Self-Hosted vs. Free WordPress Sites: Pros and Cons

So you’ve got a website, or at least great idea for one – now you’re faced with two options. Will you:

Create a Free WordPress-Hosted Site or Host Your Own Website?

Each has its own advantage, so it’s important to understand the differences between the two to choose the best option for your site. You won’t want to miss out on the great features and customization that self-hosting has to offer, but you also don’t want to pay for more than what you need!

In this article, we’ll go through the pros and cons to free WordPress-hosted sites and compare them to self-hosting. Skip right through the headaches and use this information to help you determine the next course of action for your site.

Free WordPress-Hosted Site Pros

  • It’s free!
  • No need to download extra software
  • Great for simple, basic blogging

Free WordPress-Hosted Site Cons

  • WordPress places ads on all free sites
  • No advertising until your site hits 25,000 views – after that, you’ll split your revenue with WordPress 50/50
  • You can’t use plugins
  • Less themes to choose from
  • Your site can be deleted for violating WordPress Terms of Service

Self-Hosted Website Pros

  • Most shared hosting plans are inexpensive, ranging from $3.95 – $10 monthly
  • WordPress sites are easy to migrate, most hosting providers offer one-click WordPress installations
  • Fully Customizable – you’ll have access to analytics, hundreds of themes and plugins, and be able to modify your website’s code to add even more cool features
  • Ad campaigns will be entirely in your control and you’ll make 100% of the profit
  • You OWN your content, everything that’s published on your site belongs to you and you no longer need the “Powered by WordPress” label
  • Your hosting company should provide a support team to help you with technical issues and custom email addresses for your site

Self-Hosted Website Cons

  • Requires the extra step of signing up with a hosting provider
  • Recurring monthly or annual fee
  • You have to buy a domain name first, which can cost $8-$12 per year

The clear answer here is that if you’re not a beginning blogger and want more freedom with your site, self-hosting is the way to go. There are thousands of hosting companies to choose from, so don’t feel limited in your options.Choose a hosting provider that offers services that suit your needs and has a good online reputation.

NetHosting-Affordable-Web-Hosting-ProviderNetHosting is a great choice for those with WordPress sites that want to get started with an affordable shared hosting plan. Unlike other hosting companies, you’re guaranteed 100% uptime and your price won’t increase when it’s time to renew.

NetHosting is popular among WordPress users because setup only takes about 10 minutes if you have a preexisting site. Creating a new WordPress site with NetHosting is as easy as a single mouse click, no technical degree required.

Although free WordPress hosting is great for beginners, choosing a reliable hosting provider and switching to a self-hosted site can have numerous benefits. We hope this article helps you determine whether free hosting or self-hosting is the right option for you.

 

Let us know what you think in the comments below, and thanks for reading!