What is WordPress? A Beginner’s Guide (FAQs + Pros and Cons)

So, you’ve heard of WordPress, but you’re not exactly sure what it is or why so many people use it. Maybe you’re thinking about starting a website, or maybe someone told you, “Just use WordPress!” and you’re wondering what that means. 🤔

You’re in the right place! WordPress is the most popular website builder, powering over 43% of the entire internet.

Whether you want to start a blog, create a business site, or even launch an online store, WordPress gives you the tools to do it — without needing to be a tech expert. 🚀

But here’s the thing: when people say “WordPress,” they might be talking about two different things — WordPress.com and WordPress.org. Don’t worry, we’ll clear up the confusion and help you understand which one is right for you.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly what WordPress is, why it’s so popular, and how you can use it to bring your ideas to life.

We’re going to cover a lot of really useful information in this beginner’s guide. So, we recommend reading the entire thing. That said, if you’re in a hurry, you can use the jump links below to skip to a specific section:

Otherwise, keep reading to learn all about WordPress! 🤓

How WordPress Became the World’s Favorite Website Builder

WordPress started as a simple blogging tool, but today, it powers over 43% of all websites. From personal blogs to massive online stores, it has grown into the go-to platform for creating websites of all kinds.

It all began in 2003 when Matt Mullenweg and Mike Little took an older blogging tool called ‘b2/cafelog’ and turned it into something better. Their goal? To make website publishing easier for everyone.

Over time, WordPress evolved into a full content management system (CMS) and website builder. Today, it’s used by bloggers, businesses, online stores, and even Fortune 500 companies.

One of the reasons for its success is that it’s open-source. This means developers worldwide contribute to improving it, making WordPress powerful, flexible, and free to use.

If you’re curious about how WordPress grew from a simple blogging tool to the world’s most popular website builder, check out our guide on the history of WordPress.

To put it simply, WordPress is software that lets you build websites, blogs, and even online stores — no coding required.

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

If you’re new to WordPress, you might have noticed two versions: WordPress.org and WordPress.com. The names are almost identical, which causes a lot of confusion for beginners.

When we talk about WordPress in this guide, we mean WordPress.org—the open-source software that powers millions of websites, including WPBeginner.

On the other hand, WordPress.com is a commercial website hosting service. It was created by Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, through his company Automattic.

The key difference? WordPress.org gives you full control. You can install WordPress on your own web hosting, use any theme or plugin, and customize your site however you like.

WordPress.com, on the other hand, is a hosting platform with tailored WordPress experience. It offers free and paid plans, but customization is limited unless you pay for higher-tier options.

To sum it up: If you want complete freedom over your website, go with WordPress.org. If you’re looking for a simpler but limited solution, WordPress.com might be an option.

For a detailed breakdown, check out our full comparison of WordPress.org vs. WordPress.com.

What Kind of Websites Can You Make Using WordPress?

You can make any kind of website imaginable using WordPress, from personal blogs to complex business websites.

Over the years, we have had the opportunity to use WordPress for a wide-variety of websites. We have found it to be incredibly flexible and highly customizable for any kind of business.

Users from all over the world use WordPress to make money online. It is flexible enough to run eCommerce operations and simple enough to make small websites quickly.

Here are just some types of websites you can make using WordPress:

• Start a blog
• Make a small business website
• Create an online store
• Build a membership community
• Sell online courses
• and many more

What Do You Need to Use WordPress?

WordPress makes it easy to build a website, but before you get started, you need two key things: a web hosting account and a domain name.

Think of your website like a house. Web hosting is the land where your website lives, and the domain name is the address that helps people find it (like wpbeginner.com).

Every website needs web hosting because that’s where all your site’s files, images, and content are stored. Without it, your website wouldn’t exist online.

To get started, you’ll need to sign up with a WordPress hosting provider. These companies rent out web space and manage servers for you.

We recommend Bluehost. They’re one of the largest hosting providers and an officially recommended WordPress host.

Normally, a domain name costs $14.99 per year, and web hosting starts at $7.99 per month. But thanks to Bluehost’s special offer for WPBeginner readers, you can get hosting plus a free domain name for just $1.99 per month.

ℹ️ Note: We are a long-time Bluehost customer and host several websites with them. We have found them to be highly reliable, super-fast, and are always delighted by their excellent customer service. See our detailed Bluehost review to learn more.

If you want step-by-step guidance, check out our complete tutorial on how to make a website. It walks you through everything from choosing a domain to setting up WordPress.

Not sure if Bluehost is right for you? There are other great WordPress hosting options like Hostinger and DreamHost.

And if you’re looking for premium performance, SiteGround offers managed WordPress hosting with enhanced security and automatic updates.

How Does WordPress Work?

WordPress is designed to make building and managing a website as simple as possible. Even if you’ve never created a website before, you’ll find it easy to navigate.

At its core, WordPress consists of three main components: the dashboard, themes, and plugins. These work together to help you design, customize, and expand your website’s functionality.

1. The WordPress Dashboard

Once you have installed WordPress, you’ll be greeted by the WordPress dashboard. This is your website’s control center.

From here, you can create and edit pages, write blog posts, upload media, and manage site settings—all without touching a single line of code.

2. Customizing Your Site with Themes

Your website’s design is controlled by a WordPress theme. Think of themes as the “clothes” for your website—they determine how everything looks and feels.

There are thousands of free WordPress themes available, as well as premium options with advanced customization features.

All themes come with built-in customization tools, allowing you to change colors, fonts, layouts, and more. You can modify your theme using the **Theme Customizer** or the **Block Editor**.

3. Expanding Features with Plugins

The real magic of WordPress comes from plugins. **Plugins are like apps for your website**, allowing you to add new features without coding.

WordPress plugins let you do things like add a contact form, improve your SEO, or even launch an online store with WooCommerce.

There are over 59,000 free plugins in the WordPress directory, plus thousands of premium plugins with extra features and support.

Here are a few must-have WordPress plugins to get started:

• Backup plugins – Keep your website safe with automatic backups.
• SEO plugins – Improve your search engine rankings.
• Security plugins – Protect your site from hackers and malware.
• Page builders – Create beautiful layouts without coding.

You can explore our full list of must-have plugins to supercharge your website.

☝ Note: If you want to understand WordPress at a technical level, check out our infographic on how WordPress works.

Who Uses WordPress?

WordPress isn’t just for bloggers or small businesses. It’s powerful enough for global brands, yet flexible enough for personal websites.

Here are some well-known companies that trust WordPress to power their sites:

1. The White House

The official website of the White House is built using WordPress.

It features a large header on the top, followed by the latest updates, news, and resources.

2. Facebook

Facebook uses WordPress for its corporate website.

It is a typical business website with a homepage showcasing key characteristics of the brand along with its flagship products. It also has a blog section called the Newsroom.

3. The New York Times

New York Times uses WordPress on its corporate website.

It showcases the company behind the iconic newspaper.

4. Microsoft

Microsoft uses WordPress to run their blog website.

It features company news, information, and product highlights.

5. Sony Music

Sony Music is one of the biggest music producers in the world, representing top artists and labels. They use WordPress to power their corporate website.

For more examples, check out our complete list of the most popular brands using WordPress.

Why Use WordPress to Make a Website?

Now, if you are thinking about starting a blog or a small business website, then you may wonder why you should use WordPress as your website platform.

There are dozens of website builders and potential WordPress alternatives on the market that you can use to make your website. However, we believe that WordPress is the best platform for beginners and small businesses, making website creation easy and accessible for all users.

This is why over 43% of all websites use WordPress.

Here are just some of the reasons to choose WordPress for your website.

1. WordPress Gives You More Freedom

WordPress is a free (as in freedom) and open-source software. Anyone can use it to create and launch a website.

It is not owned by a single company and has a large WordPress community behind the development of the project.

The WordPress Foundation, a non-profit organization, protects and safeguards WordPress trademarks and copyrights to ensure its continuous development, independence, and freedom.

This means you are free to use it however you see fit. You will have full control and complete ownership of your website and its content.

2. WordPress Is Easy

One of the reasons that make WordPress the #1 website builder is that it is incredibly easy to use.

There is a slight learning curve when you familiarize yourself with the software, but most beginners pass it quickly and easily manage their own websites.

It comes with an intuitive user interface, a WYSIWYG content editor, and a user-friendly admin area.

💡 Pro Tip: See our guide on how to learn WordPress for free in a week.

There is also a ton of free WordPress help and support available. You can ask questions on any tech community website, and you will find answers from other users who started out just like you.

You can also join our WPBeginner Facebook Group to ask all your WordPress-related questions and get free help from our experts and other WPBeginner users.

3. WordPress Is Super Flexible

WordPress allows you to use third-party themes and plugins. This means you can choose from thousands of professionally-designed templates for your website.

Using plugins, you can add any feature to your WordPress website. Most of them are free, but you can also purchase premium add-ons to get priority support from developers.

There are also drag-and-drop WordPress page builder plugins that let you completely customize your design. You can design custom web pages, create custom templates, and make professional-looking landing pages without writing any code.

4. WordPress Is Multilingual

WordPress is fully translated into more than 70 languages. You can easily choose your website language during the installation or change it from the settings page.

You can keep the WordPress admin area in one language and create a website in another language. You can also use a WordPress multilingual plugin to create a website in multiple languages.

WordPress themes and plugins can also be translated, and many of the top WordPress plugins are already translated into many languages.

5. WordPress Is Cost-Effective

Proprietary website builders and hosted platforms come with different pricing options. You have to pay a monthly fee for a fixed set of features.

With WordPress, you pay a monthly hosting fee and add any feature to your website using plugins. Most of them are free or have free alternatives, allowing you to control the cost of your WordPress website.

Once your website starts growing and making money, then you can spend more on upgrading your hosting service or buying premium WordPress themes and plugins.

For more reasons, see our article on why you should use WordPress.

Video Tutorial

Check out our YouTube guide if you’d rather learn about WordPress with a video.

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FAQs About WordPress

We made WPBeginner to help WordPress beginners. Since 2009, we have helped millions of beginners get started with WordPress and have been answering WordPress-related questions every day.

Here are some of the most frequently asked WordPress questions that we hear from beginners.

1. Why is WordPress available for free?

WordPress is an open-source software available for anyone to use. It is free (as in freedom), but there are other costs involved. For instance, you will need WordPress hosting and a domain name to make your website.

For a more detailed explanation, see our article why is WordPress free, which explains the philosophy behind free software and WordPress.

2. What are the advantages of using WordPress?

There are many advantages to using WordPress for your website.

It is easy to use and suitable for beginners as well as advanced users. WordPress also gives you access to thousands of plugins, which enable you to add new features to your website.

Plus, there are thousands of templates and themes that you can choose as the front end of your website.

3. What are the disadvantages of using WordPress?

Like everything else in the world, there are pros and cons to using WordPress. We have mentioned the advantages in detail, and they are enough to outweigh any disadvantages. However, here are some of the cons of using WordPress:

• You will need to spend a little time learning the basics. This does not mean coding skills or programming but learning where things are located and how to use them.
• You’ll need to spend time setting up backups, WordPress security, and updates. Most of these tasks can be easily automated, and most beginners manage them without any special skills.
• If you are not careful, then you may end up spending more on third-party tools and plugins that you may not need. Spend your money wisely and rely on free alternatives whenever possible.

4. How can I learn WordPress?

WordPress is easy to learn, and there are a lot of learning materials out there. You can learn WordPress right here on WPBeginner without free WordPress tutorials and how-to guides.

We are the largest WordPress resource site for beginners in the world. All of our WPBeginner resources are available for free.

For beginners, we recommend starting out with our WordPress video tutorials. This series of videos walks you through WordPress basics and how to manage your website like WordPress experts.

Our WordPress Glossary section explains all the technical WordPress terminology in plain English for beginners.

You can also find answers to your WordPress questions by clicking on the search icon at the top.

Need a little more help from real users? Join our WPBeginner Facebook group to get answers from other WordPress users and our experts. It’s free to join, and there are over 94,000 members.

You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel for regular WordPress video tutorials and guides (over 1000 free video tutorials).

5. Do I need to learn programming to use WordPress?

No, you don’t need to learn programming to use WordPress or make websites. Most WordPress users don’t know any HTML/CSS or have other programming skills.

Learning PHP, JavaScript, and MySQL can be helpful for users who want to become WordPress developers. However, no coding is required in order to use WordPress to make your own website.

6. Which WordPress hosting company should I choose?

You will need WordPress hosting to start your website, and there are thousands of options out there. Due to fierce competition in the hosting industry, it can become quite confusing for beginners to make up their minds.

Don’t worry because we did the research for you. You can read about it in our complete WordPress hosting guide for beginners.

For beginners, we recommend starting with Bluehost or Hostinger. They are both offering a generous discount and a free domain name.

More importantly, they are some of the biggest names in the business and officially recommended WordPress hosting providers.

If you have a slightly larger budget to afford premium hosting, then we recommend SiteGround or WP Engine.

7. How do I start a WordPress website?

Getting started with WordPress is easy. You can simply follow our step-by-step tutorial on how to make a WordPress website for detailed instructions.

It will walk you through the whole process, and you will be up and running with a brand-new WordPress website in no time.

If you need assistance, you can take advantage of our free WordPress blog setup service, where our expert team will set up your WordPress blog for free.

We hope this article explains what WordPress is and how you can use it. You may also want to see our guide on things to do after installing WordPress or our expert picks for the best email marketing services to grow your website.

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.