Creating a blog is one way to channel the hobby of writing for both professional and non-professional purposes. But whatever the need, choosing the right blog platform is a must so that your blogging activities are comfortable and smooth.
There are many platforms that can be used for blogging. Some platforms have been popular for a long time, while others have recently become popular. They all have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Here's a full list of the best platforms for blogging.
{jistoc} $title={Table of Contents}
5 Recommended Best Blogging Platforms Today
1. WordPress
WordPress is the most popular blogging platform today. The platform has dominated web users worldwide by up to 25%.
Many now rely on WordPress, from personal blog websites to the company level. This is because WordPress offers many advantages and exciting features. One of them is the number of templates and the ease of setting the display. This makes it much easier for many people to build a website than building the program from scratch.
Please also note that WordPress is a CMS (Content Management System). This means you will get a content management package that can be used very easily.
WordPress is a free blogging platform where you can get a free CMS with complete settings. But for the domain and hosting, you have to provide it yourself.
If you want to use direct hosting from WordPress, you can use the wordpress.com service, which provides a hosting package. But of course, this service is paid for and must be subscribed to every certain period.
Regarding the domain, you will automatically get a subdomain in the form of .wordpress.com. If you are not comfortable with this subdomain, you can apply to use your own domain at an additional cost.
Another advantage that WordPress has is the many functional plugins that you can use to optimize your blog.
2. Medium.com
Medium.com is a blogging platform that is currently on the rise. Many people are starting to turn to Medium to share knowledge or experiences. Medium has an elegant design that makes it comfortable to use for both writers and readers.
In addition to the appearance, the advantages of this platform are excellent article categorization. This is very helpful for readers to choose their own reading. Medium has an AI system that can provide article recommendations according to the interests of its users.
Medium is one of the best free blogging platforms today. Many people are starting to switch to choosing Medium over older blogging platforms like Blogspot and WordPress.
You can write articles for free on Medium. But to become a reader, you can become a premium user by paying a subscription fee and getting premium content.
3. Blogspot
Blogspot is one of the oldest blogging platforms. In the past, Blogspot was victorious with many users and advertisements and was able to support successful bloggers. But it doesn't mean that Blogspot has run out.
There are still many Blogspot users, even though the number is not as much as before. Blogspot is a free blogging platform that is very easy to set up and use. Here you don't need to think about other things such as hosting and domains because everything has been taken care of by Blogspot. So you can focus more on creating quality content and increasing traffic to the blog that is being developed.
The drawback of this Blogspot is that it is less flexible in terms of design. You will get one layout and several options without any features for further customization. In addition, they also do not have functional plugin support like WordPress.
Therefore Blogspot is more suitable for those who want to blog easily and simply without having to manage a lot of things.
4. Squarespace
Squarespace is a solution for those new to blogging and who want to create a blog quickly. Squarespace is the best all-in-one website building platform today. Not only blogs, but you can also create websites and e-commerce using Squarespace.
But all these features are certainly not free; you can choose a subscription package at a price between $8 - $24 per month.
Squarespace is a blogging platform that is very easy to use. Even if you are a beginner, you can adapt quickly to this platform. This is because Squarespace has a very clear design and navigation.
This convenience also applies to the CMS (Content Management System) feature. Where you can easily publish articles or other content in a short time with high optimization.
The blog design that you create can also be customized in such a way according to your taste. This is similar to what you have on WordPress.
This best blog platform is suitable for those who want to create a website or blog for business. Remember, to create a blog on Squarespace is not free, and there must be a monthly fee. So it is more suitable to be used as business support.
5. Wix
Wix is a website builder platform that can be used to create a variety of professional web templates, including personal blogs. Wix has some similarities with the platforms above, especially Squarespace. It's just that Wix is available for free.
Unfortunately, Wix is less flexible in terms of display and content customization. So it is not suitable if you want to explore more about blogging.
Tips for Choosing a Blogging Platform
1. Adjust to the Purpose of Blogging
Each blogging platform certainly has its own suitability for a particular purpose. You have to adjust your needs according to which platform will be used.
For example, if you want to build a blog or large-scale website to support a business, it is recommended to use WordPress or Squarespace. But if you just want to create a personal blog, you can just use Medium or Blogspot.
2. Audience Reach
Each blogging platform has its own unique audience. For example, Medium is more widely used to share problems and modern science such as digital marketing, IT, AI, etc. Likewise with other platforms.
You can adjust this to the target audience you want to reach.
3. Platform Features
The features of the platform are also worth considering. Because if in the future you want to apply any changes to your blog, then you need a flexible platform like WordPress.
But if you don't really care about functionality or other features and just want to focus on content, then you can use Medium or Blogspot.
Conclusion
In essence, your goal is to determine which blog platform you want to use. You can also ask those who have been blogging for a long time about their experiences with the platform.