Blogger vs Wordpress - Benefits of Blogging on Blogspot Platform

This article compares Blogger vs Wordpress. It covers the main features of the Blogspot blogging platform at blogger.com and gives a short summary of the advantages and disadvantages of Blogger over Wordpress as a blogging platform.

Blogger vs Wordpress- Which is the Better Blogging Platform?

Creating your Blogspot blog at Blogger.com is a good choice for beginner bloggers because it is a free blogging platform with an easy interface and good features. More advanced bloggers may find the lack of some advanced features annoying but Blogger is definitely worth considering as a blogging platform to try out blogging at no cost.

At Blogger.com you don't need a custom domain so there is no cost involved in purchasing a domain name if you don't want to.  However, should you wish to dispense with the subdomain name Blogger assigns by default, Blogger.com offers the facility to add a custom domain name to your Blogger blog for free.

Blogspot (blogger.com) is a powerful blogging platform
but still suited to beginner bloggers

Main Blogger / Blogspot Features

• Blogger is a completely free blogging platform


• Blogger is fast to set up. It only takes about 10 minutes to create a blog, configure the settings and add some gadgets.


• Regardless of your level of  technical expertise Blogger is an easy and intuitive interface to use. Widgets that add functionality to a blog are inserted easily using drag and drop and buttons and links make navigation easy.


• Bandwidth is unlimited with Blogger so there are no bandwidth issues with video and pictures


• It is easy to integrate Google Adsense ad units into your blog once you meet the criteria for an Adsense account.  

• Advertising banners and scripts can easily be incorporated into a Blogspot blog.


• Google Analytics can be added to track blog performance


• It is possible to use your own custom domain rather than the default. For instance yoursite.com instead of yoursite.blogspot.com


• Blogger supports blogging from mobile locations


• Blogger comes with ready made templates. Default Blogger templates can be tweaked with the addition of HMTL and CSS to achieve a unique look.  It is also possible to add a custom template for a more professional look. There are thousands of Blogger templates (both free and paid) to use with different types of blogs depending on purpose eg portfolio, magazine, video etc.
  
  The advantage of uploading a custom premium Blogger theme is that most of the hard work is done for you. You may also consider buying a Blogger theme that offers support for any problems that arise.  Most premium Blogger themes are around $20 at websites like Theme Forest.

Benefits of Blogger over Wordpress

Comparison of the Blogger Platform over Wordpress

There are two different versions of the Wordpress blogging platform.

Wordpress.com  offers a straight forward no nonsense hosted blogging platform which is a rival to Google's Blogger platform. 

Wordpress.org offers a more flexible self-hosted option that requires paid hosting and a custom domain name out of the box.

Interface

The Wordpress.com interface is clunkier than that of Blogger.com.  There is a learning curve to using either of these blogging platforms.  If you don't want a full blog or the headache consider Tumblr a mini blog or even Twitter a micro blog.

Advertising

Wordpress adds its own advertising to your blog and derives revenue from those ads.  Blogger on the other hand puts no advertising on your blog.  With Blogger any revenue a blog derives from advertising is entirely the users.

Storage Space

While Blogger.com allows fairly good storage for photos with Picasa, Wordpress.com caps site storage at 3 GBs.  Running out of storage space is likely to be a problem with Wordpress.com as your blog grows and needs more and more space.

Cost

Blogger is entirely free as is Wordpress.com.  However Wordpress.com only offers limited features.  To access a full range of premium features with Wordpress.com there is a cost depending on what level of account you choose.

Bandwidth

Another issue with Wordpress.com is that once your blog grows and the number of visitors increases you may be required to swap over from the free option to a paid option.

Wordpress.com offers both free and paid options

Blogger vs Wordpress.org

Don't confuse Wordpress.com with Wordpress.org which is an entirely different option.  The strength of Wordpress.org lies in the flexibility and options for plugins to the basic Wordpress program. In order to access Wordpress.org you will need paid hosting for your blog and a custom domain name.

Learning Curve

With added functionality and features comes a steep learning curve to start blogging with the Wordpress.org blogging platform.  If you are not technically minded this can be a headache and detract from the fun of creating a blog.

Functionality

Wordpress.org definitely has the advantage when it comes to features.  There are many templates and plugins available and in the process of development. There are some great professional looking Wordpress themes that will really make your blog stand out.  If you intend to integrate a shopping cart down the track it will be easier to start with Wordpress which has modules and plugins for ecommerce.

Cost

Wordpress needs to be hosted somewhere like Blue Hosting or Hostgator.  To start blogging with Wordpress you will also need a custom domain name available from domain name sites like GoDaddy.  As your traffic increases expect to need to upgrade to a more comprehensive hosting plan with greater bandwidth which will increase annual running costs.

One of the advantages of Blogger is that as a Google product it is a very stable blogging platform.  In selecting Wordpress your website is subject to the vagaries of the host.  Lots of server down time and slow speeds will negatively impact on your blog traffic.  As someone who has personally had problems with too much server down time I would recommend that if you go with Wordpress.org you choose your web hosting carefully. The cheaper the hosting the more likely this will be a problem.

Problems

Whatever blogging platform you choose expect to have some technical problems.  Wordpress is more bug ridden and problematic than Blogger however this is purely my point of view. Wordpress is a very popular blogging platform with many loyal followers and it rightly deserves its praise having cornered a third of the blogging market.

Wordpress.org is constantly being updated to improve the interface and eliminate security risks and bugs. Blogspot, on the otherhand, is only being updated periodically these days. However, there are lots of third party hacks and scripts for both blogging platforms so it is usually possible to find a work around for most problems.

How to Decide Whether to Blog with Blogger or Wordpress

How to Decide Between Blogger vs Wordpress.org

I am not an advocate of Wordpress.com because of the advertising and the limited features.  Deciding between Blogger and Wordpress.org takes more thought however.  With both platforms there is the facility to build a viable blog that will attract visitors from around the world.

For the less technically minded Blogger is the better choice as much of the hard work is taken out of the process of adding information and gadgets to a blog.  Blogger is entirely free making it a good option to have a bit of a dabble in the blogging arena at no cost.

As a self-hosted option Wordpress.org costs from the outset so it is more of a commitment whereas Blogger is a platform you can grow into. If you want to future proof your blog in case you want to add ecommerce and other advanced features then Wordpress.org wins over Blogger.com.

At the end of the day Blogger is a powerful blogging platform that can be modified to suit individual taste and needs. I prefer it because I find it faster to use than Wordpress and I encounter fewer problems. The lack of SEO is one of Blogger's main drawbacks but with a bit of tweaking this can be overcome too.

If you are starting out as a beginner blogger I recommend that before you lay out your hard earned money you at least have a play with Google Blogger before you even consider Wordpress.org. When Blogger vs Wordpress are compared side-by-side Blogger as a free blogging platform has a lot going for it.

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Why Blogger is a Better Blogging Platform than Wordpress for Beginner Bloggers

This article covers the main features of Blogger and compares some of the advantages and disadvantages of the Blogger platform versus other blogging platforms such as Wordpress.

Creating your Blogspot blog at Blogger is a good choice for beginner bloggers as it is a free blogging platform with an easy interface and good features. More advanced webmasters may find the lack of some advanced features irritating but Blogger is definitely worth considering as a place to try out blogging at no expense as it is completely free.

Blogger.com offers the ability to add a custom domain name at a cost or to go with the default subdomain name that Blogger provides which is absolutely free. All templates on the Blogger platform itself are free too and this makes it possible to blog with the Blogger platform and not a pay cent for anything.

Blogger is Free and is a Good Choice for the Beginner Blogger

Main Blogger.com (Blogspot) Features

• Blogger is a free blogging platform


• Blogger is fast and easy to set up. It takes about 10 minutes to create a blog, configure the settings and add some gadgets.


• Blogger is easy to use regardless of your level of technical knowledge. The interface is user friendly and intuitive. Tabs and buttons make it easy to navigate.


• Bandwidth is unlimited with Blogger so there are no bandwidth issues with video and pictures


• As Blogger.com is owned by Google there is a high degree of integration with other services like Google Analytics and generous photo hosting/storage.


• It's easy to make money with Google Adsense and other banner advertising scripts which can easily be incorporated into your blog


• Easy access to Google's powerful Google Analytics to track blog performance


• It is possible to use your own custom domain rather than the default. For instance yoursite.com instead of yoursite.blogspot.com


• Blogger supports Mobile blogging access from smartphones


• Blogger offers the opportunity to try out blogging to see if it is for you at no cost





There are a huge number of free Blogger templates available



• Blogger gives users the option to tweak templates depending on their experience. Some knowledge of HTML, XML and CSS can be useful to fully customize a Blogger template. Alternatively you can upload your own custom template with built in features like advertising space, widgets, dropdown menus and other useful stuff.
  
  There are plenty of free templates for Blogger on the web that can be customized to suit individual requirements.  For a small amount of money as low as $10 and far less headache if you are not technically minded. Custom Blogger Themes can be purchased that offer full mobile responsiveness, built-in SEO, are aesthetically pleasing and come with support to add that professional touch to your Blogger blog. 

Comparison of the Blogger Platform with Wordpress

Blogger vs Wordpress.com

While other online platforms like Wordpress.com have greater functionality for a blogger and are more highly customizable there is also a much heftier learning curve. The Wordpress interface is clunkier to use than the Blogger one in my opinion.

The entirely free option from Wordpress.com has virtually no built-in tools and is capped at 3GBs of storage space. For greater flexibility you can pay $5 and start adding more personal features or $10 a month for premium benefits with greater storage space. Business options are $34 for advanced premium features or $61 to incorporate ecommerce as well. (Prices as June 2020)

Wordpress.com Pricing Plan as at June 2020

Wordpress.com offers a greater range of flexibility to the blogger compared to Blogger.com depending on your plan of course. A number of customizations such as themes and plug-ins come at a premium and need to be purchased separately.

Also the free version of Wordpress places a small amount of advertising on free version blogs. The main drawback of the online version apart from the ads is the cost of hosting which increases as your blog grows so you may find that storage space runs out quickly necessitating the need to turn the free option into a paid one.

Blogger wins hands down as it offers virtually unlimited storage space. Blogger is also an entirely free platform with no cost to the user. Blogger never puts its own ads on your blog.

Blogger vs Wordpress.org

If you choose a self-hosted option like Wordpress.org then the options to customize are significant with a wide range of plugins and themes to choose from. Along with choice however comes higher maintenance and a steeper learning curve.

I have a self hosted Wordpress site which needs a lot more maintenance than any of the other sites I run on Blogger (Blogspot). Plus it is time consuming to find, download and customize plugins to extend Wordpress functionality for self hosted sites. Then there are the obvious disadvantages of uploads rather than making changes online as you do with Blogger.

My experience with hosting is that there can be a lot of server downtime which can affect your return traffic whereas Blogger in contrast is a very reliable service. Plus hosting costs such as provided by Blue Hosting or Hostgator increase the more traffic a Wordpress.org blog attracts. Expect to pay around $100 minimum for hosting and then an annual domain name fee on top to match the features that come with Blogger for free.

Wordpress has costs like hosting attached

Another disadvantage of Wordpress that the user has to take a more active role in updating and backing up the blog whereas Blogger takes care of the main updates meaning more time is available for creating posts.

While Wordpress.org is constantly being updated to improve the interface and eliminate security risks and bugs, Google is no longer developing Blogger. However Blogger is stable, there are plenty of third-party scripts available and it now has the added benefit of mobile responsiveness.

Verdict Blogger versus Wordpress

Blogger.com

Blogger once had a few really annoying glitches in the interface which have largely been ironed out in recent years making it a breeze to use once you become familiar with the interface. I have found Wordpress.org to be equally, if not more bug ridden, so don't let a few minor interface issues put you off. Nothing is ever perfect right?

One of my main frustrations with Blogger is that it is not particularly search engine friendly. Wordpress.org provides a much greater degree of SEO. To achieve the same with Blogger tweaking is needed to provide search engine optimization. If you use a custom Blogger theme then you will be able to take advantage of the built-in SEO that most modern custom Blogger template themes offer.

Choose a Blogging Platform Based on Your Needs

If you are using the paid version of Wordpress you will have a choice of widgets and plugins. Blogger, in contrast, has some very handy widgets missing from the default configuration. Widgets such as related posts are useful as is a slider to display images or videos. It would be nice to have these features integrated as part of the Blogger.com interface. On the other hand there are a lot of third-party scripts for Blogger that can be inserted into Blogger using a gadget.

To get the most out of Blogger as a blogging platform, you might want to consider installing a custom template for a more professional and unique look. If you use your own domain name many would be hard pressed to know what blogging platform is being used. However, you would need to dispense with the Nav Bar completely otherwise it would be apparent to visitors that your blogging platform is Blogger. An overall investment of around $30 including a custom domain name would set you up blogging with Blogger.com for a year.

To get the same flexibility and results with Wordpress you would need to outlay around $120 annually which will not break the bank if you only have one blog. Add a couple more blogs into the mix though and it is clear that Blogger offers a lot of features for virutally no cost.

The Bottom Line Wordpress vs Blogger

In summing up then Blogger.com is a great choice for a beginner blogger not wanting to outlay any money. Blogger is also a good choice if you want to make a little bit of extra money through Adsense revenue without needing to be technically minded as ads are easy to install on your blog.

Wordpress.com is a reasonable blogging platform if you don't mind paying for hosting of $10 a month or $34 for a business. If you can stand having Wordpress.com ads on your blog and limited features you can get away with a free version but you get a lot more from Blogger for the same thing.

Wordpress.org is a better choice than Blogger if you want to build an extensive business website with a variety of advanced plugins and ultimately to integrate a shopping cart.

This article has covered the main features of a Blogger.com. It has also discussed in detail Blogger in contrast to other blogging platforms: Wordpress.com and Wordpress.org.

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