Many people are surprised to learn that WordPress, the most popular website platform, is free. It’s a powerful tool that anyone can use without paying for the software itself.
This article will explore why WordPress is available at no cost, what you might need to spend money on when running a WordPress site, and if there’s any catch involved. We will use our years of WordPress experience to clear up any confusion and provide a straightforward explanation.
Understanding the costs associated with WordPress can help you budget for your website more effectively. We will break down everything from hosting fees to optional upgrades.
Our goal is to equip you with the knowledge you need to make informed decisions about using WordPress for your website or blog.
WordPress is an open-source software. It is free in the sense of freedom, not in the sense of free beer. You may ask what the difference is between these two.
Open source software comes with the freedom for you to use, modify, build upon, and redistribute the software in any way you like without paying any fees.
However, there might be costs involved in other areas. We will discuss the cost of using the open source WordPress software later in this article.
Video Tutorial
If you’d prefer written instructions, keep reading.
Why Don’t They Sell WordPress as a Software?
We often get asked, why don’t the people and companies behind WordPress sell it? If WordPress is as good as everyone says, then they would obviously make a lot more money by selling it.
After all, WordPress powers over 43% of all websites on the internet.
This would make sense if a single company or an individual owned WordPress.
WordPress is an open-source community project where tens of thousands of talented people have made contributions to make it into the great software that it is today.
A core team of developers leads the project development, but anyone can contribute patches, fix bugs, make features, suggest features, etc.
Furthermore, project leaders change from one version to another. If you get deeply involved in the community, then you can become a core contributor to WordPress as well.
The Philosophy Behind Open Source Software
The Open Source software movement’s philosophy is that software is unlike other tangible products. Once software is created, it can be copied many times at a low cost.
Let’s take the example of a toy factory.
Each toy manufactured has different parts, each with a cost. The factory can calculate the manufacturing cost of these parts to decide on a reasonable profit margin for the product.
On the other hand, the cost of creating software and making copies of it is not the same. Some groups believe that with each copy sold, the software’s profit margin becomes more unfair.
To understand more about open-source software ideals, check out GNU’s Philosophy.
How Do People Make Money With WordPress?
The two main profitable parts of any open-source software are products and services based on the same open-source software.
People often confuse WordPress with WordPress.com, but they’re actually two different things. WordPress (often referred to as self-hosted WordPress or WordPress.org) is a free blogging platform and website builder.
Matt Mullenweg, co-founding developer of WordPress, launched a company called Automattic, which provides “restricted” free blog hosting services at WordPress.com, and you can pay/upgrade to unlock features and remove ads.
However, to unlock all the features of WordPress, you’d need to upgrade to an expensive paid plan. For example, you can’t start an online store with WordPress.com unless you pay for the eCommerce plan, which starts at $45 per month.
Automattic has raised over $985M in funding. (Source)
Other developers have also gone ahead to build successful multi-million dollar businesses around WordPress by creating commercial plugins and commercial themes and even offering WordPress hosting.
Some examples of successful multi-million dollar WordPress companies are:
- WP Engine – A managed WordPress hosting company that has made over $400 million dollars and now also owns StudioPress commercial themes.
- Awesome Motive – Led by Syed Balkhi, is another multi-million dollar company based around WordPress. The company manages WPBeginner, OptinMonster, WPForms, MonsterInsights, SeedProd, AIOSEO, Smash Balloon, and other popular WordPress plugins used by over 25 million websites.
- ElegantThemes – Multi-million dollar theme company behind the popular drag & drop page builder Divi and several other plugins.
Related: See our list of the top WordPress companies.
Good WordPress developers and consultants also make a comfortable full-time income by building custom websites, applications, and plugins around WordPress for their clients. A lot of them are making over six figures in annual earnings by themselves.
Is WordPress Copyright Free?
No, WordPress is not copyright-free. It is licensed in a way that allows everyone to use it, but each contribution made to the software is copyrighted.
It is released under GPL (General Public License). That means you can use, modify, and redistribute the code. You will have the copyright to the modifications you make to the software but not the entire code.
GPL requires that any derivative work you release or distribute be licensed under GPL. You may have the copyright to do anything you like. But, your derivative work automatically inherits the GPL license, so others are free to use, modify, and redistribute your code in any way they choose.
Are All Premium WordPress Themes And Plugins Licensed GPL?
According to an official blog post on WordPress.org, themes are GPL, too. Images, CSS, and JavaScript used inside themes and plugins can be excluded, but all PHP and HTML parts of themes and plugins extensively use WordPress functionality. Thus, they are derivative works and are licensed under GPL.
While some folks disagree, most trusted WordPress businesses follow and abide by the community guidelines.
Does The Content Published With WordPress Also Inherit GPL?
No, you are entitled to license your content any way you like. Unless the content you are publishing is actually a derivative work of WordPress or any other GPL-licensed work.
For example, if you are sharing your articles, photos, or any other artwork on your blog, then you own full copyrights of it.
However, if you are writing a blog post showing people how to use a WordPress function with examples, then that particular blog post could be licensed differently. The code used in examples is derivative work and automatically inherits the GPL license.
The WordPress Trademark
The code of WordPress as a software is released under GPL, but the words WordPress, WordCamp, and the WordPress logo are registered trademarks owned by the WordPress Foundation.
For more details, see the WordPress Foundation’s Trademark Policy.
To distinguish between a site or resource that is official or community-run, the foundation asks folks not to use “WordPress” in their domain name.
This is the reason why our site is called WPBeginner instead of WordPressBeginner. Any website, training course, or resource that you see has WordPress in its domain name is probably being run by someone who doesn’t know enough about WordPress. This means you probably shouldn’t pay them any of your money.
Most legit businesses built around WordPress are aware of the trademark policies, and they respect the rules.
Cost of Using WordPress
WordPress is free software for you to download and use. However, to use WordPress on the web, you will need WordPress hosting.
You can use WordPress.com to create a free blog, but be aware that there are some differences. See our comparison of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org for more details.
The cost of using WordPress is relatively minimal and holds true for running any other type of website as well. The only real cost is web hosting ($7.99 per month) and domain name ($14 / year).
However, WPBeginner users can get a free domain name and up to 77% off web hosting from Bluehost, which means you can start a website for as low as $1.99 per month.
Bluehost is an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider. They are reliable, come with 1-click WordPress installation, offer 24/7 customer support, and more.
Related: How to Start a WordPress Blog (Ultimate Guide)
Additional costs could be related to commercial WordPress themes, also known as premium WordPress themes. However, you are not required to use those because there are over 10,800+ free WordPress themes that you can use.
People often use commercial plugins, but you are not required to use those either because there are over 59,000+ free WordPress plugins available.
We have created a detailed guide on how much it really costs to build a WordPress website, with instructions on how to start a website on a budget and save money.
Is WordPress Free FAQs
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about whether WordPress is free or not:
What does WordPress charge for?
WordPress.org is an open-source platform that is free to download and use. But there are costs attached if you want your WordPress site to be live on the web. The main cost is WordPress hosting and a domain name, which starts as low as $1.99 per month with Bluehost.
You can also extend the features and functionality of your WordPress site with premium themes and plugins. However, you can keep costs lower using free plugins and themes.
Do I own my WordPress website?
Yes, you can install the open-source WordPress.org software on a web hosting provider to make a website that you 100% own. This gives you complete control over how you run your site.
This is not the case with other solutions like WordPress.com. With WordPress.com, your site can be removed at any time if it violates their terms of service. There’s also limited customization and monetization options.
Can I make money from WordPress?
Yes, you can monetize your WordPress site in many different ways. For example, you can create a membership site, start affiliate marketing, advertise with Google AdSense, sell digital products, and much more.
You can also use the free WPForms plugin to accept online payments and donations via Stripe directly on your website.
We hope that this article answers your questions about WordPress licensing, the costs of running a WordPress site, and the business around WordPress. You may also want to see our list of easy-to-start online business ideas that actually make money or our recommendations for the best web design software.
If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Syed Balkhi says
Hey WPBeginner readers,
Did you know you can win exciting prizes by commenting on WPBeginner?
Every month, our top blog commenters will win HUGE rewards, including premium WordPress plugin licenses and cash prizes.
You can get more details about the contest from here.
Start sharing your thoughts below to stand a chance to win!
Dayo Olobayo says
From a purely economic standpoint, the fact that WordPress itself is free to use is nothing short of revolutionary. As you’ve aptly explained, the open-source model fosters a vibrant community that continuously improves the platform. This is an indispensable guide for anyone contemplating the use of WordPress for their website.
Dennis Muthomi says
the explanation of the open-source philosophy and GPL licensing really insightful.
it’s interesting that since WordPress and most plugins/themes are GPL licensed, it means I could actually modify their code if I had programming skills to better suit my needs.
I was not aware about that!
WPBeginner Support says
Glad we could share that useful information
Admin
Jiří Vaněk says
I don’t quite understand the principle of the GPL. You write that all WordPress code is under the GPL license. This means that when you as a company create an AIO SEO plugin, it is under the GPL license and someone can modify it and then distribute it? Or am I missing something?
WPBeginner Support says
For understanding GPL better we would recommend taking a look at our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/gpl/
Admin
Jiří Vaněk says
I will definitely look at the article and thank you for the link. There are still a lot of things I don’t fully understand about the GPL license.
Moinuddin Waheed says
I have seen many premium themes developers offer installation and distribution of their themes upto 500 people under GPL licenses.
Due to this reason i have seen many websites selling these premium themes way cheaper than the actual one and they claim they are doing it under GPL licenses.
is it safe and okay to do that under GPL?
is it safe to purchase from them due to the cost difference?
WPBeginner Support says
We would recommend reading through our article below on why those themes and plugins are a bad idea to use:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/opinion/why-you-must-avoid-nulled-wordpress-plugins-themes/
Admin
Moinuddin Waheed says
Thank you for clearing the doubts around general public license and open source software.
I had the same set of questions and doubts about how the open source projects make money and what are the benefits, why they make the products and services available for free open source and allow to distribute without any cost involved. After going through the article,it is crystal clear now about the open source and general public license.
WPBeginner Support says
You’re welcome, glad we could help clear up this information
Admin
Jeremy says
I already have a free blog on WP. Would I be able to get some of the plugins if I moved to BlueHost?
WPBeginner Support says
If you are on WordPress.com and move to BlueHost your site would become a WordPress.org site and allow you to install plugins. You can see the other features to expect in our article below:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
Admin
Barbara says
I cannot install plugins. It says I should upgrade my plan before I can do that. Is there anyway to get plugins without paying any upgrade money?
Alina says
Are you on WordPress.org or maybe WordPress.com? I think you pay at the dot com site
Nandini says
I just have a question to ask you. Does WP charges to launch a website and also can I install a plug-in for Security to avoid hackers.?
WPBeginner Support says
WordPress does not have a cost to launch a site, for any costs involved you would want to take a look at the cost of using WordPress section of this article.
Admin
Vaishali says
Will I able to make money with WordPress.com ?
WPBeginner Support says
You would be limited to what WordPress.com allows, you may want to take a look at our comparison guide below for the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
Admin
Rohmah says
If someone creates a course with WordPress in the title are they infringing The WordPress trademark?
WPBeginner Support says
Having WordPress in a post title or course title is not infringing on the WordPress trademark.
Admin
Ajit Pise says
Its very informative for me
WPBeginner Support says
Glad our article was helpful
Admin
Carol Coupland says
Can I transfer my domain from website palace to WordPress
WPBeginner Support says
You can transfer your domain to a host for a WordPress.org site if you wanted or you could keep the domain where it is and change your DNS to point toward where the site is. For a better understanding of what we mean you would want to take a look at our glossary page here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/glossary/dns/
Admin
Esther says
Very informative
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you
Admin
Jacob says
I just purchased a domain name from Godaddy and planning to build a WordPress site. Later heard suggestions from some of my friends that Bluehost is better with WordPress site hosting. I am also planning to buy three more domains. Is it be better I move to Bluehost or stay with Godaddy? Any suggestions?
WPBeginner Support says
It would depend on your personal experience with the hosting as you can always transfer later but we tend to prefer BlueHost
Admin
Andrei says
I have domain and a hosting with hostmonster. where do I go now and how do i start building a free WP site? Please help Thanks
WPBeginner Support says
For installing your WordPress site, you would want to take a look at our guide here: https://www.wpbeginner.com/how-to-install-wordpress/
Admin
Francisco Zamora says
If I publish a WordPress website on Bluehost, am I able to switch my hosting provider to AWS after deployment of the site? Or do you recommend building the WordPress app with the AWS Cloudformation template? I am a first time WordPress user and id like to take advantage of the wpBeginner special, does it still apply if I use AWS cloud formation?
WPBeginner Support says
Yes, you can change hosting once a site is set up using the method in our article here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/wp-tutorials/how-to-move-wordpress-to-a-new-host-or-server-with-no-downtime/
It is personal preference if you use AWS or a standard WordPress host.
Admin
Derek Smith says
One of the problems with WP being free is everyone has an opinion.
There’s too much, ‘I tried it once and it all went wrong,’ – on the plus side, I’d have no expensive kids if I’d followed that mantra – and those asking questions on forums are put off using it and instead go for other options. It’s frustrating. You’d think that they might, for free, FOR FREE, at least try it, but we don’t shout loud enough. We are categorised as nerds.
With Gutenberg – like it or not – it is about as easy as it can get. ‘One click uploading’, OK so it takes more than one, takes all the fuss away. No need for ftp. Yet we are the ones who love the technical bits we are told.
Sorry for the rant, but I needed the relief.
WPBeginner Support says
Thanks for sharing your feelings
Admin
Kelvin says
I will like to create a blog on wordpress but I already have access to hosting through my reseller hosting account.
Is it possible to use the wordpress blog and host it in my hosting account?
WPBeginner Support says
As long as your hosting provider allows you to install WordPress you should be able to use WordPress on that host.
Admin
Nilu says
Hi, I have just created a blog with wordpress.com domain. I was directed towards the payment gateway. How can I use it for free? I am a content writer but the growing market demands asks me to use wordpress and other platforms. I am just here to learn the basics and to understand how to post articles on WP. Please help me with the same as I want a free blog as of now.
WPBeginner Support says
As long as you are not using a custom domain, your site should be free to set up. If it is not giving the option to use a free site then you would sadly need to reach out to WordPress.com’s support.
Admin
Siobhán Dempsey says
After picking your website name on WordPress for instance
Theworldisbig.wordpress.com
Next
You pick free
Which is the first option.
Then go from there.
Pick a theme etc
If you want to lose . WordPress extension
Then you start paying.
Good luck.
Graham Hayman says
This explanation just confused me more. I suggest that mind-map type of diagram would help.
WPBeginner Support says
Thank you for your suggestion for improving our article
Admin
Perry says
WorPress is NOT free!
Plans start at between $3 to $8 a month.
It’s cheap, but still. . . . it is not free like so many people think.
WPBeginner Support says
The WordPress software is free to use, we do not have a recommended free host if you are talking about purchasing hosting. If you mean WordPress.com then you would want to take a look at our article: https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
Admin
Duncan McCormack says
Per WPB reply, yes, WordPress IS free.
Hosting is (usually) not…
You can host your own website on your own PC – that’s free.
The only cost is your internet connection – but you’re already paying for that anyways.
Perry says
Hello.
I am setting up a WordPress site. I will be keeping my web host company.
I thought that WordPress was free, but I see in step 4 of the setup that payment plans start at $8 a month.
So I am confused.
Thank you in advance.
~ Perry
WPBeginner Support says
Paying for a host is for allowing your content to be found online no matter what system you use. The WordPress software is free to use. If you’re looking at WordPress.com then you would want to take a look at our article here:
https://www.wpbeginner.com/beginners-guide/self-hosted-wordpress-org-vs-free-wordpress-com-infograph/
Admin
praise says
I thank you for your help i am very grateful. I will like to subscribe to your email updates.
Suzie Que says
Free wordpress site names are pointless. You end up with a .wordpress.com after your preferred name. No one can find your blog. You have to pay if you want just a .com name. So it’s not free as they boast.
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Suzie,
Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Catherine says
I am new to this blogging concept
and a little nervous about moving
forward don’t want to get stuck in the
wrong place with this
Caleb says
Hey, I have a question and hopefully you can help me.
I am wanting to create a PWA (Progressive Web App) and was wondering if I could use WordPress to create a Website as a base.
Please let me know.
Thank You.
Benedict says
(1). Will I Be Paid Per Click On My Website.
(2). How Will I Be Getting Paid.
(3). How Do I Connect My Account To My Website.
(4). Can I Connect Two Website To A Single Account
kirti sharma says
is there need of hosting in wordpress free account (in wordpress.com)
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Kristi,
Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Akindunbi Shalom says
It is my pleasure to get accross to this site. I’m a pure beginner as WP is concern, but the moment I got here I never remain the same. I appreciate your good gesture. There is one thing I would like you to do for me and it how to integrate payment gateway to blog/website. I’m from Africa, Nigeria per say. Please PayPal is not working in Nigeria and most of our Card (Master card) is active for online (Bank policy). Please to tap from your expertise in this area once again. Thanks, I need your help! Shalom!
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Akindunbi,
There are many online payment gateways that you can use like Payza, 2Checkout, Payoneer, etc. However, their fees are slightly higher than PayPal. You need to check them out to calculate their fees and other charges. Once you find a payment gateway that looks suitable for your business needs, then look for a WordPress plugin that helps connect your WordPress site to that payment gateway. There are plugins for almost every online payment gateway.
Admin
gnaneswar says
Hi,
I have blogger website, can I change to WordPress.org with the same domain name and same web hosting.Or again I have to buy a new domain name and web host
WPBeginner Support says
Hey gnaneswar,
If you are using a custom domain then you can point it to your new WordPress hosting. You will still have to buy hosting.
Admin
ansh khare says
you are hositng your site on hostgator . and here recommending us bluehost. please tell me why?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Ansh,
We recommend HostGator as well. Please see our WordPress hosting page for more recommendations.
Admin
kamaldeen says
Pls I just opened my WordPress.com blog but have got few things that I don’t understand, I was told about a PayPal account in which I am to get paid as pertaining to my traffic on my blog but I didn’t add any account, and I also saw a place to feel In some account details as pertaining to word press. Asking me to pay about 30+ dollars. I still don’t understand all that. I didn’t feel it though nd still trying to finalise my blog settings me everything
Amogh Agrawal says
Such a awesome article and very well crafted!
Vince says
Thank you for this information! I just started my own WP blog and this filled in many gaps of my knowledge that I didn’t find in my initial research of blogging platforms. This is definitely a great reference to pass along to others!
hope says
I really learned alot from this website today and it is not the first time I wanted to compare WP.org and WP.com…I really liked everything about WP.org but my question is that what are host payment methods, im from south Africa PayPal and other methods are not easy for me…but bitcoins are always easy and cheap, is there any bitcoins payment method?
Brittany S. says
Hello, I’m sorry to bug you with this question, but I tried asking it on the WP forums and got no response. Since this post mentions the costs of having a WP account, I hope this is an ok place to ask this.
I currently have a free wordpress.com account. I simply want the .wordpress gone from my domain name.
Every place I look in the help docs or forums, it states to look at the plan pricing, and of course, when you look at the plans, you see that a custom domain is free with any plan. Ok, got it.
However, this is why I’m confused. The site lets me go in and add a custom domain and private domain registration to my cart for $18/year and $8/year respectively. So $26/year total. It says nothing about having to buy a plan.
Now, if you stop and think about this for a sec, it doesn’t make sense. If you MUST have a plan in order to have a custom domain, and if a custom domain is FREE with a plan, then why would the system show pricing for a custom domain? See how that doesn’t make sense?
Essentially, I’m not brave enough (yet) to just say screw it and try to pay the $26 bucks and see what happens. I just wondered if anyone here knows. Any time pricing and such is mentioned on the WP forums, the same link to the plans is given and that’s the end of the conversation.
Thanks in advance!
WPBeginner Support says
Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Tonomoshia says
I bought the domain for the $26. It is separate from the plans. The plans have monthly costs (paid yearly I think) and include certain upgrades for each level. I did not get those upgrades, just the domain name and private registration for the $26 per year. You can definitely get the domain without worrying about a plan.
Sneha says
Thank you so much for this information.
I have a query.I am meaning to shift from wordpress.com to wordpress.org in order to run an e-commerce store.I already had bought the personal plan from wordpress.com.While exporting,will my plan and the subsequent amount go down the drain?
Regards
WPBeginner Support says
Plans and other purchases on WordPress.com can be canceled and refunded with in 30days of purchase. Domain registrations can be canceled and refunded during 48 hours after purchase. Please contact WordPress.com support for more help.
Admin
Azam ali says
There are wordpress free themes, I want to know that how much permission are we having to use them freely
WPBeginner Support says
Most WordPress themes are GPL Licensed, you may want to contact your theme developer for terms of service and support.
Admin
ilayaraja says
i bought one copy of wordpress theme license(per user). can i apply it on my friend site?
WPBeginner Support says
Contact theme developer to learn more about their licensing terms.
Admin
Adebayo idris says
How can I create free website with wordpress?
Shazia Kausar says
Thanks for great post.
Elyse Sokoloff says
True beginner, semi-luddite here. I thought I had things figured out but now I’m confused again. I started a blog through WordPress and I’m assuming it was wordpress.com. I bought my domain name, so does that mean I’m self hosted? If I upgrade my blog to a Genesis or Headway site, how does that change how I’m hosted, or does it? Your site has been very helpful thus far, thanks for all your work.
WPBeginner Support says
Please see our guide on the difference between self hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog.
Admin
Elyse Sokoloff says
Ah, got it. I had read it but was still confused. Re-reading I think I get it, I’m NOT self hosting. And if I want to do something like Genesis or Headway I’ll need to become self hosted, say on Blue Host for example. Correct?
Mahesh Rajamani says
yes! you are right!!
Pete says
Nice read. I am currently a duda pro but costs are becoming too high. I have 30 websites and pay £330 per month to duda. I do charge my clients a monthly fee but would rather keep the £330 by using wordpress instead. Can even use that saving for themes or plugins.
Am i correct in thinking that I can construct 30 websites on wordpress and host it with godaddy for around £6per month? Or am I missing something?
Unfortunately we cannot transfer websites from duda to another platform but where there’s a will there’s a way??
Joel Silverman says
Great article! Thanks for helping me understand some of the things to consider. The article on the differences between wordpress.com and wordpress.org was good too.
WPBeginner Support says
Glad you found it useful.
Admin
Chidi Anslem says
Great and useful post. I found this very enlightening. It’s cleared most of my misconceptions.
Oge Brenda says
Hi Chidi. I need your help please, I want to launch a fashion blog on a free host. Which of the word presses do I use? I have read through and in all honesty found it hard to understand the terms and I don’t really know how you go about it. Can you break it down for me?
WPBeginner Support says
Hi Oge Brenda,
You may want to see our step by step guide on how to start a WordPress blog.
Admin
one says
very informative post. It’s helps me to understand the difference between wordpress.com and wordpress.org.
Christian says
Yay! I hate TF too
I really enjoyed how the article “missed” mentioning TF heheh
Victoria says
I am about to head off on an amazing holiday overseas & wish to keep a blog to email to family & friends of all the highlights & experiences of our trip. WordPress was recommended by a friend who has a blog through you. I just wanted to double check that what I set up will be free, that I will be able to email what I write & that I can do all this from the Macbook Air (running Mac OSX 10.9.5) that we will take with us? Thanks.
Willow says
If you don’t use WordPress on the web will people still be able to view your blog?
rayan says
Tell me about famous e-commerce websites using wordpress. I am a web designer using wordpress, and i want to convince my customers that wordpress is good enough to have your online store running perfectly.