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Best Blogging Platforms Of 2024
With over 35 years of combined experience, Melissa Pepin teamed up with Corry Frazier to create The Business Rebootfor entrepreneurs, a business coaching hub for small business owners looking to grow, scale and/or pivot. They know a thing or two about shifting seasons as female business owners in their 40s. From starting and growing thriving businesses, raising babies, moving a bazillion times and enduring dramatic shifts in their entrepreneurial journeys, they have paved a way for success on their own terms. They have built businesses that reflect strong leadership and even stronger relationships and know how to help make that possible for other entrepreneurs too. From day one, they built their businesses around their personal lives, not the other way around. The result? Businesses that could navigate and sustain the changing seasons of life. So much so that while most were closing their doors, 2021 was the most successful year of business for both of their individual businesses.
They have made guest appearances on podcasts such as Stronger Business, The Ultimate Blog podcast and Motherhood Anthology. They sold out their first mastermind for $30,000 and have taught workshops for The Cheetah Company, Crystal Coast Women in Business, and have been speakers and panel members for The Stronger Business Summit. Individually Melissa and Corry have graced stages and platforms for Pursuit Community, Rising Tide Society, Motherhood Anthology, M5 Entrepreneurs (5 Marys Ranch), The Jennifer Allwood Show and Spark Media Concepts.
Expert Reviewed
With over 35 years of combined experience, Melissa Pepin teamed up with Corry Frazier to create The Business Rebootfor entrepreneurs, a business coaching hub for small business owners looking to grow, scale and/or pivot. They know a thing or two about shifting seasons as female business owners in their 40s. From starting and growing thriving businesses, raising babies, moving a bazillion times and enduring dramatic shifts in their entrepreneurial journeys, they have paved a way for success on their own terms. They have built businesses that reflect strong leadership and even stronger relationships and know how to help make that possible for other entrepreneurs too. From day one, they built their businesses around their personal lives, not the other way around. The result? Businesses that could navigate and sustain the changing seasons of life. So much so that while most were closing their doors, 2021 was the most successful year of business for both of their individual businesses.
They have made guest appearances on podcasts such as Stronger Business, The Ultimate Blog podcast and Motherhood Anthology. They sold out their first mastermind for $30,000 and have taught workshops for The Cheetah Company, Crystal Coast Women in Business, and have been speakers and panel members for The Stronger Business Summit. Individually Melissa and Corry have graced stages and platforms for Pursuit Community, Rising Tide Society, Motherhood Anthology, M5 Entrepreneurs (5 Marys Ranch), The Jennifer Allwood Show and Spark Media Concepts.
Blogging platforms make it easy for people to share their thoughts and ideas with the world, connect with others who share similar interests, and promote an open dialogue and exchange of ideas. These platforms can also be a useful tool for marketing and branding as strong blogs can reach a large audience and build a loyal following. Here are the best blogging platforms available today. Find the best solution for your needs and budget.
The Best Blogging Platforms of 2024
- WordPress: Best for versatility
- Wix: Best for beginner-friendly SEO tools
- Weebly: Best for blogging and selling online
- Drupal: Best for developers
- Squarespace: Best all-in-one platform
- Content Hub: Best for marketers
- Medium: Best for its built-in audience
Forbes Advisor Ratings
| Company | Starting price | Free Trial | Key features | LEARN MORE | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress |  |
Free (must pay for third-party hosting separately) | N/A | High customizable, scalable, versatile, affordable | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Wix |  |
Free; $17 per month (billed annually) | 14 days | User-friendly, built-in SEO tools, e-commerce-ready | Learn More | On Wix's Website | |
| Weebly |  |
Free; $10 per month (billed annually) | N/A (Free plan available) | Ecommerce-ready, beginner-friendly, low-cost unlimited storage | Learn More | Read Forbes' Review | |
| Drupal |  |
Free (must purchase third-party web hosting) | N/A | Highly flexible, good security, scalable | View More | ||
| Squarespace |  |
$16 per month (billed annually) | 14 days | Award-winning templates, easy to use, versatile | Learn More | On Squarespace's Website | |
| Content Hub |  |
Free; $15 per month per seat (billed annually) | 14 days | Advanced marketing tools, personalized pages, memberships | View More | ||
| Medium |  |
Free; $5 per month | N/A | 100 million active readers per month, get paid by Medium, easy to use | View More |
How To Choose a Blogging Platform
It can feel like information overload when you’re first looking for a blogging platform. You’ll have to navigate between laundry lists of features, varying integrations available and, of course, many degrees of ease of use—all while realizing most platforms claim ease of use. To make your decision easier, start by focusing on the most important features for your blogging needs. Consider the ease of use and the availability of integrations that can help you expand the functionality of your blog.
Key Features
There are a few main features to look for that will help you narrow your search. For example, the availability of templates and themes that suit your niche; the ability to connect a custom domain name; SEO; monetization opportunities; analytics; scalability and the availability of support.
Here are some of the key features to look for when choosing a blogging platform:
- Templates/themes: Nearly every blogging platform offers a selection of templates or themes, but they are not all created equal. It’s important to find one that offers the design aesthetic you’re looking for to help with minimum customizations and includes the features you need, including niche features like recipe cards for a food blog, for example.
- Custom domain name: If you’re looking to start a professional blog or become a professional blogger, you will want to seek a platform that allows you to connect your own domain name so that you can build your blog’s brand.
- SEO friendly: For many blogs, the main traffic source is search engines. So it’s worth finding a blogging platform that is SEO-friendly with built-in tools to help you rank.
- Monetization opportunities: Whether you’re looking to monetize your blog using affiliate marketing, banner ads or page views, it’s worth being aware of which platforms offer the most opportunities to monetize your blog.
- Performance insights: Built-in analytics may not sound overly important when you’re just starting out, but it can be highly valuable to have insights around how your posts perform so that you can more strategically create content and posts.
- Scalability: While you may be planning to start small, it’s worth considering a blogging platform that you can grow with so that you don’t have to switch platforms down the line.
- Support: Though it’s the last thing on many new bloggers’ minds, it’s worth considering the availability of support so that if you ever run into an issue, you know you can mitigate it quickly.
Ease of Use
Another key consideration when choosing a platform to build your blog is ease of use. While there are many code-free platforms that claim to be beginner-friendly, some are more beginner-friendly than others. On top of that, some are also more customizable, offer higher quality templates that require fewer customizations (and therefore less time) and are more versatile with more features and integrations.
Integrations
When it comes to integrations, it’s important to choose a platform that integrates with any software or tools you already use or plan to use, as this will help streamline your system. For example, if you use Mailchimp for your email marketing campaigns, then choose a platform that integrates with Mailchimp so that any leads generated from, say, a form on your blog will automatically be synced to your Mailchimp account and an email campaign will automatically be triggered (that is, if you have it set up to do so).
What should I look for in a blogging platform?
Melissa Pepin
Forbes Business Advisory Board Member
Kelly Main
Staff Reviewer
Rachel Williams
Small Business Editor
Melissa Pepin
Ease of use and overall aesthetics should be heavily considered when choosing your blogging platform. If it is overwhelming and too complicated to use the platform, it will deter you from wanting to create content consistently enough to have your blog be an effective tool for marketing or grow in exposure. If it’s easy to use but offers only themes and customization that don’t feel authentic to your brand, or it doesn’t have the capability to match the overall level of professionalism you are looking to create, it may hinder your desire to use the blog at all.
Forbes Business Advisory Board Member
Kelly Main
The most overlooked factors when choosing a blogging platform are SEO and performance. While you want a platform that is easy to use, offers the features you need and has the monetization channels you’re looking for, you also need a platform that loads quickly to ensure a good user experience and has the SEO tools you need to help your site rank in search, in return, increasing your blog’s visibility and readership.
Staff Reviewer
Rachel Williams
Price and available features will likely be your top considerations when choosing a blogging platform. Blogging platforms don’t cost a ton, but the best value is found when paying the annual cost upfront. And don’t forget about the added costs of integrations or web hosting. Also think about what features you might like down the line as you grow your blog.
Small Business Editor
Methodology
| Decision Factor | Scoring Weight | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Pricing
|
20%
|
We considered which platforms offer a free plan as well as competitively priced premium plans, free trials and money-back guarantees.
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Key Features
|
25%
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To determine which platforms offer what bloggers need more, we analyzed the inclusion of key features such as prebuilt blog templates, customization capabilities, the ability to connect a domain, the availability of integrations and support.
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|
Unique Features
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20%
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Additionally, we reviewed other factors and features such as monetization opportunities, SEO tools, marketing tools and more.
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Ratings and Reviews
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5%
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We analyzed third-party ratings in terms of both average score and the number of reviews
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Expert Analysis
|
30%
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Qualitative factors from hands-on experience was incorporated, such as value for price, ease of use, quality and popularity.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best blogging platform for beginners?
If you’re just starting out, Forbes Advisor recommends using a platform, such as Wix or Squarespace. Neither requires any coding knowledge and each provides a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to create a website.
How often should I post a blog on my site?
The frequency of blog posts is not as important as the consistency of making the posts. It’s fine to make a post to your blog once a week or every few days as long as you are consistent about how frequently you make your posts. If you start by posting several times per week, then start posting randomly, you will lose your audience quickly and, if you are posting blogs to make money, you will also lose your source of revenue. Before beginning a blog, make sure that you are prepared to post to it consistently.
What is the best blogging platform for marketers?
We recommend Content Hub by HubSpot or Medium. Content Hub offers adaptive testing, which helps businesses create and test different versions of their web pages to see which performs best. Medium is best for businesses that want to share their stories and ideas with a wider audience.
What are some security measures to take for an online blog?
The most important step you can take to protect your blogging website is to have a secure, unique password―one that is only known to you and those whom you trust. You should also change the password frequently. You also want the site to be backed up frequently, which should be done by your web host. Consider using a domain privacy protection service, which protects your personal information. Another way to protect your personal information is to get a post office box instead of using your home mailing address and get an internet-based phone number instead of using your personal number.
How do I post a blog for free?
You have a few options for posting a blog for free. You can set up a blog under a free subdomain such as those offered in free Wix, Weebly or WordPress.com plans. You can also open an account on a social media platform, such as LinkedIn or Medium, set up a profile, then publish your blog post using its publishing tools.
Is there a difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
There are several differences between WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The main difference is that WordPress.com is fully hosted while WordPress.org is self-hosted. For more information, check out our complete breakdown of WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.
Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners.
