Blogger
We'll begin by talking about Blogger.
- Google Owned
Blogger is owned by Google. This means that your blog will be put into Google's search engine much faster than if it was on a different blogging platform. Also, your blog is safer from security breaches since it is owned by Google. On top of that, your blogs are safely hosted on Google's servers so they rarely go down and almost always run smoothly.
Probably the second biggest pro of Blogger is that it is free and easy. If you sign up for a free one, you can make your own URL. As with all free hosting blog platforms, there's always something before the .com. In this case, it is BlogSpot.com. It's not really a big deal unless you expected it to be without BlogSpot in the URL. Aside from the free part, Blogger is easy to use. I use it myself as shown in my blog link above and I've got to say it is very user friendly. I'm no computer genius but I know how to use Blogger. There are plenty of templates to choose from and you can even make your own.
- Blogger Hosting
If you choose to start a free blog on Blogger, BlogSpot will be included in your URL. However, Blogger does give you the option to buy your own domain name for $10 a year. This is a big pro for those of you who wish to start your own blog because by doing this, you can skip the hosting costs.
- Blogger Gadgets
Blogger has so many different gadgets you can choose to add your blog and you can even add your own if you know the code. You can add video, news and sharing. You can put these gadgets wherever you want on your blog by changing the layout which can really make your blog look professional if done right. The social sharing gadgets are what I am interested in. You can add little gadgets that allow your blog to be shared on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Reddit and of course Google+. This is really helpful for spreading your blog because if someone likes it, all they got to do is use the gadget on your blog.
- Google AdSense
Google owns both Blogger and AdSense, so they go hand in hand. Since both are owned by Google, it is very easy to apply AdSense to your blog. You can place ads on your blog from the beginning. This is very good for people who are looking to make a little money by blogging.
- Google Owns Your Blog
Since you are using Blogger, which is owned by Google, technically you don't own your blog; Google does. This means that Google can do whatever it wants with your blog. Google also has rules you have to follow and can ban your blog if you even accidently break 1 rule.
- Fewer Templates
Blogger does have plenty of templates to choose from, but not as many as other blogging platforms like Wordpress. This means that your blog will always look similar to other BlogSpot blogs in one way or another.
- BlogSpot URL
Let's face it, if you are not willing to pay the few extra dollars a year and choose to have a free blog, BlogSpot will be included in your blog's URL. This along with fewer templates can be a huge drawback if you are wanting you make your blog look professional.
Wordpress
- Free
Just like with Blogger, you can set up a free blog on Wordpress with "wordpress" included in the URl. It's easy to sign up and start your own free blog. However, you can pay $15 for your own domain name.
- Customization
Unlike Blogger, Wordpress has many different layouts and themes to choose from. If you want to have a professional website then this is the blogging platform for you.
- Strict Monetization
When it comes to making money with your blog, Wordpress is pretty strict. Google AdSense, a type of Ad Revenue many bloggers use, is not allowed on Wordpress.
- Strict Plugins
When it comes to plugins on Wordpress as well, they are also very strict with this. You can only use what they give you unless you are willing to pay for some extra fancy features.
As you can see, Wordpress is a good site to make a self-hosted blog. However, if your goal is too make money then this blogging platform is not for you. Best blogging platform to use for money making purposes is Blogger.
Tumblr
- Simplicity
When it comes to simplicity, Tumblr has all blogging platforms beat. It is very easy to sign up for an account. It only requires a username, password and email. It also has plenty of themes to choose from.
- Community
Tumblr is a big community of other Tumblr users. It is easy to find other users on Tumblr and to follow them. Neither Blogger nor Wordpress have this kind of feature so it is very useful for finding other bloggers who use Tumblr.
- Pictures
If you mostly blog with pictures then Tumblr is for you. Tumblr is big in the fashion industries because of all the pictures you can post on Tumblr daily. So, if you want to blog using pictures then Tumblr is for you.
- Young Community
Tumblr is mostly made up of young teenagers. If your blog is designed not just for teenagers then you might be using the wrong blogging platform.
- Following
I know that I said Tumblr was great because you could follow other active interesting blogs but this is also a con. Why? Because there is no way to find groups of people like on Twitter. You have to accidently find interesting Tumblr users.
- No Long Posts
Many bloggers like to write out long posts about anything from their personal life to expressing their views and opinions. Tumblr is not designed for this. Tumblr is designed for pictures, short videos or short witty posts. So if you are wanting to write long posts then Tumblr is not for you.
- No Money
Tumblr is not a blogging platform that you can use to make money. Blogger is perfect for making money because you can easily use Google AdSense. On Tumblr, the only way you can make money is by promoting your own products because revenue sites like Google AdSense are not allowed.
