Table of Contents
Best Blogging Platforms
The best blogging platforms make it simple and easy for you to set up and manage a blog, whether for personal or business use. The primary purpose of blogging platforms is to enable authors to publish content (whether articles, product reviews, or opinions) swiftly and simply through stand-alone websites, social networking sites, or email. These platforms can also provide powerful tools for creating and building a brand, given that a well-thought-out blog can captivate a wider audience and build a worldwide following. Additionally, most blogs are relatively easy to set up, and – even better – platforms such as WordPress come with mobile-friendly themes, so you don’t need to worry about fundamental website design issues. However, before you put your creative cap on and start cranking out posts to charm your virtual visitors from all over the world – you need to pick out the best blogging platform at hand. To help you out a bit, we’ve hand-picked the best blogging platforms on the market, so be sure to check them out before any action is taken.
1. WordPress
Originally created as a blogging platform, WordPress currently powers more than 43% of all sites on the internet, which is a testament to its popularity. It offers an excellent balance between ease of use and more powerful features. Since you’re paying for a full service, you can let WordPress’s technical team handle all the details, such as taking care of the domain name, keeping your site secure, and web hosting services – it’s an all-in-one package. There are thousands of free themes made for WordPress across the web, with flexibility in fonts and plenty of options for a custom look. They also offer specialized customer support, Google Analytics is easily enabled, and credit card payments can be accepted via an available plugin. While there is a free tier available, it is suitable for non-commercial blogs only since it puts WordPress ads on your blog but removes the ability to monetize it. However, you can simply download the free WordPress blogging software from WordPress.org and set it up yourself on a web hosting account. The process is relatively simple and painless, especially as many webhosts provide CPanel, which often includes WordPress as a one-click install. This is the preferred way for many personal and business websites as it offers an immense amount of freedom to do what you want with it, away from the limitations of paid-for website builder option.
2. Blogger
If you ask any old-time blogger about what platform they started their blog with, the chances are they’ll answer that it was Blogger. Over two decades later, Google’s offering in the blogging space still holds several advantages over the competition, including that your existing Google account means you already have a Blogger account. Those working on a shoestring budget will be glad to hear that Blogger is completely free of charge, and you’ll get a “blogspot.com” subdomain to boot. To add a custom domain name you’ll have to buy it from a third-party domain registrar, and it can be done in a couple of clicks. Blogger is one of the simplest blogging platforms out there and you’ll even get a choice of templates that can be further customized. Since it’s a Google offering, it easily integrates with other Google products, including Google Analytics, which will provide information about your website’s visitors that can be used to help grow traffic. Also, your blog can be integrated with Google AdSense, which will analyze your content, and display relevant ads to monetize your blog – basically, you can pay for the coffee as you sit in Starbucks and blog into the night. With all that going for it, is there any reason not to use Blogger? Well, since with Blogger you’ll get basic blogging tools only, as your blog grows it will outgrow Blogger at some point. Also, making a transition from Blogger to another platform can be somewhat tricky, although not impossible. Overall, though, Blogger lacks the tools and flexibility of rival platforms such as WordPress, but is reasonably basic and easy for people to set up and start with.
3. Wix
Whether you’re looking for a blogging platform to start a personal blog or build a professional site, you’ve surely run into Wix – one of the biggest players in the site-building landscape today. Simple yet not simplistic, Wix offers features that cater specifically to newcomers to the blogging game and it’s really as simple as picking a template from their wide selection and customizing it. However, on the downside, once you choose a template you cannot change it without starting your site from the scratch, which can be bothersome at best. What’s even better is that Wix lets you view your blog template in desktop and mobile form before you even commit to it. Wix provides its blogging tools for those looking to promote themselves or a brand, grow their following, or even make some money. With Wix, you can create your blog for free (provided you have your domain name set up and don’t mind having Wix branding on your blog), drive traffic to your blog with Wix’s advanced tools like AMP & Schema, and have a personalized SEO plan to increase your visibility on search engines. Wix also has a scheduling feature so that you can write your blog entries when it’s most convenient for you and then schedule them to go live at an optimal time.
4. Jekyll
The latest version of Jekyll works as a “site generator” that can “transform your plain text into static websites and blogs”. Content gets created in TXT files, which get placed into folders. Then you build your site via Liquid language templates. Jekyll then merges the content and the template, and voila, a website is generated that can be uploaded to a server. For those that need a host, there is integration with Jekyll to host the website for free on GitHub. While there is a comprehensive ‘quick-start guide’ on the Jekyll website, it hardly offers the simplicity of some competing blogging platforms that can do this all from a web interface. However, the benefits that Jekyll offers are the advanced features, which include options for paginating posts, plenty of plugins, excerpt rendering, templates, and community-maintained themes. Plus, it supports blog migration from other platforms. Another plus is that there is no cost to the platform, but there’s no customer support besides community support. Also, since the work takes place in the Ruby development environment, most non-techies will be put off.
5. Tumblr
While some blogging platforms encourage their users to evolve and blur the line between a blog and a full-fledged website – Tumblr stands at the other end of things. Nevertheless, it must be doing something right as it claims a staggering 551+ million different blogs. It focuses on the more concise end of the spectrum, with an emphasis on shorter content, like just an image, or link, that can appear as more of an alternate social media platform. Content is more short-form, with posts consisting of a variety of material, for example, pics, jokes, quips, Spotify tracks, and videos (keep in mind that adult content is no longer welcome). Like with social media platforms, you can also follow other blogs, and republish posts you like to your own blog. The main benefit of using Tumblr is its simplicity and mobile-friendliness – and it costs nothing. However, it is less than ideal for more ambitious blogs, as all content remains in the Tumblr ecosystem, and there is no way to directly monetize it. To be fair, you could add ads via companies like Google Adsense, Yahoo Bing Contextual Ads, and Infolinks, or link your Tumblr blog to your online store, business site, or YouTube channel – however, you can’t do it directly through Tumblr.
FAQs
Are you a pro?
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest trends in blogging platforms, web design, and digital marketing. Gain valuable insights and tips from industry experts to take your blog or website to the next level.
How to choose the best blogging platform
When choosing the best blogging platform, there are several factors to consider. First, assess your specific needs and goals for your blog. Consider your technical expertise, desired level of customization, and budget. Research and compare different platforms to find one that offers the features and tools that align with your needs. It’s also helpful to read reviews and testimonials from other users to get a sense of their experiences with different platforms. Finally, consider taking advantage of a free trial or money-back guarantee to test out the platform before committing.
How we test the best blogging platforms
In order to determine the best blogging platforms, our team of experts thoroughly tests and evaluates each platform based on a set of criteria. We assess the platform’s ease of use, customization options, available themes and templates, search engine optimization features, security measures, customer support, and pricing plans. We also consider the overall value the platform offers in relation to its features and performance. By conducting these tests and evaluations, we can provide you with accurate and reliable information to help you make an informed decision.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the best blogging platforms offer a range of features and tools to help you create and manage a successful blog. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced blogger, there are platforms available to suit your needs and goals. WordPress, Blogger, Wix, Jekyll, and Tumblr are among the top platforms in the market, each with its own unique advantages and disadvantages. By carefully considering your specific requirements and researching different options, you can find the perfect blogging platform to bring your ideas to life and reach your target audience. Good luck on your blogging journey!