional" blogging sense adn only need a basic framework, there is no reason for you to go paid. You will be fine with a free blog. However, if you want to fully control and monetize your blog, you may do better with the hosted version. For the simple act of adding adsense to your blog you will need a hosted Wordpress site. From there, adding your own custom look and feel and function is only offered at a rudimentary level by Wordpress free blogs. If you are looking to maximize look, feel, and function, you are better off with a hosted Wordpress blog.
In most cases, I recommend a self-hosted paid blog.
I hope this article has been helpful. I will be happy to answer any questions you have. Feel free to email me or just post your question on this blog as a comment. And if you decide to start a hosted blog, make sure to check out my free video on how to set up a blog with hostmonster.
About the Author:
Want to learn more about starting a blog with Wordpress? Come by Emil Yau's site How Do You Start A Blog and watch his video as he creates and posts to a new Wordpress blog in less than 10 minutes right in front of your eyes.
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