Are you looking to start your 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.
Choosing 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.
Video List
If you’d prefer a written list, keep reading.
1. WordPress.org
WordPress.org is the world’s most popular blogging platform. Started in 2003, WordPress now powers more than 43% of all websites on the internet.
Note: It’s easy to confuse WordPress.org with WordPress.com, which is a blog hosting service mentioned later in this list. See our guide on the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
WordPress.org is an open source free blogging platform that allows you to build your website or blog within minutes.
It is a self-hosted solution which means that you will need to sign up with a WordPress hosting provider. WordPress is a great option if you want to have full control over your blog’s future.
Pros
- WordPress.org is scalable and gives you control over every aspect of your website.
- You can grow your blog and add extra features like forums, online store, paid memberships, and sell online courses. This makes WordPress the best free blogging platform to make money.
- There are thousands of free themes available for WordPress. This allows you to create a beautiful website that stands apart from the crowd. Most popular WordPress themes come with built-in customization options that give you full design control over colors, fonts, etc., without editing any CSS code.
- Last but not least, WordPress’ drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create any type of multimedia content on your blog site. It also has options to embed dynamic content like videos, social media feeds, Google AdSense, graphs, charts, and more without any technical know how.
Cons
- Managing your own website comes with a bit of a learning curve as you would have to familiarize yourself with WordPress admin backend.
- You will have to manage your own backups and security.
Pricing
WordPress software is free, but you’ll need to have a domain name (about $14.99/year) and hosting (usually starting from $7.99/month).
You need a domain name and web hosting for starting any type of website.
See our guide on how to start a WordPress blog for complete step by step instructions.
Overall, WordPress is an excellent choice for both personal blogs as well as professional blogs.
2. Web.com
Web.com is a well-known website builder platform that comes with the built-in feature to add a blog section to your business website or online store.
Their drag & drop website builder platform is extremely easy to use for non-techy users, and they offer very affordable prices to get started ($1.95).
You can choose from their dozens of pre-made template and then customize your blog layout without writing any code. It comes with all the powerful features like SEO tools, blog security features, autosave & backup, website analytics, and more.
Pros
Beginner friendly drag and drop website builder (no coding needed).
Dozens of fully customizable templates for your blog.
Easy setup with no hassles, since Web.com takes care of all the technical details of hosting your website.
Affordable starting pricing – $1.95 per month and it includes all the essential features
Free domain is included with all paid plans.
24/7 customer support available via phone, live chat, and email.
Cons
The extensions / app ecosystem is small, so there aren’t as many third party plugins like WordPress.
Blogging features are no where near as powerful as WordPress.
Since Web.com is a proprietary website builder, switching your website to another platform later is difficult.
Pricing
Web.com pricing starts at $1.95 per month for their website starter plan which comes with their drag & drop site builder, blogging platform, hundreds of beautiful templates, thousands of free stock images, and a free domain.
This price is available for WPBeginner readers as part of our Web.com coupon deal. All you need to do is click on our link to get this special price.
If you’re a small business that doesn’t want to use WordPress, then Web.com is the next best choice considering everything you get for the price.
3. Wix
Wix is a popular hosted platform to build websites. Their drag & drop website builder offers a solution for small businesses to easily build a website. You can also add a blog to your website by adding the Wix Blog app.
Wix.com was founded in 2006 as a platform where anyone could create their own stunning website with no coding skills required. It has currently over 110 million users across the globe.
Pros
- You can customize your site using dozens of templates and third party add-ons.
- Build your site with easy drag and drop tools; no coding or HTML skills required.
- Setup is quick and easy.
Cons
- The free account is limited and shows Wix branding and ads on your site.
- Free third party apps are limited.
- Once you choose a template you cannot change it.
- Ecommerce features are limited to paid plans, and even those features are limited.
See our article on Wix vs WordPress for a detailed comparison of the two platforms.
Pricing
The basic Wix website builder is free. With a free Wix account, you’ll get a Wix subdomain that looks like this: https://username.wixsite.com/example.
However, you can add a custom domain for $4.50/month. Their premium plans start from $16/month and go up to $159/month.
