Thinking about starting a blog? Are you overwhelmed by the amount of blog platform options that are available to you? Well I know the feeling! This is why I am providing you with a pro/con list of my top blog platforms chose from when starting my blog, along with their prices and who each platform is ideal for.
WordPress.org
WordPress.org is currently the most popular website platform on the web today. Approximately 25% of all websites are run by wordpress.org. If you can image how many sites are floating around out there on the big wide web, you can see how 25% is a LARGE amount.
This platform is ideal if you plan to monetize your blog, build a business site that you have total control over, or just want a professional looking blog.
Pros:
- Complete control over every aspect of your website
- Expansion is available through forums, online stores, emails, memberships, etc
- Thousands of free wordpress themes and even more paid and third party themes available
- Numerous ways to customize your site so it would be uniquely yours
- Search engine friendly, which is good for SEO (search engine optimization) purposes
- over 42,000 free plug-ins available
- large and great community support for help and guidance
Cons:
- Hosting is not included
- Set-up and management can be very technical and time consuming, especially if you are not tech savvy (can take hours!)
- Manage your own backups and security
Price:
- Software is free (but you will have to pay for the domain name and hosting)
- Some host sites, like bluehost (which is WordPress recommended), offers 60%+ off of hosting with a free domain name
- Host site plans start at $3.99/month and can reach in the hundreds, depending on which you choose
WordPress.com
WordPress.com, not to be confused with wordpress.org, is very user friendly. WordPress.com stores all your posts and content on their server for free. Instead of downloading a software like wordpress.org, all you will have to do is sign up for an account and get started with your blog in minutes.
This platform is ideal for hobby bloggers who will not be monetizing their blog or starting a business.
Pros:
- Very easy set-up
- very easy to manage
- Hosting is included
Cons:
- Limited options to customize and run your blog
- Advertisements cannot be linked in your posts
- You do not own your blog, wordpress does
- You can get shut down without warning for violating their terms and agreements
- You will have a subdomain (ex: exampleblog.wordpress.com)
- WordPress ads and branding will be on your website (unless you pay for an upgrade to remove it)
Price:
- Free
- Upgrades are available for $2.99/month to remove wordpress logos and ads from your blog and to get a custom domain
Blogger
This platform is owned by google, which comes with perks of being connected to one of the largest search engines.
This platform is good for those who want to have a hobby blog or a personal blog.
Pros:
- Easy set-up and use
- Being owned by google, you will have access to tools like AdSense, Analytic, etc
Cons:
- Limited to basic tools and you cannot add new features once your blog is created
- Limited design options
- Google can suspend your blog
- You will have a subdomain (ex: exampleblog.blogspot.com)
Price:
- Free
Tumblr
Tumblr is known to be one of the easiest platforms to use. This platform has a unique look to the posts and is ideal for short posts.
Tumblr is ideal for hobby bloggers with one topic posts.
Pros:
- Extremely easy set-up and website management
- Has a social media component built into it
- Good for quick posts like blog vidoes, GIFs, images, audio, etc
Cons:
- Limited features for your blog
- Expansion is not available for growing blogs
- You will have a subdomain (ex: exampleblog.tumblr.com)
- No plug ins or extensions available
Squarespace
This platform is popular amongst businesses who want a well designed website with a blog to go alongside it. They are known to have amazing trendy templates to choose from.
Squarespace is ideal for creatives like photographers, artists, musicians, etc. It makes it easy to showcase their work and to have a blog attached to it. It is also preferred by businesses like restaurants, cafes, florists, and tons more to advertise their business. It is also great for eCommerce stores.
Pros:
- Simple set-up and website management
- 24hour customer support available 7 days a week
- Beautiful and professional templates available
- Hosting included
- Great website customization options
Cons:
- The personal plan limits you to 20 pages, 1 blog and 2 contributors
- Can become expensive
Price:
- Personal plan starts at $16/month or $12/month if you pay for the year in advance
- Business plan starts at $26/month or $18/month if you opt to be billed annually
Wix
Wix is similar to Squarespace, but for those who want to invest less or have a lower budget for their website. It makes building an eCommerce site simple but comes with limited control over your shop.
This platform is ideal for those who are beginner eCommerce shop owners and may not want to put up too much money at first. It is also good for business owners who want a website with a blog. Creatives to showcase their work here, similarly to Squarespace.
Pros:
- Tons of customizable templates available
- Drag and drop features make site building easy
- Quick set-up
- Great online support
Cons:
- Free account shows Wix branding and ads on your site
- Templates can not be changed after initial set-up
- Limited eCommerce features
- Limited customization of your website
- Not a dedicated blog platform
Weebly
Weebly is an easy to use platform to create your website or blog. You will be able to build a simple, yet elegant blog on your own, in a short amount of time.
This platform is good for those of you who want a professional looking blog without spending a ton of money. There is also a higher priced plan for those who want all the bells and whistles. It is good for personal blogs, hobby blogs and professional blogs.
Pros:
- Drag and drop features to build your blog
- Quick to set up
- Free plan available
Cons:
- Built-in customize features are limited
- Difficult to export your weebly blog contents to another platform
Price:
- Free plan available
- Paid plans start at $8/month and can go up to $49/month to have access to all available features
These 7 platforms listed above were thoroughly explored when I was starting my own blog. With so many options available to you, it could become overwhelming. You have to know what it is that you want in a blog and see which platform checks off the most boxes. Below are a few more platforms that I did not consider but will include for your benefit. Who knows, you may like these better than my top 7.
Medium
Pros:
- Hosting included
- Easy to use
- Other users can help you with your content
- Ideal for writers looking to build their brand and publish stories
Cons:
- You do not own the domain
- Everyone gets the same website design
- No plug ins or extensions available
- Medium controls your publications
Price:
- Free
Ghost
Pros:
- Fast set-up
- Optimized for SEO
Cons:
- No plug ins or extensions available
- Hosting not included (Ghost recommends bluehost)
Price:
- Free version is available
- Pro plans starts at $8 and can go up to $200, depending on how many blogs you have and your expected traffic volume
Joomla
Pros:
- Can build any type of site or blog
- Extensions are available
Cons:
- Limited themes compared to other platforms like wordpress
- Hosting not included (Siteground is recommended)
- Customer support is limited
- Manage your own backups, updates and security
Price:
- Free
- Domain can be purchased for approximately $14.99/year and hosting starts at $7.99/month
- Siteguard hosting is $3.95/month with a free domain
For my site, I thought it would be best to go with WordPress.org as my platform and bluehost for my hosting. I thought this combination would be perfect for what I want in my blog. If you choose to go with wordpress.org for your blogging platform, I recommend Bluehost for your hosting needs, and so does wordpress.org. The wordpress.org software is free but the host sites costs. Bluehost starts $7.99/month but you can get it for $3.95/month right now. I can honestly say I am happy with my experience with them so far and their customer support staff responded to me promptly when I was struggling to set up my site initially. I am not the most tech savvy one in the bunch so I did have a slight learning curve. I was darn proud of myself for building my site without hiring a web designer and I would recommend you do the same if you have the patients. If not, then there is no shame paying a professional to get your site looking exactly how you want. I did not purchase all those additional add-ons that they recommend once you sign up for a plan, I think some of it is just up-selling to them make a little more money. I am fine without them but do your due diligence to see if it is something you may need.
An alternative to Bluehost is the host site Hostgator. This was my runner up when deciding who to choose. This is my second recommendation. And I have a coupon for you! Create A Website For Just One Cent For Your First Month! Use Coupon: 1CENT.
Also check out WP Engine (wordpress engine) for your hosting needs. Click below to take advantage of 20% off using code wpe20off.
Link directly to discounted business plan
Oh and how could I forget! No matter which host site you choose (whether choosing one I recommended or not) make sure you get free cash back with Ebates! I spoke about it in more detail in my “11 Online Shopping Tips, Tricks and Secrets” (click here to read) but basically it is an app and web browser add-on that gets you free cash back for items you purchase online. It covers a number of websites, including sites where you will make purchases for your blog, so please do not pass up on free money. You’re welcome! I use it with every online purchase (yes, for my host site purchase as well).
If you are wondering which company I went with for my website’s theme, I used Mojo marketplace. I chose this one because it was recommended by Bluehost and the themes were gorgeous! I purchased two from them and I loved how helpful their customer service was when I had no idea how to install it properly. And because I love to save you guys money, I have a link that will give you 20% off of your Mojo marketplace purchases! They offer more than just themes so check them out. If you like what you see, Visit MOJO Marketplace and use discount code: Di$Count to enjoy 20% off your theme, plugin, or service and Build a Better Website! Also, I was able to combine coupons when I started my site so I suggest you search the internet for coupons codes that you type in, THEN access the marketplace though the link I provided, also type in the above-mentioned code to get 20% off of that.
I hope you found this post helpful to your new website or blog venture! This post does contain affiliate links. Leave a comment with what you choose! I am interested to hear about your experiences with these different platforms and host sites.
Until next time!
With love,
CoCo
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Thanks so much for tHe inFormation!!
You are very welcome & thanks for reading!