WordPress.com vs Pantheon (2024) – Which is Better?

Wordpress.com has a free plan, which can suit to purposes of very simple websites but it's severely limited, doesn't allow you to use a custom domain, doesn't include installation of {separate |]plugins, and it also includes ads on the site.

I found Pantheon to be quite a fast host, however, their basic plan is relatively limited based on how much traffic it can handle and their performance plans get quite expensive . I found their staging workflow to be a bit overly complex for content websites that don't require many code updates.

Monthly Pricing Based on Number of Visitors

We always try to quote the monthly fee for each host not including discounts that might apply if you pay yearly. Wordpress.com's plans renew at the same rate (No introductory discounts). Pantheon plan pricing renews at the same rate.

Prices listed below is the price of our recommended PLAN based on number of visitors for Wordpress.com and Pantheon. Any time we have included figures in brackets accounts for overages. Sometimes it's cheaper to use a lower plan with overage fees if your host includes this in their pricing structure, but the performance of the lower plan might not be as strong.

Monthly Pricing Based on Number of Websites

The pricing below shows the closest PLAN based on the amount of websites at both Wordpress.com and Pantheon. These plans will also include an allowance of disk space and visitors. Some hosting companies allow additional wordpress installs for an additional fee. This can sometimes work out as more affordable than using a higher plan, if it works out as more affordable then we will list these in brackets below

Remember, hosts often include discounts when you pay on a longer basis such as yearly or over multiple years, so make sure to check these offers out if applicable.

Monthly Pricing Based on Disk Space

This is pricing per gigabyte of disk space for both Wordpress.com and Pantheon. As previously mentioned, if it works out as more affordable to use a cheaper plan and pay overages then we'll list that below in brackets.

Keep in mind that if you have a large amount of disk space usage for your site then you could alternatively host these externally using another service

Comparison Between Main Features

Host Image

Other Features Compared

Hosting Speed

Some managed wordpress hosting companies have an SLA (service level agreement) where they commit to a certain percentage of uptime on a monthly basis. The uptime listed below is a general figure for Wordpress.com and Pantheon. but it's not necessarily an SLA, see the host's T&Cs for more info. SLAs often include conditions where you get a refund of a portion of monthly fees if the service drops below a certain amount of uptime for that month

Content Delivery Networks are widely distributed networks of servers that can serve your visitors important files such as images and CSS files from a server close to their location, which can significantly increase your site speed.

Security

Website security is extremely important and all websites should be considered to be at risk. It's important to pick a host that takes security seriously. Below are some of the key security features that are offered by Wordpress.com and Pantheon.