12 Best Blogging Platforms For Beginners Compared (2019)
Looking for the best blogging platform to start your new blog? CachHayNhat.com knows that it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the different blogging platforms available in the market.
That's why, in this article, CachHayNhat.com will introduce you to 12 different blogging platforms for beginners and help you choose the best one for your blogging needs.
Here are the blogging platforms we will compare in this article.
WordPress.org
WordPress.com
Choosing the Best Blogging Platform - What to Look for?
Not every blogging platform is created equal. Just because a platform is popular, doesn't always mean it's the best choice for your unique needs.
Before you join and choose a blogging platform, there are a few factors you need to consider:
Check your intent:
Understand why you want to create a blog. Here are a few reasons why people start a blog:
Proving AuthorityWriting Blogging Make MoneyWriting Diary
Once you understand your blogging purpose, double-check that your preferred blogging platform helps you accomplish it.
Easy to use :
Ease of use is another important factor you will need to consider when choosing a blogging platform. If the interface is not convenient, it will take you many hours to figure out how to get things done.
Make money :
For instance, WordPress .com does not allow you to monetize your blog with Google AdSense or affiliate marketing. That said, if your goal is to make money blogging, then you will want to double check that your blogging platform allows you to make money the way you want.
1. WordPress.org
WordPress .org, also known as self-hosted WordPress, is the most popular blogging platform in existence.
While WordPress .org was originally built as a blogging platform, it has now been transformed into a complete content management system. With self-hosted WordPress, you can create any type of website, including niche e-commerce stores, forums, social networks, and more.
To be able to start a blog with WordPress .org, you will have to own a domain name and web hosting, and then install WordPress on your web server.
Note: It is easy to confuse WordPress.org with WordPress.com, so we recommend you check out the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com
Advantages:
It gives you full control over your blog.
You can easily customize the look and feel of your blog with free or premium WordPress themes.
You can also enhance the capabilities of your blog with WordPress plugins.
Defect:
Managing your own blog comes with a bit of a learning curve.
To start a blog, you will need a budget for a domain name and web hosting.
Need to manage security and backup yourself.
Price :
WordPress is free software, but you will have to purchase a domain name ($14.99 per year) and web hosting ($7.99 per month) to start a WordPress blog. Since the combined cost of both domain name and hosting seems like quite a bit, we made a deal with Bluehost for IsItWP users. You'll get a free domain, free SSL, and over 60% off WordPress hosting. You only pay $2.65 per month.
2. Wix
Wix is a drag and drop builder that allows you to create any type of website, including blogs, business websites, ecommerce stores, and more. You have been provided with hundreds of beautiful templates to build a Wix website. You can integrate a blog into your website through the Blog application. With the free plan, you will be provided with 500 MB of storage and 1 GB of bandwidth. If you want to remove the Wix branding, add Google Analytics tracking and use your own domain name, then you will have to purchase the premium plan.
Advantages:
Create a website the way you want with a drag and drop builder and hundreds of free templates.
You get a mobile optimized website that looks great on all devices.
With the premium plan, you can enhance the functionalities of your website, such as integrating an e-commerce storefront.
Defect:
Your site will show Wix-branded ads unless you upgrade to the paid version.
Wix is best suited for users who are just starting to build very basic websites. If you are not an absolute beginner, you may feel frustrated by the limitations.
Only a few third-party integrations are available.
Price:
Wix offers a limited free plan that allows you to use Wix-branded subdomains. You can connect a domain for $5 per month. To connect a domain and remove Wix branding ads, it will cost you $11 per month.
You can add an ecommerce store to your website for $17 per month.
3. WordPress.com
If you want to start a free blog with WordPress, then you might want to choose WordPress. com.
WordPress. com is a free blog hosting platform managed by the same people behind WordPress. org. With WordPress. com, you can start a blog for free and upgrade your subscription with options like custom domains, additional storage, and more.
Advantages :
No setup required
No budget needed
No need to manage security and backup yourself.
Defect :
You cannot monetize your free blog with Google AdSense or affiliate marketing.
To add a custom domain name that your visitors can easily remember, you will have to upgrade to the premium plan.
Switching to another blogging platform can be expensive as you will have to pay for site redirects even after switching
.
Price :
The free basic plan comes with a lot of limitations. To connect a custom domain and remove WordPress ads. com, you can choose the Personal plan for $48 per year. If you want to monetize your website, then you will need to pay $96 per year for the Premium plan.
For more features and unlimited storage space, you can choose the Business plan for $300 per year.
4. Blogger.com
Blogger.com is a free blogging platform from Google. Similar to WordPress.com, you can easily create a new blog on Blogger without spending a dime. Also, you can monetize your blog for free with AdSense, affiliate marketing, and more.
Advantages :
Easy to set up and no budget required to start a blog
Unlike WordPress .com, you can use a custom domain without any registration fee for Blogger
Monetize your blog the way you want.
Defect :
Limited customization
You cannot add advanced functions like an eCommerce store to your blog blog
According to Bloggers Terms of Service, they may suspend your blog at any time without notice.
Price :
Blogger.com is a 100% free blogging platform.
5. Tumblr
Tumblr is a blogging, microblogging and social networking tool that allows you to easily share anything on the web, including photos, quotes, etc... It's probably the easiest blogging platform to use right now. have. Tumblr seems to have a younger demographic compared to other social networks. Currently, it hosts over 417 million blogs.
Advantages :
The easiest free blogging platform in existence.
It has a built-in social media component.
Unlike other social media sites, Tumblr gives you the ability to heavily customize your own pages.
Defect :
Compared to other blogging platforms, Tumblr comes with a limited set of features.
While you can choose from an extensive collection of Tumblr themes, you don't have control over the formatting, similar to other platforms like WordPress. com.
Exporting your website to another platform can be quite difficult.
Price :
Tumblr is free to use. You can use a custom domain name for your Tumblr blog.
6. Medium
Medium is an online publishing platform launched in August 2012. It also allows you to follow, read and engage with the stories that matter most to you. Medium has a great built-in tool to import content from anywhere on the web and share it with your followers.
Advantages :
Medium is an easy-to-use publishing platform that doesn't require any setup.
With Medium, you can focus on what you're really good at: writing. You can trust the platform for everything else, including the design.
It comes with a powerful reporting tool that helps you understand how your readers interact with your content.
Defect :
Not allowed to make money
Control your content limits
Limited features offered compared to other platforms
Price :
Medium is a free publishing platform.
7. Squarespace
Squarespace is another website builder that allows you to create a stunning website without any coding skills. Squarespace allows you to choose from dozens of website templates for your website. Each template comes with hundreds of customization features. With an annual Squarespace subscription, you can even register a domain name for free.
Advantages :
This is a nice platform to easily build a basic website.
It also allows you to easily integrate an e-commerce storefront into your website. You can choose from a large collection of highly customizable website templates.
No transaction fees are charged for e-commerce transactions.
Defect :
Unlike other website builders like Wix. com, Squarespace doesn't let you build a website for free.
Limited marketing tools available.
No third party apps or extensions are allowed.
Price :
The personal plan costs you $12 per month, allowing you to build unlimited sites with unlimited bandwidth and storage. To add an ecommerce storefront to your Squarespace website, you can choose the Business plan for $18 per month.
Here are some of the best Squarespace alternatives that you don't want to miss to check out.
For free transactions on your online store, you can upgrade to the basic Online Store plan which costs $26 per month.
8. Joomla
Joomla is another open source content management system that allows you to easily publish a blog or a website. To be able to run a Joomla powered website, you will have to purchase a domain name and web hosting and then install Joomla on your web hosting server.
Advantages :
It has more complex website development options than WordPress.
Several eCommerce extensions are available that allow you to integrate a storefront into your website.
The learning curve for developers is pretty low with Joomla.
Defect :
The interface looks clunky with too many tools.
This is a resource-heavy application, so you can run out of server resources quickly with Joomla.
Joomla's market is not as large as WordPress's.
Price :
Joomla is often considered superior to WordPress because of its advanced features. However, the main downside is that you will end up spending more money on building and maintaining a Joomla website. Joomla community is not as big as WordPress. Plus, the interface is too complicated when compared to WordPress.
If you use SiteGround, then you can start at $3.95 per month and you will get a free domain name. For more details, you should read our complete SiteGround review. You also want to use SiteGround coupons for discounts.
9. Ghost
Ghost is a minimalist blogging platform that makes starting a blog and publishing content super easy. It is designed to simplify blogging for both personal bloggers and online publications. Like WordPress, Ghost is also available in both hosted and self-hosted platforms.
Ghost is best suited for bloggers and publications that need a seamless authoring experience, so they can focus entirely on the generated content.
If you're looking to build an entry-level website on a limited budget, Ghost might not be the right solution.
Advantages :
Clean, clutter-free and easy to use interface
Integrated SEO and Distribution Tools
No setup required for the hosted version
Defect :
Self-hosted version works best on VPS servers and above
Compared to WordPress, the operating costs will be high.
Only limited themes and plugins are available in the market
Price
Unlike WordPress, you won't be able to install Ghost on a shared hosting environment. For the best experience, Ghost should be installed on a VPS host or higher. A VPS hosting costs you around $10 to $20 per month.
If you need a hosting solution, then you can purchase plans from $79 per month.
10. Weebly
Weebly lets you quickly build a website the way you want with an easy-to-use drag and drop builder. You can add a blog and even integrate an ecommerce store to your Weebly website.
Advantages :
A free plan is available that allows you to start a basic website on the Weebly .com subdomain.
All plans have free SSL.
You can easily start and grow your email list with Weebly Ads.
Defect :
Exporting Weebly to another platform is difficult.
Limited integration with third-party platforms.
Limited built-in features for creating a website.
If you are a Weebly user and looking for a more flexible platform, then check out this guide on how to move your website from Weebly to WordPress.
Price
Weebly offers a free limited plan for beginners. To connect a custom domain name to your website, it will cost you $4 per month. To remove Weebly brand ads from your site, you will have to upgrade your plan to Starter which costs $8 per month.
If you want to build a full-fledged eCommerce store and are transaction free, choose the Business plan for $25 per month.
11. LiveJournal
LiveJournal is a social network where your users can keep a blog, magazine and connect with like-minded people. If you need more powerful features like polls and image uploads on your free LiveJournal blog, then you can consider upgrading to a paid plan.
Advantages :
It's a combination of blogging and social media tools
Besides blogging, users can send and receive private messages, join communities, make friends with other users, and more.
Available in multiple languages
Defect :
LiveJournal ads will be displayed on free blogs
Unlike other platforms, you can't find professional templates
Not suitable for businesses or professional blogging
Price :
LiveJournal has fallen out of favor, and for good reason. It only allows you to create a basic blog with limited functionalities. You can create a free account on LiveJournal.
12. Typepad
Typographic Keyboard is a blogging service owned by Endurance International Corporation. Unlike other blogging platforms, you will have to sign up for a premium plan to run a Tablet blog. With Keyboard, you have full control over content monetization, unlimited storage, and personal support.
Advantages :
Thousands of templates available to customize your blog design
Easy integration with Google Analytics
Built-in tools for social search and discovery
Defect :
Since typepad is a hosted platform, it offers limited customization.
The entire platform was down for 6 days in April 2014 due to a DDoS attack, which raised questions about its reliability.
It's a 100% blogging platform, which means you won't be able to add advanced features like an e-commerce store to your TypePad blog.
Price :
You can start a blog on Keyboard for $8.95 per month. To create unlimited blogs, you can sign up for the Unlimited plan for $14.95 per month.
If you want to build a blog on a hosted blogging platform, then you might want to give Keyboard a try. Compared to WordPress.org, it offers limited themes, customization, and other features.
Best Blogging Platform - Our Pick chọn
If you are serious about blogging, then we highly recommend self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org). It comes with a complete set of tools to get your blog up and running. You can easily enhance its features by installing the right set of WordPress plugins on your blog.
CachHayNhat.com hopes this article helped you find the best blogging platform for beginners.