With a free WordPress.com blog, you’ll also be

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With a free WordPress.com blog, you’ll also be limited to a website name like… yourcoolblog.wordpress.com which lives on the WordPress domain.

And while they do share, “Every single week, thousands of people start their journey with a free WordPress website,” that statement doesn’t explain exactly how their free website plans are limited in scope and features.

With the free version, you’ll receive 3GB of storage, dozens of free buy australia number database themes, and some basic plugin features from Jetpack. If you need support during the process of starting your blog, you’ll need to rely on public forums to ask for help—as email & live chat support comes only with paid plans.

If you choose their free plan, you won’t have control over your own website’s advertising options either.

WordPress.com will put their own banner advertisements on your website and collect any earnings from them.

As I mentioned already, your domain name will only be able to have the WordPress extension tied to it if you’re on their free plan.

For example, my blog here is ryrob.com. My domain name is simple, easy to remember, and free from third-party advertising or branding. I truly own my platform.

WordPress Powered Blog Ryan Robinson ryrob Homepage Screenshot

If I were using the free version of WordPress.com to create my blog, my domain name would look like… ryrob.wordpress.com

It’s not as professional-looking and is hardly memorable to the readers who come to my blog.

So that’s what you get with the free version of WordPress.com. Now, we’ll get into what you get with each of their paid web hosting plans.

The cost to set up a paid WordPress.com blog
How Much Does it Cost to Start a Blog on WordPress.com Hosting Plan Options

WordPress.com has five levels of paid versions to choose from, with each step up offering a few more features.

Let’s break down each one to show what you’re getting:

Starter Plan (WordPress.com Hosting)
The Starter plan costs $9 a month. Here’s a basic rundown of what you’ll get with it:

A free .blog domain name
Email support
6 GB of storage space
Dozens of free responsive themes
Basic design customization
WordPress.com ads removed
JetPack essential features
Explorer Plan (WordPress.com Hosting)
The Personal plan costs $18 a month. This is the bare minimum plan you’d want to sign up for to get close to what a self-hosted and Bluehost-powered WordPress blog will get you (for a lower cost).

Here you get the same things as the Starter package plus:

A free domain name (like a .com) for one year (only with annual plans)
Live chat support
Unlimited premium themes