When you are starting out, you may not understand all the choices available to you in blogging software. Here are some basics about each service to give you a broad overview.

Blogger: Most people are aware of Blogger. They offer free blogs that live on their servers. Many people start out with Blogger because it’s free, but then they get frustrated at certain limitations with the software. The domain name will include blogger.com or blogspot.com and not your own domain name. You can customize this buy purchasing a domain name (usually about $10). Did you know in their Terms of Service (#4), they tell you they are not responsible if your blog completely disappears? What about all your posts? Your wonderful writings?

Typepad: Many bloggers use Typepad. Typepad charges anywhere from $4.95 to $29.95 a month for their blogging service. They allow you to customize your blog domain name so it doesn’t include typepad.com but that starts in the $8.95/month package. Honestly I virtually know only a few bloggers who use Typepad, so I’m not sure of any limitations or downside (other than their charges).

WordPress.com: WordPress.com is separate from WordPress.org. WordPress.com offers you a free blog stored on their servers. If you want your own custom domain name (not including the wordpress.com part), then you can register it and pay for an upgrade from your free WordPress.com account. They do have some Plugins installed and available on WordPress.com but it is limited. You have more freedom using WordPress.org on your own web server.

WordPress.org: WordPress.org describes the software you run on your own web server. While you pay a small fee to have a web server account plus the fee for the domain name, everything is under your control. You can install whatever Plugins and Themes you want. You can even install a Plugin that will back-up your blog and email you the back-up every day or every week. You decide. The latest version of WordPress also makes it super easy to edit your posts and do the things you want to do.

Yes, I’m biased towards WordPress.org I’ve used it for years and love, love, love it! I’m also a slight control freak.

Do you have any questions about the different services available? Are you using a service that you find frustrating?