There are currently millions of blogs on the Internet today discussing every imaginable topic. Each day there appears to be many new people starting up their own blog to express their views and opinions. One question I have seen frequently is regarding which blog platform should be used. There currently are several platforms to choose from, but there are two that probably make up the bulk of all blogs online today – WordPress and Blogger.
In this post I will discuss these two platforms, but not from a WordPress versus Blogger stance. I will provide information regarding each platform that will, hopefully, help you choose which one is better suited to your needs.
WordPress
The WordPress platform is beyond the shadow of a doubt the largest platform for blogging. There are more blogs using WordPress than any other platform, and for good reason.
There are actually two flavours of WordPress available to you: free and hosted. You can sign up for the free version at WordPress.com. This version quickly allows you to setup your blog in a matter of minutes without having to worry about hosting. The downside to using the free version is you don’t have as much control over customizing your blog, such as modifying the code behind your blog. If you plan on putting ads on your blog, then you shouldn’t use the free version of WordPress as this isn’t allowed. If you like tinkering with code, and would like to place ads, then you should look at hosting a WordPress blog.
Hosted WordPress blogs means you sign up with a host, and install the WordPress application on the server. From there you have full control over you blog, including changing the code. There are literally thousands of themes and plugins that you can use to give your blog the look and feel that you want. This is perhaps WordPress’ biggest strength – the plugins and themes.
With the self-hosted WordPress platform, you will definitely need some assistance if you are new to blogging. This is by far the most complex setup to get a blog online, and it is recommended that you do some research on how to setup a WordPress blog.
If you are looking for a blog platform that is easy to use, and allows ads, then you should look into Blogger.
Blogger
Now owned by Google, Blogger is probably the second most popular blog platform available today. Blogger does not have as many themes available for use as WordPress does, or does it have plugins. What it does have is ease-of-use.
Blogger is perhaps the easiest system to use when first setting up a blog. In a matter of minutes you can create a blog and publish your first post. For those that don’t care about customizing a blog, or don’t have time to fiddle around with it, then Blogger is the better choice for you.
Blogger is free and does allow you to place ads on your blog, which is great for those that would like to make some extra income without paying any fees.
Summary
While there are many blog platforms available to those that want to start a blog, WordPress and Blogger are by far the most used of the platforms. They are, however, completely different and which one to choose is usually a question that is asked on a frequent basis. The points below may help:
WordPress (Free)
- Doesn’t cost anything.
- Just signup and start publishing posts – no setup required.
- Can choose from many themes, however, limited on customization.
- Can’t display advertising on the blog.
WordPress (Hosted)
- Complete control over all apsects of the blog.
- Most widely supported platform with thousands of themes and plugins.
- Can display advertising since the blog belongs to you.
- Need to find and pay for a host.
- Need to install WordPress on the host.
Blogger
- Doesn’t cost anything.
- Easy to setup blog.
- Allows some customization using Blogger’s predefined tags, but not as customizable as WordPress.
- Themes do exist, although not as many as those for WordPress.
- Can display advertising.
In the end, however, it doesn’t matter which platform you choose. The platform doesn’t make a blog better. Writing good, unique content is what matters.
Have Your Say
- Which blog platform do you use, and why?
- Have you thought about switching platforms?
- Do you believe that choosing a specific platform can make a blog successful?