How To Pick The Best Blogging Platform In 2022
Are you interested in starting a blog but unsure of how to pick the finest blogging platform? Since there are so many different blogging platforms available, making a decision is difficult. How do you choose which one would be best for you?
By discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the most well-known blogging platforms, we’ll help you select the finest blogging platform in this post.
To go on to the next section of the article if you are only interested in one platform, click the link below.
Picking The Best Blogging Platform - What You Should Consider?
Therefore, before we discuss the most popular options, let’s discuss what you need in a blogging platform. You should choose a platform that is simple to set up and utilize when you first start out.
Finding a blog platform that doesn’t need you to know how to code is crucial if you don’t have any expertise with coding. You’ll have more than enough to accomplish without adding new talents to your to-do list because creating a blog isn’t easy.
You should think about the type of blog that you would like to start today and in the future. You might wish to update your blog’s design and add new features as your readership expands.
Therefore, it really is essential to pick a blogging platform that's also adaptable and has the capacity for expansion. It might be quite challenging to transfer platforms later if you start on the wrong one.
Let's explore the top blogging platforms in detail for newbies keeping everything in mind.
1. WordPress
The most widely used(more than 43% of websites on the internet are made by WordPress) blogging platform is WordPress, which is free to use but whose hosting costs money. For bloggers who want to develop a website for their business, it’s a fully flexible content management system (CMS). It’s also excellent if you want to grow your site to make money.
The cause? WordPress is available for free. That suggests that they disclose their source code. WordPress blogs may be customized using widgets, plugins, and other tools made by developers, allowing you to build whatever sort of site you choose.
There are some key factors to choosing WordPress rather than the other CMS.
- The massive number of Themes and Plugins
- Third-Party Integration Availability
- And has a strong developer community
The main advantages and disadvantages of using WordPress are given below:
Advantages:
You will have complete control over every element of your website using WordPress.
Your blog may expand as you add new features, such as forums, an online store, premium subscriptions, and the ability to offer online courses. As a result, WordPress is the best free blogging platform for making money.For WordPress, thousands of free themes are accessible. This enables you to design a stunning and professional website that separates you from the competition. The majority of well-liked WordPress themes provide tools for built-in customization that allow you complete design control without modifying any CSS code.
The drag-and-drop editor makes it simple to build any type of content for your blog. However, a number of well-known page builder plugins(Elementor, WPBakery, etc) are also available for a custom build.
It is optimized for search engines. You may quickly make categories, focus keywords, meta tags, meta descriptions, and URLs for your posts that are search engine friendly. However, a number of excellent SEO plugins are also available for further optimization.
Disadvantages:
- You must ensure that your themes and plugins are up-to-date and functional. Otherwise, they could ruin your website or interfere with the user experience.
- You will also be in charge of performing other maintenance work, including identifying and correcting damaged links, upgrading WordPress Version, Themes, and Plugins, and improving your database. For website owners who lack the time or technical know-how to routinely maintain their sites, this can be challenging.
2. HubSpot CMS
HubSpot CMS Hub is a blogging platform that is all-in-one for small, midsize, and corporate businesses. You can utilize this platform to build a website or a blog, increase your subscriber count, send emails, manage your contact list, and more because it is built on top of HubSpot’s marketing and CRM technologies.
You may easily alter the design style of your website using their website builder, and you can even modify the content that visitors view depending on their previous activities
Anyone can use HubSpot CMS. However, Marketers and Developers can get the maximum benefits from it.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using HubSpot CMS are listed below:
Advantages:
- The main advantage of this free blog software is that it is strong while being simple to use. Starting with a pre-designed theme or creating your own theme from scratch using the drag-and-drop website builder are both options you have. It is simple to link a custom domain to CMS Hub and it offers free site hosting.
- It has built-in SEO tools, which means you don’t need to worry about your content optimization for SEO and as well as conversions.
- Connecting your blog to your social media accounts will allow you to start advertising once you’re ready. By doing so, you may immediately post fresh blog entries from the same location where you authored them to your social networks.
You may assess your blog's performance as you add additional content. This can aid in your understanding of the subjects and kinds of content that your viewers are responding to. This is so because HubSpot's CRM platform includes CMS Hub.
Disadvantages:
- If you’re a person or small business just getting started, you might not have the time or skills to fully utilize the CMS Hub. If so, you may start with a simpler option and be better off.
- When you want to move from another blogging platform, the migration procedure may be lengthy, relying on your earlier CMS provider.
- The HubSpot CRM itself includes some free tools (including contact management, email marketing, forms, etc). Although the CMS does not offer a free version of those tools, Which means you will have to pay to use those tools
3. Wix
Wix is another popular website-building platform for newbies that prefer speed and style to functionality and also looking for a hosting service in one location. They provide a way for small businesses to quickly create a website using their drag-and-drop website builder.
Wix.com was established in 2006 as a platform that allowed anybody to easily build a beautiful website without the need for technical knowledge. In 2021, there exist more than 200 million Wix users worldwide, and 5.5 million of them are premium membership subscribers.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Wix are given below:
Advantages:
- No coding or HTML expertise is needed; simply drag and drop elements to create your website.
- Start by selecting one of the approximately 900 pre-designed themes available to all bloggers, regardless of whether they operate small businesses or run a rental business online.
- You may adjust your SEO settings to increase your organic traffic, send your stuff to your subscribers using Wix’s mailing tool, and post it on social media.
Disadvantages:
- Particularly when compared to WordPress or other content management systems (CMS), Wix defines low modification capabilities and content management features. Despite being more flexible than the other hosted website builders.
- Only premium subscriptions offer eCommerce functionality, and even they are constrained.
- The free version includes restrictions and places Wix branding and advertisements on your website.
- You cannot alter a template once you have selected it.
4. Weebly
Weebly, established in 2007, is a dynamic free website builder and blogging platform. The front-end website builder from Weebly is simple to use and has one of the most outstanding selections of completely configurable, well-created themes available.
Weebly makes it simple to build a website to host your blog, even if you’re a novice. Stunning effects like parallax scrolling may be added with only a few clicks and no coding knowledge. You can create and publish entries using the blog function, and use their library of free blog templates to aid with the design aspect.
You may use the features provided by the blogging platform to aid in your marketing initiatives. They may be used to create your newsletter, advertise your content on social media, improve the SERP of your website, and more.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Weebly are given below:
Advantages:
- The website builder is user-friendly and easy to use for a beginner.
- Easy to integrate with the Square Payment Platform.
- One-stop, fully-hosted platform.
- Little preparation is needed to begin.
Disadvantages:
- The bandwidth and functionality of the free plan are constrained. Plus, Weebly branding is included.
- Paid subscriptions are pricey in comparison to the best blogging platforms.
- The blogging and SEO tools are not as sophisticated as those of WordPress.
5. Blogger
Google offers a free blogging platform called Blogger. It gives non-technical people a quick and simple method to start a blog.
Blogger is a free blogging platform made for amateur bloggers. Blogger is more feature-rich than the majority of free blogging systems, despite lacking several content management systems. Because of this, Blogger is ideal for people who want to start blogging as a hobby.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Blogger are listed below:
Advantages:
The best feature of Blogger is how simple it is to set up and personalize a simple blog.
Without any technological knowledge, it’s simple to use and operate.
Simply register a Google account, select a template, and begin publishing to get going.
You can buy a custom domain, improve your SEO settings, link your blog to Google Analytics, optimize your posts with AdSense, and even alter the HTML and CSS of your site. However, you won’t be able to do much more than that.
It also has the extra benefit of Google’s reliable and strong secure platform.
Disadvantages:
- You may compare Blogger with WordPress or another CMS to obtain a better understanding of the platform’s limitations. You cannot add plugins to Blogger to increase the functionality of your website. Different content kinds, such as portfolio pages, cannot be created. Additionally, you are unable to modify the default order in which your material is published.
- In other words, you should look at Blogger alternatives if you want the content management functionality and customization possibilities of a CMS.
- There aren’t many upgrades or additional features added to Blogger on a frequent basis.
- Google has the right to revoke Blogger service entirely or suspend your blog at any moment.
6. Medium
Since it was launched in 2012, Medium has grown into an ideal network of authors, bloggers, journalists, and professionals. Within some social networking capabilities, it is a simple and easy-to-use blogging platform. It offers companies the ability to create a blog and interact with a variety of people who are specialized in their field. On Medium, storytelling is common, and many companies take advantage of this to grow their blog audiences.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Medium are given below:
Advantages:
- Without any setup needed and no coding knowledge necessary, Medium is simple to use. The website also has a reader referral tool that might help new blogs get readers. A website like Medium might be a compelling substitute for on-site blogs, which sometimes take six months or longer to gain visitors.
- Medium publishing might assist in gaining readers and followers for your new blog if you’re just getting started. Some firms republish their website blog content on this blogging platform without worrying about fines because it may complement a website blog.
Disadvantages:
- When it comes to designing or creating a brand, features are relatively restricted.
- Your followers are owned by Medium, so losing your blog means losing every single one of them.
- Your own domain name is ineligible for usage.
7. Squarespace
With the use of simple drag-and-drop tools, Squarespace’s web design service enables you to develop stunning websites. Small company owners seeking a simple approach to establishing an internet presence are the main target audience. Since its founding in 2003, Squarespace has powered more than millions of websites.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Squarespace is listed below:
Advantages:
- Although Squarespace offers more than 150 templates, each one is completely customizable and suited for mobile-optimized, allowing you to design a blog exactly as you want.
- For novices who aren’t particularly knowledgeable about coding, Squarespace is straightforward and easy to manage.
- It offers lovely templates that were expertly created.
- It provides both eCommerce shops and domain names with SSL/HTTPS individually.
Disadvantages:
- Squarespace isn’t the best platform for everyone because they don’t have some key features that bloggers want, like an auto-save option, for instance.
- Squarespace has even more capabilities, including email subscription forms and audio file compatibility, although its capability is ultimately restrained.
- Only very few services and applications allow integrations.
8. Tumbler
Both individual bloggers and companies like using Tumblr. While companies often use it as one of several platforms to express their personality, bloggers may be able to utilize it as their only platform.
If you Compare Tumblr to other blogging systems, there are several differences. It is a microblogging platform with social networking facilities built in, including sharing tools, the ability to follow other blogs, and more.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Tumbler are given below:
Advantages:
- With a Tumblr subdomain, Tumblr is cost-free. Also, a premium custom domain name is connectable.
- It is very simple to use and set up.
- Due to the built-in audience provided by the integrated social media platform, discoverability is facilitated.
- Tumblr makes it simple to instantly blog video, GIF, picture, and audio formats as a microblogging platform.
9. Joomla
Joomla is an open-source CMS that has powerful content and user management capabilities. This makes it a great option for developing blogs that are focused on the community.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Joomla are listed below:
Advantages:
- In addition to thousands of plugins, Joomla has robust built-in capabilities.
- For instance, out of the box, Joomla enables you to publish material in several languages, manage hundreds of users, and develop custom post kinds. It also provides some excellent blogging plugins.
- With this addon, you can also give your blog star ratings and have postings go out to your social networking channels automatically.
Disadvantages:
- It will take longer to set up Joomla because of its complex built-in capabilities and steeper learning angle than other CMS.
- Additionally, it provides a lesser variety of themes and extensions, which may restrict your ability to customize.
10. Craft CMS
Craft CMS was developed by Pixel & Tonic to assist web designers in creating stunning websites in the present day. This is not a website builder, unlike many contemporary CMS. As a result, writing your own HTML code is required, making it challenging for beginners to utilize.
However, you may create a website that makes use of some of the finest coding techniques if you have some basic coding skills.
It excels in a variety of areas, including teamwork. Craft Pro simplifies the process of ensuring that each team member gets what they want while not impeding others.
The main advantages and disadvantages of using Craft CMS are listed below:
Advantages:
- If you have the requisite skills, you may entirely manage the look and operation of your site using Craft’s customized content modeling, robust templating, and the opportunity to alter your source code.
- Additionally, Craft CMS has collaboration capabilities, an image editor, and a localization option that allows you to adapt your text to different languages.
- Additionally, numerous blogs may now be managed from a single Craft installation.
- You may link Google Analytics with Craft CMS’ dashboard to track the performance of your content.
Disadvantages:
- Not recommended for those with little to no expertise or novices.
- Craft CMS is a little bit pricey than other CMS
You are only given one admin account under the free plan. - Doesn’t have any theme.
- The developer community is small and pricey.