Comparison

WordPress vs Tumblr – Which is Better for Blogging? (Compared)

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WordPress vs Tumblr - Which is Better for Blogging?

Are you looking for a genuine WordPress vs Tumblr comparison article? Or, not sure if you should use WordPress or Tumblr for blogging? We’ve got you covered. 

A blogging platform is a site-building application that lets you create your blog, publish posts, and share your content online. WordPress and Tumblr both are the most popular blogging platforms. Also, you might have come across many blogs built on those platforms. 

So, you might think ‘Is WordPress better than Tumblr’? Or the opposite? In this article, we’ll differentiate between them and see what the hype is about. 

Here, we’ll do a head-to-head comparison between WordPress and Tumblr on various aspects like content ownership, customization option, and more. Let’s begin!

A. Overview – WordPress vs Tumblr

Before comparing WordPress and Tumblr from various aspects, let’s take a prompt insight into them. 

What is WordPress? (Overview)

WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms. It’s a complete website building Content Management System (CMS).   

In fact, it’s open-source software, so you can use the WordPress software on as many sites as you want. Also, you can modify the software, and even distribute the modified version to others.

However, it’s important to note that WordPress is available in 2 different versions: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. 

WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform. It means that to build a WordPress website, you’ll need to find a web hosting plan and register a domain name. For more detailed information, you can check our step-by-step guide on how to create a website

WordPress.org Website
WordPress.org Website Homepage

Whereas, WordPress.com is a completely hosted blogging platform where you can simply sign up and start creating your blog. 

To get more insights, read the article on WordPress.com vs WordPress.org

Given that WordPress.org allows full freedom, we’ll refer to it when we say WordPress only. Hence, this article is a comparison between WordPress (self-hosted version) and Tumblr. 

What is Tumblr? (Overview) 

Tumblr was launched by David Carp in 2007 as a social networking and microblogging website. Later that year, Tumblr was purchased by Yahoo. Tumblr is currently owned by Automattic, a company that runs the fully hosted WordPress platform, i.e. WordPress.com. 

It’s an excellent platform for visual blogging and other articles with few words. Tumblr is a free service that even beginners can utilize. The user interface is simple to understand and use. 

Tumblr vs WordPress for Blogging
Tumblr Website Homepage

With Tumblr, you can schedule posts to go live on a specific date. This allows you to pre-load content to be auto-posted. 

Plus, Tumblr provides standard features for on-page SEO (Search Engine Optimization). For instance, you can add custom URLs, tags, and titles to your post. However, to optimize more like image alt text, meta description you’ll have to edit the HTML code of your blog.

Also, users can create and share multimedia and other types of posts on Tumblr. It’s a social networking site in itself because it allows people to communicate with one another. Many people who enjoy photography, music, or films use it as a free publishing platform.


B. Content Ownership – WordPress vs Tumblr

When it comes to blogging, content ownership is a critical topic to consider. Once you’ve started your blog, you’ll have to decide if you want to have complete control over your material. Or if you’re okay with the platform you’re using and its control over your content. 

Content Ownership on WordPress

Since WordPress is self-hosted, you’ll have full control over the content of your blog website. When you install WordPress.org on a server, the generated website will be entirely yours. 

For instance, you’re reading this article on SiteSaga.com. As you can see in the image below, the copyright entirely goes to SiteSaga itself. Thus, SiteSaga has total ownership over its content.

SiteSaga Website Example for WordPress Content Ownership - WordPress vs Tumblr
Content Ownership on WordPress

Although the hosting company’s space isn’t yours, the site and all of the content on its server are fully yours. You’re free to do whatever you want with it. You can download, transfer, or share it with others. 

Long story short, you’re the sole owner of your content on WordPress.org. 

Content Ownership on Tumblr

On the contrary, things aren’t the same on Tumblr as they are in WordPress. One of Tumbler’s unfortunate restrictions is that you don’t own your content. As stated earlier, Automattic now owns this blogging platform. It means Automattic owns both the service and your blog articles. 

Tumblr Content Ownership Terms and Conditions
Content Ownership on Tumblr

Tumblr users rent a free website to post their content. So, it’s uncertain if your blog will be alive tomorrow or not. Also, if you post inappropriate content, they may suspend your account in a matter of seconds.

Bottom Line

In terms of content ownership, Tumblr falls way behind, and with WordPress, you’re the boss of your content. 


C. Flexibility & Functionality – WordPress vs Tumblr

Flexibility is one of the most crucial features to look for in a blogging platform. You should be able to control all of the functionality and add new features to your developing blog. 

Flexibility & Functionality of WordPress

WordPress is an open-source program that is free to use. It’s simple to add and customize features as you see fit. With plugins and third-party integrations, you can easily add any kind of functionality to your WordPress blog.

On the WordPress.org plugin directory page, you’ll find 59,000+ free WordPress plugins to integrate into your blog along with tons of premium plugins. With it, you can easily and promptly customize your blog.

WordPress Plugin Directory
WordPress Plugin Directory

Also, you can design multiple forms and add online stores. It allows you to add as many WordPress SEO tools and many more. That’s not all, if you know how to code, then you can create your personalized plugins. 

In WordPress, there are tons of free and premium WordPress themes available to help you make your blog look more presentable. Also, using a simple drag and drop tool, you can easily customize your blog’s style.

In addition, you’ll have access to themes that are suitable for almost any type of website. All the available themes are of high quality and can be customized to suit your website’s needs. You can also use third-party themes that are of excellent quality.

Flexibility & functionality of Tumblr

Tumblr is a simple, social blogging platform that allows rich media such as videos and photographs. Also, it allows you to follow other uses, and participate in communities without any restriction.

It allows users to submit text, chat messages, quotes, links, images, videos, and audio files. The option to add a lot of rich media is quite beneficial for some online businesses. Tumblr features a fantastic email or text-based publishing system that makes it easy to submit attractive content to a Tumblog. 

Tumblr Flexibility - SiteSaga Website Example for WordPress Content Ownership - WordPress vs Tumblr
Tumblr Medias

Moreover, you don’t need to worry about website maintenance, speed, security, or performance. Also, you don’t need to look for a hosting company or deal with a bunch of settings. If you don’t want to, then you don’t even need to buy and register a custom domain name.

However, you won’t have rightful ownership of your website. And, if you violate Tumblr’s community guidelines, your account will be suspended at any time.

Bottom Line

When it comes to flexibility and functionality, Tumblr falls way behind WordPress. As you’ll have total control over your content on WordPress. And with its tons of plugins, you can easily have more functionality to your website. So, here WordPress is the winner.  


D. Customization Option – WordPress vs Tumblr

Customization options are crucial to personalize your blog and to make it more appealing and presentable. Being able to customize the appearance of your page adds flavor and personal identity to your content. 

Both WordPress and Tumblr provide customization options, let’s check to what extent. 

Customization Options on WordPress

WordPress is a platform that can be easily customized. You’ve complete control over every part of your blog to achieve any look you choose. Color and layout are basic customization options that are fairly simple to adjust. Furthermore, widgets and customized menus allow you to further customize your website until WordPress 5.8.

Now onwards in WordPress 5.9, you’ll get to customize every part of your site in the Editor. It also contains global styles option where you can easily make changes for typography, colors, and layout to the entire site at once.

WordPress Editor Customization Options
WordPress Editor Customization Options

Astra by Brainstorm Force and Kadence by iThemes are two of the top free WordPress themes. Both have five-star reviews and over 100,000 active installations. Full-featured premium themes are also available.

WordPress is appropriate for both novice and experienced users. After installation, beginners will have access to a user-friendly dashboard with a variety of themes and plugins. 

Advanced users, on the other hand, can dig up the code behind any of the files and tweak the required functions as they see fit.

Customization Options on Tumblr

Tumblr has a limited set of customization choices, yet personalizing your blog on Tumblr is simple. Its ability to engage with others right away is a fantastic place to begin your blogging experience.

Colors and fonts, as well as a profile image and background photos, are all simply changed. It also has themes that you may use to construct a professional-looking site with numerous pages, comment areas, social sharing buttons, and more.

Tumblr Customizing Options - SiteSaga Website Example for WordPress Content Ownership - WordPress vs Tumblr
Tumblr Customization Options

There are dozens of free and premium themes to select from. However, if you want to get the exact design for your blog, then you’ll need a premium theme. This can cost you some extra ranging from $49. 

If you have the necessary technical skills, then you can make adjustments to the HTML code. You can even code entirely on your own to further customize your blog. In short, it simply does not provide as much flexibility as WordPress.

Bottom Line

Although Tumblr comes with some customization options, it cannot outperform the limitless customization option of WordPress. Because of WordPress versatility, more than half of the websites in the world are currently built on WordPress. 


E. User-friendliness – WordPress vs Tumblr

Visitors will focus on a platform that is designed to be more user-friendly when it comes to blogging. Which do you believe is the more user-friendly of the two platforms? To learn more, scroll down.

User-friendliness of WordPress

Before you start your website using WordPress, you’ll need to buy the best hosting service, register a domain name, download, and install the software. However, after the setup is complete, it provides a simple dashboard that is suitable for beginners.

From the dashboard, you can change all of your settings, add new posts or pages, and change the look of your site. To create your blog, you can choose from thousands of settings in the theme. With WordPress, you can create a website that appears exactly how you want it to.

WordPress Dashboard Example for WordPress User-friendly
User-friendly WordPress

Since WordPress is a full-featured CMS, it offers more capability and flexibility to its users. And that includes advanced blogging choices. As a result, it may be complex and tiresome for novice and non-technical users, and a high learning curve may be required.

User-friendliness of Tumblr

However, you don’t have to look for a hosting provider or even get a domain name with Tumblr. Unlike WordPress, Tumblr makes it simple to create a site, publish content, and connect with others right away.

Tumblr makes everything simple, from opening a free account to making your first post. It has a basic UI (User Interface) with large buttons and a lot of features. Tumblr is for you if you don’t like a sophisticated dashboard.

Example for Tumblr User-friendly - SiteSaga Website Example for WordPress Content Ownership - WordPress vs Tumblr
User-friendly Tumblr

In Tumblr, every option is at the reach of your hand like finding messages, reading posts, or setting designs. It quickly allows publishing stories, multimedia, and other content. It allows users to like, reply to your posts or even share your post through their Tumblr account. Users can use handy mobile applications like Twitter, Reddit, Pinterest, etc. to share content. 

Bottom Line

Here, Tumblr takes over WordPress. With Tumblr it’s easy to create a website, you don’t need a domain name and hosting service. Moreover, the Tumblr dashboard is simple; you don’t need to spend hours on what you’re looking for. You can easily find design, messaging settings and create a website promptly. 


F. Business – WordPress vs Tumblr

As we know, most businesses are based on the online platform. Also, conventional businesses are on the verge of transforming into eCommerce. Both WordPress and Tumblr provide features for an online business. Let’s check the details. 

WordPress for Business

Without a doubt, WordPress allows for a variety of uses, including the creation of one-page websites, blogs, membership sites, and online businesses, as well as their eventual development.

The WordPress platform’s jam-packed with all of the features and functionalities needed to build any type of company website. It offers a lot of capability on its own, and there are a lot of WordPress business themes and plugins to help you create the perfect website.

Astra Travel Blog WordPress Theme Business Website for WordPress vs Tumblr
WordPress for Business

Astra is one of the free WordPress themes that’s great for multipurpose websites. Also, Estatik and Real Estate Manager Pro are WordPress plugins that are built specifically for real estate websites.

WordPress allows you to maintain a free website. And that too without having to buy a hosting account or register a domain name. This is the reason why it’s ideal for enterprises on a short budget.

A competitive business site must be responsive, which means it must fit well on any screen, which WordPress provides. 

Online businesses need to reach their potential costumes. To do so, getting ranked in search engines is the best way. Also, a good SEO practice is required to get noticed by search engines.

WordPress is a popular platform for creating SEO-friendly content. You can get tons of SEO-optimized themes and plugins to boost your business and ranking. This makes your online business site appear frequently on search engines. Which makes your website build trust and credibility among the users. 

WordPress also gives you complete control over your site and a wide range of customization choices to fit your company’s needs. That is why it appeals to a wide range of large firms, including Microsoft, Facebook News, MTV, and others.

For more, check our ultimate list of best and most popular WordPress site examples!

Tumblr for Business

Tumblr is great for entrepreneurs that want to get their business up and running quickly. If you don’t want to invest a lot of time and money building a complete website.

Many useful choices are available when using Tumblr for business. Tumblr just makes it easier for the business to publish its content with a broader audience. However, to run a successful Tumblr business, you must create unique content that people enjoy.

Tumblr Business Website Example Made in Tumblr
Tumblr for Business

Tumblr also features a unique tagging system that allows you to search for relevant tags by just typing your brand or a connected firm. You can also utilize a business theme. For extra branding options on Tumblr, you may need to employ a designer to give your business a professional look.

Also, it’s completely free to promote brands on Tumblr. However, you can leverage the platform’s adverts to further promote your brands. It’s an excellent platform for enhancing your company’s web presence.

Bottom Line

WordPress is the best platform to start an online business. You’ll get tons of free and premium themes and plugins useful for building an online business. So, in terms of business, WordPress is the winner. 


G. Social Sharing Options – WordPress vs Tumblr

There’s a big difference between creating information and sharing it with others. It is not enough to create content; it must also be shared. Let’s take a look at what WordPress and Tumblr have to offer in terms of sharing options.

Social Sharing Options on WordPress

WordPress is a self-hosted platform, as we all know. So, in WordPress, you have complete control over which sharing options to add to your site.

This implies the platform will not be able to assist you. It is entirely up to you to register your site with Google. And add social profile buttons, market your blog, share your material with others.

However, you’ll need to make an extra effort to advertise your WordPress blog. But don’t panic; there are plenty of wonderful free and premium social share plugins available. Using this, you can manage your website’s social media presence and, eventually, promote your WordPress blogs.

WordPress Easy Social Sharing Plugin Example for WordPress vs Tumblr
Social Sharing Options on WordPress

Plugins are basically add-on applications or programs for your WordPress website that provide functionality or features. For example, Easy Social Sharing is a free WordPress social media plugin that allows you to add specific social share buttons to your site.

Social Sharing Options on Tumblr

Tumblr isn’t simply a blogging platform; it’s also a social networking platform in and of itself, which is one of its greatest assets. From the minute you create your Tumblr account, it begins to connect you with other users.

Tumblr suggests content to you as soon as you start your blog. Similarly, others will be able to see your Tumblr blogs. It immediately connects you with other Tumblr users without requiring any more work on your part in contrast to the self-hosted platform. So, you are solely responsible for sharing options.

Tumblr Social Sharing Options
Social Sharing Options on Tumblr

Tumblr not only suggests content, but also allows users to reblog, like, or share content, message each other, and follow the accounts you like. It also features mobile applications such as Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Pinterest, and others that make connecting with more people even easier.

Bottom Line

Tumblr itself is a social networking platform, so it has the upper hand in the social sharing option. While on WordPress you’ll need to install social sharing plugins to share your posts on social media. 


H. Support – WordPress vs Tumblr

When it comes to the support community, you’ll need a blogging platform with excellent customer service. No matter how simple your blogging platform is, you’ll occasionally run into problems that you’re unable to resolve. 

Having a dedicated support team on hand allows you to quickly resolve issues. 

Support Options for WordPress

WordPress has a large and active support community. You’ll find forums with questions and answers for each theme and plugin, as well as for any problems you may encounter. 

WordPress Support
Support – WordPress

For example, Rank Math is an SEO plugin that helps you to optimize your site and content. This plugin is one of the best plugins of its niche, so it provides great customer support for its users. Also, it has a comprehensive knowledge base to learn and use the plugin effectively.

Rank Math Knowledgebase for Support
Rank Math Knowledgebase for Support

In addition, you can get more dedicated support with the premium version of WordPress products. WordPress support is provided 24/7 no matter what the situation is. 

Also, you can clear out your problems by going through the documentation on WordPress.org. When you navigate to the WordPress support page you’ll have 2 options: Documentation and Forums

WordPress Documentation and Forums
WordPress Documentation and Forums

Support Options for Tumblr

The support for Tumbler is very limited, however, you’ll receive support within a day. Once you send an email to the Tumblr support team, your email gets converted into a ticket. Afterward, it gets placed on a queue with a ticket number. 

Tumblr Customer Support
Tumblr Customer Support

Also, you can query your problems and questions on the forums and wait for a response. You can use the Help option in Tumblr but it only covers basic support. 

Bottom Line

Between the 24/7 support community of WordPress vs the ticket number system and limited tutorial support of Tumblr, the WordPress support community is better than Tumblr Support. 


I. Cost Comparison – WordPress vs Tumblr

It’s critical to start a blog on a reputable platform, but you should also consider how much it costs to set up a blog. If you’re not sure about the cost at the beginning, then starting with a less expensive platform and working your way up is a terrific idea.

How Much Does it Cost to Make a WordPress Blog?

It’s free to use WordPress because it is an open-source platform. You can get software for free, but you must pay to maintain a website. You’ll need a hosting account and a domain name, both of which are not free.

Some WordPress hosting companies, such as Bluehost and Dreamhost, offer affordable plans for beginner bloggers. These providers offer reduced hosting plans plus free domain names with the purchase of a hosting package.

For instance, Bluehost offers WordPress hosting for $2.95 per month with a free domain name for 1st year. Likewise, Dreamhost offers WordPress hosting at $2.59 per month, which includes a free domain name.

Bluehost Pricing for WordPress Pricing Example
WordPress Hosting Prices

If you need more information, then you can check our list of the best WordPress hosting services

How Much Does it Cost to Make a Tumblr Blog?

Tumblr is a completely free blogging site to use. Tumblr allows you to create a free account and begin publishing material right away. To post your work on Tumblr, all you need to do is create a free account. 

Upon registering, you’ll get a Tumblr subdomain for instance https//:example.tumblr.com. However, you can also purchase a custom domain from a third-party domain registrar company and link it to your Tumblr account. For instance, Namecheap offers $8.98 for the .com domain and you can get the .net domain name for $10.98.

Tumblr Free Blogging Platform
Tumblr Hosting Cost

Tumblr is very cost-effective but it lacks many important features that a growing blog requires.

Bottom Line

If you’re not looking for a custom domain, then Tumblr costs almost nothing. So, the bottom line is, Tumblr is a cheaper option than WordPress. 


J. Pros & Cons of WordPress vs Tumblr

We created a pros and cons list for WordPress vs Tumblr to help simplify everything we learned.

Pros of WordPress

  • The platform is user-friendly for beginners, and you can quickly learn how to utilize it.
  • It’s incredibly simple to create blogs and websites.
  • There are thousands of plugins and themes to choose from, as well as a plethora of customization choices.
  • Custom plugins can also be added with some coding skills.

Cons of WordPress

  • To get started with WordPress.org, you’ll need a hosting package and a domain name.
  • You are solely responsible for backups and performance.

Pros of Tumblr

  • Tumblr is an excellent platform for graphic blogging and other articles with few words.
  • It’s a free service that even beginners can utilize.
  • The user interface is simple to understand and use.

Cons of Tumblr

  • The layout of the page cannot be completely changed.
  • The display formats must be selected from the templates.
  • There are no options for sorting.

K. Recommendation 

As we all know, both Tumblr and WordPress are popular blogging platforms. Now we know their strengths after a careful evaluation of many criteria. 

It’s up to you to decide which website platform to use based on your requirements. Tumblr and WordPress both include useful features and functionality for your website. Both come with advantages and disadvantages. So, in the end, it’s all up to you. 

However, if we’ve to choose between the two, then we’ll go with WordPress over Tumblr. Without any doubt, you may have guessed it based on the results of the above comparisons on numerous criteria. Haven’t you?

WordPress.Org Logo
WordPress.org

WordPress is a more versatile and powerful platform with a wide range of features. You can use this platform to create any type of blog or website, from design options to integrations. Also, all of them at a lower cost. Moreover, you can keep track of your expenses and only spend on what you require. 

But why not Tumblr if you chose to do so? It gives you awesome designs, and you don’t need to worry about hosting. Still, you need to keep in mind that it comes with limited CMS capabilities and flexibility. 

That’s all we’ve to say. 


Conclusion

WordPress and Tumblr are 2 of the most popular blogging platforms. Thousands of blogs are powered by them all over the internet. The decision between these 2 is based on the aim of your blog. 

If you’re a beginner who only wants to blog and isn’t concerned with personalizing your site. Or if you have to cut back on spending, then Tumblr is the right platform for you.

However, WordPress is the appropriate platform for you if you have previous blogging experience and want to create a professional blog to make the most out of it.

We hope this article helped you figure out the difference between WordPress vs Tumblr and which is the better blog platform.

If you liked this article, then please share it with your friends and colleagues. 

You might want to check out our article on the best WordPress blog grid plugins and the best WordPress block themes.

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Written By SiteSaga Editorial
SiteSaga Editorial is a team of highly experienced writers, marketers, and web developers led by Sunita Rai. We're here to help beginners get online with their self-made websites or blogs and succeed.

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