Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Craft CMS VS WordPress.com

Compare Craft CMS VS WordPress.com and see what are their differences

Craft CMS logo Craft CMS

Content management system built on Yii PHP Framework

WordPress.com logo WordPress.com

Create a free website or build a blog with ease on WordPress.com. Dozens of free, customizable, mobile-ready designs and themes. Free hosting and support.
  • Craft CMS Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-22
  • WordPress.com Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03

Craft CMS features and specs

  • Customizability
    Craft CMS offers extensive customization options, making it ideal for complex and unique projects. Developers have full control over HTML and can use Craft's robust content modeling features.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The admin panel is intuitive and user-friendly, which makes content management easy for non-technical users. The experience is smooth and modern, enhancing productivity.
  • High Performance
    Craft CMS is designed to be fast and efficient, offering excellent performance even with complex and data-rich websites.
  • Security
    It offers strong security features, regularly updates for vulnerabilities, and has built-in protection against common threats like SQL injection and XSS attacks.
  • Support and Community
    Craft CMS has a strong community and excellent support. Users have access to thorough documentation, a vibrant forum, and a Slack channel where they can get help and share knowledge.

Possible disadvantages of Craft CMS

  • Cost
    Craft CMS is not free and can be relatively expensive compared to other CMS options, especially for smaller projects or businesses with limited budgets.
  • Development Skills Required
    While it's user-friendly for content creators, setting up and customizing Craft CMS requires development skills, which might not be ideal for users without technical expertise.
  • Learning Curve
    For new users, particularly those without a background in web development, there can be a steep learning curve to fully utilize Craft CMS's features and capabilities.
  • Limited Plugins
    While the plugin ecosystem is growing, Craft CMS has fewer plugins available compared to more established CMS platforms like WordPress. This may limit functionality out-of-the-box.
  • Hosting Requirements
    Craft CMS has specific server requirements, and not all hosting providers may easily accommodate them. This can limit hosting options and potentially increase costs.

WordPress.com features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    WordPress.com provides a user-friendly interface that is easy for beginners to navigate. It offers pre-installed themes and plugins, making it simple to get started with a minimal learning curve.
  • Maintenance-Free
    The platform handles all the technicalities such as updates, backups, and security, allowing users to focus solely on creating content.
  • Cost-Effective
    There are free plans available, and even the paid plans are relatively affordable. It eliminates the need for a separate hosting service, reducing overall costs.
  • Built-In Community
    WordPress.com hosts a large community of users, providing opportunities for networking and increased visibility through its social features.
  • Scalability
    Various premium plans allow you to scale up as your website grows. You can start with a free plan and upgrade to more advanced features as needed.

Possible disadvantages of WordPress.com

  • Limited Customization
    You have less control over your website's design and functionality compared to self-hosted WordPress. Custom themes and plugins are often restricted or not allowed.
  • Monetization Restrictions
    Free and lower-tier plans have limitations on monetization options. For instance, you can't use third-party ad networks unless you upgrade to a higher-tier plan.
  • Less Flexibility
    The platform is less flexible compared to self-hosted solutions. Certain advanced features and customizations are not available or are limited.
  • Data Portability
    Migrating your site from WordPress.com to another platform can be complicated and may require technical assistance, posing a challenge if you decide to move.
  • Price for Advanced Features
    While the basic plans are affordable, the cost can add up if you choose to add advanced features and services. Some premium options can be relatively expensive.

Craft CMS videos

What is Craft CMS 3?

More videos:

  • Review - A Tour of the Craft CMS

WordPress.com videos

WordPress.COM Review: Is it really easier than WordPress.ORG?

More videos:

  • Review - Wordpress.com Review: Good For Users Familiar with Wordpress
  • Review - WORDPRESS.COM REVIEW 2020: THE BEST WEBSITE BUILDER?! | PROS AND CONS | TECH TIME #110
  • Review - WordPress.org VS WordPress.com: The Confusing Differences Explained!
  • Review - Should You Use WordPress.com? | WordPress.com Honest Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Craft CMS and WordPress.com)
CMS
16 16%
84% 84
Blogging
47 47%
53% 53
Website Builder
0 0%
100% 100
Blogging Platform
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Craft CMS and WordPress.com

Craft CMS Reviews

Top 10 Web Content Management Systems
If you are not satisfied with non of these options, I encourage you to check out Craft CMS. An open-source powered all-in-one CMS, with highly active community for your needs. Cloudzy’s Craft CMS hosting, is a go to solution for all web admins and content publishers who are willing to manage their website with Craft CMS.
Source: cloudzy.com
34 Headless CMS That Should Be On Your Radar
Craft CMS features custom fields, drag-and-drop layout management, multi-site management, localization, asset management, live content previews, and a built-in image editor. Each user can also attain their own customizable dashboard.
Source: www.cmswire.com
9 Reasons I Think Craft is the Best CMS on the Market Today
Craft CMS is simple, minimalistic, agile and has every capability a modern CMS framework needs. Over the past ten years we have worked with every CMS you could think of (Wordpress, Drupal, Rails+ActiveAdmin, Ghost, Weebly, DjangoCMS, Jekyll, Joomla, Tumblr, Squarespace, Expression Engine, Statamic, Blogger)… here are the reasons why we’ve landed firmly with Craft as our №1...
Source: hackernoon.com

WordPress.com Reviews

WordPress vs. Proprietary Site Builders: What to Know Before Starting a Website Development Project
WordPress: WordPress.org (not to be confused with WordPress.com) is an open-source content management system (CMS). When you build a website on WordPress, you own the code, the design, and the data. This means you can fully customize your site, transfer it to any hosting provider, and have complete control over all aspects of the website. The site can be hosted on any...
Comparing 9 WordPress alternatives & competitors in 2024
WordPress.com claims affordability as one of their best benefits. Their pricing plans are similar to other website platforms like Wix, but many of the plugins and assets that add crucial features like product listings and SEO tools come at a steep cost. Even if you only add one or two plugins, like WooCommerce or Yoast, you’ll spend more on add-ons than on the website...
Source: webflow.com
19 Best WordPress Alternatives in 2025
While WordPress is undeniably popular, it might not be the perfect fit for everyone. Here are the key differences between WordPress.com (hosted platform) and WordPress.org (self-hosted software) to help you understand more about WordPress and why you should look for an alternative website builder:
Source: www.pixpa.com
The 17 Best Wix Alternatives (2024) Who Else Can You Build Your Website With?
WordPress is the undisputed king of CMS or Content Management Systems. From blogs to online stores, there isn’t much you can’t do with this powerful website building solution. Keep in mind that WordPress comes in two versions: WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
8+ Best Cheap Domain Name Providers in 2024 [Compared]
WordPress.com has grown to become one of the leading domain registration companies in the industry in the past few years. While they strive to keep their prices competitive, they also maintain a high level of service quality and customer support.
Source: themehunk.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, WordPress.com seems to be a lot more popular than Craft CMS. While we know about 1019 links to WordPress.com, we've tracked only 32 mentions of Craft CMS. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Craft CMS mentions (32)

  • Matt Mullenweg Asks What Drama to Create in 2025, Community Reacts
    There was a whole rash of them a few years back. I'm not sure if any of them took off or what. https://ghost.org/ https://strapi.io/ https://getgrav.org/ https://craftcms.com/. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • Different flavors of content management
    The most typical approach is having a CMS admin panel sit somewhere on the server; everyone with an account uses this. This is a very convenient approach, especially when working with a team. This way, many people can work on different articles simultaneously without worrying about potential conflicts or overwriting stuff. The only con is related to security - everyone can try to get inside, and if you forget to... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Go with PHP
    PHP has a lot of top tier CMSes. IMHO bunch of them are even better than Statamic. Craft CMS (https://craftcms.com/) is a lot more mature database based CMS. Kirby (https://getkirby.com/) is better at flat-file and has a lot better admin interface. Twill (https://twillcms.com/) is better integrated in Laravel and is fully open-source. Statamic mostly feels like it's sitting besides Laravel and they call themselves... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Stack to build and deploy a fully functional personal blog?
    You're basically looking for any CMS that supports headless mode. E.g. Strapi (https://strapi.io/, NodeJS based), CraftCMS (https://craftcms.com/, PHP based) or countless others. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • A mate of mine built a cool little Tottenham Database showing the history of spurs.
    It's built on Craft CMS. Makes the relationships between elements (a match and a player, for example) super easy. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

WordPress.com mentions (1019)

View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Craft CMS and WordPress.com, you can also consider the following products

WordPress - WordPress is web software you can use to create a beautiful website or blog. We like to say that WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.

Drupal - Drupal - the leading open-source CMS for ambitious digital experiences that reach your audience across multiple channels. Because we all have different needs, Drupal allows you to create a unique space in a world of cookie-cutter solutions.

WiX - Create a free website with Wix.com. Customize with Wix' website builder, no coding skills needed. Choose a design, begin customizing and be online today

Statamic - Build better, easier to manage websites. Enjoy radical efficiency. It's everything you never knew you always wanted in a CMS.

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.

TYPO3 - TYPO3.com - Infos, SLAs, Extended Support Versions and more