Transitioning From WordPress.com To WordPress.org: A Complete Guide

Why I Made the Switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: What’s the Difference?
Is WordPress.org Right for You?
Preparing for the Transition: What You’ll Need
Step-by-Step: How to Move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org
Importing Your Content the Right Way
Picking a Host (and Why It Matters More Than You Think)
Installing WordPress.org Like a Pro
Choosing a Theme and Rebuilding Your Design
Redirecting Your Old WordPress.com Blog
SEO, Plugins, and Backups: Setting Things Up the Right Way
What to Expect During and After the Move
Troubleshooting Common Issues
My Favorite Plugins After Moving to WordPress.org
Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?

1. Why I Made the Switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

Hey! If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re in the same spot I was a few years ago.

I had been blogging on WordPress.com — the free version — and while it was perfect for getting started, I soon hit a wall.

I wanted:

More customization
Full control over my site
Better SEO tools
A way to monetize my blog

And that’s when I discovered the power of WordPress.org.

This guide is the one I wish I had when I started. So if you’re thinking about transitioning from WordPress.com to WordPress.org, you’re in the right place.

Let’s dive in — I’ll walk with you step by step.

2. WordPress.com vs WordPress.org: What’s the Difference?

Let’s clarify the confusion first:

Feature	WordPress.com	WordPress.org
Hosting	Hosted by WordPress	You host it yourself
Customization	Limited	Full control
Themes	Limited selection	Unlimited (free + premium)
Plugins	Only on Business plan	All available
Monetization	Restricted	Full freedom
Costs	Free/Paid plans	Hosting + domain fees

Think of WordPress.com as renting a furnished apartment.
WordPress.org is like buying your own home—you can renovate, decorate, and expand it however you like.

3. Is WordPress.org Right for You?

Before jumping in, ask yourself:

Do you want more freedom to design your site?
Do you plan to monetize through ads, affiliate links, or products?
Do you need advanced plugins (SEO, ecommerce, memberships)?
Are you comfortable learning some tech basics or willing to hire help?

If you said “yes” to even one — welcome to the WordPress.org club.

4. Preparing for the Transition: What You’ll Need

Let’s get organized first. Here’s what you’ll need before the move:

✅ A domain name (or you can transfer your existing one)
✅ A hosting provider (we’ll discuss this next)
✅ Access to your WordPress.com account
✅ Some time and patience — but I’ll make it easy!

5. Step-by-Step: How to Move from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

Here’s your high-level checklist:

Purchase hosting and set up WordPress.org
Export your content from WordPress.com
Import it into your new WordPress.org site
Choose a theme and configure your design
Set up plugins, SEO, and backups
Redirect your old site (if needed)
Test everything before launching

Let’s take each step in detail.

6. Exporting Your Content from WordPress.com

Log in to your WordPress.com account
Go to Tools → Export
Choose “All content” and click Download Export File
This will save an .xml file to your computer

This file includes your posts, pages, images, and comments.

7. Picking a Host (and Why It Matters More Than You Think)

A good host = fast site + peace of mind.

Here are my top picks (2025 updated):

Host	Why I Recommend
SiteGround	Speed, support, perfect for beginners
Bluehost	Official WP.org partner, affordable plans
Hostinger	Great for tight budgets
Cloudways	High performance if you need scale
WPX Hosting	Premium features + free site migration

💡 I personally use SiteGround for ease of use, especially if you’re migrating from WordPress.com for the first time.

8. Installing WordPress.org Like a Pro

Most hosting platforms now offer one-click installs:

Log in to your hosting control panel (like cPanel)
Find the “Install WordPress” or Softaculous section
Choose your domain name
Click “Install” and wait a minute

Boom — your WordPress.org site is live!

You’ll log in via:
yourdomain.com/wp-admin

9. Importing Content into WordPress.org

Log in to your new WordPress.org site
Go to Tools → Import
Install the WordPress importer tool if prompted
Upload the .xml file you downloaded from WordPress.com
Assign authors and import attachments

This brings your blog posts, pages, and media over. 🎉

10. Redirecting Your Old WordPress.com Blog

If your original blog was something like myblog.wordpress.com, you can buy the Site Redirect upgrade from WordPress.com (around $13/year) to preserve SEO.

Go to:
My Site → Upgrades → Add a Site Redirect

If you had a custom domain on WordPress.com, you can transfer it to your new host or update the DNS settings to point to your new WordPress.org site.

11. SEO, Plugins, and Backups: Setting Things Up the Right Way

You’ve made the move. Now let’s make sure your site is functional, fast, and future-proof.

Must-have plugins:

Yoast SEO or RankMath – optimize your content
UpdraftPlus – set up backups
WPForms – for contact forms
Jetpack – if you liked some of the .com features
W3 Total Cache – improve speed

✅ Don’t forget to submit your new sitemap to Google Search Console.

12. What to Expect During and After the Move

🛠️ You may need to:

Reformat some pages
Fix broken images or links
Update internal links
Rebuild your navigation menus

Give yourself time. Keep both sites open in tabs. Use the WP Customizer to match your old layout (or make it better!).

13. Troubleshooting Common Issues

😰 Moved but something’s broken? Don’t panic.

Here’s what might happen:

Images not showing → Re-import with attachments checked
Permalinks broken → Go to Settings → Permalinks → Save
Missing theme features → Install plugins or pick a better theme
Broken layout → Rebuild using Gutenberg or Elementor

Still stuck? Reach out to your host’s support. Most of them will help with free migration too.

14. My Favorite Plugins After Moving to WordPress.org

Once I made the switch, I felt like a kid in a candy store.

Here are tools I now use and love:

Elementor – page builder
Pretty Links – for affiliate cloaking
MonsterInsights – Google Analytics integration
ShortPixel – image optimization
Newsletter Glue – connect to my email list directly

15. Final Thoughts: Was It Worth It?

100% YES.

Transitioning from WordPress.com to WordPress.org was like taking the training wheels off. I went from being limited to being in full control.

Yes, there’s a learning curve. But trust me — if I could figure it out, so can you.

And now?