Maybe you’ve decided to start a blog, but now you have no idea which of the blogging platforms to use. What is the best option for you to build your new blog?Fortunately, there are many options for bloggers now. In the early days of blogs, bloggers needed to know HTML and code their own sites from scratch.Today, whichever option you go with, you won’t need to be a programmer to get a blog up and keep writing great content week after week. Most platforms let you build blog sites with easy-to-use design tools and features.The 13 Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money in 2024🚀Free On-Demand Video Training: Implement the Blogging System that 40x My Online Business. Click Here to Watch NowWhich blogging platform is best for making money?Before we take a look at some of the more popular choices for bloggers, it helps to think about some of the criteria you may want to consider as you look at all the possibilities.Ease of setupSome blogging services are relatively simple to set up: just create an account and start posting! Others require a little more technical know-how. For example, to set up some platforms, you’ll need to purchase hosting (a service where your blog “lives”) and then install the software on your hosted server.(It’s not a difficult as it may sound. Many hosting providers have services to help you get up and running.)Ease of day-to-day useDespite how easy or challenging setup is, it is even more important to look at how easy it is to get a post up, change basic visual elements, add images, etc. Set up is a one-time hurdle, but you don’t want the tool to be so difficult to use that you hesitate to publish anything.ControlThe potential problem with some of the free blogging platforms is that you don’t always “own” the content you publish. You also may be giving up some control over what is done with your posts, who actually sees them, and if the platform suddenly decides to change the rules on you.Also important is whether you can migrate all your content to another platform, should you decide to change later.CustomizationLike control, you may want to ask how much you can customize the platform. Do you want to be able to easily change colors, themes, layouts, fonts, and other graphic elements? Are there features or elements you’d like to be able to add or hide?Customization also includes the use of plug-ins or add-on tools that expand and personalize the tool itself, both for your readers and for you, as the admin. Without these options, you are left with whatever features the platform already includesIntegrationsSome blogging platforms allow integration with third-party apps and services. These may include “carts” for selling products directly from your blog, connections to audio and video services, and social media sharing tools.Probably the most significant app is the email service provider you plan to use (ex. MailChimp, ConvertKit, Aweber, etc.) You want to make it seamless for the reader to read your post then sign up for your newsletter or a free pdf. You also want to make it easy for you to set this up each time.CostSome blogging platforms are free (though you lose features and options with most of these) and others cost a monthly or annual fee. Look carefully at what you get for your investment. If there are different levels of service, pick the one that fits your needs the bestMonetizationIf your goal (right away or later) is to make money from your blog, look at whether you can sell products or display advertising or affiliate links. Some free platforms won’t let you do this, which will make monetization difficult later on.Best Blogging Platforms 2023As you look for the best blogging platform for you, there is no shortage of options. Here are just a few of the more popular tools bloggers use (in no particular order). 1. WordPressOne of the most popular blogging platforms, WordPress is an open-source blog site creator with a lot of features including flexibility and support. Both my Blogging Your Passion blog and jonathanmilligan.com blog run on WordPress hosting.It’s important to know that there are actually two versions of WordPress: wordpress.com and wordpress.org.WordPress.com is a free version that is hosted by WordPress itself. It’s essentially a free plan to blog online. It is easy to get started with this version, but it has some significant limitations. You can not add plug-ins (which is one of the most powerful benefits of using a WordPress blog.)There is much less customization, the analytics are very basic, and you are subject to their rules. You also cannot run ads on the .com version, though they will run ads on your site (sorry, you don’t get a share of this!)WordPress.org, often referred to as “the real WordPress” or self-hosted WordPress, is the better way to go if you ever want to do anything serious with your blog. Now, there is a bit of a learning curve with WordPress when you are first getting started. This version is what most people use to have a self-hosted blog. But here’s how to get started.You will need to purchase a hosting package through a site like Bluehost or HostGator. Then, you install WordPress onto this host. Fortunately, many hosting services offer easy ways to do this setup, if you aren’t really techy.You’ll have to pay an annual fee for hosting, as well as a domain name, but WordPress itself is still free. Doing it this way opens up all sorts of powerful features and flexibility.With self-hosted WordPress, you have access to thousands of free themes and plugins (software “add-ons”) that allow you to run an eCommerce store, create a membership site, integrate with hundreds of other apps, and add little features to make your blogging life easier.To see all the differences between the free and self-hosted versions, check out WP Beginners’ post comparing the two.#2. BloggerBlogger is Google’s version of a free blog platform, and it’s been around for a while. Unlike many of the free blog site tools, Blogger does allow you to display Google Adsense ads on your blog. It also lets you use Google Analytics, so you can see what kind of engagement and page views your posts are getting.The free domain that comes with the account is your blog name followed by .blogspot.com, so it’s a less professional look. There is no “premium” option with Blogger to upgrade features or allow for a customized design. As a result, a lot of blogs built with Blogger have a similar, recognizable look.One advantage to Blogger is its ease of integration with all things Google. As you can imagine, it’s easy to bring in pictures from Google Photos, for example.#3. MediumAlso in the completely free category, Medium lets you create a kind of online magazine. You can include a biography that shows at the end of every article, and it’s very easy to connect with other writers on Medium. Medium also allows you to easily embed content from other third-party sources, like YouTube or Instagram.As for creating a complete blog, you can’t create any static pages (like About Me or Resources, for example) You also can’t include any kind of ads, and monetization is nearly impossible. You also don’t own your audience, and it’s a little tricky to migrate your content to another platform (like WordPress) in the future.Medium is the best free blogging platform because it comes with a built-in audience. Blog posts, known as stories, can be a great way to get your message in front of thousands of interested users. You are allowed to use affiliate marketing in your posts, but I would not include them if you are submitting your story as a guest post on the platform. #4. TumblrTumblr is a popular space for bloggers who are very big on visual content. More of a social media platform than a blogging site, Tumblr definitely has a younger user base.Tumblr’s strength is in the ability to connect with other creators and easily share and promote each others content. Many Tumblr users post just as much in the way of images and videos as they do text. You can pay a little more to purchase your own domain name, too.Among its limitations, though, Tumblr allows for very little customization of features or design. This makes it difficult to make money from the…
