A lot of Typepad users are wondering if they should switch and, if so, to what. You’d be hard-pressed to find a hosted blogging service that provides functionality on par with the SixApart offering. Certainly Blogger comes nowhere close.

The solution might be to pony up a few bucks for some shared server space and install your own blogging software. If you’re looking for free software, WordPress has long been the best choice. But now, pMachine is offering a free version of its outstanding expression Engine software. The Core Version—for personal use only—is pretty much the same as the licensed version, with 10 add-on modules (instead of the full suite of 19), no tech support (you don’t get much with WordPress, either), and no memberships (the ability for visitors to set up profiles and log in). At the same time, Expression Engine has reduced the price of its personal version license US $99.95.

I’ve been using Expression Engine (and its predecessor, pMachine) since starting this blog, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s powerful (many organizations use it as a content management system, well beyond blogging), it has all the bells and whistles, there’s a large community of open-source developers creating plug-ins and templates, and there are tons of resources available, ranging from a blog and a wiki to a very robust discussion group. And these are just the resources offered by the company itself; plenty of users are offering their own resources, as well. Installations and upgrades are a snap and, if you buy the license for the pro version, tech support is about the best I’ve ever seen in the entire world of computing. (Tech support is handled entirely on a message board, but responses are fast, usually within 10 minutes, and the answers are comprehensive and intelligible.)

I’m not making a nickel to promote Expression Engine’s offering—I’m just a satisfied customer using whatever power this blog might have to evangelize what I consider to be a great product.