Top Blogging Platforms

1. WordPress: (www.wordpress.com)

One of the most popular and famous blog site used in the world is WordPress. According to a survey, nearly 90% of the blogs on the internet are there because of WordPress. WordPress, as a blogging site widely used for many purposes, namely, as personal blogs and as a business blog. Some bloggers need to control their content on the blog. It is used as a business blog too.

Advantages 

1. It is one of the most flexible platforms for the user. 
2. It can be easily accessible with just internet connection and doesn't require any special tools to access. 
3. Ideal for small hobby bloggers and people can experiment with it. 
4. Site maintenance is done entirely by the website team, and it is maintained by them and doesn't fall on the hands of the user.
5. Free account can be used to get an idea about blogging.

Disadvantages

1. Only the paid version is a fully supported platform. 
2. Major changes or customisation options are available only in the paid version. 
3. Violating the terms and conditions can get the website deleted.

Pricing 

WordPress prices vary from $4 to $30,000, and it entirely depends on what kind of website you build. In India, little features start from INR 15000. 

2. Wix: (www.wix.com) 

Wix is the best platform for blog beginners with an easy user interface. It is often compared with WordPress for its reliability. There is also an application which can be downloaded from Google Playstore. With beautiful templates and layouts, it also captures the audience's attention. 

Advantages

1. Setting up the blog is easy and efficient. 
2. Drag and drop option is a clever way to use the website. 
3. 0 coding skills are required for building a website. 

Disadvantages

1. Only the paid version lets the user utilise all the templates and layouts.
2. Once a template is chosen, it cannot be changed. 

Pricing 

The cost plan of Wix starts from $5 to $25. However, in India, only two plans are available. One is free, and another is for INR 29.00. 

3. Medium: (www.medium.com)

Medium is a blogging platform which was launched in the year 2012 by Evan Williams, a co-founder of several other tech companies like Twitter and Blogger. Best newsletters are created using this platform.

Advantages

1. SEO feature enables you to connect easily to the audience.
2. There is a wide range of editing options like two types of quotes.
3. Easily shared and connect with social media for popularising the content.

Disadvantages

1. Traffic for the content is not under the control of the owner but in the control of the website. 
2. The owner cannot advertise as his or her wish to make money. 
3. There is no special domain name given to the user

Pricing 

Medium is free to use in all parts of the world. 

4. Weebly: (www.weebly.com)

Weebly is not only a blogging platform but also a platform where people can build their portfolio. People mostly use this website for promoting their products too which ultimately increases its sales. 

Advantages 

1. The drag and drop option of the page is easy to use. 
2. The website comes with built-in analytics which is helpful for the user. 
3. Social media icons and news subscription option are also available on this platform.

Disadvantages

1. There are many limitations including no form option.
2. This platform cannot be installed on the computer as there is no software. 
3. There are many backup problems too. 

Pricing

There is a free version available to test the water. The subscription starts from $5 and is up to $25. In Indian rupees, it starts from 500 INR to 1,500 INR. 

5. Squarespace: (www.squarespace.com)

Perfectly made for small website owners, Squarespace was established in the year 2003. It mainly focuses on small scale industry and on people who want to collect their thoughts and put it out for others to read. 

Advantages

1. Easy interface which all allows people who aren't tech-savvy to utilise it.  
2. Beautiful and eye-catchy templates which are professional too. 
3. A strong supporter of e-commerce which is beneficial for many. 

Disadvantages

1. Very limited availability of tools in comparison with other blogging websites available online. 
2. There are not much of support for third party cookies, plugins or any other extensions. 
3.  Adding content and editing processes can be difficult at times. 

Pricing

The web plan pricing starts from roughly $12 to $16 if paid in advance. The monthly pricing comes up to $26 to $40. In India, however, the pricing starts from INR 10,000.

6. Ghost: (www.ghost.org)

This is one of the simplest platform available online for users to create a blog and understand blogging. This platform was launched in the year 2013 and many writers, podcasters and video creators set up sites because of this platform. 

Advantages 

1. Entirely focuses on blogging and writing, which supports people who are interested in setting up their creative writing blog. 
2. Everything on the site is clear and easy to use. 
3. As it is written in JavaScript, the speed is more than the other websites in comparison. 

Disadvantages

1. Self-installation can cause problems as it is very technology related.
2. Not much of themes are there to edit and make it look colourful. 
3. As it is a simplistic blog, there are not many options to make it look more sophisticated. 

Pricing

Ghost is a free platform for blogging. Everyone from any part of the world can make use of this program. 

7. Tumblr (www.tumblr.com)

This is an American microblogging platform which was launched in the year 2017. By microblogging, it is meant to be a platform where the users can post quotes, memes, GIFs and multimedia media content. It is almost like Instagram, where one user can follow another user. If someone wishes they can turn into a private account and make into a public account as they want.

Advantages

1. The multimedia content is very engaging for the users. 
2. Setup and using the interface is easy. 
3. As it follows a social media model, it has a wide range of audience.   

Disadvantages 

1. It can be time-consuming for adolescents who wants to maintain a decent blog.
2. The anonymity of Tumblr is quite threatening as people can leave rude or inappropriate comments. 
3. Server issues can destroy your blog anytime.

Pricing

Tumblr has a free plan available. The paid premium version varies from $9 to $49.                

Conclusion                        

Overall, these are a few top blogging platforms available online. The best blogging sites for beginners are also mentioned here in this article, as people still use these as most of them have a free plan. Blogging, overall helps one to learn new things, connect with people from various parts of the world, improve their writing skills and to create an uplifting identity online, which will sound encouraging for many.

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Co-author:  Akshaya Saravana Kumar

Akshaya is currently pursuing Masters in English Literature. She is an avid reader, an animal lover and a movie freak. She loves to spend her past time travelling to strange places in different time zones with her imagination and fall in love with fictional characters.