9 Best Blogging Platforms for Different Needs

Picking the right blogging platform can be overwhelming.

To make it easier, we’ve listed the nine best blogging platforms based on things like pricing, key features, and third-party reviews.

Before we get into the specifics, here are our top five picks:

Keep reading for the complete list.

1. WordPress: Best Overall Blogging Platform

WordPress is a great platform to kick-start your blogging efforts with a minimal learning curve.

It’s a great platform because of its flexibility, customization, SEO tools, scalability, and community support.

This makes it the best platform for both beginners and advanced users to start a blog.

Key Features

WordPress offers an easy-to-use platform that grows with your blog. Here are some of its key features:

• User-friendly setup and management: Pre-installed themes, a drag-and-drop block editor, and automatic updates and backups ensure a smooth blogging experience
• Scalable plans with advanced features: Start with a free plan and later upgrade to unlock custom domains, advanced design tools, monetization options, and ecommerce functionality
• SEO and performance optimization: Built-in SEO tools and fast-loading infrastructure improve search engine rankings and the user experience
• Third-party plugins and APIs: Connect your blog with tools (plugin access requires a Business or higher-tier plan) like WooCommerce, Google Analytics, and ContentShake AI—an app that uses AI to help you create optimized blog posts that you can publish directly to WordPress.

Visit WordPress’s features page to get a full list of features.

Pros

• Easy-to-use, no-code editor for customizing website design without needing a developer
• Large selection of plugins for adding new elements to your site
• Built-in tools for optimizing your website’s SEO

Pricing 

WordPress offers a free plan. Paid plans start at $4 per month (billed annually).

2. Ghost: Best for Professional Writers and Publishers

Ghost offers dedicated tools for content creators, publishers, businesses, and developers. 

For instance, as a creator, you can use Ghost to set up your personal website. And create workflows to publish posts and send emails to your subscribers. 

You can also monetize your blog by creating premium content.

Ghost’s clean and feature-packed interface makes it a popular blogging tool for professional writers.

Key Features

Here are some of Ghost’s key features:

• Hundreds of themes: Browse Ghost’s theme library with options for several use cases. Pick a theme to start, then easily adjust fonts, colors, and logos to fit your brand.
• No-code editor: Use a clean, no-code editor with flexible formatting to style your content
• Dynamic cards (elements for adding rich media): Easily add engaging content like image galleries, info boxes, downloadable files, accordion toggles, and more
• Lead capture and email marketing: Grow your email list by adding forms throughout your blog for easy lead capture
• Monetization: Set up membership tiers for exclusive access to your blog and emails, with options for different benefits and free trials

Visit Ghost’s creators page to get a full list of features.

Pros

• Access to a wide variety of themes
• Dedicated tools and customizable workflows tailored for different user needs
• Monetization options to share premium content and offer memberships

Pricing 

After a 14-day free trial, paid plans start at $9 per month (billed annually).

3. Squarespace: Best for AI-Powered Website Design

Squarespace offers a no-code website builder to set up a blogging site that looks impressive. 

It has everything you need to create and launch a website—from creating a logo and choosing templates to buying a domain and completing the SEO setup. 

And Squarespace’s generative AI capabilities make it one of the best blog platforms in the market. 

Key Features

Here are some specific features Squarespace offers:

• AI website design: Create a unique website using prompts. These AI tools also suggest ideal color palettes and fonts to align with your brand's style.
• AI content generation: Generate website copy or draft content on any topic with AI. Refine the output with your own insights.
• Monetization tools: Unlock monetization options like selling premium content, launching a paid email newsletter, or setting up a membership site
• Performance analytics: Get detailed insights into each blog post’s performance to see what resonates most with your audience
• Team coordination: Set up workflows and custom permissions to collaborate with multiple contributors. Use tags to organize posts and a calendar to schedule new content.

Visit Squarespace’s blog page to get a full list of features.

Pros

• Beginner-friendly platform with a free custom domain
• Advanced AI capabilities to create a site that matches your brand style and vision
• Versatile features suitable for small businesses and individuals

Pricing 

After a 14-day free trial, paid plans start at $16 per month (billed annually).

4. Wix: Best for Beginner Bloggers

Wix is a great website builder for beginners given it’s a no-code platform that offers a free blog maker you can get started within minutes.

You can choose from 900+ free customizable templates to pick the right theme for your site. The platform also offers additional tools like a blog name generator and a custom domain marketplace. 

Key Features

Wix is perfect for bloggers with little to no experience in website design or content management. Here’s why:

• Extensive design elements: Choose from a large selection of templates, layouts, and design elements to quickly create a visually appealing blog
• Wix AI assistant: Use the AI assistant to write blog posts, generate or enhance images, and create SEO-friendly meta tags or ad copy for Google
• Built-in SEO tools: Enjoy automatic optimization for site structure and sitemaps, use the URL redirect management tool, add structured data markup, and use customizable SEO settings like title tags and meta descriptions for each page
• Third-party integrations: Connect with tools like Google Analytics for real-time data or social media platforms for seamlessly distribution across channels

For a complete list of features, visit Wix’s blog page.

Pros

• No-code builder with over 900 customizable templates
• Numerous built-in SEO tools and guides to improve organic search visibility
• Free blog maker tool to launch a blogging site at no extra cost

Pricing 

After a 14-day free trial, paid plans start at $16 per month (billed annually).

5. Medium: Best for Integrated Audience and Monetization

Medium is one of the best free blogging platforms in that it gives you access to a built-in audience. 

As long as you publish high-value content, Medium's algorithms will help readers discover your posts through relevant hashtags, recommendations, and engagement-driven prioritization.

Key Features

Here’s a look at Medium’s key features:

• Intuitive editor: The distraction-free and easy-to-use editor supports text, images, and multimedia embeds
• Monetization program: The Partner Program allows you to earn money based on the performance of your posts
• Performance insights: Track views, reads, and performance trends for each post over time
• Engagement tools: Medium’s interactive features let readers clap (to show support), comment, and highlight sections

Pros

• Access to an engaged audience, no setup costs, and a low learning curve
• Build a reader network and monetize through the Partner Program
• Full content ownership with custom domains for paid members

Pricing 

There’s a forever-free plan. Paid membership is available at $50 per year for bloggers who want to create custom domains or a publication.

6. Dev: Best for Software Developers

Dev is a networking and blogging platform dedicated to developers. 

Users can publish blog posts on any topic and increase visibility by adding relevant hashtags to each post, which helps them connect with specific audiences interested in those topics. 

Unlike a typical blogging platform, Dev is a social media platform that lets you post articles on any topic and start a community discussion. 

Key Features

Here are some key features that make Dev a good choice for developers:

• Open-source framework: Built on Forem (an open-source community software), Dev promotes transparency and collaboration
• Personalized dashboard: Monitor your performance through real-time analytics, including post count, new followers, tracked tags, reader reactions, and comments
• Reader interaction: Dev fosters interaction through comments, reactions, and tags

Pros

• Quick setup and immediate visibility 
• Networking and engagement with other creators to build a follower base

Pricing 

Dev is a free blogging platform. 

7. Substack: Best for Monetizing Your Blog

Substack is one of the best free blogging platforms for monetization because it lets creators charge subscribers directly for premium content. 

And there are built-in tools for community engagement, payment processing, and subscriber management—all aimed at maximizing revenue.

You can set up a Substack blog in three easy steps. And create different types of posts, like text, video, and audio.

The platform lets you save drafts or schedule new posts in a publishing queue. And import your articles from other platforms with a URL. 

Substack also allows other creators to recommend your blog. Which is one way to increase traffic and paid subscribers. 

Key Features

Here are some of Substack’s key features:

• Monetization: Enable blog subscriptions, share exclusive content with paid subscribers, and track revenue growth
• Community building: Create reader surveys to gather insights and increase engagement
• Audience management: Manage mailing lists, subscribers, and track engagement metrics.

Learn more about Substack’s features on their page for bloggers.

Pros

• Free platform for publishing several content types
• Detailed audience and revenue tracking
• Custom domain support and Google Analytics integration

Pricing 

It’s a forever-free plan. Substack takes 10% of each transaction for paid subscriptions. 

8. Blogger: Best for Casual Bloggers and Hobbyists

Blogger is a great, free platform to start blogging as a hobby. 

You can set up your blog within a few minutes. Just give it a unique name, claim a URL, and you’re ready to create your first blog post. 

It’s easy to create a new post and preview it before publishing. 

Key Features

These are some of Blogger’s stand-out features:

• Large selection of themes: Choose from various themes and customize colors, fonts, and button styles 
• Performance dashboard: Track views, comments, followers, and engagement
• Ad management: Monetize by placing ads on your blog with Google AdSense
• Built-in domain: Automatically receive a blogspot.com domain—no extra setup needed

Pros

• Ability to create multiple pages and customize page layouts
• Publish posts in over 100 languages
• Track and respond to comments easily

Pricing 

Blogger is a free blogging platform. 

9. Weebly: Best for Ecommerce Brands 

Weebly is a website builder for ecommerce brands that want to start a business blog, with built-in SEO capabilities, lead capture forms, and more

You can instantly set up an online store using themes and templates. Then, integrate your marketing efforts for blogging, email marketing, and SEO. 

Key Features

Here’s what you get on the Weebly platform:

• User-friendly setup: Use a drag-and-drop builder and choose from pre-made themes (optimized for all devices)
• SEO tools: Weebly allows you to add meta descriptions, keywords, and other details for each page. It also supports 301 redirects for seamless URL changes.
• Third-party integrations: Access 100+ third-party integrations for things like forms, media galleries, social media icons, etc. 
• Email marketing setup: Create mailing lists and send blog updates or other promotions

Learn more on Weebly’s features page.

Pros

• Intuitive drag-and-drop builder
• Free themes with customization options
• Supports both email marketing and SEO efforts

Pricing 

Weebly offers a free basic plan. Paid plans start at $10 per month (billed annually).

4 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Blogging Platform

Ready to test and explore these blogging platforms? 

Here are four crucial factors to keep in mind.

Customization

Depending on your needs, you might need to choose a platform that allows you to tailor your blog and posts quite specifically.

For example, you might want to have full control of your blog’s layout if you’re experienced or are in a design-focused niche. 

So, check for the level of customization allowed on a platform. And the tools available to customize the setup based on your preferences. 

That said, remember that more customization often comes with a steeper learning curve.

Monetization

Monetization tools allow you to accept payments for specific offerings like ads, memberships, gated content, and more.

If you want to monetize your blog in any way, then it’s important to find out what the platform’s monetization features are.

For example, Substack and Ghost let you create a tiered access where members can pay to read your blog posts.

Analytics

Real-time performance data will tell you the impact your content has had, reveal the topics your audience likes, and help you identify areas of improvement. 

Evaluate what each platform’s analytics dashboard looks like and find out whether they integrate with tools like Google Analytics for more comprehensive assessments. 

You can further supplement data from your blogging platform with the Organic Traffic Insights tool. This report will help you identify the most valuable keywords driving traffic to your site, find the highest-converting content, and more.

SEO Features

SEO helps your site to appear prominently on search engine results pages to better reach your target audience.

So, choosing a platform with built-in SEO features may be beneficial to you.

Here are some SEO features to consider:

• The ability to easily add title tags and meta descriptions to your blog pages
• Auto-generated XML sitemaps
• Mobile-friendly themes

Some platforms provide more advanced features via plugins.

For example, WordPress users can try Yoast to optimize their blog posts and ContentShakeAI to speed up writing and publishing.

Choose the Best Blogging Platform for You

Now that you know about the best platforms for starting a blog, explore each option based on your goals and needs. 

Once you’ve chosen the right platform, focus on creating SEO-friendly content to improve your search engine rankings.

Use the SEO Content Template to prepare the groundwork for each blog post with an actionable brief that includes target keywords, a suggested wordcount, and a recommended readability level.

Start creating search-optimized content today.