Who is behind WordPress.com?
WordPress.com is the hosted website and blogging service of Automattic, the San Francisco company founded in 2005 by Matt Mullenweg, a co-creator of the open-source WordPress software. It opened to the public on 21 November 2005. Automattic is also an ICANN-accredited registrar, so sites on WordPress.com can use its domains and nameservers.
- What it is
- Web hosting, Domain registrar, DNS provider
- Run by
- Automattic Inc.
- Based in
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Launched
- 2005
- ICANN accreditation
- Yes, Automattic Inc., IANA ID 1531
- Website
- wordpress.com
Is WordPress.com the same as WordPress?
No. WordPress is free, open-source software anyone can install; WordPress.com is Automattic’s commercial service that hosts WordPress sites for you.
WordPress.com in axath Analytics
Analytics reads the zone files of more than 350 extensions every day and shows which providers gain and lose names, including WordPress.com.
Open AnalyticsSources
- Automattic: celebrating 20 years
- WordPress.com: celebrating 20 years
- IANA: Registrar IDs (ICANN-accredited registrars)
Last reviewed October 9, 2026.