Around one and a half decades ago, when blogging had just started getting popular among the masses, it used to be considered as a perfect option to put one’s personal thoughts in front of the world using the internet. People would often blog just to be heard. Today, it’s become a lot more than that.
Now, users can use it to make a living and attain financial stability on their own terms.
Remote lifestyle is quite common these days, and tens of thousands of people are already making a killing out of it. Should you also want to join their league and add some excitement backed with financial security to your life, then immediately pick a blogging platform, set up a blog and get on with it.
In case this is your first time starting a blog, choosing the right blogging platform might seem confusing.
To help you in this regard, we have made a list of some of the best blogging platforms that can be used to start blogging. This list includes free, as well as self-hosted blogging platforms. Take a look at them and learn how they can help you start blogging online from the comfort of any remote location in the world.
WordPress Open Source (recommended for serious bloggers).
WordPress.org is undoubtedly the most popular and self-hosted blogging platform in the world. It’s an open-source platform that lets users design their websites the way they want. You can simply purchase a custom domain name related to your brand, a decent web hosting service to host your files, and set things into motion. It requires a small amount of investment to begin with, but you’ll have 100% control on it.
Speaking of themes, there are hundreds of free themes available on the WordPress marketplace that can be used for giving your site a decent look. However, if you’re serious about its state-of-the-art design, search engine scores, loading speeds, and mobile responsiveness, then it’s recommended to opt for the most famous themes offered by third-party sites. A custom build theme can be used to uplift a blog’s rankings, traffic, and earnings in a short span, it’s recommended and used by most bloggers across the globe.
You can also give it a shot and select any theme of your choice.
FYI, this site is also using a custom theme which is compactly coded by me.
The WordPress.org platform is evolving with time and regularly adding new features to ensure users can have a great time and face no problem while using it.
If you aspire to build a website that can make thousands of dollars for you on a monthly basis in a fully automated mode, then switch to WordPress.org as soon as possible.
Other platforms might seem easy to use, but given the benefits, it’s the best option in the market for you.
Ghost (another recommendation).
Ghost is a modern, open-source platform designed specifically for professional publishers, bloggers, and content creators who want a clean, efficient, and customizable experience.
Founded in 2013, Ghost is known for its simplicity, focusing primarily on content writing and management rather than offering a multitude of features unrelated to publishing.
The platform’s interface is intuitive and minimalist, allowing writers to focus on creating content without being distracted by complex settings or bloated functionality.
Ghost offers powerful tools that cater to professional bloggers, including SEO optimization, membership and subscription models, and integrated analytics. One of its standout features is the ability to monetize content through subscriptions, allowing bloggers to create a revenue stream directly from their audience. Ghost is also equipped with a fully customizable theme system, giving creators the flexibility to design the look and feel of their website without needing deep technical knowledge. The platform supports integrations with tools like Google Analytics, Stripe, and Zapier, enhancing its utility for managing and promoting content.
Ghost is renowned for its high performance and speed, which is critical for user experience and SEO rankings. The platform is built on Node.js, making it faster than many traditional blogging platforms like WordPress. It handles content delivery efficiently, providing fast load times even for media-rich posts. This focus on speed, combined with its clean codebase, ensures that users experience fewer crashes and delays, making it ideal for businesses and professional bloggers who prioritize performance.
While Ghost offers many benefits, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.
First, it may not be the best option for beginners, as the open-source version requires some technical setup, including hosting. Additionally, while its minimalist approach is ideal for writers, it lacks the wide range of plugins and features found in platforms like WordPress, which may be limiting for users needing extensive customization or specific functionalities. However, Ghost Pro, the hosted version, simplifies many of these challenges, offering an all-in-one solution for those willing to pay for convenience.
WordPress.com (recommended for newbies).
For those who have no professional aspirations from blogging and just want to use it as a medium to write their heart out online, WordPress.com is a perfect platform to set things in motion.
Creating an account on WordPress.com is entirely free and requires no coding knowledge at all.
You can register using your email ID, choose a username (depending on its availability), and finish the entire setup within a few minutes. Once the initial setup is done, you can start writing immediately and have tens of thousands of people read your work. The only thing ‘NOT SO GOOD’ about WordPress.com is that it lets you customize your blog only up to a certain limit. It is because free accounts come with their own limitations in terms of customization, monetization, and control. Even though you can write anything on your blog, there is no way you can fully customize it as per your needs, place ads, and take control of your data.
Besides, WordPress can suspend your account at any time without prior notice, and if that happens, all of your data, followers, and traffic will be lost in the blink of an eye.
The paid plans of WordPress.com aren’t as attractive as other blogging platforms, but competitive.
If monetization is the only goal you have, then instead of wasting hundreds of dollars here, you can switch to Blogger and start earning money. But again you’ll not have the option of complete control over it.
Blogger (another substitute for learners).
Blogger got acquired by Google back in 2003 and has been a great blogging platform ever since. Just like WordPress.com, you can easily set up a blogger profile for free and start writing. It is powered by Google’s secure platform, so you don’t have to worry about data theft or any fraudulent activity.
Moreover, you can place Google AdSense advertisements on your blog and start making money.
There is no upper cap on earnings when you have Google AdSense enabled on your blog; hence, the more traffic you have, the more money you will make.
With that said, Blogger fails to live up to users’ expectations after a certain period. It’s okay to have a blog on Blogger but be informed that you’ll have no control over your content and customization.
Google can suspend your account (which usually happens with many users) without any prior warning and snatch away your followers, content, and unpaid earnings in a jiffy. If it ever happens, you cannot raise a complaint and won’t get your data back. So do not try to share any copyrighted or illegal contents.
Tumblr (a microblogging platform).
Both Blogger and WordPress.com have their own set of limitations in terms of customization. If you like to experiment with the content, post a mix of short-form content, graphics, GIFs, and video content, then Tumblr is an ideal choice to move ahead.
The free plan of Tumblr lets you set up a blog, write content and share it with thousands of people across various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
It’s completely free to use; however, if you’re serious about giving your blog a professional touch, then you can opt for premium themes and a custom domain name.
Though Tumblr is a popular microblogging platform, its features won’t suffice after a certain point as your traffic and expectations grow. Even if you try to export your Tumblr data to another blogging platform, it won’t be an easy ride for you. So, take note of all these points and decide accordingly.
Medium (a hosted blogging platform).
Medium was launched in August 2012 and has come a long way in such a short period.
Despite being the youngest among all blogging platforms, it has transformed into one of the largest communities of journalists, bloggers, writers, and entrepreneurs.
You can easily sign up on this platform and spread the word about your upcoming venture, book, or any tech product without a hitch. There is no need to worry about the designing part as Medium takes care of everything for you.
It’s user-friendly and requires no coding knowledge at all, meaning you can solely focus on writing the content without getting distracted. However, like all the platforms mentioned above, whatever number of followers you have on it, they’re owned by the Medium and not by you.
Moreover, there is no option to monetize your blog by running third party advertisements.
So, all in all, if you are just looking to add a marketing and advertising extension to your core venture, then Medium is a great platform to opt for. It will help you promote your products/services, but there is no way you can make money out of it. If you’re certain about monetizing your blog and earning passive income without compromising creativity, then look beyond all these platforms.
The best way to do it is by selecting WordPress.org as a blogging platform.
Here is how it can help you fulfill your dreams.
Conclusion.
In the end, blogging is all about learning new things and putting them to use to see how they turn out to be.
So, instead of playing safe, give blogging everything that you’ve got, and build a life you can be proud of.
The platforms mentioned above will help you do that comfortably. Choose the best among them depending on your requirements and forge ahead without a hitch.
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