Can I put my website on my own server?

• 

  lightcenterlove · Member · Aug 20, 2015 at 12:30 am

  • Copy link
  • Add topic to favorites

  Hi there! I already have a website that I designed in Dreamweaver on my brother’s server. It’s free for me to have my website there. Now, I’d like to use WordPress to re-design my website – and I would like to purchase one of the WordPress templates. My question is: can I continue to have my website on my brother’s server, while using the WordPress template for my website? Or do I HAVE to pay WordPress the yearly fee to have my website on their server? Thank you! Tracey

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

• 

  sfarley85 · Member · Aug 20, 2015 at 5:40 am

  • Copy link

  Howdy,

  Well, you can, but that wouldn’t be through WordPress.com. Note there is a free version of hosting where you can have your blog on WordPress.com’s servers: https://store.wordpress.com/plans/. This would be the simplest option and would allow you to just focus on design rather than worrying about all the other backend stuff involved with getting everything up and running.

  However, should you still want to host on your brother’s server and get your hands dirty and dig in, you certainly can do so, just note it will be a good deal more complicated. Here’s some documentation to get started: https://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress#Local_Installation_Instructions.

  Note WP will be slightly different in both of these instances, as WordPress.com is a self-contained product of Automattic whereas WordPress.org (that you would install on your local server) is an open-source extensible product. Also note if you do go the self-servered route you’ll want to use these forums for support on any issues you may have: https://wordpress.org/support/

  Let me know if you have any questions about any of that. Good luck!

• 

  kokkieh · Staff · Aug 20, 2015 at 7:05 am

  • Copy link

  For the difference between WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress.org, see: http://en.support.wordpress.com/com-vs-org/

• 

  lightcenterlove · Member · Aug 21, 2015 at 5:40 pm

  • Copy link

  Thank you so so much for this information and advice. I’ll pass it on to my brother who’ll know if I’ve got it in me (or if he can help) to get it on his server. Thanks you guys!