WordPress vs. Blogger

Read our Wordpress vs Blogger review to learn more about Wordpress and Blogger blogging software. Learn about the benefits of Wordpress versus Blogger to find out which blogging software will work the best for you.  

Blogger was one of the first tools for blog-publishing, launching in 1999. WordPress is a free publishing platform for blogs that followed up on b2/cafelog and was first released under the new name in 2003 and is found at wordpress.org. How do you choose between them? Read on for information that compares Blogger versus WordPress.org.

WordPress.org

WordPress claims to be the "largest" blogging tool that is self-hosted. WordPress comes in two flavors: the full version at wordpress.org and a more limited version at wordpress.com. This WordPress vs Blogger comparison covers the wordpress.org version. The main features of WordPress at wordpress.org according to the folks at WordPress are:

• it runs on hosts with a PHP version that is at least 4.3 and a MySQL version that is at least 4.0
• the code is completely modifiable in every respect
• the code complies with all World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standards
• changes are reflected immediately
• you can combine static pages with blogging content
• you can maintain multiple blogs through an administration interface
• its theme system allows the use of multiple themes on one site
• it supports Trackback and Pingback for linking between websites
• you can set up comments and enable or disable them
• it supports spam-protection
• you can have your readers register
• you can password-protect posts
• you can easily import other blogs
• upgrades are easy
• you can have multiple authors and up to ten user levels
• a hosted version of WordPress is available through wordpress.com

Blogger

In comparison, Blogger started as a project created by three friends and was bought by Google in 2002. The main features of Blogger according to the folks at Blogger are:

• it's free
• set up is easy and is supported by video tutorial
• the interface is simple to use
• it has an automatic save function
• it has a spell-check feature
• an HTML editor allows you to customize your posts
• you can run your blog on a subdomain of Blogger (i.e., http://www.<yourblogname>.blogspot.com) or with a domain name you've registered (but still hosted by Blogger). You can even register a domain name through Blogger.
• templates are provided, but you can customize them
• you can use AdSense ads on your blog
• you can add photos and videos to your blog posts
• you can set up comments, moderate comments, and your blog can send email notifications when there are new posts
• your blog can run under your Google account, allowing you to consolidate your online persona for email, documents, blogging, and other Google functions
• forty-one languages are supported
• mobile blogging is supported
• group blogging is supported
• a range of third-party applications that Blogger integrates with are available
• developers can create new applications to integrate with Blogger
• a feature called Blogger Buzz alerts bloggers to new developments in the software and site

Pros and Cons

Since the WordPress and Blogger features don't provide a head-to-head comparison, let's look at some areas for a direct compare-and-contrast of WordPress vs Blogger:

• Set-up with Blogger is easier and faster, partly because you can host your blog with them. With WordPress, you have to handle more administrative and set-up functions.
• Google's terms of service mean that they have a license to use your material in any way they want. The terms of service say: " By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive licence to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services." The license also states that Google may terminate or suspend your service and/or your account at any time and for any reason.

Terms are similar on wordPpress.com, but you don't have to use wordpress.com. A WordPress site can be hosted on your domain on a site you choose, under terms of service that are likely to be far more favorable to you. Check out some Wordpress tips and tricks to make the most of your Wordpress site.

• Using Google AdSense is easier with Blogger than WordPress 
• The greater flexibility in WordPress compared to Blogger comes at the price of needing more time and skill to access it.
• Reports say that posts to Blogger can take much longer to appear than posts to WordPress
• Blogger is free and with  WordPress, you need to provide a domain name and site, which comes at some (though perhaps a minimal) yearly charge. Alternatively, you can host with wordpress.com, but the version of WordPress used there has limitations, which are explained here: en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/please-read-me-first-before-posting?replies=1
• Blogger provides you with automatic hosting that fits the application, but with WordPress, there are some host requirements that will be up to you to meet when you choose your web host.
• A large number of plug-ins and themes make WordPress far more extensible than Blogger.
• WordPress has a more professional reputation than Blogger.
• The "Next Blog" feature on Blogger means that your friend/relative/customer could move directly from your site to – anything anyone anywhere has chosen to post. This could be potentially extremely embarrassing. Some "horror stories" have been posted about just this kind of thing happening. With WordPress running on your own site, this kind of thing simply can't happen.
• WordPress offers built-in statistics whereas Blogger allows third party tracker scripts.
• Static pages are possible in WordPress, but not Blogger.
• WordPress has built-in contact forms, while Blogger can only add them with a third-party tool.

Both WordPress and Blogger have a lot of great benefits. Hopefully this WordPress vs Blogger comparison will give you a better idea of which will work the best for your blogging needs.