10 Best Blogging Platforms for Beginners in 2023 (Pros & Cons)

Are you looking to start your blog but can’t figure out how to choose the best blogging platforms?

If you are a beginner, you should look for a platform that allows you to easily set up your website without any coding. It should be SEO-friendly, have extensive customization options, and be flexible enough to allow for future growth.

In this article, we’ll show you the ten best blogging platforms you can use by reviewing the pros and cons of the most popular blogging sites.

How to Choose Blogging Platforms?

Many people make choices based on price when it comes to blogging platforms. Some of the best blog platforms are available for free. Check to see what plans each provider has and how many tiers there are. Then analyze their primary and unique features. Pay close attention to the value that out-of-the-box features provide compared to add-ons.

Let’s have a look at some more features you could need for your blog. This might help you compare different blogging sites.

• Ease of Use: If you’re a beginner, search for a platform that’s easy to set up, has a low learning curve, and doesn’t require any coding knowledge.
• Scalability: Another vital factor to consider is if the platform you’ve selected is flexible enough to enable you to scale your blog and add new features as it grows.
• Monetization Options: If you want to monetize your blog, pick one that allows customization, enables third-party plugins, and lets you design your advertising to make revenue.
• Extension and Integrations: No blogging platform can offer every feature that every blogger wants right out of the box. That is why it is important to choose a blog platform that offers extensions or integrations with third-party tools.

Now that you know what features you could need for your blog, let’s look at some of the best blogging platforms for beginners on the market.

10 Best Blogging Platforms for Beginners

Below are the best blogging platforms for beginners:

1. WordPress.org

WordPress.org is the most popularly used blogging platform on the internet. WordPress was founded in 2003 and today runs over 43% of all websites on the internet.

WordPress.org is an open-source, free blogging platform that lets you build your website or blog within minutes.

It’s also highly customizable, fast, and good for SEO (search engine optimization).

It’s a self-hosted option, which means you’ll have to sign up for a WordPress hosting account. WordPress is an excellent choice if you need complete control over the future of your site.

Pros:

• It’s easy to set up.
• You have total control over customizing the elements of your website using various design options.
• You may expand your blog by adding features such as forums, online stores, paid memberships, and the ability to sell online courses. As a result, WordPress is the best free blogging platform for making money.
• Thousands of free and premium WordPress themes are available to help you establish a great blog without the help of a designer.
• You have access to over 60,000 free WordPress plugins as well. These plugins function as applications for your WordPress site, allowing you to add features such as contact forms, galleries, and more. See our list of essential WordPress plugins for all websites.
• WordPress.org is completely optimized for search engines. This makes it simple to rank your blog post in Google using search engine optimization (SEO), mainly if you use some best WordPress SEO plugins.
• In WordPress, you can easily add Google Analytics so that you can view the data that matters. This will help you in increasing your new blog’s traffic and subscribers.
• WordPress drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create any content on your blog site.

Cons:

• Basic customization is simple, but there may be a learning curve if you want to make more complicated adjustments.
• It is self-hosted, which means you will need to take responsibility for hosting and any technical issues that may arise.
• You will have to manage your backups and security.

Pricing:

WordPress.org is 100% free, but you will need web hosting and a domain name to start any type of website.

See our post on how to start a WordPress blog for complete step-by-step instructions.

Aside from creating a blog, WordPress can also be used to create a small business website and an online store. For more details, check out how to create a website with WordPress.

2. Web.com

Web.com is a popular website builder platform that includes the option of adding a blog area to your company’s website or online store.

Their drag-and-drop website builder tool is highly user-friendly for non-techies, and they have very low start-up costs ($1.95).

You may choose from dozens of pre-made templates and then customize the layout of your blog without having to write any code.

It includes SEO tools, blog security features, autosave & backup, website analytics, etc.

Pros:

• A drag-and-drop website builder that is simple to use.
• Simple to set up and manage.
• Offer dozens of fully customizable templates for your blog.
• Free domain name for all paid plans.
• 24/7 customer support.

Cons:

• The blogging feature is limited in comparison to other platforms, such as WordPress.org.
• You are limited to 50 products with the eCommerce plan.
• Web.com is a proprietary website builder. Moving your blog to another platform in the future will be difficult.

Pricing:

The basic website package is just $1.95 per month!

You may also subscribe to the marketing plan for more effective SEO services, beginning at $3.95 per month. If you wish to add an online store to your blog, the eCommerce plan starts at $9.95 per month.

3. Wix

Wix is one of the most popular blogging platforms, with over 110 million users. Their drag-and-drop website builder allows small businesses to create a website quickly.

You may even start a blog for free using their blog app. However, if you want to connect your domain, you’ll need to purchase their premium plan.

Wix is a hosted blogging platform, so you won’t have to worry about the server. It’s ideal for those who don’t want to spend their time doing anything but blogging.

Pros:

• Setting up your website is quick and easy.
• Create your site with simple drag-and-drop tools; no coding is required.
• Hundreds of templates and third-party tools are available to help you customize your site.
• You will have a mobile-optimized website that will look amazing on all devices.

Cons:

• Wix’s free version is limited and displays Wix’s logo.
• There are just a few third-party apps that are available for free.
• You can’t edit a template after you’ve selected it.
• Limited eCommerce features are only available with premium plans.

Pricing:

Wix is completely free, and after you sign up, you’ll be given a sub-domain URL like www.yourdomain.wix.com.

You may, however, add a custom domain for $4.50 per month. Their premium plans generally cost from $8.50 to $24.50 per month.

4. HubSpot CMS

HubSpot CMS Hub is a complete blogging platform for small, medium, and large businesses.

It’s built on top of HubSpot’s marketing and CRM tools, so you can create a website, get more subscribers, send newsletters, manage your customer list, and more, all from a single platform.

Their website builder allows you to change your website’s style easily, and you can even customize the content that visitors view depending on their previous actions.

Pros:

• It’s user-friendly, and you can create a blog using drag-and-drop features.
• You may quickly customize your blog based on the information and behaviors of your visitors.
• HubSpot includes built-in email marketing and newsletter features.
• Fully optimized for SEO and conversions.
• It includes a free SSL certificate.

Cons:

• No free plan, but it offers a 14-day free trial.
• HubSpot CMS Hub doesn’t have any eCommerce features, which is something to think about if you want to add a store to your blog in the future.

Pricing:

The HubSpot CMS plan starts at $23 per month and includes all of the essential features for maintaining a secure, well-designed blog, as well as the marketing tools you’ll need to grow it.

You’ll upgrade to the higher tiers for custom SEO recommendations and advanced features.

5. WordPress.com

WordPress.com is the most user-friendly blogging platform for beginners. It comes from Automattic, a firm founded by Matt Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress.org.

You may get a simple blog hosting service for free at WordPress.com. You may also purchase premium services like a custom domain name, more storage, and more.

As a result, it’s a good option for people who want to use WordPress but don’t need the advanced features of other blogging platforms.

Pros:

• There is no need for any setup.
• It’s simple to use and manage.
• It’s entirely free if you are happy with the WordPress.com subdomain.

Cons:

• You have very few options with WordPress.com. You won’t customize your site using custom WordPress plugins and themes.
• WordPress.com does not accept advertisements. Instead, they’ll put their advertisements on your site.
• You do not own your blog, and WordPress.com can suspend your account if you do not follow its terms of service.

Pricing:

A basic WordPress.com account is free, but it will have ads and branding. The monthly fee for the personal plan is $4, and it is payable yearly.

6. Gator by HostGator

Gator is a website builder and blogging platform built by HostGator, a well-known web hosting provider. It has a drag-and-drop website builder that allows you to create any form of a website, including blogs, company websites, and even an online store.

It’s critical not to mix up the Gator builder with HostGator website hosting. You can start a WordPress blog with HostGator’s hosting service.

However, Gator is an excellent choice if you’re seeking a non-WordPress all-in-one blog platform and hosting solution.

Pros:

• Customize the look of your blog and website with a simple drag-and-drop builder.
• It’s simple to set up, and there’s no technical jargon.
• HostGator takes care of your backups, speed, and security.
• All plans include a free domain name and an SSL certificate.
• You can quickly add an online store to your blog with just a few clicks.

Cons:

• There is no free account but 45 day money-back guarantee.
• A limited number of apps.

Pricing:

The Starter plan costs $3.84 per month and comes with free hosting, a domain name, and an SSL certificate. The Premium plan costs $5.99 per month, while the eCommerce plan costs $9.22.

7. Blogger

Blogger has been there since the beginning, and it is also one of the best free blogging platforms.

Because of the limitations of plugins and themes, some users move from Blogger to WordPress to get more features and control over their websites.

Blogger integrated with Google Adsense to allow you to monetize your blogs. It is simple to activate using their dashboard.

You only need a Google account to start a free blog on blogger.

Pros:

• Blogger is 100% free.
• Easy to use templates.
• Monetize by integrating with Google AdSense.
• Built-in analytics to see blog traffic.
• Store your media files with Google.

Cons:

• You can only use limited blogging tools, and you can’t add additional features as your blog increases in popularity.
• There are no plugins available to improve your blog’s functionality.
• You won’t be able to add an online store.
• Blogger does not receive regular upgrades or new features.
• Google has the power to suspend or even delete your blog at any moment.

See our comparison of WordPress vs. Blogger for more pros and cons of Blogger.

Pricing:

Blogger is entirely free if you use a Blogger subdomain such as https://example.blogspot.com. If you need to use a custom domain, you must purchase it from a third-party domain registrar.

8. Weebly

Weebly is a popular website-building tool owned by Square’s payment platform. They offer simple website creation solutions for business websites and eCommerce enterprises.

They also offer a blog option and free blog templates that you can add to your website.

Pros:

• Fully hosted website and blogging platform.
• Integrates well with the Square payment platform.
• A little setup is required to get started.

Cons:

• Limited features and bandwidth, plus Weebly branding in the free plan.
• Paid subscriptions are expensive compared to top blogging websites.
• Not as flexible as WordPress.

For more details, see our Weebly vs WordPress comparison.

Pricing:

Weebly is free for basic use; however, you will be limited to a Weebly-branded subdomain.

Paid plans that allow you to connect a custom domain starting at $10 per month (billed annually).

9. Medium

Medium is a social platform for writers, journalists, bloggers, and experts from various fields. Its blogging design is simple; however, it offers limited social networking functions.

Medium is similar to many other social media platforms in that you may create an account and begin publishing content right away. Your profile address will look similar to this: https://medium.com/@yourname.

Pros:

• Free and easy to join and use.
• It’s a content-first platform, so you can write while they take care of the design.
• With the Medium Partner Program, you may earn money.

Cons:

• Very limited in power and scope.
• It is not allowed to use a custom domain name.
• Medium has full control over the audience. It means that if you lose your blog, you’ll lose your readers.
• You can’t make money by running your advertising.

Pricing:

Medium is free to use.

10. Squarespace

Squarespace is an easy-to-use website-building platform with a drag-and-drop interface. It allows you to create beautiful websites and personal blogs without knowing how to code.

Squarespace focuses on small business owners that want a quick and easy solution to establish an online presence. It was founded in 2003 and now powers millions of websites worldwide.

Pros:

• It is simple and easy to use for non-technical users.
• Provides some beautiful and professionally created templates to ensure that your website looks great without a lot of effort.
• It provides domain names with SSL/HTTPs and eCommerce shops individually.

Cons:

• Only a few tools and services provide integrations.
• The user is limited to using the features available on a proprietary platform.

Pricing:

Squarespace has different prices for websites and online stores.

Monthly prices for personal websites start at $16. If you pay annually, the price each month is only $12. Pricing for the Business plan starts at $26 per month, or $18 per month billed annually.

Pricing for online stores begins at $26 per month.

Choosing the Best Blogging Platform for Beginners

We strongly recommend WordPress.org over all other popular blogging platforms because it gives you complete control and flexibility over your blog’s future.

If you’re searching for a WordPress alternate, our second option for the best blogging platforms would be Web.com or HubSpot CMS.

Their drag-and-drop website builder allows to creation of any form of a website, from a blog to a business website to an online store, at a low cost.

We hope this article helps you choose the best blogging platforms for your blog.

For more, check out these other helpful resources:

• Best Ways to Make Money With WordPress Blog
• 23 Proven Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic for Free
• Best Website Builder for Small Business
• 10 Best CMS Platforms For New Websites

Lastly, follow us on Twitter for regular updates on new articles.