TOP 5: Which Platforms Are The Best For Blogging

A personal blog is an excellent way to make yourself known and share knowledge and valuable experiences. It’s a place where you can publish your thoughts, articles, stories, photos, videos, and other content.

In general, there are many reasons to start a blog. And fortunately, there are many great platforms in this area as well. But, as the saying goes, it takes desire, and the possibilities in 2022 are simply endless.

With the help of one of the services described in detail in this article, you’ll be able to run your blog as a separate site with the selected design and a unique address.

Table of Contents

WordPress.org: Best for Self-Hosted Blogs

The self-hosted version of WordPress is the most popular blogging platform among the best. More than 90% of all blogs on the Internet run on WordPress.

The self-hosted version of WordPress.org is ideal for all kinds of personal and business blogs. If you want even more in-depth information about it, order a complete paper at Best Writers Online.

Pros

✔️ Very flexible: complete control over every detail of your site.

✔️ Easy to expand: add almost any feature with plug-ins.

✔️ Thousands of mobile-optimized themes allow you to redesign your blog with a single click.

✔️ The platform is “search engine friendly” and works well with social media.

✔️ Full rights to the content.

✔️ A vast community. That means you’re sure to get support when you need it.

Cons

❌ Need to have web hosting and a domain name.

WordPress.com: Best for Free Blogs

It’s a flexible platform that’s great for beginners and professionals alike. You can create and design a simple blog in a few elementary steps.

There are many easily customizable themes in the WordPress catalog for every taste. And if you know the basics of web programming, you can change the design and functionality of your blog almost without limits.

The platform’s essential features, including a domain and 3 GB for hosting, are free. But the service also has rates that allow access to advanced options, including expanding functionality through a variety of plug-ins. In addition, using the WordPress engine on your hosting service is entirely free.

Pros

✔️ Very easy to set up. You just create an account and follow the instructions of the setup wizard.

✔️ Hosting is automatically connected. One less problem.

✔️ The interface is even more optimized than self-hosted WordPress.

✔️ No need to worry about site maintenance.

✔️ Built-in statistics and community features.

✔️ Professional and specialized support if you use a paid plan.

Cons

❌ The free account has many limitations.

❌ Few customization options, third-party themes, and plug-ins are only available in Business plans.

❌ Monetization opportunities are limited. Advertising on cheap plans is prohibited.

❌ You can lose your site if you violate the platform’s terms.

❌ Ads scroll on your site unless you pay to remove them.

Wix.com: Best for Small Sites

It allows you to create an online site using an intuitive builder. In addition, Wix provides a blogging option that you can add to the site. So, it’s perfect for small business owners who need a blog with a website and for creative people who mainly share photos.

When creating a blog on it, you need to register, choose a template and customize it with an advanced visual editor. Then you select the domain format and start the blog.

For free, the user gets 500 MB of space on the Wix server to host content and access various widgets that extend the blog’s functionality. However, you need to upgrade to the paid option to get a personal domain, more hosting space, analytics tools, and other additional benefits.

Pros

✔️ Ability to customize the site with templates and third-party apps.

✔️ No programming skills are required. All customization is done through a graphical interface.

✔️ Quick and easy installation, first-class hosting.

✔️ Many design options, all built on HTML5.

✔️ Automatic blog creation feature using artificial intelligence.

✔️ Free stock images.

Cons

❌ Limited features, reduced traffic and storage, and blog ads from Wix in free accounts.

❌ You can’t change the site template once you select it.

❌ On paid plans, commercial opportunities through Wix are limited.

❌ There’s a service charge for everything, so the costs escalate quickly.

❌ You can’t migrate the site along with the content.

4 Blogger.com: Best for Personal Blogs

This platform, owned by Google, is straightforward to use. You can create and customize a blog for your needs in minutes. In addition, the service provides hosting and a domain for free.

However, the settings of the appearance and functionality of blogs here are limited. Only a few themes and a relatively simple editor at your service, although knowledge of HTML and CSS allows you to make the design more or less unique.

But you can’t extend your blog’s capabilities with add-ons and plug-ins. Google is in no hurry to develop and support the service.

So Blogger looks outdated against the backdrop of alternatives. But you can monetize your blog with contextual advertising Google AdSense. Also, the user has access to detailed statistics of visits.

Pros

✔️ It’s free and doesn’t take long to set up.

✔️ Hosting, maintenance, and other technical details are taken care of for you.

✔️ Integrates well with other Google products (for example, you can store your images on Google Drive).

✔️ Templates are optimized for mobile devices.

✔️ Anti-spam measures in the comments.

Cons

❌ Only essential tools for the blog. There’s no possibility to add additional features.

❌ Few design options.

❌ Updates and new features appear rarely.

❌ Blogger displays ads on your blog.

Squarespace.com: Best for E-commerce

Squarespace is a drag-and-drop website builder designed for small business owners, portfolio sites, and e-commerce.

It’s a great all-in-one solution for non-technical professionals that offers hosting, domain registration, and the ability to do business.

Squarespace also has blogging capabilities, so it’s on this list. But if you want to learn even more about the pros and cons of this platform, you can order a detailed study from one of the resources featured on Writing Judge.

Pros

✔️ Easy to use and easy for beginners.

✔️ Professional design templates are available.

✔️ SSL encryption is built into the platform.

✔️ Ability to build an online store.

✔️ Free trial version to test-drive the platform.

✔️ Includes hosting and own domain.

✔️ 24/7 customer support service.

Cons

❌ Users are limited to the features Squarespace offers.

❌ It only integrates with a few third-party services and tools.

❌ The personal plan is limited to 20 pages and two members.

❌ Too powerful if you only need a blog.

Conclusion

To choose the right platform for a blog, you have to consider many options. Each has its pros and cons. They are all divided into three varieties: self-hosted, hosted, and website builders, in which it is possible to create a blog.

But first of all, we advise you to accept the idea that blogging is not fun. However, blogging is an obligation that must be constantly fulfilled, like going to the dentist.

And just like going to the dentist, many bloggers put off writing posts for one, two, or three years. So if you’re not sure you’re ready for a chore, it’s best not to start.

My Bio: Cynthia Young is an academic writer with a great love for business literature and chamomile tea. She starts her day by reading articles in business magazines and ends up writing her own. She has been writing articles for blogs on marketing, business and self-education for several years now.