Nonprofit Tools
WordPress.comvsWordPress

WordPress.com vs WordPress for nonprofits

Choose WordPress.com if…

Small nonprofits that want a content-heavy site or blog on a low budget

Not ideal for: Teams that want a strictly drag-and-drop design tool with no learning curve

Choose WordPress if…

Charities that want full ownership and flexibility, such as donation, membership or event plugins

Not ideal for: Teams with no one to handle updates, backups and security

WordPress.comWordPress
Our rating●●●●○●●●●○
PriceFree plan · paid from US$9/monthOpen source · Free
Nonprofit offerNone foundNone found
TypeAll-in-oneSpecialist
SuitsVolunteer-run, Small, MediumVolunteer-run, Small, Medium, Large
Available in🌍 Anywhere🌍 Anywhere
Strengths
  • Genuinely free plan for a basic site
  • Huge WordPress ecosystem and easy to hire help
  • Easy path to self-hosted WordPress later
  • No licence fee and no lock-in to one vendor
  • Very large plugin and theme ecosystem
  • Easy to find volunteers and agencies who know it
Watch out for
  • No published nonprofit discount
  • Plugins and custom code need a more expensive plan
  • Can be confusing to tell WordPress.com and WordPress.org apart
  • You are responsible for hosting, backups, updates and security
  • Costs for hosting and paid plugins add up and vary by supplier
  • Quality of plugins varies, and old plugins can create security holes
Key features
  • Free plan with perpetual use
  • Managed hosting and security
  • Themes and block editor
  • Free open-source software (GPLv2)
  • Themes and a plugin directory
  • Block editor for pages and posts

Our ratings: WordPress.com: Easy hosted WordPress with low-cost tiers and a huge ecosystem. WordPress: Free, flexible and widely supported, though it needs maintenance.

General information, not professional advice. Prices and nonprofit offers change and our research is AI-assisted, so confirm with the vendor before you buy. Names and logos belong to their owners. Full disclaimer

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