WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) out there. According to W3Techs, WordPress is used by 59.9% of all the websites built with CMS platforms. This makes it a popular target for hackers
In order to make WordPress more secure, WordPress.com offers a paid service called WordPress VIP. WordPress VIP is a hosting service that is designed for large businesses, brands, and publications. It is more expensive than the standard WordPress.com service, but it comes with a number of features that are not available with the standard service.
One of the main advantages of WordPress VIP is that it is more secure than the standard WordPress.com service. WordPress VIP is hosted on a separate server that is specifically designed for WordPress VIP websites. This means that the websites are less likely to be affected by a security breach.
Another advantage of WordPress VIP is that it comes with a VIP plugin library. This library includes a number of plugins that are not available with the standard WordPress service.
Newbies often get confused about which platform to rely on. Should they use the self-hosted WordPress website or should go for a more expensive and premium solution like WordPress VIP?
This blog will discuss a step-by-step comparison of WordPress vs WordPress VIP so that you can get a clear picture and make a decision with ease.
WordPress vs WordPress VIP: 5 Key Differences
We will state some of the key differences that WordPress and WordPress VIP have. The comparison would be based on the five fields below.
- Hosting
- Content Management System
- Security & Performance
- Target Group of Customers
- Pricing
Hosting
WordPress is self-hosted. That means you can download WordPress, find a domain provider, and then sign up for a hosting provider that will host your website. You are in full control of your website structure and how you want to maintain it.
You can install any plugin you want, and activate any theme and you will be the only person responsible for everything.
WordPress VIP is a fully managed hosting for WordPress.com managed by Automattic- the company behind WordPress. The VIP team will take care of your initial website setup the daily management. You will get tools like a built-in CDN with data centers around the world, code minification and concatenation, image optimization, and performance monitoring.
On the other hand, you can’t install any third-party plugin as it requires a strict review process. Every plan of WordPress VIP comes with an in-depth strategy for and assessment of your website followed by theme, plugin, and custom code evaluation and recommendation.
Content Management System (CMS)
WordPress has every function to start a website in a matter of minutes. You don’t even need to add any plugins or themes. Whether it’s a blog, news, or a fully functional eCommerce site, WordPress lets you manage everything with ease.
The team behind WordPress VIP helps you produce more contents that will empower your business. The agile content platform focuses heavily on the Gutenberg editor due to its ease of use and flexibility.
WordPress VIP plans include an in-depth analysis of your content to see how your site is doing. You can track your conversions and see the content type responsible for elevating the customer experience.
Security and Performance
WordPress has been making continuous improvements in security by developing the core version. Although it has been subject to a lot of attacks, with continuous development it has managed to plug the holes.
Also, you will find many security plugins like Sucuri or Blogvault that will ensure the safety of your website.
WordPress VIP prioritizes security. As its clients are big players, security is a very big issue here.
The built-in CDN with more than 20 data centers worldwide ensures your visitors benefit from the best time-to-first byte result, latency, and protection against DDoS attacks.
Moreover, you will get an SSL certificate, an anti-spam feature, and built-in asset optimization.
Target Group of Customers
If you are going to start a new or small project on a tight budget, and have the confidence that you can manage your own website, then you should go for WordPress. It will give you the flexibility to customize your website and you can create any kind of website and earn from it.
However, if you are a large enterprise with many employees, complex security requirements, and huge amounts of traffic, then you should choose WordPress VIP. The plans will help you contain the cost and risk of maintaining a website.
Pricing
WordPress is free and open-source software. You can download WordPress from WordPress.org for free and start building your website. You need to spend only on your domain (website or business) name and hosting plan. New domain registration starts from $8-$10 per year and you need to spend around $40-$200 for hosting per year.
When it comes to the pricing of WordPress VIP, you can’t get a breakdown of different plans. Their pricing changes depending on the size of the site. The WordPress VIP’s website states that the pricing starts from $2000/month.
Some preliminary research shows that pricing can go as high as $25,000 per month for up to five websites. Besides that, you’ll have to pay a minimum $5,000 setup fee per-site.
Now, let’s see the famous brands that built their websites using WordPress and WordPress VIP.
Related Read: Best WordPress hosting for growing and high-traffic websites
5 Famous Brands Using WordPress & WordPress VIP
As WordPress has occupied most of the internet, you can take a guess that some of the big brands have used WordPress to build their website.
Some of the big brands have used WordPress and some of them have used WordPress VIP. Let’s see the names.
| Brands Built With WordPress | Brands Built With WordPress VIP |
| Sony Music | Facebook Newsroom |
| Playstation Blog | Spotify News |
| CNN Press Room | Venturebeat |
| Time Magazine | USA Today |
| Disney Books | Techcrunch |
So, these are some of the big brands that are using WordPress and WordPress VIP to run their website.
WordPress vs WordPress VIP: Summary
We are at the end of our comparison between WordPress vs WordPress VIP and hopefully now you know which platform is better for your website.
WordPress gives you all the freedom and flexibility you need to create your website. Also, you will have full control of your site in designing, maintenance, and security.
WordPress VIP will take a lot off your plate and give you a premium service. This platform is fast, reliable, and totally hassle-free. That is why a lot of famous brands have trusted WordPress VIPs to build and maintain their high-powered sites.
