"Should I get myself a free blog over at WordPress.com or should I host one myself?"

This is a question I get all the time and many bloggers undoubtedly get all the time. Should I use the free WordPress blogging platform or should I host my own WordPress blog?

To be clear, a free WordPress blog can be obtained by simply signing up for one at WordPress.com. The username you use to join becomes your blog name. As an example I have a username "cannonballx". This translates to my free wordpress blog site "cannonballx.wordpress.com"

The self-hosted WordPress blog would be on your own domain on your own site you would install the WordPress software on. The WordPress software would then be the blogging system that manage the content of your website. These days, installation is quite easy with most hosting companies. Most use push button software such as Fantastico Deluxe or Simple Scripts to install WordPress. It's a matter of a few minutes.

So now to address the question: which is the right one for you?

FREE WORDPRESS BLOG PLUSSES AND MINUSES

PLUS setup is entirely free.

PLUS easy to install and set up (software install is already done for you by WordPress).

PLUS maintenance is free (setup, upgrades, spam, security, backups are all done by WordPress).

PLUS server reliability (servers hosting site are actual WordPress.com servers).

PLUS with a blog as part of the WordPress community there may be an additional traffic boost from the WordPress community.

MINUS a free WordPress blog does not allow you to update or upload a non-Wordpress provided theme.

MINUS cannot change or edit any of the php programming (useful for adding almost unlimited site functionality and customization).

MINUS cannot upload any plugins. The WordPress plugin community is huge though.

MINUS no ad placements allowed. In fact, WordPress will place their own ads on your blog.

MINUS Site will be a WordPress brand MINUS no content ownership.

SELF HOSTED WORDPRESS BLOG PLUSSES AND MINUSES

PLUS can upload your own WordPress themes or non-Wordpress.com themes. There are thousands upon thousands of third party themes you can choose from.

PLUS can change the php WordPress code as desired. This will allow nearly unlimited functionality in your site. There exists a large community of WordPress developers with many out-of-the-box scripts to add function to your site.

PLUS can upload plugins! iPhone's motto is "There's an app for that". WordPress's motto should be "There's a plugin for that".

PLUS as you can edit the code and themes, you can add your own ad placements and ad monetization. This is a huge reason people blog in the first place is to earn money through ad placements.

PLUS your own brand/domain name.

PLUS you can have ftp access to your site which allows you to be able to load separate landing pages and downloads outside of your WordPress site.

MINUS you need to set the blog up yourself (though most hosting providers provide push button installation through "Fantastico Deluxe" or "Simple Scripts".

MINUS monetary cost to set up your site. Domain names PLUS hosting fees can vary from $5 to $15 a month.

MINUS you need to do your own site maintenance including spam control, security, and backups for example. There are plugins to help you but it is a process you still need to do on your own.

MINUS make sure and find reliable servers. You don't want slowness or crashes to bother your site. Most hosting companies these days, to stay competitive, offer some pretty good server reliability.

In summary, if you want just the most basic blogging features of the traditional blogging sense, a free blog is for you. If you plan to monetize it even with adsense, then you will want a self-hosted paid blog. Moreover, if you want to add your own custom look and feel, you will want a self-hosted paid blog. You also have access to many free WordPress themes as well. And finally the world of plugins is the big kicker. Think about apps for the iPhone. As I mentioned above, there is a quote that whatever you want, "there is an app for that". Plugins are much the same – from security to SEO, to driving traffic to membership sites, to just about anything.

That is why in most situations, (but not all situations), I recommend a self-hosted paid blog. Like the one you are reading right now.