So we compared WordPress and Blogger to maybe relieve some of your selection-related stress. There are three excellent blogging systems for you to consider, and we've added both types of WordPress.
Let’s go:
Blogger
Blogger was founded in 1999 by Pyra Labs and acquired by Google
in 2003. By 2006, every account was hosted on Google’s servers, making the
platform a lot more reliable.
Blogger or BlogSpot?
Before we go any further, let’s clear up any confusion regarding
the terms Blogger and BlogSpot.
Blogger is a free
publishing platform, while BlogSpot is
a free domain service provider.
They’re both owned by Google and are used together on the
Blogger platform.
- Try entering the URL:
blogspot.com
- And you’ll end up at this URL:
blogger.com
When you create your blog on Blogger, you’ll
automatically get a BlogSpot domain.
But you don’t have to use the BlogSpot domain;
you can also add your custom domain:
To summarize: Google hosts
your blog on their Blogger platform
with a default BlogSpot domain.
Setting up your blog
If you don't already have one, a Google account is required.
1. Enter a name for your blog.
2. Choose a Blog Address (URL) –
3. Pick a Theme –
Here’s how I created my blog:
Here’s a sample of the domains it found related to u2suggestions:
Managing your blog
After completing the optional domain buying process, your blog dashboard will appear.
Although it's blank for now, this is where you'll manage your blog.
You may choose from the menu on the left by selecting:
- Create and view your posts,
pages, comments, and statistics
- Change the layout and theme
- Manage earnings, campaigns, and
settings
Above the menu, you can click the link to view your blog:
Creating a blog post
Blogger offers a straightforward WYSIWYG editor with the ability to switch to HTML mode. You have the option of embedding YouTube videos or adding photographs and video to your post. If it's more convenient for you, you may write your article in Google Docs and then copy and paste it into the editor like follows:
You may define your URL, add labels (Tags), schedule the posting date, and adjust privacy settings in the Post settings section on the right.
Here is an example of a post that has been published:
Personalizing your
blog
You can change the appearance of your blog using different themes and layouts.
Customize your background, layout, colors, fonts, and other elements after choosing a base theme. Using the Blogger Theme Designer or manually editing the HTML code are both options:
There are many themes available on Blogger, but you can also upload both free and paid themes from independent developers.
Blogger employs gadgets, which are similar to WordPress widgets in terms of how they aid with page layout. Gadgets can be used to display your blog's archive, list blog labels on each page, or display your profile on each page.
Once you’ve added a gadget you can drag-and-drop it on your
page layout as you wish:
What we like about
Blogger
- Simple to get started
- Easy to use and manage
- Hosted by Google so no
installation issues
- Don’t have to worry about
software updates
- Options to monetize with
Adsense and promote with Adwords
WordPress.com
WordPress was Launched in 2005, WordPress.com is a freemium blog service that offers both premium hosting and the open-source WordPress blogging platform:
Everyone, from new bloggers to Time, CNN, TechCrunch, and other publications, can be found on WordPress.com.
There are free and premium plans on WordPress.com. You can get in touch with them for a unique plan if your business
- Free = $0 for life
Includes a WordPress.com subdomain, basic design customization,
and 1GB Storage to get you started.
- Pro = $15 per month (billed
annually)
Includes a free custom domain name, 50GB Storage, and removes
all WordPress.com advertising.
Getting started
It's simple to start using WordPress.com. Once you have an account, there are three stages to creating a website:
1. Choose what type of site you want – Blog, website, portfolio or online
store. (You can always change your settings later.)
2. Choose a theme – There’s a small selection displayed,
but you can choose from more themes later.
3. Choose an address – You can go free, use your registered
domain if you‘ve already bought one, or buy one from WordPress.com.
Following these actions, you are brought directly to your site, which already has an example first post. It's a great method to preview your new website's design without having to actually compose a post.
But your new site also includes a few more items:
- At the top is a menu with links to sample About and Contact pages.
- On the right-hand side is a
Text Widget that you can customize with Text or HTML, and a Search Bar.
- And at the bottom of the screen
are some social sharing icons alongside the WordPress.com branding as this
is a free plan.
Managing your site
WordPress.com has a similar menu to Blogger for managing your
site:
From the four sections of the left-hand menu you can:
- Check site stats and the
different plan options
- Create and view your blog
posts, pages, and media
- Change the theme and appearance
of your site
- Configure social sharing, users,
plugins, domains, and settings
The last option is a link to WP Admin – the same admin dashboard
that you get in WordPress.org. But you can manage most things on your site
without heading there.
Creating a blog post
At some time, you'll want to create your first blog post. The WordPress.com editor has functionality like to those in word processors, plus you may opt to code in HTML if you'd like.
If you'd like to create your blog post in Google Docs, use the WordPress.com app to upload your content and images as a draft post.
You may add media from your computer, images from your Google Photos account, or a contact form to your blog post using the insert content option in the top left corner:
The Post Settings menu is located in the right-sidebar and allows you to change the status of a blog post, assign categories and tags, upload a featured picture, and add social sharing buttons.
Personalizing your
site
The WordPress Customizer opens up lots of different options to
help you personalize your site:
You may alter fonts, menus, widgets, backgrounds, menu items, and more using the left-side menu. On the home page, you can also find edit icons that direct you to the appropriate customization page, such as the Site Identity page where you may modify your site's name and tagline.
What we like about
WordPress.com
- Simple to get started
- Easy to use and manage
- Hosted by WordPress, so no
installation issues
- Don’t have to worry about
software updates
- More social sharing options
than Blogger
What we don’t like about
WordPress.com
- You don’t own your blog;
WordPress.com can suspend and delete your account if they find you are
violating their terms of service.
- You have to pay a high premium
to use third-party themes and plugins.
WordPress.org
WordPress.org began as a simple blogging programme in 2003 but has now developed into a comprehensive Content Management System.
WordPress has developed into the most widely used self-hosted blogging platform in the world, with millions of sites using it and tens of millions of users visiting them each day.
You are not required to pay anyone a licencing fee to use the programme because it is part of the Open Source initiative.
Getting started
Starting your WordPress.org site takes a little more time and
planning than Blogger and WordPress.com because it’s a self-hosted option.
1. Choose a WordPress web
hosting service
The initial step is to look for a reliable web host. Look for a company that specialises in WordPress hosting among the many that offer web hosting.
Find the ideal host for your unique needs by reading our guide to the best managed WordPress hosting.
2. Buy a domain
After you’ve sourced a web hosting service, you’ll need to purchase a domain. Don’t be tempted to register your domain with your hosting company (even if it’s free). We register our domains.
3. Install WordPress
From host to host, WordPress installation differs. Most provide one-click installation processes that take care of everything. We have some information to aid you if your WordPress web server doesn't already contain this or if you choose to handle it yourself.
Managing your site
Once you’ve installed WordPress you can access your WordPress
Admin Dashboard:
The dashboard contains many of the same options as WordPress.com,
but they’re presented differently.
From the left-hand menu you can:
- Create and view your blog
posts, comments, pages, and media
- Change the appearance of your
site with themes and widgets
- Add more functionality with
plugins and tools
- Manage users and settings
As your site is self-hosted with WordPress.org, you are in charge of administering and maintaining it. You and your hosting partner need to fulfil the following tasks:
- Backups are essential so that, in the event of a malfunction, you can rapidly restore your website. Cheaper web hosting providers are notoriously poor at recovering your site after a malfunction and can't always be relied upon to take backups. Hosting for WordPress that is managed
- Security - You must safeguard your website from hackers. WordPress is a top target for hackers since it powers more than 25% of the internet. Again, certain web hosting providers protect you from security risks at the server level better than others.
- Software Updates: If you don't maintain WordPress, your Theme, and your Plugins up to date, your website is more susceptible to security threats. Bug patches and the bug fix updates (usually denoted as minor updates) that are more important.
Personalizing your
site
As we already saw, the WordPress Customizer allows you to modify a variety of elements, including fonts, menus, widgets, and colours and backgrounds.
Installing themes and plugins, however, gives you more options for website customization.
The default theme on WordPress.org includes designs like Twenty Seventeen, Twenty Sixteen, etc. It's okay to begin with, but sooner or later you'll likely want to install a theme of your choosing.
The official WordPress theme listings are the best place to check if you're trying to locate a free theme. Right from your admin panel, you may do searches:
You can purchase a premium theme if you can't find a free one that suits your needs. The premium themes frequently include extra features and might be market-specific.
You may increase the functionality of WordPress even further by using plugins. Again, both free and paid plugins are accessible.
These days, it's pretty typical for plugin makers to provide both a free basic version and a paid improved version. A excellent illustration are Elementor and Elementor Pro:
You can start by searching for free plugins in the WordPress.org
plugin repository, or from the admin panel:
What we like about
WordPress.org
- It’s open source and free
- Once installed it’s easy to use
and navigate
- It’s more versatile and customizable
as there are no platform restrictions
- You own your site so your
content can’t be suspended or deleted
What we don’t like
about WordPress.org
- There are more things to
consider before you can start creating content
- It takes more time to manage
and maintain
Comparison
table
Here’s a quick comparison table to recap on the key differences.
Final
Now that you are aware of the many blogging platforms, you must decide which one is ideal for you.
These are our opinions.
Blogger is excellent for new and occasional bloggers. You may gain a decent sense of what blogging is all about by starting for nothing. Before embarking on your blogging journey though, think about switching to WordPress.
The free WordPress.com plan is also excellent for new and casual bloggers. You'll learn the ropes of using WordPress and blogging in general. It is nonetheless constrained.
You must upgrade to the premium plans if you intend to use your website for commercial reasons.
Websites with a paid WordPress.com plan received 34% more monthly page views than websites without one, according to WordPress.
In addition to greater tools and possibilities, a WordPress.com premium plan offers reliable hosting. But you continue to be in rented space.
Select WordPress.org if you desire total independence. Yes, getting started is a little more difficult, but once you get going, you'll be glad you went through the early learning curve. You can design the ideal content management system thanks to the limitless customization options.
THANK YOU
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