Do you want the world to recognize you? Are you the people of the world listening to your untold story? Or do you want to be a storyteller in the future?
Having a blogging website can help you grow your storytelling skill. WordPress and Apache Roller are two renowned web platforms by which you can create a blogging website seamlessly. But both of them have many recognizable differences in terms of features, functionalities, and technologies.
This article will provide a comparative review of these two platforms and help you choose the right one to build your blogging site. Be with us till the end.
What are WordPress and Apache Roller?
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) written in the PHP language. It is software by which you can build a brand-new blogging website from scratch without any coding experience.
Apache Roller is an open-source, Java-based, full-featured, and multi-user group blogging server. It is a suitable blogging server for small to big any kind of blogging websites. Apache Roller is a part of the Apache Software Foundation.
Number of Websites Using WordPress and Apache Roller
W2techs.com is one of the best reliable sources for real-time statistical information about web technologies. According to them, as of today (September 2022), 43% of all websites are using WordPress to run their websites.
If we look at the CMS-based market, WordPress alone is holding over 63% of its market share. So, if you are looking for a perfect CSM to build your websites, there is none close to WordPress in terms of popularity.
Inversely, 31.3% of all websites are using the Apache web server. But most web users don’t even know about it. It’s not something mandatory for them to know. Because it is mainly the part of hosting providers.
They mainly adopt this technology to facilitate hosting services for web users. However, it hasn’t been possible to know how many websites are using specifically Apache Roller.
Key Differences Between WordPress and Apache Roller
WordPress and Apache Roller have lots of distinguishable differences. We will cover the most highlighting points of them in this section. Keep reading!
Easy of Use
WordPress is an easy-to-use content management system by which you can create any kind of blogging site without coding. Its Gutenberg Block Editor lets you add any kind of media files (photos, videos, PDFs, etc.) to your website and publish them for the users.
It has a user-friendly dashboard from where you easily jump to the post, page, plugin, and other sections with just one click.
But for Apache Roller, you must be a code enthusiast and have expertise in JavaScript.
It is a Java-based web application that you can use on Java-supporting web hosts and rational databases. If you are a no-code user and have no experience in Java, you need to research a lot on this language to operate this application.
Design and Customization
Designing and customizing a blogging site with WordPress is a lot easy than the Apache Roller platform. WordPress has over 9,500 themes, both free and premium, in its library. Among them, you will find thousands that are made only to blogging sites.
You will also find many page builders like Elementor, Divi, SeedProd, etc. in WordPress by which you can further customize your blogging site. But in Apache Roller, you won’t get that many ready-made options available.
You will get a handful of already-developed themes compatible with Apache Roller in online sources. But still, you have to make additional adjustments from its admin panel to give a more customized look to your blogging site.
Plugins and Extensions
WordPress has over 50,000 plugins. Whether for marketing, emailing, designing, security management, or else, you will get everything in its library. Using them you can scale up the functionality of your blogging site overnight. You just have to find the suitable one for your needs.
But in Apache Roller, you will get a good collection of only the basic plugins. If you need something special, you may have to develop it yourself or hire a Java programmer. Because you may not find it available in online sources.
Blogging Features
WordPress initially started its journey as a blogging platform and still, it’s great for that. If you are a no-code user but dreaming of having a blogging site, WordPress can make it true overnight.
But the thing that’s holding WordPress back is that still it doesn’t have the group blogging feature which you will get in Apache Roller. It allows multiple authors to contribute to a blog all at the same time.
SEO Features
WordPress and Apache Roller are two great platforms with top-notch SEO features. Both of them will allow you to complete the on-page SEO parts seamlessly, like selecting H-tags, updating page titles, setting URLs, writing meta tags, adding ALT tags, and more.
If you want to make adjustments to the default SEO settings of these two platforms, they have plugins for you. Using them you can add Schema Markup, rich snippets, check broken links, redirects, and more.
Maintenance and Security
In the bigging, WordPress had some security issues. This platform was a bit weak against different kinds of malicious attacks. But now you will find tons of security plugins in its library. Using them you can protect your site from almost any kind of malware attack and fix them.
The security system of Apache Roller is comparatively better than WordPress. The reason behind that is Java provides APIs that secure network communication with encryption, server authenticity, message integrity, and more. So, you can enjoy more security in Apache Roller without even using any plugin.
Prices
Both WordPress and Apache Roller are free to use. You can download this software for free and customize them as you want. However, you have to pay for the domain and hosting packages. If you want to use any premium themes and plugins, you have to pay for that as well.
The per annum charge for a domain usually ranges around $8-$14. If you are just starting out, 1 GB of hosting will be enough. Better if you choose the shared hosting package as this is the cheapest option available.
So, in total WordPress may cost you around $30-$100 for building a blogging site using any of these plugins.
If you talk about Apache Roller, it’s a COMMUNITY-LED DEVELOPMENT project so there are no pricing plans. It’s free and always will be. You already know that you need to know to code, especially Javascript to use this platform. There is a donation system you can proudly donate to make Apache stronger.
WordPress vs Apache Roller: A Quick Snapshot of Their Differences
Let’s have a quick snapshot of the differences between WordPress and Apache Roller in the table below.
| Topic | WordPress | Apache Roller |
| Language | Written in PHP | Written JavaScript |
| Blogging Type | Features single blogging | Features group blogging |
| Design & Customization | Allows you to use themes and plugins to customize your site | Must be a code enthusiast to customize your site |
| Plugins & Extensions | 50,000+ plugins available | Basic plugins are available only |
| SEO Features | Highly optimized for good SEO results | Highly optimized for good SEO results |
| Maintenance & Security | Live support isn’t available and still improving its security feature | Live support isn’t available but its security features are top-notch |
| Price | Free to use | Free to use |
WordPress vs Apache Roller: Which One Is the Winner?
It’s quite difficult to draw a conclusion about which one of these platforms is the winner. We have to look at this matter from different perspectives. Because there are different types of users in the market: programming experts and no-code users.
If you are a coding expert and have proficiency in the JavaScript language, Apache Roller will be a great choice for you. The best advantages you can get in it are top-notch security and a group-blogging facility.
But if you are a no-code user, you must choose WordPress. If you still want to use Apache Roller, you have to hire a Java programmer. And it will cost you a big sum of money. So, we hope now you know which one to choose for yourself.
WordPress vs Apache Roller: What Sorts of Users are Aimed At
WordPress basically aims at those users who have no expertise in the Java programming language. Besides, if you want to create a simple blogging site where multiple-author collaboration isn’t required, WordPress will be a great choice for you. However, using the plugins like WPUF, you can create a membership-based blogging site.
Apache Roller is only for those who have proficiency in the Java language. And also for those who want to create a group blogging site where multiple authors can collaborate together.
FAQs on WordPress and Apache Roller
Here we will answer some commonly found questions in different online sources on the topic of WordPress vs Apache Roller.
Rank Math SEO, Google Analytics, WP User Fronted, WPForms, Jetpack, Akismet, Social Snap, WordFence, Broken Link Checker, etc. are the most popular WordPress plugins you can use for blogging sites.
You can start blogging for free of cost using the freemium plugins of WordPress or Apache Roller. However, at least you have to pay the domain and hosting charges. Otherwise, you cannot create any kind of website.
Apache Roller grants permission for three levels of users to contribute to a single blog. They are Author, Editor, and Drafter.
Key Takeaways on WordPress vs Apache Roller
We are living in an age of information when the press and media are playing mighty roles in spreading information. Having a blogging site means you are a part of the global press and media. Being able to choose the right web platform can give you a solid foundation right from the beginning.
We hope this article has been able to meet many of your quests regarding which one to choose between WordPress and Apache Roller. If you have any more questions still unanswered, please let us know through the comment section. We will reply to you as soon as possible.
