This article on the top 8 best blogging platforms gives you an idea of various options along with their unique features and benefits. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced blogger, I have some necessary information for you here.
If you are planning to start a blogging business this year, the first thing is you should know which is the best blogging platform.
It is a bit tricky, as several blogging platforms are available that serve various features. You are not the only one getting confused about choosing the right platform.
A few people have even asked me which is the best blogging platform for beginners?
As you know, I started my blogging career in 2013. I invested money to join a PHP-based website design course to create this blog.
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Later, many advanced technologies were invented like a content management system (CMS) to make blogging easier.
CMS platforms like WordPress and Blogger enable every individual to develop his/her blog without any technical knowledge or skill.
There is no need to learn PHP, CSS, MySQL, and other programming languages to learn web designing.
You can easily develop your blog by using their simple drag-and-drop features.
- Some blogging platforms are free, and a few come with either a monthly subscription (or) a one-time fee.
- If you want to learn to blog and do not have an idea of creating an income, choose free blogging platforms like Blogger, Tumblr, etc.
- Otherwise, to make money from your blog – a paid blogging platform is the right choice.
Today, I am earning a full-time income from my blogging business.
Types of Blogging Platforms
Different blogging platforms available in the market enable people to start (or learn) blogging.
1. Free Blogging Sites: The best example of this type is Google’s BlogSpot platform. You can easily create your first blog by using your Gmail account.
In this option, your blog name will look like: domainname.blogspot.com. You will get a free sub-domain where you manage your blog.
I do not recommend this to you if you have plans to make money from your blog. This type of setup has so many disadvantages – you are not the true owner, limited SEO benefits and monetization options.
Anytime you will lose your blog.
2. Paid Blogging Sites (a.k.a Self-hosted blogs): In this type, you have to download the CMS software and install it on your server.
For this, you have to register a domain name and purchase web hosting. You can name your blog as you wish and can have full control over it.
There is no such limitation on SEO, monetization, etc. You are fully responsible for your site and its content.
The best example of this blogging site is WordPress. You can download this CMS from WordPress.org as a zip file and install it on your own server.
3. Subscription-Based Platforms: It works similarly to the above options; however, you need to pay a monthly subscription fee.
You can use all premium features available and name your blog by connecting the domain name.
The best example of this type is WIX which comes with a monthly subscription starting from $30 onwards.
8 Best Blogging Platforms to Choose from in 2024
Now let us discuss the various blogging platforms to make money. If you are a beginner in blogging, choosing any one platform from this list can be the best choice.
Since you do not require any programming skills, you can quickly put your blog live.
1. WordPress.com – Best Blogging Platform
As we all know, WordPress is the most preferred choice by many bloggers across the world. Its unlimited features and support by open-source development make it the most reliable option.
It is suitable for beginners who have no technical and programming knowledge. Your first new blog will go live in just 10 minutes and with a few mouse clicks.
WordPress.com is a self-hosted platform that runs on the open-source platform WordPress.org. WordPress CMS is absolutely free of cost.
Whereas, WordPress.com is a commercial project that comes with a hosting service attached. Hence, there is no need to buy hosting from any other company.
Initially, your blog URL will be like domainname.wordpress.com, and you want to connect your domain name.
Initially, you can try their free plans and later you can upgrade to their premium version.
Pricing of WordPress.com Platform
Free: Get a 1GB server space with free WP themes and plugins. This plan is suitable for starters.
Personal: Starts from ₹420 (₹160 if paid annually) and has 6GB server space with free SSL and marketing tools.
Premium: Starts from ₹790 (₹280 if paid annually) and has all features in a personal plan with 13GB server space.
Business: Starts from ₹ 1260 (₹ 640 if paid annually) with all features in the premium plan and 200GB server space + SEO tools + upload your theme.
eCommerce: Starts from ₹ 2240 (₹ 1152 if paid annually) with all features in the business plan and 200GB server space + eCommerce tools + payment gateway + shipping integration.
2. WordPress.org – Suitable for Serious Bloggers
WordPress.org is the free CMS software available for use anywhere on the Internet. It is an open-source platform supported by developers across the globe.
Anyone can contribute to its development and upgrade. This blog onlinehomeincome.in is built on WordPress.
WordPress powers almost 68% of blogs and websites. With its powerful features and functions, you can develop any type of blog or business website.
It is easy to set up – all you need is to buy managed WordPress hosting from Raj Softech Hosting Solutions and install this software.
They offer a one-click installation of WordPress. After installing this software, you can develop your blog by using themes.
I am using Thrive Theme Builder over WordPress to develop this blog.
Visit my blogging tools page to see the list of tools that I am using.
Because WordPress offers only one free theme. So, you have to buy a suitable theme from any theme developer or theme marketplace like Theme Forest.
First, you need to install WordPress and upload the theme that you bought. That’s all, now you start developing your blog site.
Do not worry if you are stuck at some point, as there are lots of support options available. Every theme comes with detailed documentation, online forums, and support communities.
If not even, you can hire a WP developer to develop your blog. If you do not have a budget to buy a theme, you can search for any suitable theme from their repository.
WordPress repository has more than 50,000 themes and plugins.
Plans and Pricing of WordPress.org
- This CMS software is free to use. Just download the zip file and install it on your server.
To start a blog, you need to buy a theme and a few other plugins.
3. Medium.com – Suitable for Writers
Medium is slightly different from WordPress, and it offers a free blogging platform for writers and bloggers.
You can create a free account and start writing about what you are passionate about. Moreover, there is no need to code, design, or buy domain and hosting.
Medium is more similar to social platforms allowing writers to collaborate with their readers. With a sleek design and intuitive layout, you won’t get distracted by themes, logos, or layouts.
Professional bloggers and writers use the medium as a marketing platform. They usually repurpose their blog posts and publish them on Medium to get traffic to their blog.
Medium offers a monetization program to their writers through the Medium Partner Program. This way, you can monetize your medium content and earn money for life.
Also, you will get a chance to meet a vast community of readers, experts, bloggers, and influencers. This way, you may get some freelance writing work from your home.
Plans and Pricing of Medium
Free: Creating an account is totally free. You can contribute to this platform with your own stories. Plus, you will get unlimited access to public stories and three exclusive stories every month.
Membership: $10 per month ($5 if paid annually). You can have unlimited contributions and access to exclusive stories.
4. Blogger.com – Reliable Blogging Site from Google
Blogger is a free blogging platform offered by Google allowing people to learn blogging for free. You can create an account using your Gmail ID and start blogging.
Your blog URL will look like yourblogname.blogpost.com. You will get a sub-domain only, which is difficult to rank and gain traction.
Starting a blog using the blogger platform does not require you to invest money in buying a domain name and web hosting.
Moreover, there is no need for technical skills or programming knowledge to develop your blog.
You need to create a free account using your Gmail ID, and with a few steps, you can put your blog up and live.
Blogger gives you an easy-to-use interface that is simple and has no unnecessary sections in the dashboard.
You can straightaway start adding content using their rich-text editor or change the theme of your new blog for a better look.
I prefer WordPress over Blogger if you are planning to start professional blogging. Read this article on WordPress Vs Blogger for complete information before making your decision.
Plans and Pricing of Blogger Platform
- This platform is free to use, and you will get a free subdomain (with ads).
However, Google allows you to connect a domain name to your blogger subdomain.
5. Tumblr.com – Best Microblogging Platform
Tumblr is a micro-blogging platform combined with social media features altogether. It works more or less similarly to Twitter.
It is the best blogging platform for people who want to write short content by integrating media files like photos, videos, and audio files.
Even, you can design your custom Tumblr page with customizable themes, layouts, fonts, and other designs.
Tumblr is the most popular platform in Western countries and is suitable for bloggers to drive more traffic.
Millions of people visit Tumblr daily to repost their favorite blog posts and other information.
Plans and Pricing of Tumblr
- Again, this platform does not charge anything from its users.
6. Wix.com – Best Blog Site for Budding Bloggers
Wix.com has started to focus on business websites and eCommerce applications.
Recently they started venturing into the blogging vertical with their unique blog website builder tool.
Again, like WordPress, you do not require any coding skills or programming knowledge. They have a few pre-made templates available on their repository.
You can use any of these pre-made themes or even customize the existing theme to your taste.
Wix has great features like mobile responsiveness, SEO optimization, and the freedom to design and allow third-party integrations.
Plans and Pricing of Wix
Connect Domain (basic) Plan: Starts from ₹80 per month with free domain (1 year valid), free SSL, 500MB server space + 24/7 customer support.
Combo Plan: Starts from ₹ 125 per month with free domain (1 year valid), free SSL, 3GB server space + 24/7 customer support.
Unlimited Plan: Starts from ₹ 185 per month with free domain (1 year valid), free SSL, 10GB server space + 24/7 customer support.
VIP Plan: Starts from ₹ 325 per month with free domain (1 year valid), free SSL, 35GB server space + priority customer support.
Business and eCommerce Plans are also available with three plans.
Business Basic: Starts from ₹ 225 per month.
Business Unlimited: Starts from ₹ 300 per month.
Business VIP: Starts from ₹ 500 per month.
7. Ghost.org – Alternative for WordPress
Even, I too heard about the Ghost platform, slowly gaining attention in the blogosphere. It is an open-source platform for journalists, writers, and editors.
Ghost was first launched in 2013 to provide an easy-to-use platform for bloggers. Slowly, they developed a sleek, 100% headless Node.Js CMS with advanced built-in SEO options.
Ghost does not put any limitations on design, customization, or social media integration. You can have complete control over your blog.
Even you can bring the experience you want to create for your readers. Registering an account is free, and immediately you can start publishing content.
Installing Ghost is a bit complicated process, as it does not have any one-click installation like WordPress. It uses a WYSIWYG editor that gives you a feeling of writing on a live page.
With Ghost’s premium plans, you can monetize your content and even send email newsletters.
You want to go for premium plans, if you want to get more features like custom themes, custom integrations, etc.
Plans and Pricing of Ghost Platform
Starter: $11 per month ($9 if billed annually) – 1 staff user, 1 newsletter, 5 MB server space.
Creator: $31 per month ($25 if billed annually) – all starter plan features plus 2 staff users, 1000+ Zapier integrations, unlimited custom themes.
Team: $63 per month ($50 if billed annually) – all creator plan features plus 5 staff users, priority support, and higher usage limits.
Business: $249 per month ($199 if billed annually) – all team plan features plus unlimited staff users, custom domains, and 99.9% uptime SLA.
8. Weebly.com – Simple Drag and Drop Site Builder
Weebly is another well-known blogging platform known for its powerful website builder with a blog setup option.
They mainly focus on eCommerce and small business websites. Square Inc. acquired Weebly in 2018, and later they started focusing on blogging services.
With Weebly, you can build your blog by using its free theme with builder functionality.
They also provide free in-built hosting services with premium features and software to make their site load faster.
Plans and Pricing of Weebly
Free: Free to use with a sub-domain, and your blog name will look like domainname.weebly.com. It comes with 500MB of server space with free SSL.
Connect: Starts from $10 per month (paid annually) – 500MB server space, a custom domain name with chat and email support.
Pro: Starts from $12 per month (paid annually) with a free domain name, unlimited server space, access to premium themes, and a shopping cart + payment gateway.
Business: Starts from $25 per month (paid annually) with all features in the Pro plan + marketing tools, tax calculator, discounts and coupons, etc.
Business and eCommerce Plans are as below:
Pro: Starts from $12 (paid annually) – free domain, unlimited storage, shopping cart, payment gateway + 24/7 customer support.
Business: Starts from $25 (paid annually) – all pro plan features + eCommerce marketing tools.
Business Plus: Starts from $38 (paid annually) – all business plan features + abandoned cart emails and real-time shipping.
Conclusion
This list may give you some idea about free and paid blogging platforms in 2024. Blogging is becoming highly competitive and growing on a large scale.
It is the right time to enter the market and find your unique place to stand ahead of the crowd.
There is great earning potential in this business, and for this, you need to choose the right platform to start.
I have listed a few best blogging platforms known to my knowledge. You may choose depending on your budget, customization, and ease of use. Look at the pricing and select the one that fits your budget.
Whether you are just planning to start as a blogger or an experienced blogger, there is a platform out there that fits your needs.
I hope that this article might help you find the right blogging sites for your blog.
