7 Best Blogging Platforms to Start a Blog for Free

It isn’t just enough for the doctor to be good. It does matter where he sets up his practice too, right? For any blogger, choosing the best blogging platform is almost as important as the content he is trying to sell.

This write-up is tailor-made for anyone trying to start a blog for free. You would want to end up with the best blogging site that is easy to use, readily customizable and is easy on your reader’s eyes!

Thinking of voicing your opinion on the web? Or even trying to make a decent earning just by writing your opinions on the massive internet arena? Well, there are a wide range of free blogging sites available for you to start a blog. Of course, which best blog platform you choose is completely up to you and your requirements.

Listed down below are brief write-ups about the 7 best blogging platforms which will help you decide which one to choose when trying to start a blog for free.

COMPARING THE 7 BEST BLOGGING PLATFORMS

IS WORDPRESS THE BEST BLOGGING PLATFORM?

Almost all to-be bloggers and current bloggers would have heard about WordPress during their blogging journey or atleast during their research for the same. In this expedition, one is bound to hesitate for a minute before choosing between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.

WordPress.com is more for users who are looking for free blogging sites while WordPress.org requires hosting by the user, which means you have to shell out a few bucks to make the most out of it but it entitles you to have full ownership of your blog.

Find out the pros and cons of the same and decide if it is the best blogging platform for you?

Pros

• Very good content management system.
• WordPress.org is an open source website builder adding to its flexibility.
• Varieties of themes make it highly customizable for bloggers. The benefit is definitely more here for WordPress.org
• Numerous free plugins are available for WordPress.org offering you great diversity.
• If you are looking to make some income out of your blogging, then you can always go for WordPress.org. It is one of the best blogging platforms for e-commerce.
• It offers you lots of scope to learn and expand. There are a plethora of forums and communities to help you along the way if you find it difficult.

Cons

• Self-hosting for WordPress.org requires you to invest some money into it. But hey, the more you are ready to invest, the more benefits you can reap especially if you are using the blog as part of your business and not just as a hobby.
• Limited plugins and designs are available for WordPress.com but is still very much at par with other blogging platforms.
• It takes time to get a hang of all the features before receiving maximum benefit and is thus time consuming and challenging for a beginner.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WORDPRESS.COM AND WORDPRESS.ORG

The basic difference that can be attributed to when it comes to distinguishing between the two is the domain name. If you have noticed specifically, one has an.org extension while the other has a .com extension. Now the mystery starts! Go ahead and read the cool features that make the two different from each other.

1. WordPress.com: is more of software service based company which offers hosting services at large.

WordPress.org: is more of an informative data container which contains information basically related to word press and its different aspects.

2. WordPress.com: Offers hosting services completely free. The installation part is a bit tricky though.

WordPress.org: This service is free and is more of an open source platform which gives quality product to its users.

3. WordPress.com: Not customizable. No personalized plug-ins or modification of source code allowed.

WordPress.org: Customization made fairly possible. Modification of source code is easy to derive best benefits.

4. WordPress.com: You have to pay for removal of those third party advertisements.

WordPress.org: No such payment fees required.

SET UP YOUR OWN BLOG WITH WEEBLY

Though another popular blogging platform, Weebly is now mostly used as a website builder. With Weebly, you can have your blog up and running in no time.

Pros

• Easy drag and drop option when creating website content therefore providing a visual interface.
• It offers you great ease of use. You need not be tech savvy to find your way around Weebly
• Attractive design and layout choices
• Not time consuming, as it is relatively easy to learn how to go around it
• Ideal for those users looking to build small or simple websites
• Free hosting services offered for their sites
• Has a platform built for e-commerce
• Monetization. Weebly offers a number of options in this area like AdSense, banner advertisements and third party codes

Cons

• Not an open source website builder. Doesn’t offer much flexibility compared to the other players in the platform
• There is a page restriction for the free and starter plans – 5 pages for the former and 10 pages for the latter. However, there are two upgrades from the starter plan available
• Lacks in customization abilities
• Does not support additional plugins other than the ones that are already built in. Hence, there is no option of installing more plugins of your choice
• Not ideal for those looking to make revenue using complex websites

WHAT MAKES BLOGGER THE BEST BLOGGING PLATFORM?

Pros

1. You will be provided with a custom domain name which is basically of the form yourname.blogspot.com
2. It offers exclusive free hosting and the publishing features are all taken care of by the site itself.
3. If you are a beginner, this free blogging site is definitely recommended for you, since it provides an easy to use graphical interface with a step by step process explained for the same.

Cons

1. The targeted benefits of blogger are very good. However, customization features are not so readily available and there is a kind of limited edition graphics and themes for the same.
2. Since it is relatively easy to use, there is only limited or no kind of support services made available by the site. However, you can search the web for any help need while you start your own blog.

TUMBLER – ONE OF THE BEST BLOGGING PLATFORMS

Tumblr has its own standing among the free blogging sites. It definitely is quite an arena which basically deals in community based updates and posts alike and has a one stop shop look with its image lined galleries.

Listed below are a few pros and cons which will help you differentiate it from the other best blogging platforms and give you a clear understanding of which platform to choose for your specific needs. Go ahead and give them a look.

Pros

1. Simple and minimalistic features lined with a great user interface that helps you start your very own blog for your specific purpose
2. Quite similar to social networking sites, it is rather a community based website with excellent image gallery on the line including re-blogging features and the like.
3. High end premium themes are available at an affordable price apart from the affordable hosting features it offers. Starting a tumblr blog is in fact free!
4. Offering attractive apps for the different kinds of Smartphone on the move makes it a great option among the best blogging platforms.

Cons

1. Customization features according to your needs is not yet made available for this extensive platform. This is a huge downside to this otherwise wonderful free blogging site.
2. Only limited widgets and options are available for your use.

SQUARESPACE – ANOTHER ONE OF THE BEST BLOGGING PLATFORMS

Being able to build a highly potential website with enhanced functionalities is one specific thing that is high in demand in the current market scenario. There are a variety of potential website builders for meeting your corresponding requirements and Squarespace is one such free blogging platform which offers such added functionalities.

However, you would want to check out the positive and the negative factors before concluding if it’s the best blogging platform.

Pros

1. It is easy to build and is highly functional. The platform is in fact very cozy to use.
2. User-friendliness and flexibility factors are much high. Great themes are available for your use.
3. Full time quick support is available for all squarespace users.
4. User end updating is not required and all updation of themes and plugins are done at the server side.

Cons

1. Not suitable for sophisticated and high end users who demand a greater professionalism of the given design. Minimalistic design options are however available if you wish to choose.
2. Premium packages are slightly beyond the affordable range.
3. It is not an open source platform.

HOW GOOD AN OPTION IS MEDIUM AMONG THE OTHER BEST BLOGGING PLATFORMS?

When it comes to building your blog via a standard blogging platform, there are a number of services available online which provide the same for an affordable cost. In this huge competition, one that stands quite worth mentioning is the Medium blogging platform.

Listed below are quite a few pros and cons of concluding Medium as the best blogging platform for your exquisite blogging and business needs alike.

Pros

1. The target audience is quite good. Some great exposure is available on this kind of platform.
2. It is easy to use and is quite user friendly.
3. It boasts of an affordable cost for hosting features and the like.
4. Typography is one thing which you can be very sure of. Such content looks excellent here.
5. The updation and maintenance are handled by the professionals so you don’t need to worry about the regular updation tasks.

Cons

1. Tough competition is its great downside. The published content and stuff needs to be highly exclusive and of top notch standard.
2. Customization features are not available and there are limited amount of themes which you can choose from.
3. The exposure to the audience is limited to the time duration of the work.
4. Designing is not what is exactly offered here exclusively. It is more of a content based website than a free blogging site.

WHAT MAKES GHOST STAND OUT AMONG OTHER BEST BLOGGING PLATFORMS?

Quite a new blogging platform which came into existence in the year 2013, this native website has taken the internet by storm. It is one exclusive free blogging platform developed solely for blogging purposes and stands quite an appreciation for its exclusive fresh and rich content and great user experience.

Listed below are a few features which will help you determine the applicability of this blogging platform designed to serve your specific business purposes at large. Go ahead and take a look!

Pros

1. It is very easy to use. The website is so user friendly and is highly functional in all its aspects.

2. What makes it more attractive is its exquisite simplicity. It is highly flexible and is suitable for even naïve users. It is in best demand for use by all blogging novices.

3. Abstraction is provided at a brand new scale. The modulation of the site is done specifically to suit the various design and content needs of the corresponding users.

Cons

1. It lacks in actual users for this platform and you can specifically notice that this platform is still in the beta testing phase of the testing lifecycle.
2. Widgets and plug-ins are missing in this platform which is quite a disadvantage when compared to other similar sites!
3. Being new to the market, this particular platform is lacking in basic user reviews on a larger scale.

Choosing the best blogging platform for you is quite an important call to make. Weigh your requirements and skills well to make an informed decision!

Source by Gaurav Jain