When you decide to start a Blogging project, it is usually a project you’re passionate about. You create quality content and have an idea of where you want to go with it. Now what? The next step is choosing a platform to share your content with an audience.

In today’s internet world, there are plenty of platforms from which you can choose. It can be a challenging choice that requires you to know your purpose, needs, goals, and skills. How do you find which one is the best one for you?

This article will show you a comparison of Blogging Platforms that are leading the industry today. We’ll review the advantages and disadvantages of each to give you solid knowledge to make an informed decision. It takes courage and determination to start and maintain a blog, so you’ll want to make sure that the platform you choose gives you the features and flexibility you are looking for. Knowing your long-term goals is important because as you grow, you will need more features.

What is a Blogging Platform?

In simple terms, a blogging platform is a place on the internet that allows you to write and publish blog content. It is a system for content management that keeps your blog posts well organized to present to your readers. You can think of a cake. You can imagine your blog as a cake. The icing on top is the unique content and design you create. The cake stand that presents it all is the blogging platform.

A blogging platform is a database that organizes text, blog pages, and images. Some platforms allow you to further organize your posts with tags, labels, and/or categories.

Below you’ll see some of the most popular websites for blogging that we will compare in this article.

1. WordPress
2. Blogger
3. Tumblr
4. Medium
5. Wix

What to Look For When Choosing a Blogging Platform

Before examining the list, it is essential that you know exactly what you desire from a blogging platform.

As a new blogger, the ideal platform is one you can easily set up, it is easy to learn, and does not require skills in coding. In addition, it is good to know what blog type you will create now and what you may probably create in the future.

As your blog expands in the future, it is possible that you will want to change the look of your website, add other features, and make other adjustments to accommodate your audience. For this reason, it is a good idea that you choose a blogging platform that provides flexibility as you grow.

It is difficult to change platforms once you’ve started, it’s better to carefully choose the one you think will work best and avoid the hassle of switching down the road. Perhaps you create a blog that you don’t intend to monetize now, but later want to change it so that it starts to make money for you.

The platform you choose should provide options and flexibility for you in the future. Without further ado, let’s start the comparison of the best blogging platforms that exist today.

WordPress.org

Without a doubt, the planet’s most popular software is www.wordpress.org. Since it began in 2003, it has grown to be the site that powers 30 percent of the websites currently online. Do not confuse www.wordpress.com with www.wordpress.org. The .com is a service for hosting that deals with blogs and the .org is a platform for open source free blogging. It assists you in building your own website or blog in just minutes.

WordPress.org is self-hosted, which means you won’t have to sign up with WordPress as a hosting provider. This is a great advantage if you want to be able to fully control the future of your blog.

Pros

• You can control every facet of your blog.
• You can expand your blog by adding extra features such as an online store, a paid membership section, and forums. This feature is optimal for monetizing your blog.
• It has thousands of themes to choose from for free. This allows you to stand out from the crowd.
• You will receive free access to at least 54,000 plugins. Adding plugins is like adding apps to your website.
• For example, you can plugins for contact forms, SEO features, and shopping carts to name a few.
• Search engine friendly. Create URLs that are SEO friendly, tags, and categories for your posts.
• It is free to use, but you will have to pay for your own domain and hosting.

Cons

• There’s a learning curve in managing your own website.
• You are required to manage backups and security on your own.

Blogger

Blogger provides an easy and quick way to create your blog even if you’re not tech-savvy. It is a free blogging platform provided by Google. It was launched in 1999, which makes it one of the oldest blogging platforms on the internet. In 2003, Blogger was acquired by Google and has since been redesigned into the platform we see today.

To get started, Blogger simply requires a Google account.

Pros

• It is a free service, all you need is to sign up and have an existing Google account.
• No technical skills are required. You can easily manage the site and use all features without much of a learning curve.
• Strong security and reliability because it is powered by Google.

Cons

• Basic blogging tools are limited and you cannot add new features once your blog becomes more popular.
• Limited design options and fewer available templates. Unfortunately the third party templates often lack quality.
• New features and frequent updates are not available.
• You run the risk of Google suddenly abandoning the service like it happened with Feedburner. Google has the option to suddenly cancel or suspend your blog without any warning.

There are people who initially create their blog on Blogger and end up switching to WordPress.org as their blog grows in popularity. The switch gives them more control and features on their website.

Tumblr

Tumblr is considered one of the most simple of all blogging platforms, some say it is the most basic. It is designed for users that are not so tech-savvy, so it features intuitive functions. Tumblr is called a microblogging platform that has the ability for social networking. This is very different compared to various platforms for blogging. Its form is based on built-in sharing tools for re-blogging if someone likes your post. It Tumblr-to-Tumblr interaction that allows other Tumblr users to follow your blog.

Pros

• It is free for a Tumblr subdomain, or you can connect a unique domain name by upgrading to premium.
• Extremely easy to create and manage.
• Integrates social media for easy sharing and interactions.
• The microblogging tool makes it simple to blog videos, images, audio formats, and GIFs quickly.

Cons

• Limited features that do not allow for growth.
• Although it has various themes, they do not offer additional features.
• It is difficult to backup or import your blog to other platforms.

Overall as a free service, Tumblr allows many types of bloggers to enjoy an audience. There are third party features in case you feel you need more and want to upgrade.

Medium

Since its launch in 2012, Medium has expanded to a user-friendly platform with some social networking capabilities. It is a community for bloggers, writers, journalists, and other experts. You won’t be able to use your own domain, instead, you’ll have an extension of their address. It behaves like a social networking site. You can easily sign up and start publishing articles right away.

Pros

• It is easy to use and very simple. No complex setup is needed and there is no coding involved.
• It connects you to an online platform where you may share your blog with a specific audience.
• The design is done for you, which means you can completely focus on creating content.

Cons

• It is difficult to build a brand or have a unique design because of its limited features.
• Your audience doesn’t belong to you, it belongs to Medium. If you ever leave the platform, you’ll leave your followers behind as well.
• Similar to Facebook, you won’t have your own domain name.
• You don’t have the ability to run advertising campaigns to create more traffic and thus more income.

While it is free to use, well designed, and has social networking features, it does not allow monetization or much control. Many bloggers start here and switch to WordPress.org.

Wix

The company came into the scene in 2006 as a hosted platform where people could create their own amazing websites. It features easy-to-use “drag and drop” tools, small business solutions, and an add-on for blogging called Wix Blog. The huge brand image is that anyone can create their own websites without knowing nothing about coding. Wix currently has over 110 million global users.

Pros

• You can design your own site with a huge amount of templates. Plus, there are dozens of third party apps.
• No coding skills are required because you can easily use their “drag and drop” tools.
• Creating your website is not only easy, but extremely fast.

Cons

• You can set up a free account, but it will show Wix’s brand on your website in addition to advertising. It also has limited features.
• The free apps from third parties have little variety.
• You’re stuck with the same template once you’ve created it, you cannot change it.
• Although it has e-commerce features, they are only available paying a premium plan, and even then it has limited features.
• The blog features it offers don’t compare in quality to other popular blogging platforms.

Our Choice for the Best Blogging Platform

After extensive research and public opinion, we’ve chosen WordPress.org as the best pick. It surpasses other blogging platforms. It is the most flexible, powerful, affordable, and easy-to-use out of all platforms compared.

WordPress.org is for those who are interested in customizing their website and managing it with complete control. You will have the ability to expand your business beyond a blog and create a website and app all from the same place. Without a doubt, for the needs of most users, it outperforms in functionality and customizability.

Starting Your Blogging Project

Now that you have identified which platforms work best for your individual blogging needs and goals, you can select the platform that suits the flexibility and functionality you seek. Ideally, you’ll pick a platform that allows for growth and monetization as you get further into building your audience. Even if you’re doing it just for fun, it is nice to have options that won’t limit you in the future.

The beauty of blogging is that you’re able to channel your passions in a productive way that enhances the world. It is a beautiful sight when someone dedicates their time to doing something they love and are compensated for their efforts. It is a wonderful reality of the blogging industry and now is the time to get on the wagon.

Final Thoughts

There you are, with a basic comparison of some of the best blogging platforms out in the industry today and some basic knowledge in your toolbox. We compared WordPress.org, Blogger, Tumblr, Medium, and Wix. We hope this article gets you closer to choosing a blogging platform that suits your needs and style. The most important factor is that you have a passion for what you’re seeking to blog about.

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