There are many platforms where you can start your blog, but finding the best one that fulfills your requirements is tricky. You will see the best user-friendly platforms that even beginners are comfortable using.

To start your first blog, you have to choose an easy-to-use setup. You should not have graphic designing or coding skills in the beginning. You have to select the blog-type that you need to create. Some tools are better in one aspect, and the others take special care of all specialties.

Top Blogging Platforms:

When creating a blog, ensure you have a flexible tool that grows with your blog requirements. With time, there are chances that you are going to make some changes. Choose between the best blogging platforms by going through the pros and cons of the famous blogging sites along with their features and pricing.

1- WordPress.org

WordPress.org is no doubt one of the most popular and free blogging platforms that help to create blogs. Launched in 2003 and now powers up to 43% of all the sites on the internet. You can start a blog or build a WordPress site in minutes as it is an open-source platform that offers free blogging. You should not purchase a domain or hosting. It provides a self-hosted solution where you can register yourself.

When creating a blog, you will ultimately control your blog’s future. WordPress is a flexible tool that grows with you and your blog requirements.

Features of WordPress.org

• Secure and reliable
• Free themes
• SEO tools
• Mobile-responsive blogs
• More than 55,000 plugins
• Simple publishing process

WordPress.org Pricing

• Free: free software
• Hosting: $7.79 per month
• Domain name: $14.99 per year

Pros

• You will have full control on your blog.
• It provides a Customizable look to the website.
• Easy optimization as it is SEO friendly.
• It has a fantastic category of functions.
• You can easily integrate analytics.
• The details are given on the online forum as it has no direct contact.

Cons

• Learning curve when managing because it is not always beginner-friendly.
• You have to handle backup and security.

2- Web.com

Web.com is a popular and affordable website builder that has built-in features. You can take advantage of a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder. Hundreds of pre-designed templates are easy to use, even if you are a beginner. It is the easiest website builder that comes with the lowest price. The platform is dealing with more than 3 million customers since 1999. You can use security, backup, website analytics, SEO tools, and many more features.

If you are creating a professional blog, it offers a free domain name, business email address, and hosting.

Features of Web.com

• Easy navigation
• Best user experience with trendy and built-in designs
• Strong brand identity
• Product visuals and descriptions
• Contact information
• Security features

Web.com Pricing

• Starting plan: $1.95 per month
• Marketing plan: $2.95 per month
• eCommerce plan: $3.965 per month

Pros

• To create a blog, you will have a user-friendly drag-and-drop feature.
• You can access tons of stock images and templates.
• The page limit is limited on your site.
• It offers a free domain name, business email address and hosting.

Cons

• Blogging functionality is not decisive as compared to WordPress.org.
• There are limited eCommerce stores.
• It will be difficult to switch platforms.

3- Wix

Wix is a well-known platform that provides you with the opportunity to host and build your site. It does not require any previous knowledge to build a website or create a blog. There is a facility of drag-and-drop website builder that helps small businesses to create a website.

Add the Wix Blog app to your site if you really need a blog. It is straightforward to control and maintain blog sites using Wix. You can select pre-made themes for your blogs that suit you better. Wix was created in 2006 which is now has millions of users globally.

Features of Wix

• Customizable templates
• Mobile responsive
• SEO Optimization
• Free to design
• Third-party integration
• Comprehensive site builder

Wix Pricing

• Free plan: primary builder is free to use
• Premium plan: ranging from ($4.50 to $24.50) per month.

Pros

• You can use the drag-and-drop feature to build an amazing app.
• It can help customize your site, which allows you to use dozens of templates and third-party apps.
• Free apps help to set up your site.

Cons

• The free version is limited, showing ads and Wix branding on your site.
• Paid plans can use unlimited features because third-party apps are small.
• If you have selected the template, you cannot change it.
• Blogging features are not extraordinary.

4- Gator

Gator is a popular blogging platform created by HostGator, a famous web hosting company. It offers a drag-and-drop tool that you can use to build any site like a blogging site, eCommerce store, or business website.

You should be familiar with the Gator because sometimes people mix up Gator with the HostGator hosting. You can get the advantage of using HostGator hosting to start your blog. It is a good step to start your WordPress tool.

Features of Gator

• Free SSL certificate
• Mobile responsiveness
• Social media integration
• Website analytics
• A domain name
• Unlimited bandwidth and storage

Gator Pricing

• Starter plan: starting from $3.46 per month
• Premium plan: starting from $5.39 per month
• eCommerce plan: starting from $8.30 per month

Pros

• It has an effortless setup that can benefit even non-technical people.
• The use of a drag-and-drop user interface helps to customize your blog.
• To sell anything, you have to add an online store.
• Paid plans come up with a domain name and SSL certificate.
• The platform will handle multiple features like backup, security, and performance.

Cons

• It has some limited extensions and apps that you will use.
• You have to pay more if you are adding a store to your blog.

5- HubSpot CMS Hub

HubSpot CMS Hub is an all-in-one blogging website builder. It is beneficial for all businesses. The platform is the solution that was built on the free HubSpot CRM. It is a single platform that connects you with visitors and adds an email newsletter to your blog. You can attract many customers and manage subscriptions.

There are multiple features such as SEO, a build-in website, and live chat. They make it easy for you to design your design layout, and you can also personalize the content reader.

Features of HubSpot CRM Hub

• Great publishing tools
• Built-in SEO tools
• Multi-language Content
• Lead generation tools
• Security
• Thorough Analytics
• Testing features

HubSpot CRM Hub Pricing

• Starting plan: Starting from $25 per month
• Free plan: Start with HubSpot Marketing Free

Pros

• You can customize your blog by utilizing the drag-and-drop feature.
• It is easy to use because the platform does not require any technical skills.
• HubSpot CMS has a built-in email marketing and newsletter tool.
• It has built-in features for performance and security.
• You will have a language switcher mode to benefit your user.

Cons

• The free version is not available and the pricing graph can increase depending on requirements.
• It does not offer eCommerce features.

6- Tumblr

Tumblr is one of the most famous microblogging social media platforms and websites. The goal of this platform is on short-form content and multimedia. Tumblr is often used as a social network site to integrate various media files.

You can design your Tumblr page using customizable themes, fonts, layouts, etc. It is a well-known website that benefits millions of people by reposting their favorite blog posts.

Features of Tumblr

• Custom domains
• Export tool
• Password-protection
• Customized themes
• Social media integration

Tumblr Pricing

Tumblr is free but you can purchase a traditional domain name.

Pros

• You can easily start your blog and manage it later.
• It is an extensive ability to customize and then adjust your blog.
• To engage with social network, you can easily use a network to your blog.
• You can easily blog images, audio, video, GIFs, etc.

Cons

• Tumblr has minimal features to add functions to your blog.
• The fact is that Tumblr has many themes, but you can’t adjust the formatting.
• Getting a backup of your blog and shifting to another platform is challenging.

7- Medium

Medium is one of the growing blogging platforms in the online community. It has limited features, yet it is used by the community of writers, bloggers, experts, and journalists. You can utilize a drag-and-drop builder that proves it has a blogging interface.

It has an interface that can help you bring content from anywhere. Medium is like any other social media platform where you must register to log in.

Features of Medium

• Vast audience
• A free app
• Monetization
• Social media integration
• Media embeds

Medium Pricing

Free: You can post your stories.

Membership: $10 per month or $50 per year

Pros

• Blogging does not require coding skills as it is easy to use.
• You can learn about readers and reach an active community with the same interest.
• It concentrates on writing.
• You can monetize using the Medium Partner Program.

Cons

• It is challenging to build a brand on medium because of limited design.
• You will have little control over your content.
• It does not include many features to customize your site.

8- Squarespace

Squarespace is a famous platform that helps you create a blog or website. It is a user-friendly platform that uses the drag-and-drop interface. You can use this platform without any previous coding knowledge.

The main focus of Squarespace is on small businesses that are looking for a simple builder to make an online presence. You can create it in any sense as it has various customization features.

Features of Squarespace

• Various type of templates
• Schedule blog posts
• Mailchimp integration
• Article layouts
• Design flexibility
• Design options
• SEO
• Mobile site optimization
• eCommerce integration

Squarespace Pricing

Monthly billing:

• Personal plans: $16 per month
• Business plan: $26 per month
• For online store: $26 per month

Yearly billing:

• Personal plan: $12 per month
• Business plan: $18 per month

Pros

• It is very simple because it has beautifully designed templates that make your site eye-catching.
• You can engage more people by adding premium email marketing services.
• The platform offers a domain name and comes up with HTTPS/SSL and an eCommerce store.
• You can include hosting, domain name and features of drag-and-drop.
• The platform has a user-friendly environment and you do not need to have any pre-coding knowledge.

Cons

• The platform has a short range of marketing tools.
• You cannot add third-party apps to your site.
• Integrations are limited as you will have very few tools.

9- Weebly

Weebly is a world-famous platform that has various features. It is a user-friendly platform that uses a drag-and-drop interface. It comes up with the blog feature, which business sites and eCommerce stores can use.  The platform offers web hosting where the domain is free to use. There are 100+ templates you can utilize and it is powering more than 50m websites. Improving technology is the main goal of this platform.

Features of Weebly

• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Media management
• Free personalized templates
• Design flexibility
• Search engine optimization
• App collection
• Social media sharing

Weebly Pricing

Free: It is free to use, but you can use the domain name by paying $4 per month + $8 per month to remove the brand name.

Pros

• It is complete hosted website that you can use easily.
• There is no setup required to create your blog for the hosted version.
• It is a user-friendly platform that uses a drag-and-drop interface.
• The platform is SEO friendly which integrates with analytics of Google.

Cons

• The platform will provide limited features and bandwidth if you use a free plan.
• Blogging and SEO features can you down as compared to WordPress.
• You cannot jump from one platform to other.

10- Ghost

Ghost is a well-known blogging platform for its open-source. The main purpose of this platform is to focus on blog writing. It was created in 2013 by a successful campaign Kickstarter campaign. It is only available as a hosting platform, and you will have complete control of your content as readers desire. There are no restrictions when using Ghost, as it allows unlimited customization.

To get started, you first need to register yourself by signing up. Now you will log in to your account and publish your blog post.

Features of Ghost

• Site Editor
• Content management
• Posts scheduling
• Powerful SEO tools
• Simple templates
• Automatic backups

Ghost Pricing

• Free: You can start your experience with a free trial where you are going to pay for:
• Custom domain: $14.99 per year
• Web hosting: $7.99 per month

Pros

• The main focus is on blogging and writing.
• It provides a clean, clutter-free and build-in user interface.
• The blog is super-fast because it is written in JavaScript.
• You do not require any setup.

Cons

• You cannot customize it with other apps.
• It has limited features because there is a simple interface.
• You do not need to install it yourself as it is more complicated.