The following guide will cover some of the frequently asked questions regarding managed hosting at WordPress.com.
In this guide
What are the benefits of managed hosting with WordPress.com instead of hosting with another WordPress host?
WordPress.com is a hosted version of the open source WordPress software. You can choose to install WordPress on any host, but with WordPress.com managed hosting you get access to around-the-clock support via live chat and email, automatic updates, and much more. To learn more about the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, read this.
Can I start with managed hosting on WordPress.com for free?
We host sites for free with the option to upgrade your plan for additional features and customization options. You can see our plans and features here.
Can I migrate my WordPress site from another host to managed hosting with WordPress.com?
Yes! You can export content from your current site and use our importer tools to bring that content into a WordPress.com site. With our Business plan, there are additional options for migrating including theme customizations and plugins. You can learn more in our Import support guide.
If I were to use WordPress.com as my general hosting to build sites for clients, do you have packages just for this kind of business?
Plans are per site at this moment. We do take feedback and feature requests seriously and reevaluate our offerings regularly.
Does managed hosting take care of updates to the software? Do you update PHP?
Hosting at WordPress.com ensures your site will be up to date. We take care of updates to the WordPress software as well as updating versions of PHP.
Does managed hosting include security to protect me from getting hacked?
Absolutely! We take security very seriously and it’s always a priority. Here is a complete overview of what to expect.
What is a recommended plugin you would use to back up my website?
We suggest Jetpack. In fact, we already include Jetpack in our plugin-enabled plans. It takes care of daily backups for you automatically.
What is the additional cost for Jetpack?
This section of the guide applies to sites with the WordPress.com Business or Commerce plan. If your site has one of our legacy plans, this feature is available on the Pro plan.
Jetpack Professional is included in plugin-enabled plans. At lower plans, we still include many of the features from Jetpack.
Are SSL certificates included? Do you update them when they expire?
We issue SSL certificates and update them for domains that are hosted on our servers. This is included for all sites we host.
Is email hosting included with managed hosting plans at WordPress.com?
While not included in the cost of the plan, you have the ability to add on email hosting at great value. To learn more, check out this support guide.
Where is my site hosted?
WordPress.com hosts sites on thousands of servers located in several separate data centers in different parts of the US and around the world. You can also view a real-time traffic map of our data centers showing their global distribution.
This section of the guide applies to sites with the WordPress.com Business or Commerce plan. If your site has one of our legacy plans, this feature is available on the Pro plan.
Can I use a custom theme when I host my site with WordPress.com?
Yes! With a plugin-enabled plan, you can install custom or third-party themes as well as plugins.
Does WordPress.com limit me from using plugins or third-party themes?
WIth the plugin-enabled plans, you have the ability to add plugins to your site including ecommerce plugins like Woocommerce. There are some plugins that conflict with our platform or are used for functions that we already include, so there are a few that we don’t allow.
Is WordPress.com ideal for an ecommerce website?
Yes. With a plugin-enabled site, you can integrate plugins like WooCommerce to build a store to sell products and services on your site.
How does loading time differ from one plan upgrade to another?
Plans don’t make a difference in the site’s loading time, as all WordPress.com sites are optimized for speed. The speed of your site depends on the theme you are using, your images, and plugins. You can check more about that here.
Is there a point when a certain number of posts (or visual posts using photography, for example) might need a plan upgrade to speed loading, or does that matter?
This would depend on how you optimize your images as well as the amount of storage on your site, which varies with each plan.
Does WordPress.com have a way to track how many visitors are visiting my site in analytics?
Yes, we include our own stats via Jetpack in all plans.
Is Google Analytics available for sites hosted on WordPress.com?
Yes, we have Google analytics integration. Here is our guide on how to connect Google Analytics.
How do I get help if I have questions? Is support included?
Yes! We offer support for all paid plan upgrades. We also have support forums for public support. For help, click here.
