If you want to start a blog, WordPress.com provides a simple way to get started. Our users frequently ask us how they can get started blogging. We mainly start with asking, “What you’d like to do with your blog?” Several people simply like to put their opinions, rantings, pictures, and etc. WordPress.com provides a free, easy-to-use, secure, and stable blogging platform for this purpose. However, if you want to do more with your blog, such as earn money or build a membership community, there are some inherent limitations. In this article, we will explain the limitations of WordPress.com so that you can decide if it is the right solution for you.
Earning Capacity
You are not permitted to use Google Adsense or other advertising programs to serve advertisements on your WordPress.com blog. You are not permitted to write paid posts, sell links, or review products, among other things. The terms of service of WordPress.com prohibit you from using your free blog for any commercial activity on your own. You can, however, apply for WordPress.com’s advertising program, WordAds. Currently, this program is only available to WordPress.com blogs that meet certain traffic and quality requirements. If you are accepted into the WordAds program, you will share your advertising revenue with WordPress.com.
Note: If you have a book, you can promote it on your WordPress.com blog. They simply do not permit advertisements for products or services that you do not own.
Plugins cannot be uploaded.
The true power of WordPress stems from the ability to customize and extend the core functionality. Plugins cannot be used to extend the functionality of WordPress.com. You are provided with a comprehensive, but still limited, set of features. Many people migrate from WordPress.com to self-hosted WordPress.org solely to take advantage of the amazing plugins that come with them.
Themes cannot be uploaded.
You can only use WordPress.com themes that are currently available. Some of these themes are free, while others require a one-time payment. In any case, the theme options are extremely limited. Second, you cannot change the themes. You can add custom CSS and fonts to your theme for an additional $30, but that’s it. Theme features and functionality cannot be changed. You’re out of luck if you want to use one of the powerful eCommerce themes or one of the many commercial themes that aren’t available to WordPress.com users. You’re also out of luck if you want a completely customized theme built for you.
Suspension of Account
WordPress.com is very strict about preventing abuse of their services. They suspend blogs suspected of engaging in activities that are against their terms of service. A blog can also be reported by visitors. For a limited time, WordPress.com allows suspended blogs to export their posts. Furthermore, WordPress.com may not even notify or request that a blog owner remove content. This means that the blog owner is usually not notified. When a blog is suspended, the WordPress.com subdomain is held and not available for use by anyone else.
It is not a Development Platform.
WordPress has evolved into a powerful content management system in its own right. It is no longer just a blogging platform. With WordPress.com, you only get a free blog service, not the actual powerful CMS features that are driving WordPress’ popularity. To help you understand, imagine you start with a basic blog and then want to offer online courses, sell digital downloads, or add a forum or even an online store. All of this is not possible with a free WordPress.com blog.
Conclusion
Our advice is to first figure out what you want to do with your blog, make a plan, and then choose. If you only need to express yourself, WordPress.com is a simple and wonderful option. However, if you want to expand your website and do more with your blog, WordPress.org is a good option.
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