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WordPress is free software, but a professional WordPress website usually is not free to run. The WordPress project is open source under the GNU General Public License (GPL), so there is no core license fee. You may still pay for a domain, hosting, email, premium features, security, backups, maintenance and professional help.
There is also an important distinction: self-hosted WordPress from WordPress.org is downloadable software, while WordPress.com is a commercial hosted service with its own free and paid plans. Understanding that difference is the key to estimating your real cost.
What does “free WordPress” mean?
“Free” has two meanings here:
- Free of charge: You can download and use WordPress without paying a software license fee.
- Free as in freedom: The GPL lets you run, study, modify and redistribute the software. WordPress is licensed under GPL version 2 or later (WordPress license).
That does not make every website expense-free. WordPress is an application, not a server, domain registrar, email provider or maintenance team. The accurate statement is: the WordPress software is free and open source; operating a website with it may cost money.
Why can WordPress be free?
Open-source licensing
Unlike proprietary software that charges per site or per user, WordPress is distributed under the GPL. Anyone can use it for any purpose, inspect its code, create modifications and redistribute copies. The license does not prevent businesses from charging for products and services built around WordPress.
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A community and commercial ecosystem
Contributors around the world provide code, documentation, translations, testing, support and events. Companies participate because a common, free platform creates demand for hosting, design, development, themes, plugins, support and managed services. WordPress describes this contributor model in its open-source lesson.
GPL software can have paid products
A theme or plugin may be GPL-compatible while its developer sells premium features, updates, support, hosted APIs or consulting. GPL freedom is not a promise that every related service must be free.
WordPress.org versus WordPress.com
WordPress.org is the home of the open-source project and downloadable software. WordPress.com is a for-profit hosted service built around WordPress. They overlap, but their costs, control and responsibilities differ.
| Question | Self-hosted WordPress.org | WordPress.com free plan |
|---|---|---|
| Software fee | Free WordPress core | Included in the hosted service |
| Hosting | You buy and manage it separately | Included |
| Address | Usually a separately purchased domain | WordPress.com subdomain, such as yoursite.wordpress.com |
| Plugins | Broad access, subject to host and compatibility | Not available on the free plan |
| Maintenance | Primarily your responsibility | Managed by WordPress.com |
| Control | Broad control over code and hosting | Limited by the plan and platform |
| Advertising and branding | Depends on your host and setup | Free sites do not include ad-free visitor browsing |
| Support | Documentation, community forums or paid help | Platform support varies by plan |
Sources: WordPress.org’s comparison, WordPress.com’s comparison and its U.S. pricing page.
What the current WordPress.com free plan includes
On the U.S. pricing page viewed August 18, 2026, the free plan includes hosting, a WordPress.com subdomain, 1 GB of storage, unlimited pages and posts, and basic statistics covering the previous seven days. It excludes a custom domain, plugin installation and ad-free visitor browsing. The plan has no stated expiration date.
Paid WordPress.com plans currently start at $2.75 per month when billed every three years or $4 per month when billed annually on that U.S. page. Annual and multi-year plans include a free custom domain for the first year; monthly plans do not. Prices, taxes and renewal terms can change.
Rank #2
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What costs money with WordPress?
1. Domain registration
A domain such as example.com is normally purchased from a registrar or host, not from the WordPress project. Registration is commonly annual. First-year promotions may be lower than renewal pricing, and the final bill can be affected by the extension, privacy protection, transfers, taxes or premium-domain services. A free WordPress.com site uses a subdomain instead. Check the renewal price before buying.
2. Web hosting
Self-hosting requires infrastructure for files, databases, bandwidth and network access. Hosting may also include SSL, backups, caching, security controls and support.
- Shared hosting: lower headline cost, shared resources and more owner responsibility.
- Managed WordPress hosting: often costs more than bare hosting but may handle updates, caching, backups, security and support.
- VPS or cloud hosting: more control and scalability, with more technical work.
- Enterprise hosting: designed for high traffic, agencies, compliance or complex integrations.
Compare renewal prices, storage, traffic limits, backup retention, staging, support, migration rules and plugin restrictions—not only the introductory monthly price. WordPress.com warns that cheaper packages can impose limits and that promotional prices may rise at renewal (hosting comparison guidance).
3. Themes
Free themes can cover blogs, portfolios and simple business sites. Premium themes may add templates, design controls, updates and support for stores, memberships or magazines. Price alone does not indicate quality: an abandoned, bloated or incompatible theme can create more expense than a maintained free one. Themes in the official directory must meet GPL or compatible licensing requirements, while companies can sell premium versions and services.
4. Plugins and external services
Many plugins are free to install, but common business models include paid upgrades, annual support subscriptions, hosted services, usage charges, transaction fees and paid extensions. A “free” plugin may still require a paid email, search, booking, analytics or payment account. It may also consume hosting resources or lack support.
Free WordPress.com sites cannot install plugins; paid plans provide access to more than 50,000 plugins according to the current pricing and support pages.
Rank #3
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5. Security and backups
With self-hosting, decide how to handle updates, login protection, vulnerability response, malware monitoring, off-site backups, SSL, firewalls and restoration. Ask five separate questions: Are backups made? Where are they stored? How long are they retained? Can you restore them? Has restoration been tested?
Managed WordPress.com hosting includes security protection, SSL, automatic updates and backups, although direct restoration access depends on the plan (managed-hosting details).
6. Maintenance and technical labor
Someone must update WordPress, themes and plugins, test changes, fix conflicts, handle spam, improve performance, troubleshoot email and recover hacked sites. You pay either with money or with your own time. For a business, labor and downtime can outweigh the hosting bill.
7. Email and business services
Website hosting does not necessarily include professional email. You may need a registrar mailbox, host email, dedicated email provider or productivity suite. WordPress.com states that email hosting is not included in its plan price and can be added separately.
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8. Ecommerce and payments
A WordPress store can add hosting, WooCommerce extensions, payment processing, tax and shipping integrations, fraud screening, transactional email, security and compliance work. The software license does not remove processor fees or store operations.
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Free software does not mean free infrastructure
You still need an address, server, internet delivery, content and operational safeguards. This is the central distinction between WordPress and a complete hosted website package.
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Self-hosting transfers responsibility to you
You choose the host, PHP environment, themes and plugins, update schedule, backup system, security controls, performance settings and recovery process. Managed hosting charges for taking over much of that work.
The free hosted plan has deliberate boundaries
The WordPress.com free plan is suitable for testing, personal publishing or a basic presence, but its subdomain, no-plugin policy and visitor advertising make it a poor fit for many professional businesses.
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Recurring bills may include domain and hosting renewals, premium licenses, email, security, backups and maintenance. Compare the full renewal cycle, not just the first-year discount.
Vendor and portability risk
A site can depend on a proprietary builder, plugin API, host migration tool or one developer’s knowledge. Before purchasing, check export and migration options, whether content remains readable after deactivation, what updates continue after cancellation, and who owns the accounts. WordPress.com supports migrations, but completeness varies with the theme, plugins and import method.
Free downloads are not automatically safe
Abandoned software, vulnerabilities, update conflicts, fake downloads and pirated (“nulled”) products can create costs far beyond a license fee. Download from WordPress.org or a reputable developer, review update history and compatibility, keep software current, and maintain independent backups. WordPress warns that unauthorized domains using its name are often associated with malware-infected themes and plugins (domain policy).
Practical budget scenarios
| Project | Typical components | Main cost or trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Personal test site | WordPress.com free plan, subdomain, free theme and no paid plugins | $0 initially, with plan restrictions |
| Basic self-hosted blog | Domain, entry-level hosting, free theme and plugins | Domain and hosting renewals plus your time |
| Small business site | Custom domain, reliable or managed hosting, email, backups, security and possibly premium design | Reliability, support and labor |
| Ecommerce site | Scalable hosting, store extensions, payment, tax, shipping, email and security services | Transactions, integrations and operational complexity |
| Agency-managed site | Hosting, premium tools, staging, monitoring and a maintenance agreement | Professional labor and responsibility for uptime and recovery |
Which option fits your situation?
Choose self-hosted WordPress when
- You need maximum code, plugin and hosting control.
- You can manage updates, backups and security—or have a professional do it.
- You want to choose and change hosting providers.
- You are building sites for clients or need custom server configuration.
Choose WordPress.com or another managed host when
- You want hosting, updates, security and backups handled for you.
- You value support and simplicity over unrestricted server access.
- Your time, downtime risk or maintenance burden costs more than the managed-service fee.
Choose a different website builder when
- You want an all-in-one editor with minimal maintenance.
- You do not need WordPress’s plugin ecosystem or code-level flexibility.
- You accept that a single vendor may mean less portability and customization.
How to avoid surprise WordPress costs
- Write down the required domain, storage, traffic, email, plugins, ecommerce and support features.
- Price the renewal period, not only the introductory term.
- Confirm who owns the domain, hosting account and premium licenses.
- Check backup location, retention and restoration access.
- Review migration, cancellation and export policies.
- Budget your own maintenance hours or obtain a written professional support quote.
- Do not buy duplicate security, backup, CDN or caching services already included by your host.
Bottom line
WordPress is free in the software-license sense, not necessarily in the website-operation sense. It can be an inexpensive and highly portable way to publish, but the real bill comes from infrastructure, convenience, extensions, risk management and labor. Start with the WordPress.com free plan for zero-cost experimentation, choose managed hosting when you want fewer technical duties, or self-host WordPress.org when control and portability justify the work.
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