Software
Business
Streaming
AI
Finance
Learning
Data & APIs
Earn
Books
Leisure
ReviewsIs WordPress.org (self-hosted) actually free?
How free96/100
Value9/10
How these scores work
Free Score (0–100) follows a fixed rubric: cards up front, auto-billing, hard time cutoffs, withheld core features, and paying with your data or attention all deduct points. 90–100 truly free · 70–89 free forever · 45–69 squeezed · 15–44 trial mechanics · under 15 fake or gone. Value (0–10) is editorial: real-world worth of the free offering measured against its paid equivalent. Full rubric on the methodology page.
Yes — the software itself is free, and always has been. WordPress.org is the GPL-licensed application that powers a large share of the web. What costs money is hosting it: a server and a domain, typically a few dollars a month from any host.
Use this instead — actually free
WordPress.comHosted for you at no cost, if you accept its ads and subdomain
What it’s worth
A site with no platform ads, no subdomain and no plugin restrictions — the things WordPress.com charges to remove — for the price of hosting alone.
What you get free
- The complete WordPress software, GPLv2, free to download
- Every plugin and theme, including commercial use of the software itself
- No ads on your site, ever, and no platform branding
- Your own database and files — you can move hosts or leave entirely
In practice: free, unrestricted website software that you pay someone else to run.
Drawbacks
- Hosting and a domain are real recurring costs
- Updates, backups and security are your responsibility
- The plugin ecosystem is where paid upsells live
Also paywalled
- Nothing in the software. Hosting, a domain and premium plugins are separate purchases.
Free facts
| Verdict | Truly Free |
| Card required | No |
| Auto-bills | — |
| Account | None needed to download |
| Limits | None on the software — you supply the hosting |
| The real cost | The software is free. Hosting and a domain are not, and that is the whole difference from WordPress.com. |
The catch
The catch is that “free software” and “free website” are different things, and this is the confusion the whole WordPress question rests on. Nobody charges you for WordPress. Somebody will charge you to run it. Budget for hosting, a domain, and the hours to maintain updates and backups yourself.
The smart play
- This is the answer to “is WordPress free” for most people: the software is, the hosting isn't
- Many hosts offer one-click installs, so you never touch the download
- You own the database — exporting and moving hosts is a real option, unlike hosted builders
- Wanting zero cost with zero setup? That is WordPress.com's free plan, with its ads and subdomain
Common questions
Does WordPress.org (self-hosted) require a credit card?
No — WordPress.org (self-hosted) does not ask for a card to use the free version. Auto-billing: —.
What are the limits of WordPress.org (self-hosted)'s free plan?
None on the software — you supply the hosting. The catch is that “free software” and “free website” are different things, and this is the confusion the whole WordPress question rests on. Nobody charges you for WordPress. Somebody will charge you to run it. Budget for hosting, a domain, and the hours to maintain updates and backups yourself.
What is a free alternative to WordPress.org (self-hosted)?
WordPress.com. WordPress.com: Hosted for you at no cost, if you accept its ads and subdomain
How do I use WordPress.org (self-hosted) without paying?
This is the answer to “is WordPress free” for most people: the software is, the hosting isn't Many hosts offer one-click installs, so you never touch the download You own the database — exporting and moving hosts is a real option, unlike hosted builders Wanting zero cost with zero setup? That is WordPress.com's free plan, with its ads and subdomain
What does WordPress.org (self-hosted) really cost?
The software is free. Hosting and a domain are not, and that is the whole difference from WordPress.com.
Why is WordPress.org (self-hosted) free?
The software is free. Hosting and a domain are not, and that is the whole difference from WordPress.com. A site with no platform ads, no subdomain and no plugin restrictions — the things WordPress.com charges to remove — for the price of hosting alone.
Is WordPress.org (self-hosted) still free?
As of our August 2026 check, yes. Yes — the software itself is free, and always has been. WordPress.org is the GPL-licensed application that powers a large share of the web. What costs money is hosting it: a server and a domain, typically a few dollars a month from any host. Free tiers change without notice, which is why every page here carries the date it was checked.
More info — tap to expand
WordPress.org vs WordPress.com, plainly
They share a name and almost nothing else. WordPress.org is the free software you install anywhere; WordPress.com is a hosted service from Automattic that runs that software for you and sells plans. If you searched “is WordPress free” and got a confusing answer, this is why: one is free and needs hosting, the other is hosted and needs a plan for anything serious.
What GPLv2 actually gives you
The licence lets you use, modify and redistribute the software, including commercially. It is the reason no one can revoke your copy or start charging you for it — a guarantee no hosted free tier on this site can make.
Checked: August 2026 · Verdict: Truly Free — no card, no account wall, no meaningful catch. use it and go.
Visit WordPress.org (self-hosted) →