One of the best ways to market a business is to create a blog. However, your blogging strategies aren’t going to be all that effective without the right blogging platform. That’s why it’s quite important to choose an apt blogging platform.

However, there are a thousand things to be considered and measured before choosing one. But, that takes time. So, we made the job a little easier for you by simply listing out the best blogging platforms that are available in the market today.

Just go through the list and choose one that best suits your needs.

Blogger

Blogger is a no-nonsense blogging platform that has maintained its old-school appeal. At present, it’s operated by Google, which means you need to only have a Google account to sign up. One advantage with Blogger is that it handles all the technical stuff on its own.

All you have to do is focus on creating your content. It’s also a free platform that offers hosting. You get a subdomain as well, but, if you want a custom domain you will need to get it separately.

Blogger is extremely easy to use and hardly requires users to possess any skills in order to carry out the installation process. The installation process is, in itself, very easy and quick.

In terms of appearance, you get a layout editor that allows for minimal alterations and changes. On the whole, this is a no-frills platform that purely emphasizes the content you put up. However, one small drawback is that you don’t get any external plugins.

Ideally speaking, Blogger works best for personal bloggers and those who blog for fun.

WordPress (Online)

This is hosting blog platform created using WordPress software. What that basically means is that you do not have to actually download the WordPress software to actually run this platform. It can be operated online. All you need to do is register your account and log in whenever you want to use it.

The fact that it’s hosted online means you’re going to save a lot of time. You can set up your blog in just minutes. WordPress Online is quite popular for this reason and has even been used by celebrities like Jay-Z.

However, it isn’t completely free like Blogger. You could get the basic package for free, but, if you want more functionality, you’re going to have to pay. The professional blogging package costs about $99 per year while the advanced package costs about $299 per year.

On a more positive note, hosting comes at no cost. As for domains, there is a default domain assigned to you but, if you want a custom one with the basic package, it will cost you an additional $18. On the professional and advanced plans, custom domains are included as part of the subscription fee.

Since it’s an online version, the ease of use is very high. Like Blogger, WordPress Online manages to do most of the hard work such as configuration setup, site setup, and hosting. But, users will have to refer to the on-screen wizard. There is no option to opt out of that.

As for designs, you have a decent amount of layouts and themes to choose from. With the premium plans, you can even custom-create your own layouts and themes. But, on the whole, it still doesn’t compare with the self-hosted version of WordPress.

There are no third party plugins, but, you do get features like polls, comments, statistics, and sharing.

Tumblr

This is one of the few blogging platforms to offer social media features as well. One thing you need to keep in mind about Tumblr is that it is clearly meant for micro-blogging. OS, there’s no room for long form content here.

However, you do get a community of users to share and discuss your work with. Hosting is free and available. It’s also super easy to use Tumblr. There are complex setup processes to follow. Even a child could setup Tumblr.

There are no plugins or extensions. However, you do get a lot of design options.

On the whole, Tumblr is ideal for micro-blogs and other short, specific blogging topics.

WordPress (Self-Hosted)

This, as you might already know, the most sought after blogging platform. The reasons are quite obvious. For starters, it’s free. Secondly, you get a ton of design options including the option to customize your own.

But, the biggest winning factor with WordPress is that it has an infinite number of plugins and extensions. You have around 40,000+ options within the WordPress directory and several more external options. This is exactly why everybody goes for the self-hosted version of WordPress despite the complex set-up process.

As for ideal users, it’s perfect for professional bloggers who make money off their blogs, bloggers who want full-control, and business bloggers.

Sources:

https://startbloggingonline.com/blog-platform-comparison-chart/