If you’re unsure whether to start a blog with WordPress in 2023, then this blog is for you.
In this article, I’ll explain Why I Choose WordPress over Blogger? and how it stacks up against its rival, Blogger. So, if you want to know why you should use WordPress for your blog, keep reading.
And for a step-by-step guide on how to start a successful blog, be sure to check out our recommended resource.
By the end of this blog, you’ll know which blogging platform to choose. I’ll walk you through the advantages and disadvantages of WordPress and share essential resources you’ll need to get started.
But before we dive in, let me introduce you to WordPress and its various types. So, keep reading to learn more.
Read More >>> 18 Reasons Why You Should Start A Blog in 2023
What is WordPress and Types?
WordPress is a popular content management system that was first introduced in 2003. It is a free and open-source software that is developed by a community of individuals who are passionate about improving the platform.
One of the key benefits of WordPress is that it is licensed under the General Public License (GPL), which means that anyone can modify the core code and distribute it for free.
This has led to a large and active community of developers who create plugins, themes, and other add-ons for the platform.
WordPress is used by more than 40% of websites around the world, making it the most popular content management system available.
It has a massive community of 60 million users, including me, who use it to grow their businesses or share their experiences.
You might be surprised to know that WordPress actually comes in two different types:
👉 WordPress.com and
👉 WordPress.org.
Many beginners get confused at this point because they have to figure out the differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org, and decide which one to use.
But don’t worry, take a deep breath and keep reading. I’m here to help and ensure you don’t have any silly questions left unanswered.
Difference in between WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
I’m sure you’re already familiar with the two most popular blogging platforms, WordPress and Blogger. But as I explained you that WordPress has two types?
One is free to use, while the other requires a monthly subscription plan. Let me explain each one in more detail.
What is WordPress.com?
If I summarize, WordPress.com is a platform that offers both free and paid plans. Here are the highlights:
- You can create a website for free with unlimited web hosting and up to 3GB storage.
- It has inbuilt themes and basic plugins, but does not allow installing external ones.
- Monetizing your blog with third party ads like Google Adsense is not allowed.
- Your blog will display WordPress.com ads and you will not earn anything from them.
- To enjoy the best premium features, you must purchase their monthly subscription plans.
- You have some flexibility to remove WordPress.com ads and use external themes or plugins, but you must upgrade to a paid plan.
While it’s true that you can remove WordPress.com ads and use external themes or plugins by upgrading to a monthly subscription plan, it’s important to note that even the lowest personal plan starts at a minimum of $70/year.
WordPress.com has limitations and may not be the best choice for those looking to build a long-term, profitable business.
However, with WordPress.org, you have complete control over your blog and can choose your own hosting provider. That’s why I recommend choosing WordPress.org instead of WordPress.com.
What is WordPress.org?
WordPress.org is a platform where you can create your own website or blog and have full control over it. You can customize it as much as you want and even make money through ads or affiliate marketing.
The best part is that it’s completely free to use and has all the features that WordPress.com offers, except for free website hosting. Since it’s a self-hosted platform, you will need web hosting to use it.
But don’t worry, you can purchase affordable web hosting for under $20 a year from Hostinger and even use the promo code for an extra discount.
WordPress.org Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Complete control and customization options
- Access to over 55K+ plugins available in the WordPress directory to use for free
- No limitations on website functionality and design
- Access to free premium external themes or plugins.
- WordPress allows monetizing blog using AdSense or any 3rd party affiliate networks.
Cons:
- WordPress does not offer free web hosting & domain, which means you need a minimum investment of $30.
- Users are responsible for website security, updates, and backup.
I’m confident that you now have a good understanding of WordPress and why WordPress.org is the better choice over WordPress.com.
From now on, when we mention WordPress, we are referring to WordPress.org and not WordPress.com.
Now, let’s discuss What is Blogger, and later, I’ll explain how to set up a blog using WordPress.org.
What is Blogger and How it Works?
If you’re not familiar with Blogger, it’s a blogging platform that’s owned by Google. Google acquired Blogger in 2003, around the same time that WordPress was introduced.
However, Blogger hasn’t seen much improvement since then, which is why WordPress is currently dominating the market.
The best thing about Blogger is that it’s completely free to use and you don’t have to pay any monthly fees.
You can display Adsense ads or any other type of advertising on your site, as well as promote affiliate products. All you need is a Gmail account to sign up, and you can start your blog instantly.
However, keep in mind that there are limitations to using Blogger.
Here are the Pros and Cons of using Blogger:
Pros:
- Blogger offers free, unlimited hosting for your website.
- It can handle unlimited traffic to your website.
- You can have a free subdomain with a “.blogspot.com” ending.
- You can monetize your blog with Google Adsense or other partnered advertisers.
- You can customize your blog with external or inbuilt themes.
Cons:
- There is no feature to integrate external plugins like WordPress.
- You need to manually add and remove Adsense ad codes within every blog post.
- Content that violates Google’s guidelines will be immediately taken down.
- Blog post URLs contain dates and years, making future updates challenging.
- Images must be manually compressed or optimized since there are no plugins available.
- You need to manually backup your website since there is no plugin for it.
- Google also monitors your content, so you are not the only owner of your blog.
This is just a summary of the Pros and Cons of using Blogger. If I listed them all, the list would be endless. Blogger is suitable for those who blog for fun, but if you aim to build a business around it, WordPress would be a better choice.
WordPress vs Blogger Which One i Suggest?
To be honest, I haven’t encountered any major issues with WordPress and you can enjoy an excellent blogging experience with an investment of up to $50 per year including everything you need.
Any drawbacks you may have observed can be resolved with the help of free plugins, without any additional investment. For example, for security issues, you can use the Akismet Anti Spam plugin and connect with Cloudflare.
You can use the UpdraftPlus free plugin for website backup and the ShortPixel plugin for image optimization.
Creating a blog with Blogger may be suitable for those who do not have even $30 per year to invest in building their future business. However, WordPress provides greater flexibility to customize your blog according to your business needs and money-making ideas.
WordPress has numerous advantages over Blogger, including a large community that is constantly working to improve WordPress features and functionality.
I hope I have cleared all your doubts and demonstrated the advantages of using WordPress. Now, let me show you the necessary steps to set up your first blog.
How to Setup WordPress Blog?
Setting up a WordPress blog requires three main components: web hosting, domain name, and theme.
Web Hosting for WordPress
Web hosting is essential for a WordPress website, as it stores website files and makes them accessible on the internet.
The market is flooded with numerous choices. However, after personally trying out various hosting providers, I wholeheartedly recommend BlueHost. Why? Because in my experience, their service stands out as the best.
As someone who has ventured into the world of web hosting, I understand the challenges that can arise, especially for newcomers.
But with BlueHost, you can put your worries to rest. They offer top-notch customer support, ready to resolve any issues you may encounter along the way.
Moreover, BlueHost‘s services are optimized for search engine optimization (SEO).
This means that your website will have a better chance of ranking higher in search engine results, leading to increased visibility and potential traffic.
BlueHost is a great option for WordPress web hosting, with affordable plans and features such as easy WordPress installation, automatic updates, free domain, a free SSL certificate, and 24/7 customer support.
Experience the difference with BlueHost and unlock the full potential of your website.
Use any BlueHost link, on this site to get the special discount price of $2.75 per month.
Domain Name for Blog
A domain name is the address of your website on the internet, such as www.digitalnor.com. Choose a domain name that is easy to remember, relevant to your website’s niche, and reflects your brand. You can purchase a domain name from a domain registrar, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Domain.com.
Theme for the Blog
Choosing the right theme is crucial for your website’s appearance and functionality. There are thousands of free and premium WordPress themes available.
In this list, if looking for the free theme then must use Hestia but if you have money to invest then make sure to use GeneratePress.
GeneratePress is a lightweight SEO optimized evergreen theme, you can easily customize page layouts, typography, and colors to create a professional-looking website that reflects your brand and style.
Plugins for WordPress Blog
Plugins are one of the best parts of WordPress, improving website security and performance. As a beginner, I suggest installing these recommended plugins.
- Akismet Anti-Spam and JetPack for security
- RankMath SEO for SEO optimization
- ShortPixel for image optimization
- W3 Total Cache for caching
- TinyMCE Advance for the WordPress editor
- UpdraftPlus for website backup
- Ad Inserter for auto ads placement
- Easy Table of Content for creating a table of contents.
Remember, WordPress supports only a maximum of 63 plugins, so try to minimize their use as much as possible to avoid impacting website performance.
WordPress vs Blogger : Why Choose WordPress?
If you have no budget constraints, I’m sure you’ve chosen WordPress as your blogging platform. However, to set up your blog correctly, I suggest following the planning steps provided in my “How to Start a Blog” guide.
Think of WordPress as your own personal pond where you can swim freely, while Blogger is monitored by Google. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Hi, this is a comment.
To get started with moderating, editing, and deleting comments, please visit the Comments screen in the dashboard.
Commenter avatars come from Gravatar.