Can i buy plugins on wordpress.com if im self hosted on my own server

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  buckrogers999 · Member · Dec 31, 2025 at 6:10 pm

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  Hey

  I have my website hosted with someone else not wordpress.com but it uses wordpress. can i still buy plugins from wordpress.com and activate them on my self hosted site.

  As it seems to want me to link or migrate my site when i click buy

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  imranahmadrt · Staff · Jan 1, 2026 at 7:35 am

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  Hi @buckrogers999,
  Great question. This is a very common point of confusion.
  If your website is self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org) and hosted with another provider (not WordPress.com), then:

  No — plugins purchased from WordPress.com can’t be installed on a self-hosted site. Why this happens

  WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.org are related, but they work differently:

  • WordPress.com plans (Business/Commerce)
    • Plugins are included as part of the hosting platform
    • Plugins can only be used on sites hosted on WordPress.com
    • That’s why the system asks you to link or migrate your site when you try to buy
  • Self-hosted WordPress.org sites
    • You install plugins directly from:
      • the WordPress.org plugin directory, or
      • third-party plugin developers
    • Purchases are made outside of WordPress.com

  https://wordpress.com/support/com-vs-org/

  For your self-hosted site, you can:

  • Install free plugins directly from your WordPress dashboard
  • Buy premium plugins from the plugin developer’s website
  • Upload and activate plugins manually via Plugins → Add New

  I hope this answered your question.