Which is the best blogging site? Yes, there’s tons of requests on the internet about which blogging site is better. A number of bloggers want to begin with a blogging career but are confused because of varied opinions on Blogger vs. WordPress.
Choosing to blog is easy, but which blogging platform is better? It doesn’t take a lot of energy to decide what you want to do. The task is about selecting the right platform between Blogger vs WordPress, which will help you boost your blogging career.
There are numerous blogging platforms, but Blogger and WordPress are popular sites that stand out. That is why individuals generally question which platform is better, WordPress or Blogger? So that they have a better writing experience.
Whether you choose Blogger or WordPress, a website hosting space is essential for your blogs. Thus, we recommend you opt for the best web hosting for bloggers. These plans come with a powerful control panel to manage domains, tech support, and a higher uptime.
There are several factors that differ between both platforms. It is a debatable topic whether to go with Blogger or WordPress. Some users love the free blogging site, and some can’t get over the WordPress features.
Both platforms have their pros and cons, and with this detailed guide, your selection process will get a little lighter.
Before we compare Blogger vs WordPress, make a list that has your expectations from blogging. You could ask yourself why you want to blog and what output do you expect?
It may include something like –
- You want to make money from blogging
- Want to rank no. 1 on Google
- Keep it a subtle, yet highly designed blog
- Share your expertise in a niche
- Offer readers unique content through your blog.
It can be more than this or anything else. Once you figure out the answer to these questions, the selection process between Blogger vs WordPress will get a lot easier.
Platform Vise Comparison – Blogger vs WordPress
In 1999 a free blogging service named ‘Blogger’ was started by Pyra Labs. Later, in 2003 Blogger was acquired by Google. Since then, Google has had ownership over the blogging site.
Blogger is a free blogging site. Anyone can use, manage and customize their blog on it using free templates. It is easy and user-friendly.
Many users rely on Blogger for their blogging. Some are happy with their experience, while some had to shift to WordPress.org.
Blogger is more accessible because it is free. However, to start blogging with WordPress.org, you need to make it accessible to everyone. That means WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform you can use to design your blog on an independent website. You will have to put some money, purchase a hosting service and make it live so that your blog has an existence on the internet.
What Is a Blogger Website?
When the question is between Blogger or WordPress, which is better? Blogger is preferred. It is a simple blogging platform to create blogging websites. With this software, you can post blogs easily. Also, there is no requirement to choose themes or templates like you do in WordPress.
All you need to have is a Google account to create a Blogger website. As far as the domain name is concerned, Blogger gives you a domain name that ends in ‘blogspot.com’. It is the default URL and if you want to customize it, choose Google Domains.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Blogger
Ever landed on a blog with a “.blogspot” domain and wondered what’s powering it? Meet Blogger – one of Google’s earliest ventures into the blogging sphere. Today, we’ll dive deep into the strengths and weaknesses of this platform, evaluating if it’s the right fit for budding bloggers or seasoned scribes.
Advantages of Blogger
Ease of Use:
- Simple Interface: If there’s one thing that makes Blogger shine, it’s simplicity. Imagine a platform where you can set up a blog in minutes, without drowning in technical jargon. That’s Blogger for you. Its intuitive dashboard and straightforward post editor mark the difference between Blogger and WordPress and make the blogging process a breeze.
- Integration with Google Services: From Google Analytics to AdSense, the seamlessness with which Blogger integrates with other Google services is unparalleled. This integration aids users in tracking their blog’s performance and monetizing it without any hitches.
Cost-Effectiveness:
- Free Hosting: Blogger vs. WordPress for making money brings another factor to consider: hosting fees. With Blogger, that’s a concern of the past. Google provides free hosting, ensuring your blog is up and running without burning a hole in your pocket.
- Free Templates: While they may not be as flashy as some paid options out there, Blogger offers a decent range of templates for free. These can be a great starting point for those new to the blogging realm.
SEO Benefits:
- Google Search Advantage: Being under Google’s umbrella, it’s rumoured that Blogger sites get a slight edge in Google search rankings. Whether it’s true or not, it’s a tempting advantage to consider if Blogger is better than WordPress.
- Automatic Optimization: Blogger takes care of several SEO elements automatically, such as sitemaps and optimized code, which can be a boon for beginners unfamiliar with SEO intricacies.
Disadvantages of Blogger
Limited Customization:
- Restrictive Themes: Unlike other platforms like WordPress, Blogger falls short in the customization department, stating the major difference between Blogger and WordPress. The available themes, though decent, don’t offer the flexibility and variety that many bloggers crave.
- Lack of Plugins: Want to add a fancy feature or tool to your blog? You might be out of luck. Blogger’s lack of plugins and add-ons means you’re restricted to its built-in functionalities.
Ownership and Control Concerns:
- Google’s Ownership: One of the major drawbacks of Blogger is that you don’t truly own your blog – Google does. This means they have the final say on its operations.
- Risk of Blog Termination: In line with the above point, Google reserves the right to shut down your blog without prior notice, especially if it violates their terms of service. Talk about living on the edge!
Theme and Template Availability
As much as you love blogging, I am sure you would want your blog to look the best. If not much, you should go for a subtle look that engages your audience as a priority.
With WordPress, you get a wide range of free and premium themes. Among Blogger vs. WordPress, you can utilize WordPress themes for better performance as it gives a preferable look to the blog.
WordPress themes and templates are something you would love to use. Blogger platform also has tons of such features, but they are limited. You cannot compare Blogger vs WordPress in terms of themes and templates. Blogger limits that part for users.
You will also find those templates on many blogs but with WordPress it’s different. You will have a variety of options to choose from, which will give your blog a unique look.
Personal Domain / Owning Control
Blogger/BlogSpot is also a free subdomain provider. That means you don’t own an exclusive domain for your blog as Google is subletting you one. They can control, manage, delete or disable the blog as they like. You don’t have a copyright for the blog content as it will always belong to the owner.
However, the WordPress platform lets you have a personal domain. The blog will belong to you and only you. You can control and customize it however you want.
One good thing about WordPress is that your blog content will be safe. There won’t be any other authority that can ban or remove your blog if it doesn’t meet their terms and conditions or any rule.
For WordPress, you will require a good hosting service. Managed WordPress hosting is a special product built for WordPress sites, so the sites can be managed more efficiently.
WordPress sites require a small investment for hosting; hence, between Blogger vs. WordPress for making money, it is an ideal deal for bloggers.
Pricing – Blogger vs WordPress
Okay, you want to be a blogger! That is decided, but the question is whether you want to write your feelings down and share your stories or you want to make a living from blogs.
When we look at Blogger, it is a completely free blogging site. You will find everything for free- right from themes and templates to even a free subdomain by BlogSpot.
You can design the blog as per your preference and start sharing blog posts. However, everything that is free also comes with ‘limitations’. Plus, if Blogger ever shuts down, you will lose your hard work. Not only yours, but every blog created on Blogger will also be lost. This is another notable difference between Blogger and WordPress.
Ask yourself if you would want that.
On the other hand, the self-hosted WordPress opens a door to independence. Your blog is free and in your control. Although you put a little amount into hosting, you get a good return on investment.
You can monetize your blog posts, web pages and even expand by adding an online store using a WordPress WooCommerce Plugin. You will have ample options of Plugins to back your marketing strategies to earn money.
Your blog will be a professional content hub under your domain and won’t be in control of anyone else. Isn’t the idea itself wonderful? Think about it.
WordPress hosting doesn’t cost much. You can check MilesWeb’s affordable WordPress hosting plans that cost you very minimally. Users get the flexible per-month payment option with heavy discounts on a purchase of long-term plans. Furthermore, when Blogger vs. WordPress for making money are considered, you can choose MilesWeb’s WordPress hosting plans and save money as they offer a free domain for the first year. This hosting plan will influence your blogging decision towards WordPress in the debate of Blogger vs. WordPress. MilesWeb also offers a free WordPress hosting trial for 30 days to make sure you get the correct answers.
One plus point of WordPress.org is also that you can move your blog anywhere you want. You can shift to a new host, switch to another domain, or even move to a better content management system without any risk.
But on Blogger there’s a chance you lose your developed channel and SEO rankings.
Conclusion– Which is better? Blogger vs WordPress
So in this post of Blogger vs WordPress we understood that both WordPress and Blogger are popular platforms, having their pros and cons. Blogging on WordPress requires a small investment, while Blogger/BlogSpot is completely free.
In my opinion, WordPress can help you become a professional blogger who also wants to make a living out of it. You can earn well by monetizing your content and even add an eCommerce store to sell products by increasing the scope of your site.
A lot of bloggers do affiliate marketing through their blog posts. This can be a bonus point if your blog is monetized and you earn product commissions as well.
Moreover, ‘Blogger’ can be a little dim in the case of themes and templates. They are limited and will look like almost every other blogger’s blog.
On the other hand, WordPress gives you an opportunity to stand different because of unlimited free and premium customization options.
The above insights about Blogger vs. WordPress are based on thorough research covering all the major and minor details about both Blogger and WordPress.
FAQs
How are Blogger and WordPress different?
Although both are popular blogging platforms, there’s a difference between Blogger and WordPress. Blogger is a free-to-use platform owned by Google. On the other hand, WordPress is a more versatile CMS, with more control over features and flexibility. However, you need additional web hosting services to make your blog available to all.
How does Blogger compare to WordPress in terms of customization?
When asked which is better, Blogger or WordPress, WordPress has a lot more customization options than Blogger. With the utilization of themes and plugins in WordPress, you can make your website unique and personalized. Comparatively speaking, the options available in Blogger are pretty limited and emphasize templates and basic layout elements.
Which offers more features: Blogger or WordPress?
Blogger or WordPress, which is better in terms of features, the answer is simple. WordPress has more features and includes e-commerce capabilities, forums, and powerful SEO tools. On the contrary, Blogger is much more of a blog-oriented tool and comes with the basic features to create and manage posts in blogs.
Which is better for SEO: Blogger or WordPress?
Both Blogger and WordPress have a good ranking for SEO, but WordPress has a slight lead over it with much more scope for customization by installing plugins. Similarly, the WordPress community is very large, offering various tips and methods for SEO optimization.
How do I optimize my Blogger or WordPress blog for performance?
For optimization among Blogger or WordPress, which is better, you need to consider various factors. It includes compressing images, caching, reducing HTTP requests, etc. With proper optimization of these factors, whether it’s a Blogger or WordPress blog, its performance will surely improve. Lastly, use some specific plugins or tools to optimize Blogger and WordPress for performance.
