Shingle vs WordPress.com
WordPress has the widest choice of plugins. Shingle helps you win local clients.
- Shingle
- Best ifYou sell websites to local businesses and want help finding themFirst paid plan$49 a month
- WordPress.com
- Best ifYou need a plugin for something specific, or a store on WooCommerceFirst paid plan$9 a month
The short answer
Choose WordPress if you want the widest ecosystem of plugins and themes, open source software behind your site, and a free plan that never expires. Choose Shingle if you sell websites to local businesses and would rather not manage plugins. It finds who needs a site, builds a demo from their facts and alerts you when they open it, with forms and booking built in.
What WordPress.com does well
Hosted WordPress with an AI site builder, plus an agency hosting program for client sites. WordPress itself is open source software.
- The widest ecosystem, with over 60,000 plugins, though not on the free plan
- Open source software, so WordPress itself isn't tied to one company
- A free plan that never expires and can publish, with ads
- An AI builder that writes pages, copy and images, and changes them when you ask
- Agency hosting with one bill, bulk discounts of up to 66% and up to 20% referral commission
What each one has
Read from each builder's own pages. "Not shown" isn't proof it's missing.
| Feature | Shingle | WordPress.com |
|---|---|---|
| Finds businesses to pitch | Yes | Not shown |
| Pitch link that says when it's opened | Yes | Not verified |
| Reviews every line against the business's facts | Yes | Not verified |
| Site from a short description | Yes | Yes |
| AI chat that edits the site | Yes | Yes |
| Site from a Google listing | Yes | Not shown |
| Site from an existing website | Yes | Not shown |
| Version history with restore | Yes | Partly |
| Online store | No | Yes |
| Take payments | No | Yes |
| Blog | Yes | Yes |
| Newsletter and campaigns | Yes | Yes |
| Forms that email the owner | Yes | Yes |
| Visitor analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Activity log | Yes | Yes |
| Own domain | Yes | Yes |
| Buy a domain in the app | No | Yes |
| Code export | Yes | Partly |
| White label | Partly | Not shown |
| Client billing | No | Not shown |
| Publishes for free | No | Yes |
Where it differs
Nothing to install
Forms, booking, a newsletter and visitor stats come with every live site. There are no plugins to update.
It finds the client
Search a trade and a town to see who needs a site, then get an alert when they open your demo.
Every line reviewed
A separate review checks each line against the business's facts. You still read it before it goes live.
What each one costs
WordPress.com's prices as its own pages showed them on 6 November 2026.
Shingle
- 7-day trial$1 with 1 live site and 100 credits
- Shingle plan$49 a month, with 1 live site and 200 credits
- Paid yearly$39 a month
- Each more live site$7 a month, or $67 a year
- 10 live sites$112 a month
WordPress.com
- Free$0 with ads, no expiry
- Personal$9 a month
- Premium$18 a month
- Business$40 a month
- Commerce$70 a month
- Agency hosting$25 a site a month
Billed every 12 months and before tax, Personal is $4 a month, Premium $8, Business $25 and Commerce $45. Agency hosting falls to $8.50 a site at 10 or more sites, which is $85 for 10, where Shingle is $112. Renewal prices didn't show on the page we read.
Free plan at WordPress.com: no expiry, 1 GB of storage, a WordPress.com address and ads, with no plugins. Shingle has no free plan. It starts with a 7-day trial for $1, which includes a live site. Sources: WordPress.com pricing, WordPress.com AI builder, WordPress.com for agencies, About WordPress.
Who each one suits
Choose Shingle if
- You sell websites to local businesses and want help finding them
- You don't want to choose, install or update plugins
- You want a demo for each prospect, and to know when they open it
- You want clients to comment on a demo through a private link
Choose WordPress.com if
- You need a plugin for something specific, or a store on WooCommerce
- You want open source software you can run elsewhere
- You want a blog-first site on a free plan that never expires
- You have developers who work with SFTP, SSH and Git
Moving over from WordPress.com
- Paste a WordPress page's address into Shingle's composer and choose Clone. It copies the words, photos and design, once you've confirmed you have the right.
- It starts from one public page and offers the pages in its menu next. Plugins, store data and blog posts don't move across in bulk.
- Your domain moves with two DNS records, shown in your site's settings.
Common questions
Can't find your answer? Read Shingle Help or email [email protected].
It is if you sell websites to local businesses and don't want to manage plugins. Shingle finds the businesses, builds with AI and tells you when a pitch is opened. If you need a specific plugin, a store or full control of the code, WordPress is the better choice.
WordPress.com, the hosted service, whose prices are published. WordPress itself is open source software that you can also run on your own hosting, where the hosting costs and upkeep are yours. What we say about its plugins and ecosystem applies to both.
Some of it. Forms, booking, a newsletter, a blog, visitor stats, a cookie banner and redirects are built in, and you can embed YouTube, Vimeo, Calendly and Typeform. There's no plugin library, store or members' area. If your site depends on a specific plugin, stay with WordPress.
You can rebuild it. Paste a page's address, choose Clone, and confirm you have the right to copy it. It copies one public page, then offers its menu's other pages one at a time. Blog posts, plugins and store data don't move across.
Read next
- Shingle vs 10Web10Web runs on WordPress. Shingle finds the client.
- Shingle vs WixWix does far more. Shingle helps you sell websites.
- Best builders for small businessSeven builders, by who each suits. Dated prices inside.
- BlogPosts on your site, by you or drafted for 5 credits.
- IntegrationsAnalytics, ads, webhooks, embeds and your own code.
- Pricing7 days for $1, then one plan at $49 a month.
Build your first site
Start from a Google listing or a few notes. Demos usually take 5–15 minutes.
7 days for $1, then $49 a month. Cancel any time.