Choosing between WordPress and Blogger feels simple on the surface — “one is popular, the other is free”. But once you start actually building a blog, you realise the choice matters a lot. I’ve helped dozens of people set up blogs (and made the same mistakes myself), so here’s a straightforward guide based on what works in real life — not just marketing talk.
By the end of this, you’ll know which platform suits your goals, comfort level, and long-term plans.
Quick Verdict (Before We Start)
📌 Choose Blogger if:
You want something free and simple, with minimal setup or learning curve.
📌 Choose WordPress (Self-Hosted) if:
You want control, customization, monetization, and long-term growth.
Now let’s break it down with real reasons why.
1. Cost (What You Actually Pay)
Blogger
✔ Free forever
✔ Blogger hosting included
✔ No domain cost (optional custom domain)
Reality:
It’s practically zero cost, which is great for beginners or hobby blogs.
WordPress (Self-Hosted)
✔ WordPress software is free
✘ You need hosting
✘ You need a domain
Hosting and domain together usually cost around ₹2,000-₹6,000/year (can be lower on budget plans).
Real talk:
Yes, WordPress costs a little money. But that small investment gets you ownership, flexibility, and control.
2. Ease of Use (Beginners vs Do-It-Yourself)
Blogger
⭐ Extremely Easy
- Minimal setup
- No maintenance
- Simple editor
- Google account linked
You can start posting right after login.
WordPress
⭐ Slightly Steeper Learning Curve
- Needs setup (hosting, domain, theme)
- Dashboard has many options
- Plugins to learn
But once you learn it, you’ll never look back.
My experience:
Most beginners struggle only once — when setting up WordPress for the first time. After that, editing and publishing is easy.
3. Customization & Design
Blogger
- Limited themes
- Limited layout control
- Simple widgets
Good for personal or simple blogs, not much else.
WordPress
- Thousands of free & paid themes
- Full layout control
- Custom CSS
- Page builders (Elementor, Gutenberg)
If you ever want a unique, professional blog look, WordPress wins easily.
4. Plugins & Features
Blogger
❌ No plugins
Only basic built-in features.
WordPress
✅ 50,000+ plugins
You can add:
- SEO tools
- Contact forms
- Caching & speed tools
- E-commerce
- Membership systems
Real benefit:
You don’t need to code anything. Plugins make WordPress powerful.
5. SEO & Growth Potential
Blogger
✔ Basic SEO possible
✔ Google indexing okay
But you don’t get advanced control.
WordPress
✔ Advanced SEO plugins (Yoast, Rank Math)
✔ Better site structure
✔ Faster performance with proper setup
If you care about traffic growth, WordPress has the edge.
6. Monetization (Can You Earn Money Easily?)
Blogger
✔ You can add AdSense
✔ Simple affiliate links
But features are limited.
WordPress
✔ AdSense, Ad Manager plugins
✔ Affiliate sites
✔ E-commerce
✔ Paid courses
✔ Membership content
✔ Direct ads
You can truly turn it into a business, not just a blog.
7. Ownership & Control
Blogger
Google can suspend or remove features anytime.
It’s THEIR platform — you’re just hosting content there.
WordPress
You own everything:
- Domain
- Content
- Database
- SEO
No one can take it down (unless you violate laws).
This matters if you’re serious about blogging as a long-term plan.
8. Support & Community
Blogger
Limited support
Mostly forums and tutorials
WordPress
Huge community
Millions of tutorials, videos, forums, courses
You can always find help for:
- Themes
- Plugins
- SEO
- Speed
- Security
That’s a big real-world advantage.
9. Security
Blogger
✔ Google handles security
✔ Less hacking risk
But you have no control.
WordPress
✘ You must manage security
But you can use:
- Security plugins
- Backups
- SSL certificates
More work, but more control.
For serious blogs, this is worth learning.
10. Speed & Performance
Blogger
✔ Simple, lightweight
✔ Pages load fast early on
WordPress
✔ Can be very fast
✘ Needs optimization
But with proper hosting and basic speed setup, WordPress often outperforms Blogger, especially as traffic grows.
Pros & Cons — Side-by-Side
Blogger
Pros
✔ Free
✔ Easy to start
✔ No maintenance
Cons
✘ Limited customization
✘ Limited growth
✘ Not ideal for business
WordPress
Pros
✔ Full control
✔ Powerful features
✔ Unlimited growth
✔ Professional options
Cons
✘ A bit of learning
✘ Small cost involved
✘ Needs maintenance
When Blogger Makes Sense
✅ You want a simple personal blog
✅ You don’t care about SEO or growth
✅ You don’t want to pay for hosting
✅ You just want to write and share
It’s okay for:
- Personal diaries
- Small hobby blogs
- Simple project pages
When WordPress Is Better
✅ Real blog with traffic goals
✅ You want ads, affiliate income
✅ You want full design control
✅ You want long-term growth
✅ You want your own brand
Most serious blogs — tech, lifestyle, business — choose WordPress.
2 Personal Tips (Honest Advice)
1. Start simple, but choose WordPress if you might grow later.
Switching later is painful.
2. Learn WordPress basics early.
A few hours learning dashboard, posts, theme, and plugins makes a huge difference.
Final Thoughts (Straight, No Hype)
Both Blogger and WordPress are useful — but for different purposes.
👉 Blogger is quick and free — great to start and test ideas.
👉 WordPress is professional and future-proof — great for growth, traffic, and monetization.
If you want a simple personal space to write — go with Blogger.
If you want a blog that can grow into a real website or business — WordPress is the better choice.
And if you want, tell me your exact goal (study blog, tech blog, business niche), and I’ll recommend which one suits you specifically — with step-by-step next steps.