If you’re thinking about starting your own blog but feel stuck at choosing the right platform, you’ve come to the right place. With so many options available, it can be challenging to select the best one.
When looking for a blogging platform, it’s important to assess your needs and goals as different services offer different blogging tools and features.
In this article, we will go over several factors to consider when choosing a blogging platform. You’ll also find seven platform options complete with their pros, cons, and pricing to help you make a well-informed decision.
Read on to find out more.
What to Know Before Choosing Your Blog Platform
It’s essential to understand your goal before you start a blog.
For example, if you would like to make money from writing blog posts, it’s vital to choose a platform that offers monetization opportunities.
But if your priority is to start a business, it’s best to choose a platform that can serve both as a blogging platform and as an eCommerce site.
Here are four factors to consider when choosing a blog platform:
- Ease of use. If you’re a beginner blogger, it’s best to get into blogging slowly by selecting a platform that is easy to set up. Look for one that comes with a shallow learning curve and doesn’t require any coding skills.
- Scalability. If you’re looking to grow your blog, make sure the platform is capable of supporting and helping your blog scale with the necessary features and functionalities.
- Price. Assess your budget and how much you are willing to invest. Pay attention to the features and make sure the platform suits your needs.
- Monetization options. Aside from hobbyists, blogging is also popular among business owners and professional writers to make money. If monetizing the content is your goal, make sure to choose a platform that will let you do so.
Selecting the Best Platform for Your Blog
1. WordPress.org
WordPress.org is a self-hosted content management system (CMS) that is widely used for various types of websites, from blogs to news portals.
To date, it powers over 40% of sites globally, including established content publishers such as CNN and The New York Times.
The main reason for its popularity is the platform’s scalability. With tens of thousands of plugins and themes in its directory, users can customize the look and extend their site’s functionality as the site grows.
It’s also possible to modify the site using code, letting users have complete control over their blog.
Pros
- Easy to install. It usually comes with a one-click installation option.
- Extensible. Scale your site as your blog grows using plugins for selling online courses, paid memberships, forums, and online stores.
- SEO-friendly. Aside from search engine optimization plugins, the platform also has built-in SEO features, such as customizable URLs, categories, tags to help search engines crawl the blog better.
- Large community base. With over 46 million downloads, WordPress has a robust online user base and plenty of support forums to help beginners get started and troubleshoot any issues that may arise.
- User-friendly editor. Features autosaving, drafting, post previews, and revision history for a seamless workflow.
Cons
- Has a learning curve. Although basic setup and customization are intuitive, adding more complicated functionality can take time for those unfamiliar with the platform.
- Maintenance. Requires regular backups, updates, and security checks for optimal use.
Pricing
The software is free to download. However, users need to get web hosting and purchase a domain name to start using it.
To do so, you can research different hosting providers and domain registrars to see which ones are most suitable for your needs.
2. WordPress.com
Although branded under the same name, WordPress.com and WordPress.org are different platforms.
In contrast to WordPress.org, WordPress.com is a hosted platform that’s often used for blogging.
Users can get started by signing up for an account and selecting a plan that comes free or paid, depending on their preferences and needs.
Pros
- All-in-one hosting. A WordPress.com plan includes hosting, domain registration, and software updates.
- Mobile-ready themes. Built-in themes are responsive, so your blog readers can have a great viewing experience across different devices.
- Easy to use. The admin interface is intuitive and beginner-friendly.
- SEO opportunities. Has built-in SEO tools, social media integration, and sharing features to attract more readers.
- Multiple plans. There are five available plans to choose from.
Cons
- Ads on the free plan. The free plan will display a WordPress.com ad on your blog site.
- No free domain with a monthly subscription. Free domains are only available when you select to pay annually.
Pricing
You can get started for free, which is sufficient for small projects and personal use. However, it doesn’t offer custom domain names, support, or monetization options.
To enable those functionalities, users can purchase one of WordPress.com’s paid plans. The most popular plan is the Premium plan, which costs $11/month on an annual subscription.
3. Web.com
Web.com is a beginner-friendly platform to start a blog on.
It is an easy-to-use website builder with a drag-and-drop editor that lets bloggers add elements such as images, videos, and files to their blog posts easily.
Web.com offers templates and pre-designed content blocks so users can create a personalized look for their blog site in minutes.
Once the blog grows, users can turn their website into an online store. The platform comes with built-in features such as online store templates as well as inventory and stock control to ease users into the process.
Pros
- Built-in website hosting. Users don’t need to worry about backups and performance issues.
- Custom domain name. Get a free domain name for the first year with all paid plans and choose a domain name that fits your niche.
- Business email. Build credibility among your subscribers with an email address that matches your domain name.
- Technical support. The support team can assist if there’s ever a need.
- Stock photos and video embedding. Offers over 2 million free stock images and the ability to embed videos from YouTube and Vimeo.
Cons
- Limited blogging features. There are no advanced blogging features as the site builder is made for building basic websites.
- Limited products to sell. If you decide to turn the blog site into an online store, the platform limits you to 50 products.
Pricing
There are three plans to choose from
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