When choosing between Blogger and Substack, it really depends on the type of content you're creating, your goals, and how much control or customization you need. Here's a breakdown to help you compare the two:

1. Purpose and Target Audience:

• Blogger is a versatile platform primarily for blogging. It’s great for anyone who wants to create a personal blog, a professional website, or even a business blog. It's a content management system where you can create posts on various topics and organize them by categories. It’s not specifically focused on newsletters or email-driven content.
  
  

• Substack is specifically designed for creating newsletters. If your goal is to build a direct relationship with your audience via email and monetize through subscriptions, Substack is more suited for that. It's ideal for writers, journalists, or creators who want to send regular updates and offer paid subscriptions.

2. Ease of Use:

• Blogger is pretty user-friendly but has a bit of a learning curve when it comes to design customization. You need some basic knowledge of HTML or CSS to tweak the design of your blog. It does offer pre-designed templates that are easy to apply but doesn’t have the same intuitive interface as Substack.
  
  

• Substack is extremely easy to use. It has a minimalistic, streamlined interface that focuses on simplicity and speed. You can start writing your newsletter right away, and the setup process is quick. There’s less room for complex customization, but that’s part of its appeal for those who want a hassle-free experience.

3. Customization:

• Blogger gives you more control over customization. You can edit your blog’s design, layout, and add a variety of widgets. If you’re comfortable with HTML and CSS, you can make your blog look exactly how you want it. This is great if you want to create a unique brand or need advanced design options.
  
  

• Substack is much more limited when it comes to customization. You can add a logo, change a few colors, and tweak your newsletter’s layout, but it’s not as flexible. The focus is on content delivery rather than aesthetics.

4. Monetization:

• Blogger allows monetization through ad networks like Google AdSense, affiliate links, and sponsored content. However, monetizing a blog through ads can take time to build up traffic. The focus isn’t primarily on direct monetization, and you may need more effort to set up affiliate links or sponsorships.
  
  

• Substack shines with built-in subscription options. You can easily charge for your newsletter through paid subscriptions. Substack takes a 10% cut of your revenue, and there’s an option for free and paid tiers, which is excellent for monetizing a dedicated reader base. Substack has a built-in audience and subscription model, making it easier to turn your content into a business.

5. Audience Building:

• Blogger allows you to build your audience through search engines, social media, and referral traffic. However, growing your audience often takes time and requires consistent effort. You also need to do the marketing yourself, such as SEO optimization, link-building, or leveraging platforms like Twitter or Instagram.
  
  

• Substack is specifically designed to help you grow your subscriber list. It offers simple options for encouraging email sign-ups, and you can easily share your newsletters with your followers. If you build an email list, it’s yours to keep, and you can directly engage with your audience.

6. Content Control:

• Blogger gives you full control over your content. You own the domain and can publish anything you like. There are no restrictions or paywalls unless you set them up (e.g., via ads or Patreon links). It's fully customizable for different types of content.
  
  

• Substack offers content control within its platform but operates within its ecosystem. While you can publish freely, you’re somewhat dependent on the platform's rules and infrastructure. For example, your email list and subscribers are stored within Substack, and if the platform experiences any downtime, so does your distribution.

7. Integration & Tools:

• Blogger is more flexible when it comes to integrating with other tools. You can embed videos, add external scripts, and integrate with Google Analytics, Google Adsense, and other tools to help with your blog's growth.
  
  

• Substack is more straightforward in terms of integrations. It focuses on email and allows simple tools to help with content management, but it's not as customizable as Blogger. For example, it doesn't integrate directly with advertising networks, which means you need to rely on paid subscriptions for monetization.

8. Long-Term Viability and Ownership:

• Blogger is owned by Google, which means you have the backing of a major corporation, but also face the risk of changes to the platform or even discontinuation (as we’ve seen with other Google products in the past). However, since you own your domain, you’re not dependent on the platform itself to maintain your presence.
  
  

• Substack is growing rapidly, and while it is a platform built specifically for writers, there’s always the risk that it may not have the longevity of something like Blogger. The advantage is that it's focused on a specific niche (newsletter content), so it's more tailored for that audience. But the downside is that you’re relying on a single platform for content distribution and monetization.

Conclusion:

• If you want more flexibility, design control, and an all-around blogging platform with the ability to monetize in multiple ways, Blogger might be the better choice.

• If you want to focus specifically on building a newsletter, growing a direct email list, and potentially monetizing your content through subscriptions, Substack is the way to go.

Ultimately, it comes down to what your goals are—whether you're looking for long-term, versatile blogging or focusing on email-driven, subscription-based content.