This question seems to have come up more and more frequently and it is important to understand the difference when deciding which one is the best option for you. To be succinct, wordpress.org is a content management system where wordpress.com is somewhat catered towards blogs or a personal site aimed to share small amounts of information. A content management system (CMS) is often used for more elaborate sites in comparison to just a blog; and they offer an alternative to hand coding when designing a site but also providing the coding, if needed. Back to the .org vs .com discussion, one of the most notable differences between the two is the upfront cost; WordPress.org requires a monthly fee (about to $7-15) and WordPress.com has no cost to start at all. Although WordPress.com appears to be free, many have reported that using this option usually ends up costing them more money as their website gains momentum and the owner wants to take the next step in making it a first class site. Another clear difference is the magnitude of themes, plugins, as well as other things that help personalizing a website are offered, clearly the monthly fee that is required with WordPress.org is the option that includes all the extra fun things.
How do you decide which one is best for you? Well it depends. It depends on many things, but firstly you should consider what you’re trying accomplish. You should ask questions like: Are you just starting an online diary, or is this going to be an important platform to represent your business? It seems as though once you consider how you want your website to progress, it is easier to choose which WordPress will work best for you.