Most websites out there have a successful blog up and running. And this is no wonder since blogging has become essential to the online community. Thanks to it, users can easily gain, pass, and share info with others. As a result, blogging is dominating the online world.
Surprising, isn't it? Well, compared to web pages, blogs are more capable of attracting audiences, keeping them engaged, and converting them into potential clients. And as a brand, blogs can help your SERP ranking to skyrocket in no time at all. Knowing these, you no doubt want to start up your blog as soon as possible if you don't already have one. Well, the good news is starting up a blog is as easy as anything.
All you need to do is make plans, purchase your domain name (if you don't have one), purchase web hosting, and get started with a blogging platform. Yes, that's all. Afterward, you only need to design your blog and start publishing content.
Though it may sound like a piece of cake, the process of starting a blog has proved challenging for some. They've gotten stuck at the whole blogging platform process. Why? Well, there are several blogging platforms out there. Hence, you may get confused when selecting. More so, if you are a beginner with no knowledge of blogging at all. Not to worry, this article is here to save the day. Here, you'll get to see the best blogging platform sites for 2023. But, as a beginner, you need to first fully understand the meaning and basic functions of a blogging platform.
What blogging platforms are
In simple terms, a blogging platform is software that lets you develop, manage, and even publish blog posts on the net. It greatly aids the entire blogging process. Through blogging platform sites, you can even design your blog to suit your niche.
Does it stop there? Of course not! Blogging platforms go as far as allowing users to comment on a post. As a result, authors can freely communicate with readers, thereby forming an entire community on its own. Yes, it is safe to say that without these platforms, blogging is impossible.
Now, you know just how important blogging platforms are. But the larger question remains: "what blogging platform should you opt for?" As seen above, this article will provide the answer. So, without any further delay, let's get down to the chase.
6 best blogging platform sites for free [2023]
As we've seen, there are several blogging sites in the world. And this is only natural considering the pros that come along with blogging. To aid your decision, below are the six best blogging platform sites you can access for free.
But you may wonder why these are considered the best blogging sites in our day. To answer that, let's delve into their features, pros, and cons.
WordPress
Without a doubt, WordPress deserves to be top of this list. With over 60 million users, WordPress boasts of being one of the best blogging platforms in our day. Even as a beginner, you may have heard of it. And that's only natural since it is the first choice of countless blogs out there. And this is no wonder. Why?
WordPress is a free, open-source CMS (Content Management Systems) software that allows users to freely customize their blog with no restrictions at all. It puts you in the control seat of your entire blogging process. And what's more, you don't need any advanced coding knowledge to get started. This sets it apart from other blogging platforms today. Instead, it offers free and easy-to-use plugins that are highly customizable. But you may wonder: "what good will some plugins do for your site?" If you thought so, you are wrong.
WordPress offers thousands of plugins that perform several functions. For instance, Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin aimed at improving the overall SEO of your blog. By providing detailed suggestions and alerting you of any errors in your optimization, Yoast will get your blog to the top of the rankings easily. Yet another noteworthy fact is that WordPress plugins are very easy to install.
All these have seen it through as one of the best blogging platforms. But it doesn't stop there. Below are other main features of this impressive platform site. But before delving into that, it's important to note that WordPress offers two impressive platforms for blogging. These are WordPress.org and WordPress.com. Do not confuse them, they are different.
WordPress.com is a service that allows users to build a site with WordPress software. While WordPress.org is the software itself. WordPress.org will give you full control over your blog, from design to maintenance. But on the other hand, being a service, WordPress.com lets you take it easy since your site will be managed by top WordPress experts
Many have opted for WordPress.com thinking that using the software itself (WordPress.org) is difficult. But that's not true. As seen above, you don't need any advanced coding skills. With tons of plugins, you can easily get your blog looking the way you want it. And above all, you may find it more educating. Whichever one you choose, you won't regret selecting WordPress as your blogging platform.
Features
It offers a wide variety of plugins
It offers regular plugin updates and core upgrades
It allows you to index posts easily
You can schedule posts
It offers several themes for your blog design
Pros
It is easy to use
It is beginner-friendly
You do not need advanced technical know-how to use
It is highly customizable
It allows you to optimize your blog posts
Cons
Sad to say, WordPress has its downsides. Here are some major cons of WordPress you need to keep in mind.
You have to install lots of plugins for any additional feature.
The more plugins your site is running on, the slower it gets.
While its updates offer many benefits, frequent updates may cause problems for your site
When installing plugins, you have to take caution since WordPress is vulnerable to potential
Next on the list is Blogger. The name says it all. It is a platform that allows you to develop and manage your blog. It was developed by Pyra Labbs but was later acquired by Google in the year 2003. As a result, users can make use of this platform with other Google products. Furthermore, you can also integrate it with your Google account. Without a doubt, this has only made Blogger a better platform.
Like WordPress, Blogger is a Free Content Management System that allows users to publish their posts with ease. All you have to do is create an account, select a theme, and start writing. Yes, blogger is extremely helpful to authors who just want to share their thoughts. As an author looking to start a personal blog, Blogger may be perfect for you. But you may not find it the best blogging platform for professional use.
Blogger also offers impressive features which have seen it as one of the top platforms today. For instance, its template designer allows you to customize your blog's appearance to suit your niche. It also gives users the ability to set up custom domains for free. And this is a service that you need to pay for with other platforms. It goes to show that Blogger has its own set of unique features. But is that all? Of course not! Here are other main features of Google Blogger.
Features
Blogger's Earnings Tab allows you to link your blog to your Google AdSense account.
You can follow up with how many views your post has via the Stats Tab.
It allows for collaboration.
The template designer allows you to customize your blog to your liking.
Pros
It is beginner-friendly
It is more suitable for personal blogs
It is very secure
It offers free web hosting services
With Blogger, you can rest assured that your blog will be indexed in Google and fast.
Cons
It is less suitable for professional blogs
Unlike WordPress, Blogger does not give you complete ownership of the blog
It updates are slow
Does not offer access to plugins
All that said, Blogger is still a very effective blogging platform in 2023. So, if you choose to opt for this platform, whether for personal or business purposes, you will get to experience first-hand the benefits of this impressive platform site.
Medium is yet another blogging platform that shouldn't be overlooked. Like the others mentioned before it, it is free and simple to use. Founded in 2012 by Evan Williams, Medium is aimed at improving readers' experience. And while doing so, it creates the perfect community for authors to reach out to more audiences.
It also allows readers to search for your blog, and if they find it interesting, Medium allows them to subscribe to your blog. Hence, each time you post new articles, your subscribers will get notified. So, all you need to do is to be consistent in writing. This will help keep your readers engaged and who knows, they may even share your articles with others.
Medium also provides an opportunity for authors to get paid for their work through the Medium Partners Program. Surprised? Well, you may be. After all, not all platforms out there make such provisions for writers. It goes to show how valuable Medium is and why it is considered amongst the best. Below are other features of this impressive blogging platform.
Features
It enables users to search for articles that suits them via the custom filter
It allows for comments
It provides users with an estimated reading time of posts
Pros
It allows authors to reach out to a larger audience
It offers a great reading experience
It helps users to optimize their blog for better rankings
Medium is one of those blog platforms where your post can be quickly indexed
Cons
The concept of Medium is that you are publishing your blog posts on Medium's domain. And sad to say, this comes with a lot of disadvantages.
First and foremost, your traffic is not yours. What does this mean? Just imagine: you publish a post on Medium which ranks first on Google's SERP. When visitors click on that post, they are directed, not to your site, but the Medium platform. And this will increase Medium's traffic and build authority for the platform, while your website remains static or even falls down the rankings.
Medium is a very competitive blog platform. As such, many brands fail to attract readers since they are thousands of other blogs and posts competing for their attention.
That said, Medium is still one of the best platforms you should consider for your blog. Most especially if you are a writer looking for where to publish content and connect with readers.
Yet another impressive blogging platform site is Wix. It is a Cloud-Based site builder known for its ease of use. Unlike the other platforms, Wix allows beginners to design a top-level blog site without any coding or web design skill. What is more, you can get a blog up and running in a few minutes. And this is no wonder considering the features of this impressive platform.
Features
It has a drag and drop feature to aid customization.
It allows users to develop a custom logo for their brand in a few minutes via the Wix Logo Maker.
Wix also allows users to optimize their blogs for better rankings on SERPs.
With Wix, you can regularly follow up with your blog's performance to see if your strategies are working.
Wix offers several templates for your blog design. Select the one that perfectly suits your niche.
Pros
It is easy to use
It is beginner-friendly
It provides support to users via knowledge-based articles and a 24/7 callback service.
Its well-designed templates can help you design an attractive blog
Its interface is intuitive and helpful
It has Good site speed
With Wix, you can rest assured that your post will be indexed by search engines
Cons
The main disadvantage of Wix is that its designs are not mobile responsive by default. True, Wix will create a mobile-friendly version of your site. However, it is not always top-notch. Hence, you may need to make adjustments.
Weebly is another top-notch website builder that also serves as a blogging platform. Like others in this list, it is free and easy to use. And similar to Wix, it offers a drag and drop builder that helps users customize their blog easily.
To top it all, you don't need any advanced technical skills since everything comes built-in. All you have to do is sign up, choose a theme and begin editing. Yes, with Weebly, you can get your blog running in a matter of minutes. Here are other features that make Weebly the first choice of many brands.
Features
It offers sharing and comment features
It offers tons of templates to get your blog looking how you want it
Weebly also allows you to link to your various social media accounts for more visibility
It also allows you to make use of a customized domain
Pros
It provides an auto-save feature so that you don't ever lose your work
It is secure
It keeps on adding new features to aid your blogging process
Cons
Poor backup of blog posts
It doesn't offer any software installation
Limited blog tools
Strikingly is another platform that doesn't feel right to overlook. Like Medium, Strikingly was launched in 2012. And now, it sits amongst the best blogging platforms. But what exactly is it? Strikingly is a user-friendly site builder and blogging platform that allows you to develop optimized blogs quickly. It offers tons of templates perfectly suited to any topic you have in mind.
Features
It allows users to create optimized posts
It offers great backup
Like others in this list, Strikingly offers outstanding templates
Pros
It is easy to use
Strikingly offers an impressive customer support
You can access it for free
Strikingly's editor is impressive for single page layout
Cons
The free version is limited when compared to other platforms
Its template usability is poor
Wrapping Up
As the online world grows, so will blogging. This is an inevitable fact that all users must come to terms with. Therefore, as a brand, you must strive to improve your blog to rank on the top pages of Google's search results. So, if you don't have a blog, now is the best time to take action.
And with the variety of blogging platforms swarming the net, you must conduct adequate research to narrow down your best choice. WordPress, Blogger, Medium, Wix, Weebly, and Strikingly have without a doubt, proved their worth ever since their inception. So, if you can't seem to get a suitable platform, these six mentioned in this article are here to help you. Select your best choice and get started.