User blog comment:Thewikilover/Dawnguard or Vampire? Which side has more benefits?/@comment-4502503-20120718225333

SPOILERS

If you side with the dawnguard you get the ability to create Crossbow bolts, and Crossbows. Now the bolts do the same amount of damage as their arrow types, however you get more arrows then bolts. You also get access to the Armored Trolls which, honestly, are not that great. They can't even stay alive against an ordinary Frost Dragon. You also get access to the Spells: Sunfire, Vampires, Bane and Stendars Aura. These spells are awesome......against Undead. They have no affect on the living. You also can get the Rune Hammer, The Rune Shield, and the Rune Waraxe. All of which are awesome to use against the Undead. NOT the living.

With the vampires you gain access to the Vampire Lord. Which, for some reason, has its drain life spell weakend when you are with Serana. You also get the Aulet of the Gargoyle which allows you to summon an extra gargoyle, and the Amulet of Bats which is supposed to act like a replacement for nightcloak, but will not work for me. You can also have a deathhound as a Companion. Which, in my experience, tend to live longer than the Armored Trolls. You also have acces to blood potions which count towards Vampiric feeding, and restore health. You can also gain a "stronger" version of Vampiric drain that drains Health' Stamina, and Magika. The time you have acces to the additional affects can be lengthened by doing certain quests. On top of that you have access to an alchemy garden if you tell Valerica Harkon is dead. You can also overcome your weakness to the Sun by blotting out the Sun with a Bloodcursed Arrow.

No matter which side you choose you can have access to Arvak, obtain Auriel's bow, and you will have to kill Harkon. You also can do the quest Lost to the Ages regardless of which side you choose.