Are you looking to start your own blog, but can’t figure out how to choose the best blogging platform? It’s a tough choice since there are several different blogging platforms out there. How do you find out which one is right for you?
In this article, we’ll help you choose the best blogging platform by going over the pros and cons of the most popular blogging sites.
Here are the popular blogging platforms we’ll be comparing in this article. If you’re interested in a particular platform, you can click the link to skip ahead in the article.
WordPress.orgConstant Contact Website BuilderGatorWordPress.comBloggerTumblrMediumSquarespaceWixGhostChoosing The Best Blogging Platform – What to Look for?
Before diving in the list, it is helpful to know what you’re looking for in a blogging platform.
As a beginner, you’ll want a blogging platform that’s easy to set up, has a low learning curve, and doesn’t require any coding skills.
You’ll also need to think about what kind of blog you want to create, now and in the future.
As your blog grows, you may want to change the look of your site and add more features for your growing audience. That means it’s important to choose a blogging platform that’s flexible, with room to grow.
Starting off with the wrong platform can make it very difficult to switch later on.
Lastly, even if you don’t have plans to make money blogging right now, it’s smart to make sure you have the option to do so in the future.
With all that in mind, let’s compare the best blogging platforms for beginners.
1. WordPress.org
WordPress.com is a blog hosting service offered by Automattic, a company created by WordPress.org co-founder Matt Mullenweg.
WordPress.com offers a basic blog hosting service for free. You can purchase additional options like a custom domain name, additional storage, and other premium services.
Started in 2005 with a goal to bring WordPress experience to a larger audience, WordPress.com is a good blogging site for users who don’t want the advanced features of self-hosted WordPress.
Pros
No setup required.Easy to use and manage.It’s completely free if you are happy with a WordPress.com subdomain. Your free website name looks like this: https://example.wordpress.com.
Cons
Limited options to extend your site. You cannot use custom themes and plugins for customizing your blog.You cannot run advertisements on your blog. Instead, WordPress.com will show their ads on your free website.You do not own your blog, and WordPress.com can suspend your account if they find you are violating their terms of service.
Pricing
The basic WordPress.com account is free, but it will have WordPress.com ads and branding.
You can upgrade to their Personal plan for $4/month (billed yearly) to remove WordPress.com logo and advertising from your website. You also get a custom domain (such as www.yoursite.com).
For $8/month (billed yearly) you can get additional design tools and extra storage.
Because of the similarity in names, beginners often start with WordPress.com thinking they are getting the powerful WordPress.org software. After seeing the limitations, users often end up switching from WordPress.com to WordPress.org to have more features and control over their website.
5. Blogger
Blogger is a free blogging service by Google. It offers a quick and easy way to create a blog for non-tech-savvy users.
Blogger is one of the earliest blogging platforms in existence. It was first launched in 1999 by Pyra Labs. Later in 2003, Google acquired Blogger and redesigned it as the product we know today.
All you need is a Google account to start a free blog on Blogger.
Pros
Blogger is free.It’s easy to use and manage without any technical skills.Has the added advantage of Google’s robust secure platform and reliability.
Cons
You’re limited to basic blogging tools, and can’t add new features as your blog grows in popularity.Design options are limited, with fewer templates available. Third party templates for Blogger are often low quality.Blogger does not receive frequent updates or new features.Google can suspend your blog at any time, or even cancel the Blogger service altogether. (They have a history of abandoning projects without warning, such as Feedburner.)
For more pros and cons of Blogger, see our comparison of WordPress vs Blogger (Pros and cons).
Some users start out with Blogger because it’s free, but eventually as their blog grows, they end up switching from Blogger to WordPress to get more features and control over their website.
Pricing
Blogger is free with a Blogger subdomain like https://example.blogspot.com. If you want to use a custom domain, you need to buy from a third-party domain registrar.
6. Tumblr
Tumblr is a little different than other blogging platforms. It is a microblogging platform with social networking features including following other blogs, reblogging, built-in sharing tools, and more.
Pros
Tumblr is free with a Tumblr subdomain like https://example.tumblr.com. You can also connect a premium custom domain name.It is very easy to set up and use.It has an integrated social media component.As a microblogging tool, Tumblr makes it easy to quickly blog videos, GIFs, images, and audio formats.
Cons
Tumblr comes with a limited set of features that you cannot extend as your blog grows.There are many themes available for Tumblr, but they can’t offer additional features.Backing up your Tumblr blog or importing it to other platforms is difficult (see our guide on how to move from Tumblr to WordPress).
Pricing
Tumblr is free to use. You can use a custom domain (purchased separately) for your Tumblr blog, and there are also third-party themes and apps available to purchase.
7. Medium
For more detailed comparison, see our guide on WordPress vs Medium – which one is better?.
Pricing
Medium is free to use.
While the platform looks attractive at first, the lack of monetization and control leads to most people switching from Medium to WordPress.
8. Squarespace
Squarespace is a website building service that allows you to create beautiful websites using easy drag and drop tools. It focuses on small business owners who are looking for an easy way to create an online presence.
Started in 2003, Squarespace currently powers millions of websites online.
Pros
Squarespace is simple and easy to use for beginners who aren’t very t
Squarespace is a website building service that allows you to create beautiful websites using easy drag and drop tools. It focuses on small business owners who are looking for an easy way to create an online presence.
Started in 2003, Squarespace currently powers millions of websites online.
Pros
Squarespace is simple and easy to use for beginners who aren’t very tech-savvy.It has beautiful professionally designed templates.It separately offers domain name with SSL/HTTPs and eCommerce stores.
Cons
Squarespace is limited to the features built into their proprietary platform.Integrations are limited to a select few services and tools.
See our guide on WordPress vs Squarespace for a more detailed comparison.
Pricing
Squarespace has different pricing plans for websites and online stores.
Pricing for their Personal website plan starts at $16/month, or $12/month if you pay for the year in advance. For the Business plan, pricing starts at $26/month, or $18/month billed annually.
Whereas pricing for online stores starts from $26/month and up to $40/month.
Often users end up switching from Squarespace to WordPress to minimize their expenses and add more features on their websites.
9. Wix
