WordPress
What Is WordPress? A Plain-English Guide for Beginners
What WordPress is, how it works, WordPress.org vs WordPress.com, what you can build with it, and whether it's the right choice for your website.
WordPress is free, open-source software for building and managing websites. It's a content management system (CMS): you write and organise pages and posts in a dashboard, and WordPress turns them into a website. According to W3Techs, it powers well over 40% of all websites.
What can you build with WordPress?
- Blogs and content sites
- Business and portfolio websites
- Online stores (with WooCommerce)
- Membership sites, directories, forums and more
How WordPress works
WordPress runs on a web server with PHP and a MySQL/MariaDB database. Themes control the design, plugins add features, and the block editor lets you build pages visually.
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com
| WordPress.org | WordPress.com | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The free software | A hosted service by Automattic |
| Hosting | You choose a host | Included |
| Control | Full | Depends on plan |
| Best for | Ownership & flexibility | Hands-off simplicity |
Pros and cons
Pros: you own your site, huge theme/plugin ecosystem, strong SEO control, portable between hosts. Cons: you're responsible for updates and security (or pay a managed host), plugin quality varies.
Get started
- Pick WordPress hosting
- Choose a free theme
- Follow our step-by-step WordPress tutorial
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress free?
The WordPress software is free and open source. You pay for hosting, a domain and any premium themes or plugins you choose.
Is WordPress good for beginners?
Yes, especially with a host that offers one-click installation and a simple theme. There's a learning curve, but an enormous amount of free help is available.
Sources & references
- W3Techs — Usage statistics of content management systems — accessed October 1, 2026
- WordPress.org — accessed October 1, 2026
Editors & researchers
Our editorial team researches, tests and fact-checks every guide. Articles are reviewed against our editorial policy before publishing and re-reviewed on a schedule.
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