So, you have finally decided that you want to start a blog. But now, there’s a new problem – you don’t know which blogging platform to choose?
It’s a common problem many people face. Since there are a lot of blogging platforms, it becomes a tough choice to select the best among them.
In this article, you will know about 10 different platforms for blogging. I’ll also show you the pros & cons of all these blogging platforms.
But before that, you must know what you should look for while selecting the best blogging platform.
What To Look For – While Choosing The Right Blogging Platform
Some of the things you should consider while choosing the best blogging platform are –
Easy To Setup
As a newbie, you will need a blogging platform in which it’s easy to start a blog. It must be not too difficult to start your first blog.
Fully Customizable
As your blog grows, you will need to upgrade your blog and add much more features to make your blog much better.
You should choose a blogging platform which allows you to make changes, and doesn’t stop your blog’s growth. It’s important to choose a flexible blogging platform.
One downside of choosing free blogging platforms is that you own nothing of your blog. (Yup! Your blog is not yours.)
If you don’t follow the policies of the blogging platforms, they won’t take time in deleting it. Sometimes they even delete blogs for no reason.
(Note – To get 100% control over your blog, you must start a self-hosted blog)
It shouldn’t be too costly
If you’re just starting out there isn’t any need to spend hundreds of dollars on just starting your blog. It’s better that you choose a platform that doesn’t require much to start.
Because as a newbie blogger, the cost of running a blog will be important for you. However, to make a blog for earning money you’ll need to invest some money in a good web hosting. (If you are doing blogging as a hobby, you can even start it for free!)
10 Best Blogging Platforms To Start A Blog
Now, it’s time to look at the top blogging platforms, their pros & cons. Select the best one according to your needs.
Here are the top 10 blogging platforms & details about them –
#1 WordPress (.org)
WordPress (.org) is by far, the most popular blogging software. It is also the most commonly used blogging platform. It’s loved by bloggers around the world. Even this blog is built on WordPress(.org).
WordPress is an open source CMS (content management system) that allows anyone to make a blog on their own. It’s totally free to use. However, it needs to be installed on your web server i.e. it’s self-hosted.
To start a self-hosted blog on WordPress(.org) you need to sign up with a WordPress hosting company. Almost every hosting provider has WordPress hosting.
Pros
- It’s FREE! And also, pretty easy to use.
- You have 100% control over everything.
- There isn’t any limit, you can make any kind of website you want.
- There are thousands of Plugins & Themes available. (Both free & paid!)
- It’s good for SEO.
- The updates are regular. The development team is always finding & fixing bugs (while also adding new features).
Cons
- The learning curve is Huge! You need to learn many things in order to manage all the aspects. But to have the maximum control, you need to do everything. Right?
- Although the software is free, you still need to buy a domain name & web hosting to start your blog.
Pricing
Even if the WordPress(.org) software is free, you will need to pay about 15$/year for a domain name. You will also need to pay for web hosting (usually min. 5$ to 10$ per month for quality hosting).
Suitable For?
- Everyone can get the most out of WordPress(.org). It doesn’t matter if you are new or a well-known blogger.
- Those who want 100% control of their blog.
- Professional bloggers (who are serious about blogging).
- Companies wanting to add a blog to their websites.
- Personal blog (those who only want to blog as a hobby).
#2 Joomla
Just like WordPress(.org), Joomla is also an open source free CMS. The difference between them is that Joomla has a different kind of extensions. You can also use Joomla for making any kind of website.
Also, like WordPress(.org) you need to buy a domain name & web hosting to start your blog. Joomla is free to use, anyone can use it to start their blog (or website). There are more than 2 million websites using Joomla.
Joomla has different kind of extensions like – modules, templates, plugins, libraries etc. It’s one of the best choices if you don’t want to use WordPress(.org).
Pros
- It’s extremely powerful & FREE!
- There are hundreds of templates to make your blog (or website) look better.
- Apps for Joomla (aka extensions) can be used to add more features.
- You can make any kind of websites.
Cons
- The software is free, but you need a domain name & web hosting to start a blog (or website).
- The community isn’t as big as WordPress, so sometimes it’s hard to find paid support (and will be costly).
- Beginners may find it hard to use Joomla (it isn’t easy to use as WordPress).
Pricing
Although Joomla is free to use, you still need to buy a domain name & web hosting. The price of a domain name (15$/year) & web hosting (20-30$ for high quality) is the same as WordPress(.org).
Suitable For?
- Those who want to try something different platform.
- Professional bloggers & companies wanting to start a blog.
- Those who want 100% control.
- People who already know about the Joomla platform.
#3 Wix
Wix is a hosted platform, used to create blogs & websites. It allows users to build any kind of website with the help of their drag & drop builder.
It is also easy to add a blog to your Wix website by using the Wix Blog app. They claim that with their drag & drop builders anyone can start a website with advanced features. Wix is for those people who want to start a website but have no technical knowledge.
Starting a blog on Wix is Free! But you will need to pay if you want to use the premium features. You don’t need to buy web hosting from other hosting companies.
Pros
- It is easy to set up, and you can start quickly.
- Many templates & third-party apps available to make your website look better.
- You can easily build & customize your website with the drag & drop tools (no coding required).
Cons
- You need to pay for premium features. In the free version, Wix shows their ads & branding on your website.
- In Wix, you can’t change a template. Be careful while choosing your first template.
- It’s hard to migrate to other blogging platforms. Migration to other platforms will take a lot of your time (& money).
Pricing
The basic plan of Wix is free. You can buy a custom domain for 4,50$/month. The hosting plans start from 8.50$/month and can go up to 24.50$/month.
Suitable For?
- Those who are just starting to blog (i.e, beginners).
- People who don’t care about having less control of their blog.
#4 Blogger
Blogger is a free blogging platform which was acquired by Google in 2003. Since then, it has been the first choice of many newbie bloggers. Most of the bloggers start from this platform and then migrate to WordPress (.org).
Blogger is free for everyone. However, you will only be able to use it with a subdomain. In short – Blogger is only free for people who are willing to use a subdomain, like – xyz.blogspot.com.
You will need to buy a domain name (if you are serious about blogging) to get rid of the subdomain. You can buy a domain name from Google or any other domain name providers.
Pros
- It’s free to use (with a subdomain).
- Easy to set up. And there isn’t need of any technical knowledge to use it.
- No need to worry about web hosting. It’s all managed by Blogger.
- Much secure (as it’s a product of Google).
Cons
- Can’t add more features to your blog as it grows in popularity. It only has basic blogging tools.
- It doesn’t get new features & updates.
- Only a few high-quality templates are available.
- Google can delete your blog anytime. If Google wants they can completely shut down the whole platform (like they did with Feedburner). You own nothing on your blog (it’s all of Google).
Pricing
Blogger is free to use. The only cost that you will have is – when you want to buy a custom domain (around 15$ per year). There isn’t any hosting cost as it’s all managed by Blogger.
Suitable For?
- People who are not willing (or don’t have) any money to spend.
- Those who don’t care about having minimum control over their blogs.
- People having Zero (or minimum) earning expectations.
- Personal blogs (or for people who want to learn the basics of blogging).
#5 Drupal
Drupal is another open source CMS which is free to use. It’s also a self-hosted platform i.e, you need to purchase a domain name & web hosting. You can add more features to your Drupal website with the help of modules.
With Drupal, you can create any kind of website. One thing you should note is, it’s not so easy for beginners. It will better that you start from a free blogging platform & then move to Drupal.
Along with WordPress (.org) & Joomla, Drupal is one of the most popular CMS. Lots of big websites are built using Drupal.
Pros
- It’s a self-hosted software. You control & own 100% of your blog.
- You can create more advanced websites. It’s a more developer friendly CMS.
- There are lots of themes & modules for customizing your website.
Cons
- Not so easy to set up ( you need more technical knowledge).
- It requires more technical knowledge than any other CMS (has a really huge learning curve).
- The user community isn’t much large. Sometimes, It’s hard to find paid support.
- Isn’t much good for beginners. It’ll be hard for someone who is just starting out.
Pricing
Like WordPress(.org) & Joomla, Drupal is free to use. You only need to buy a domain name (15$/year) & web hosting (20$ to 30$/month).
Suitable For?
- Those who want to created websites with advanced features.
- People who are already familiar with the Drupal ecosystem.
#6 WordPress (.com)
WordPress(.com) is free to use blogging platform by the company “Automattic” ( by Matt Mullenweg, who is one of the first creators of WordPress.org). This platform is just like “Blogger” from Google.
They offer their users a subdomain like xyz.wordpress.com. Although, it’s basic functions are free to use, you will need to pay for premium features. Premium features include – domain registration, extra storage, removal of ads, etc.
The hosting is managed by WordPress(.com) itself. However, your costs will rise as your blog grows. There are many people who still get confused between WordPress(.org) & WordPress(.com). Both are different!
Pros
- Easy to start & manage.
- The support and documentation are great!
Cons
- There isn’t any great customization available. It’s limited in features.
- You can’t earn money from your blog (and has WordPress ads & branding).
- You own nothing! WordPress (.com) owns everything on your blog.
Pricing
The basic version (with subdomain) is free to use. You can upgrade to premium plans for more options and much freedom. Thier personal plan costs 2.99$/month (you also get a custom domain). Their plan costs more as your blog grows.
Suitable For?
- Personal blogs (with Zero income expectation).
#7 Medium
Since its launch in 2012, Medium has become popular among bloggers, writers & experts. It’s easy to start with Medium (it is as simple as joining a social network like Facebook, Twitter, etc).
You can easily use this platform, it even has some features like social media websites. The best thing about starting on Medium is – you already have an audience, you just need to write something valuable which can get to more viewers.
It’s great for beginners. You can get a lot of experience by publishing on Medium. After that, you can start your own professional blog. You can share your thoughts and views & see how does blogging work.
Pros
- It’s easy to use, no need to set up anything. (Also, no coding skills needed.)
- You can only focus on writing. No need to worry about designing your blog.
- Medium has a built-in audience. You just need to write according to people sharing the same interests.
Cons
- You can’t build a brand on Medium.
- Everything is owned by Medium. They can delete your blog anytime. (You will also lose all of your readers.)
- You can’t show ads. Thus, you will make no money.
Pricing
There isn’t any cost involved in using Medium. It’s completely Free!
Suitable For?
- Those who don’t want to earn money blogging. (Zero income expectation!)
- Personal blogs.
#8 Tumblr
Tumblr isn’t like any other blogging platform. (It’s a bit different.) Like Medium, it also provides some features that are like social media websites. It’s a micro-blogging platform.
You can follow other people’s blog on Tumblr (& also share their blog posts on your blog). It is also free to use. Like Blogger & WordPress(.com), you are given subdomain like xyz.tumbl.com for free.
If you want, you can purchase and use a custom domain on Tumblr. It’s a great choice to start blogging in Tumblr (as a hobby).
Pros
- It’s free & easy to use.
- You can even post Gifs, Pics, Blog videos, etc.
- It’s like social media websites. You will enjoy some of these features.
Cons
- It has limited set of features. You will not be able to upgrade features as your blog grows.
- Even though, there are a lot of themes available for Tumblr. They don’t add any extra feature to your blog.
- Moving to another blogging platform is hard. It will take a lot of time (and money).
Pricing
Tumblr is free to use. You will need to buy a custom domain (if you want to) & it will cost 15$/year. Besides that, you can also purchase premium themes if you need them.
Suitable For?
- People who want to make a full time living with blogging. (Less earning expectations!)
- Those who don’t require many features on their blog.
#9 Ghost
Ghost is another open source blogging platform. Started in 2013, it’s new when compared to other blogging platforms. Ghost provides a simple, easy to use & clear interface.
It’s a great choice for beginners. Ghost has a minimal interface i.e, you will only need to publish your blog posts as there isn’t any need to worry about the design of your blog.
However, having a minimal design means you won’t be able to add more advanced features. You also need to buy web hosting to run Ghost on your blog. It’s also a self-hosted solution.
Pros
- The main focus is on blogging & writing.
- It’s easy to use, great for beginners.
- It’s super fast (as it’s written in JavaScript).
Cons
- It’s a paid solution. However, they offer a 14-day trial.
- It’s not easy to set up. Installing it for the first time may be hard.
- There are not many options to upgrade the site as it grows.
Pricing
There are two version of Ghost platform – hosted & self-hosted. For using the self-hosted platform, you will need to buy a custom domain (15$/year) & web hosting (20$ to 30$). For the hosted version, the plans start from 19$/month for 1 blog (with a limit of 25,000 page views/month).
Suitable For?
- People who just want to focus on blogging & writing.
- Those who are willing to use it for a long time.
#10 Weebly
Weebly is a hosted blogging platform. You can create stunning websites using the drag & drop builder. It’s great for those who want to create a blog for their business websites.
It’s the same as Wix but more popular. You can also use Weebly for free, but you will have to use it with a subdomain. The free version is very much limited to only basic features.
You can upgrade to their Pro plans to get the most value. It comes with a lot of themes which you can use to make your blog look better.
Pros
- It’s easy to use & build sites using the drag & drop builder. No coding is required!
- Easy to set up. Also, it won’t take much time (because Weebly will host your site).
- You can try Weebly with their free plan!
Cons
- The built-in features are very limited.
- You don’t have much control (as it’s hosted by Weebly).
- It’s not easy to migrate to other blogging platforms.
Pricing
The basic plans from Weebly cost 8$/month. However, to get all the premium features, you will need to pay 49$/month.
Suitable For?
- People who don’t care about having full control of their websites (& blogs).
- Who already have a well-established site.
Conclusion…
The best blogging platform in this list is, without a doubt – WordPress (.org). There isn’t a better CMS than WordPress present in this list.
WordPress allows you to have 100% control over your blog (or website), everything is yours. WordPress is a complete solution, it’s easy to set up and flexible.
It is also the most popular (& best) blogging platform. Popular brands like SONY, Microsoft, etc have blogs on WordPress. While it’s free, there are some things needed to start a self-hosted blog.
It’s (pretty)easy to start a self-hosted blog. What you need is a good domain name & hosting. I suggest you buy hosting from SiteGround.
You can start a blog in under 20 minutes with the help of this guide – How To Start A Blog The RIGHT Way [Beginners Guide]
I hope this article would have helped you – in selecting the right blogging platform. If you liked this article, share it with your friends. (This will help in the growth of this blog. Thanks.)