1. WordPress
I’m putting the best foot forward here and starting with the great WordPress. This platform is easily the most popular choices for bloggers and web designers of all kinds.
WordPress is responsible for 76.5 million blogs and counting! The reason why it’s so popular has to do with its flexibility and unique features, such as the ability to customize your permalinks. The tools at your disposal here are ideal for beginners, but there’s enough depth and freedom for veterans to stretch their legs as well.
On top of this, WordPress has themes and plugins. These two features allow you to easily customize the look and feel of your site. Themes will give you structured layouts and plugins will add functionality like SEO tracking, analytics, social media share buttons, and plenty more.
WordPress is constantly improving and being updated as well. It’s open-source design allows anyone to tweak the program and add new functionality as they see fit.
2. Blogger
Blogger is a household name thanks to it being owned by Google. This is the best option for those who are looking for something very quick and very simple. Since Google is the king of user-friendly design, you’ll have a Blogger set up within minutes and a post published within an hour. It really is that simple. The downside, of course, is that there’s not a lot for advanced users.
3. Ghost
Ghost is another open-source blogging platform that has a focus on welcoming advanced users into a platform where they have complete control over the look and feel of their website.
In that way, Ghost is very much like WordPress, but it offers a few features that make it stand out from the crowd. For starters, there’s a split-screen editor that offers a live preview on the right while you work on the left. Support for multiple users also adds the ability to work in tandem and collaborate with your team or a fellow author on your blog. The content is organized in the same way you would see emails, which makes it easy to pick and choose your workflow.
4. Tumblr
Tumblr showed up a little late when compared to the other major platforms. It has the unique approach of focusing on “micro blogging.” This term refers to the way posts are uploaded on the platform. You’re not going to see any long-form 2,000 word posts here. Instead, you’ll see short little quips and a ton of animated gifs. It’s a different world than most other platforms, but you can’t deny the charm and simplicity it offers.
5. Weebly
With Weebly we’re crossing into the world of website builders. These are perfect for beginners who don’t have any web design experience. Web builders allow you to easily drag-and-drop new elements into your theme. It takes the complications out of web design and does all the coding in the background so you can focus on the end result. There’s a free account option that lets you dive in and check out the various tools and features on offer. You’ll be able to create extremely professional looking websites that are also mobile-responsive for maximum rankings on Google and other search engines. Another nice feature is the ability to download the site’s code so you can keep the formatting if you move to another platform.
6. Medium
For those who simply want to see their thoughts and ideas take root on the internet, Medium is a great way to get it done. You can join a community of people who are from all walks of life. For the sheer “feel” of blogging, you can’t beat the simplicity that Medium offers. This is a place where you can have your voice heard without the responsibility of a full-time blogger. The fact that it’s also a free and open platform means that you can jump in quickly, write about anything that you’re passionate about, and share it with the world.
You’ll also be able to read other people’s work which will in turn inspire new content for you. It’s a beautiful way to get in touch with the spirit of blogging.
7. Wix
Wix promises to give you an incredible looking website without requiring any knowledge of coding whatsoever. This is another website builder, but you really can’t argue with the results people get. Professional results, without the need for advanced web design knowledge, is a massive benefit of using Wix. Businesses will also find a lot to love here. The company offers plenty of tools and designs to assist growing businesses. The designs on offer all exhibit a strong understanding of today’s styles and best practices. It’s a very well maintained blogging platform. The company is continuously growing and the user base is a loyal bunch. Overall, Wix ranks in the top among other website builders. If you need great results with simple and easy to use tools, this is a great pick.
8. Squarespace
Squarespace wants to help you create a website that looks like you spent a ton of money on it. The end results with this platform are extremely polished, responsive, and visually pleasing websites. Squarespace is a great option for websites that have a lot of dependence on their layout and design. The options here will give you the ability to make a website with image-focused design and a very clean look. This platform is a website builder like some of the others on this list. As a result of that, you can easily make tweaks to the design without ever touching a line of code. That level of convenience is spectacular.
9. Penzu
Penzu is focused on the original purpose of blogs as online journals. This platform takes that approach as its main focus with great results. You can sign up for free and choose from different types of journals. Some of them are public, others are private. You can tweak the settings in any way you like and let your thoughts take form on the page. If you’re trying to form a schedule, there’s another great feature here that lets you receive email reminders when you’re supposed to post.
By default, the journal entries you have are private, but you can choose to make public. You’ll have options for your cover, background, and font to make the journal unique to you and your personality.
10. SVBTLE
SVBTLE immediately captures your attention when you arrive by saying that it was designed to work like the human brain. It’s a platform that not only gives you the ability to blog, but also the inspiration you need to come up with new ideas. It all starts with a dashboard designed to help you curate ideas and guide you through the process of seeing them come into fruition. Unlike many free blog sites, SVBTLE also promises that they will never take down your blog. The design of the text editor is geared towards a distraction-free experience that allows you to focus while you work. Finally, the final product is clean and easy to read for your visitors.
It’s slick, simple, and suave. A great platform for bloggers and a great way for writers to grow and develop their ideas.
Choosing The Best Blogging Platform – What to Look for?
Before diving in the list, it helps to know what kind of platform you’re looking for. As a beginner, you’ll want a blogging platform that’s easy to set up, and doesn’t require any coding skills. You’ll also need to think about what kind of blog you want to create, now and in the future. As your blog grows, you may want to change the look of your site and add more features for your growing audience. That means it’s important to choose a blogging platform that’s flexible, with room to grow.
Starting off with the wrong platform can make it very difficult to switch later on.
Lastly, even if you don’t have plans to make money yet, it’s smart to make sure you have the option to do so in the future.