They will need a paid Business plan to use plugins on WordPress.com: https://en.support.wordpress.com/plugins/
The only other option, if you need those plugins, is to move off of WordPress.com: https://move.wordpress.com/
Hindsight is always 20:20.
Your client should have told you of their hosting plans and you probably should have asked…
Sometimes my clients think I’m going to provide their web hosting when we first start discussing things. I’ve even had them think I can buy their domain name for them and host the site. Not a good place to be when it comes time to turn over the site when you build on a local box… but I always build on their host so that’s not a problem for me.
Anyway, there is a premium service there at WordPress dot com… that’s one option!
Else you could place them on a server you are comfortable with. Maybe a compromise needs to be reached where you arrange a couple of months of hosting on a suitable, economical host and move the DNS records for them. That’s how I’d handle that situation.
Thread Starter
rpdweb
(@rpdweb)
Yes, I’m really surprised. I’ve literally never came across it and I definitely learned something. I always discuss hosting and I only offer web hosting at a premium because I don’t really want to do it. Usually I ask for server access and just install the database. I ask if they’re hosted and either they told me they weren’t sure or they may have told me WordPress.com.
Either way I wasn’t aware there was Personal options that limited plugins so I never saw it coming. I’m not knocking WordPress.com or anything, but I’m surprised plugin installation only becomes available with the second to highest paid option. I’m not overly reliant on plugins but my clients usually don’t have web developers on staff so I use them to make their lives easier.
I can move them to my shared hosting on HostGator and point to my hosting. Right now I’m only hosting two small websites and this website won’t get much traffic. Maybe hold them their for 6 months to a year.
Do you have any suggestions / tips on building on their host? I always build localhost then deploy it to a sandbox on my website for the client to look at then deploy that to their website. I’d love to know a better system from someone more experience than myself.
If you’re building on WordPress.com, you have to do it live.
If you’re planning on hosting the site elsewhere, like you’re own hosting, follow this guide to move it: https://move.wordpress.com/
