Typepad Vs. Wordpress Vs. Blogger

By Jason Spidle

Choosing a blogging platform is the first step to starting your own blog.
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Typepad, WordPress and Blogger are among the most used blogging platforms on the Internet thanks to each system's ease of use. No matter which platform you choose, you can be blogging in a matter of minutes with any of the three systems. There are key differences between the three that can play a major role in determining which is right for you.

Costs and Hosting

The costs and hosting options for these blogging platforms are the most substantial differences between them. Blogger is probably the simplest, in that it is free and hosted on the Blogger website. There is no special software to install, but you can point your blog to a custom domain if you choose. WordPress is also free, and you have the option of installing the software on your personal server or using the WordPress hosting service. If you need more flexibility and storage for a WordPress-hosted blog, there are paid upgrades available. Like Blogger, Typepad only offers a hosted solution; unlike the other two platforms, there are no free options. The basic service starts at $8.95 per month, as of February 2013.

Design

If you lack Web design experience, all three platforms offer templates that make it easy to customize the look and feel of your blog, through WordPress and Typepad have far more extensive catalogs then Blogger due to the open source nature of their platforms. Any Web designer can customize and upload a theme to the WordPress or Typepad theme directory. Users can then download and apply those templates to a blog for free. WordPress and Typepad also have extremely active communities creating sophisticated paid themes for enterprise users. While Blogger may have fewer themes, the ability to customize fonts, color and other elements of those themes it supports is far simpler, using the Blogger Template Designer. All three systems feature a drag and drop interface for adding or removing elements to a blog's sidebar, header and footer.

Extensibility

One of the major strengths of WordPress over Typepad and Blogger is support for plug-ins. These small bits of code can be installed directly from the plug-in directory of each respective content management system. Plug-ins can greatly enhance the functionality of the blogging platform. Some examples include integrating social networks like Facebook or Twitter, modifying or enhancing the functionality of core blog elements like the comment section, and embedding analytics software to keep track of your traffic. While Typepad and Blogger lack true plug-in support, there are widgets available that approximate the power of WordPress extensions. Alternatively, if you are experienced with Web design, modifying the core Typepad or Blogger code is an option for adding features to your blog.

Monetization

Because Blogger is owned by Google, it is incredibly easy to integrate Google Adsense advertisements into your blog if you want to start making some money off your traffic. Google ownership also ensures that Blogger posts are quickly indexed by Google and available in search results before many other properties. Typepad and WordPress can also be monetized with ease, thanks to aforementioned plug-ins and widgets. Both platforms feature Google AdSense extensions, in addition to a bevy of other extensions that integrate your blog with just about any ad network.

Other Features

Blogger may lack for themes and plug-ins, but the limited feature set does make the system easier to use, particularly for beginners. No installation of software is required and everything you need is immediately available the moment you sign up for the service. For those who prefer to use open source software, WordPress is the only system among the three that features an open source license. As for Typepad, the subscription fee required to use the platform largely funds the customer service offered by the company. Unlike Blogger and WordPress, you can expect to receive help from a human almost immediately should you run into issues.

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