Own your website pros and cons

Should you own your website or not?  There are crucial gains, as well as drawbacks, to both sides.  Find out more in my article.

Go for:

• Start or migrate to a self-hosted website or blog
• Build an email list for better control 
• Improve online visibility through tools for SEO and AIO

I’ve been a solopreneur for 12 years and a blogger for nearly 8 years.  Gaining experience with different types of online platforms was enriching.  Through blogging illustrations, I’ll highlight the pros and cons of owning your website.

Having an online presence is natural.  Individuals, small and large businesses gain.  The degree of control and ownership over your website is an intriguing topic.

Site ownership and control

When it comes to site ownership, there are various things to consider.  In a nutshell, it’s about the degree of control versus convenience.  It’s also about the degree of technical skills.

How to create your own website?  Start choosing your best platform type.  It’s best to go for self-hosting if you want better control for monetization.  This is WordPress.org (not .com) when it comes to blogging.

I’ve been on self-hosted as well as managed CMS.  In the past, I also used an easy E-Commerce platform.  Once more, the more hands-off your experience, the easier it tends to be.  However, you give up control in the process.

Ownership vs Managed 

Ownership pros	Ownership cons	Managed pros	Managed cons
Full control	More technical skills	Tech is mostly handled for you	Lack of monetization freedom
Monetization freedom	More tasks to complete	More free time	Less customizable
Easier for UX testing	Security and maintenance by you	Easier security and maintenance	Can suspend your account anytime

Does owning a website make money? 

Ownership gives you better control over your site.  You can better take advantage of monetization options.  For example, using plugins on a self-hosted blog gives you more freedom over the features you want to add.  On the other hand, a managed platform places limitations.

Social media has lots of exposure.  People spend hours on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, X, and so on.  You can get lots of reach by posting the right content for the right audience consistently.  However, you don’t own any of it.  Users depend on the platform algorithms and can get suspended for breach of terms.

Level of complexity 

It’s generally more complex to take complete care of your website.  With managed platforms, you’re more relaxed.  Crucial security and maintenance tasks, for example, are normally handled for you.

The level of tech know-how often makes new bloggers choose convenient platforms.  After some time, they realize the limits placed, and choose to move to self-hosting.  Migration is possible; however, starting on the right platform from the start is best.

Having used different platforms, I’ve witnessed the differences.  I started this very blog on a managed version of WordPress, as I had a hobby in mind.  However, it turned into a side hustle after 1 year.  I also had a site on a self-hosted platform, which is a bit more work.

Self-hosted goes a few steps further in terms of additional work.  However, WordPress.org is rather user-friendly.  It’s not much of a hassle compared to managed platforms.

Recap

Your control pros:

• Full control
• Monetization freedom
• Easier for UX testing

Cons:

• More technical skills
• More tasks to complete 
• Security and maintenance by you

Managed for you pros:

• Tech is mostly handled for you
• Easier security and maintenance 
• More free time

Cons:

• Lack of monetization freedom
• Less customizable 
• Can suspend your account anytime

If you plan to monetize and take blogging seriously, choose self-hosting.  If you want to focus only on your content with minimal monetization, managed platforms can be useful.  Either way, enjoy your blogging journey wholeheartedly.

Find the right choice for yourself.  Review your goals, needs, and type of activity.  Go for better self-hosting, as far as possible, and from the start.

Conclusion 

As far as possible, own your website.   It’s crucial, especially for professional bloggers and businesses.  Take advantage of  the points I shared in my article for the better.

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Editor’s Note: This blog article was last updated on 16 December 2025 for better accuracy and comprehensiveness.