I’m really new to all this and just want a simple website for my business. I’d love to use the Elementor plugin but don’t want to pay $200 per year. I’ve watched YouTube videos about moving it to wordpress.org but they confused me even more. Is there an easy way to get plugins?
WordPress.com and WordPress.org are totally different. The .com is a hosting service that uses a version of WordPress, but no plugins are allowed unless you pay. On the other hand, .org is just the WordPress software. You can download it and install it on the hosting of your choice. You won’t have plugin restrictions.
@Lyle
I’m also new to this, what does self-hosted mean? What would it mean for my site? Every time I try to use WordPress, I get lost.
If I download the software, can I upload what I make online? I’m thinking of using a hosting service like Hostinger.
@Thorn
Look for the sticky post at the top of this forum. Basically, self-hosted means you get your own hosting from somewhere like Hostinger. WordPress.com is a hosting company that uses a modified version of WordPress, but it’s limited unless you pay more. It’s best to find another provider and install WordPress yourself. You won’t have the same limitations as WordPress.com.
@Lyle
Thanks! Honestly, your reply is way better than most of the stuff in the sticky thread. Maybe it’s because you’re addressing my questions directly.
Either way, thank you! This clears things up so much!
@Thorn
You’re welcome!
You’ve got two options: either go for the $200 plan or do a self-hosted install using WordPress.org.
It’s not possible with the basic plan.
I suggest looking into self-hosting WordPress or checking out WordPress.com’s different plans.
Download WordPress from wordpress.org and upload the files to your server.
I used to buy premium themes and plugins directly from WP devs, but it got too expensive. As an alternative, I found premium themes and plugins on GPL. Now, I just pay about $15 if I need any premium ones for a project. You should check it out!
Check out Local by Flywheel for creating the site. There are a lot of tutorials online. If you want, I can share some. With Local, you create the site locally (only on your computer). Afterward, you can migrate it to WP hosting like SiteGround or Flywheel. This way, you can install plugins without paying for WordPress.com.
You’ll use the open-source version of WordPress, which means you can install any plugins you want without paying for them. Some plugins may still cost money though.
If you’re not looking to spend money on wordpress.org, consider a self-hosting option, which could be cheaper.
Rin said:
If you’re not looking to spend money on wordpress.org, consider a self-hosting option, which could be cheaper.
Here are the steps to install WordPress on hosting (it’s pretty simple):
We offer plans starting at $20/month – you can install whatever you want.