A Comparison of TypePad Pro & WordPress
WordPress is a free blogging platform. TypePad Pro is the commercial version of that company's blogging service. WordPress and TypePad Pro have varying features that could make one more suitable than the other for a particular blogger. Prospective users of WordPress and TypePad Pro should compare the features to determine which service is better for their particular blogging needs.
Other People Are Reading
-
Price
-
All versions of WordPress are free. TypePad Pro is a commercial product. As of the time of publication, the price is $8.95 per month for the Plus service, $14.95 per month for the Unlimited and $29.95 per month for a TypePad Pro Premium account. The Unlimited and Premium accounts have various additional features that account for the price difference.
Installation
-
Both WordPress and all TypePad Pro versions allow you to either publish a blog on the company's website or integrate a blog on your own domain. TypePad Pro has personal support if you need help installing a blog on your website. WordPress does not have personal support. However, if you have limited technical knowledge, you can follow the 5-minute installation plan from WordPress. If you have a web host that uses Fantastico, you can install WordPress in a few minutes with little to no technical knowledge.
-
Personal Support
-
All versions of the TypePad Pro service have personal tech support. WordPress has no personal support at all. You can post questions in the WordPress forums, but you may or may not get an answer.
Design Options
-
TypePad Pro accounts come with thousands of blog designs. The basic WordPress installation has just a few designs (themes). However, if you are willing to install your own WordPress themes, you can access hundreds of them on the "Free Themes Directory" section of the WordPress website.
Publishing Limitations
-
Both TypePad Pro and WordPress permit unlimited storage capacity. However, TypePad Pro limits the amount of uploads on a monthly basis. The limits are 150 MB for the Plus account, 1,000 MB for Unlimited and 2,000 MB for the Premium service. There is no such limitation for WordPress. However, for both services, keep in mind that your Web host will have its own storage limitations.
Social Media
-
TypePad Pro comes enabled with features to link to social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. With WordPress, you need to manually add the like buttons and other features or find a plugin or other third-party service to incorporate these social-media networks into your blog. You can find the "Add New" panel in the "Plugins" section of your WordPress administration panel to search for and install a social-media toolbar.
E-Commerce Integration
-
TypePad Pro has built-in integration of payment buttons and affiliate links for eBay, PayPal, Google and Amazon. With WordPress, you need to manually add these e-commerce tools.
Personal Considerations
-
For bloggers who do not need any more additional features than what TypePad Pro provides, getting this paid service could save time otherwise spent on manually installing these various features. You have to decide for yourself whether the time involved in learning and doing these tasks is worth the free price of WordPress. Only you know your own personal time constraints and level of technical knowledge or willingness to learn new techniques.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
