wordpress maintainence

The ThemeForest Marketplace alone has more than 8,000 exclusive WordPress themes for sale

WordPress themes are available as free and commercial products that can be uploaded to your website to transform its appearance. These themes cover almost every type of website and project imaginable — from stylish blogs and business websites to online portfolios and ecommerce stores.

There are currently more than 47,000 free plugins to extend the WordPress functionally

Your WordPress website can also make use of plugins, which add new features to your website or customize the existing WordPress functionality. They can make simple changes to your site, such as giving you more formatting options, or make impressive upgrades that allow you to sell products and collect payments from your website.

At the CodeCanyon Marketplace, you’ll find nearly 5,000 commercial WordPress plugins

worpress maintainence

As well as the free plugins available at the official WordPress Plugin Directory and the commercial plugins at the CodeCanyon marketplace (not to mention those available elsewhere), you’re also free to create a plugin yourself or hire someone to build it for you.

Verdict: With countless themes and plugins already available, as well as the ability to customize how your website works and looks yourself, WordPress wins here.

5) Ownership and Control

Another important point to consider is who owns your website and its content. As the only option for keeping your Blogger website online is to let Google host it, you’ll be bound by their terms and conditions. Having your Google account shut down isn’t outside the realms of possibility, and, if it does happen, it could be the end of your website.

As you own your WordPress website and the software is open source, you’re free to use it how you wish. Your web host will have their own terms of service that you’ll have to follow, but, if you fall foul of their rules, you’ll have the option of moving your WordPress website to another web hosting company.

Both Blogger and WordPress give you the ability to back up your website, and, whichever option you choose, this is something you should definitely do regularly. It’s also possible to migrate from both platforms to elsewhere, but you should expect to lose some formatting and settings during the transition.

Like WordPress, Google doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. However, Google has been known to shut down its services in the past, even popular ones such as Google Reader. So, even though Google should be in business for the foreseeable future, there’s no guarantee Blogger will be safe from extinction.

WordPress, on the other hand, is open source software that, in theory, anyone can work on. No one owns the software, so even if every member of the current team of developers stopped work on the software today, it’s highly likely their roles would be filled almost instantly by willing volunteers. Furthermore, with so many businesses reliant on WordPress, there’d be many companies willing to pitch in to keep the software alive.

Verdict: WordPress gives you more control over your website and its content.

6) Support and Maintenance

One of the best reasons to choose Blogger over WordPress is that your website is hosted by Google and there’s very little you can do to break your blog. Features and functionality may be limited, but the payoff is that the service is simple to use and requires almost zero maintenance on your part.

Get help at the WordPress support forums

In comparison, WordPress is a lot more open and configurable. As mentioned, you can install plugins from a wide range of sources, edit the code yourself, and customize your website in any way you want. The downside of this freedom is that things can — and do — go wrong.

Thankfully, there’s a large WordPress community and ecosystem to turn to should a problem arise with your website. As well as the official free user support forums, there are many commercial support services that will help you with your WordPress website for a fee. Your web host may even provide you with some assistance.

Blogger does lack the support options of WordPress. However, if you’re using Blogger, you probably won’t need them.

Verdict: While there’s always someone to turn to if something goes wrong with your WordPress website, this category is a draw as it’s unlikely you’ll need any help with your Blogger website because of its low-maintenance and hassle-free nature.

7) Community

As part of the vibrant WordPress community, regular WordCamp events are held around the world, and many WordPress meetups also take place on a smaller scale. Therefore, if you want to take your website to the next level, get involved with the community, and network with other users, these offline events can be a real plus. Furthermore, there are countless blogs about WordPress publishing news, guides, tutorials, and reviews of the latest products and developments from the WordPress ecosystem.

When it comes to community and ecosystem, Blogger can’t compete with WordPress. There are very few third-party products and services to choose from, hardly any blogs to read, and nothing like an alternative to the passionate WordPress userbase.

Verdict: If community is important to you, whether online or off, WordPress is hard to beat.

8) Potential

Both Blogger and WordPress make it easier than ever to start a basic website. If you’ve been holding off launching your own blog or website, there’s really no excuse not to get started.

However, what happens after you’ve taken the plunge and launched your new website? Blogger does make things exceedingly easy when it comes to starting a new blog and publishing your first post. However, the great thing about the internet is that almost anything can, and usually does, happen. Your humble blog could become hugely popular, or your basic website could start opening up new opportunities that turn your hobby into a business.

Although Blogger makes it easier to start and manage a website, it just doesn’t offer the same potential for growth as WordPress. There are a few more steps during the WordPress setup process, and you’ll have to pay out a few dollars a month to keep your WordPress website online.

However, when it comes to the website’s potential, WordPress really can’t be beaten. As we’ve covered, if you want to sell products online, accept bookings, or use your website for almost any purpose, WordPress and its library of plugins are willing and able.

For a tiny bit more effort, WordPress won’t limit your online aspirations now or in the future, whereas with Blogger it really is a case of what you see is what you get. There are no new features that can be added with plugins, and there’s no access to the underlying code. New capabilities aren’t being added on a regular basis as they are with WordPress.

Verdict: if you don’t want to be limited or constrained by your website platform (either now or in the future), then WordPress wins. It offers the greatest amount of potential for growth of your website.

WordPress vs Blogger: Which Should You Choose?

Both WordPress and Blogger have their pros and cons, and it’s up to you to decide which one is best for your project. Before you make a decision, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions to understand your needs.

The most important question is: What’s the purpose of your website?

If you just want a functional, basic blog and aren’t worried about a stylish or modern design, then Blogger may be the best option. There’s also Blogger’s lack of a price tag to take into account.

However, if you have big plans for your blog, then WordPress is the better option. The countless plugins available enable you to add the essential features your site will need to grow and stand out among the competition, and the vast selection of high-quality WordPress themes will give you an easy way to ensure your website has the right look and feel. These points also apply if your blog or website will be used for business purposes.

Some other questions to ponder include: Are you prepared to invest money in a domain name, web hosting, and possibly plugins and themes? Are you willing to take the time to learn how to use a more advanced solution? Are you ready to resolve any issues if they arise? If you can answer yes to those questions, then WordPress could be right for you. Otherwise, the no-hassle approach of Blogger may be best.