Bloggers: Should You Use Blogger.Com or WordPress?
Blogger.Com (also referred to as Blogspot) and WordPress are the 2 maximum usually used running blog structures. Blogger.Com turned into a pioneer in running a blogging enterprise, permitting users to install bills and weblog without cost starting in 1999. Blogger.Com was bought via Google in 2003, which enabled it to grow the use of Google’s assets. Today, Blogger.Com has an undisclosed quantity of tens of millions of users blogging on their gadgets.
WordPress commenced in 2003 because of the successor to any other (now distinctly unknown) running a blog gadget. It has considering end up the weblog platform of choice for most running blog experts. There are presently over two million energetic users of WordPress.Com, and hundreds of thousands of others have downloaded various versions of the WordPress code.
Using the Blogger setup mandates that your weblog be hosted on their servers. In contrast, blogs walking on the WordPress platform can be hosted at WordPress.Com, or the WordPress software can be downloaded and used for your choice of internet hosts. Below are a number of the key functions of Blogger.Com versus the 2 variations of WordPress setups.
Blogger.Com Features
- Free web hosting for up to one GB well worth of space
- Blog content material is maintained on Blogger.Com web servers.
- Ability to pick out and customize templates (restricted flexibility)
- Easy to get began; smooth to use
- Upload and shop picture files and video files
WordPress.Com Features
- Free web hosting for up to 3GB well worth of area
- Blog content material is maintained on WordPress.Com internet servers.
- Ability to choose and customize templates (constrained flexibility)
- Easy to get started; clean to use
- Upload and save photograph, video, and different (restricted) file formats
WordPress Self-Hosted Features
- Blog content is maintained on a person’s favored net host.
- Nearly unlimited potential to select and customize templates and widgets
- It takes some technical potential to set up and configure.
- Files assist restricted handiest by way of web server, which likely approaches genuinely unlimited.
Who Uses Which
A quick perusal of a few of the various blogs walking on the Blogspot.Com area as opposed to people who use one of the WordPress setups (debts on WordPress.Com and self-hosted blogs the use of WordPress software program) shows that Blogspot.Com is more normally used for people who blog about their families, pets, and different private varieties of subjects. Compared to WordPress users, Blogger.Com users are commonly no longer “expert” bloggers, even though there are plenty of Common Joe bloggers who monetize their Blogspot blogs and make a residing doing it.
Self-hosted WordPress blogs lean extra in the direction of professional entities that have an IT individual or branch that handles their renovation. They are often more formal. Because WordPress.Com is similar in its functionality to Blogger.Com, blogs the usage of WordPress.Com are just like Blogger blogs in content material, clearly more excellent casual or personal than self-hosted WordPress blogs.
Cost
Blogspot money owed is unfastened. So are accounts on WordPress.Com. However, if you need to do any huge customization of your WordPress.Com-hosted weblog, you may pay to upgrade to their Custom CSS club, which expenses $14.97 in line with 12 months. WordPress.Com accounts can be upgraded to give you extra disk space($19.97/12 months for 5GB up to $89. Ninety-seven/12 months for 25GB), limitless person bills in your weblog($29. Ninety-seven/yr), and the ability to add films (Blogger.Com clearly has this aid built-in.) on your blog ($fifty nine.97/12 months). If your weblog runs on the WordPress platform downloadable from WordPress.Org, your expenses are dependent upon your web hosting account, which could price as little as $five.00 consistent with the month or as a lot as hundreds of dollars month-to-month.
Flexibility
Because WordPress is open supply software, it gives skilled bloggers an awful lot greater flexibility when customizing a blog. When you download and deploy WordPress, you’ve completely gotten entry to the database and the PHP, CSS, and photograph documents that include the WordPress running a blog platform. In contrast to Blogger’s platform, having improved access to the complete gadget permits customers to be as innovative as they want to be. This flexibility does no longer exist to nearly the extent with accounts that are hosted on WordPress.Com. One bonus that WordPress.Com does provide is the capability to host files aside from honest snapshots. MS PowerPoint files, Word (.doc) and Open Office (.Odt) word processing documents, and PDF documents can be uploaded and stored to be used on a WordPress.Com account.
Although Blogger allows and encourages customers of their setup to customize their blogs adding Google gadgets and converting layouts, I’ve located that there is lots of guesswork worried while seeking to determine out a way to manipulate their XML schema, that is used to customize templates past including gadgets and changing layouts. When I customize blogs hosted on Blogger’s device, I often experience being abstracted from their lower degree setup. Some of Blogger’s XML tags are documented, but that documentation is sparse. When I’m customizing a Blogspot weblog, it is as though I’m throwing my paintings over a wall and then checking to look at what I get lower back. This interface may be frustrating.
A comparison this is noteworthy among every of these weblog systems is the ability to categorize posts. Greater flexibility exists with each WordPress.Com-hosted blogs and self-hosted ones use the WordPress software program than with Blogger.Com. Categories have created the use of Labels on Blogger.Com blogs. This setup does now not allow for sub-categories on the Blogger account. Sub-categories are a natural part of both WordPress.Com and self-hosted WordPress blogs.
Ease of Use
For the layman blogger, getting commenced with blogging on Blogger’s platform is the most effective of obligations. You create an account, select a template, and begin writing away. The interface may be very straightforward for customers of Blogger. WordPress.Com is similar, slightly more complicated. WordPress self-hosted blogs require users to download the software program, upload it to a server, configure database settings, and run the setup software blanketed with the software. This manner is entirely truthful for someone with IT to enjoy; however, it is a little intimidating for maximum other human beings.
Once a weblog is set up with any of these structures, its use is quickly sufficient regardless of which one you choose. However, of all the interfaces, Blogger.Com might be the very best to apprehend and navigate.
Security and Updates
WordPress has had records of vulnerability to hacks. To limit that hazard, it’s far encouraged that WordPress users be vigilant, approximately keeping their websites. Specifically, WordPress blog owners’ website hosting they own blogs are recommended to preserve up with present-day updates. Blogger customers can basically allow the Blogger improvement group to fear about hacks. Because the blog information is kept on Blogger’s servers, there’s tons much less chance that Blogger websites can be hacked.
