Best Blog Sites Compared (2023)

If you’re reading this post, chances are you are new in the field of blogging. And it’s quite natural for writers beginners to get confused between available best blog sites to start a blog. In this post, I’ll be comparing the best blogging sites and platforms to help you choose the best solution based on their pros & cons and other primary aspects.

There are still some people who have heard the term Blogging a hundred times but still don’t have a clear idea about what is a blog or blogger? Whether you are planning to start a blog or a traditional website, there are a lot of things that you need to understand to achieve your goals. Here at the TemplateToaster website maker and Blogger Template Creator blog, this detailed guide will provide you an out-and-out breakdown of the topic

In this post, I’ll help you understand what blog sites are and the list of the best available blogging platforms. So, let’s begin and explore this blogging world together.

Why We Need Blog Sites?

Well, a blog is a well-written piece of information that is beautifully crafted to display your expertise on a topic. However, for any business, irrespective of its size, blogs have an important role to play. The main purpose of a blog is to boost engagement. Whereas, on the other hand, a traditional website is more focused on the product information or particular call to action.

Blog sites are more captivating as compared to conventional sites. Thus, the need for a blog site or a blog page on your regular site is way higher than you think. But make sure you don’t do any blogging mistakes which can ruin your blog easily.

I’m sure in this super busy world nobody likes to get involved in the tedious coding to create a successful and SEO friendly blog post. In fact, you don’t have to do that because blogging platforms are meant for that only.

How to Choose the Best Blog sites – What to Look For?

Before we jump on to the list, it makes sense to understand what exactly to look for in a blogging platform. Here are some essential criteria to contemplate before finalizing any blogging platform.

Ease of use – As a beginner it is really important that a platform should be easy to set up and use. It should have a low learning curve and also need not require any coding skills to use it. And it should be able to provide support as and when required.

Cost – Pay attention to the cost of the blogging platform. It should fit into your budget. However, on the other hand, if you are going for a free solution make sure it includes all the required features.

Features – An indispensable determinant. The basic and initial needs of any project are always different from the needs and requirements it will have in the future. Thus, make sure the chosen platform can be easily extensible as and when required.

List of Best Blog Sites for Writers in 2020

1. WordPress.org
2. Blogger
3. WordPress.com
4. Tumblr
5. Medium
6. Ghost
7. Typepad
8. Joomla!
9. Squarespace
10. Weebly
11. Wix
12. Webs
13. Penzu

Best Blog Sites Compared (2023)

Still, confused? The following thorough explanation will help you choose the best option to get started on the right foot.

Best Blog Sites (Review)

1. WordPress.org – Blog site (Domain required)

WordPress.org is a well-known blogging site on the internet. WordPress powers more than 33% of the internet. It is an open-source that lets you create a blog site in no time. However, people do get confused between WordPress.org and WordPress.com platforms. Both these platforms have a large community of users who can help you get started with any one of them. And having a powerful WordPress theme builder can help you establish a stunning feature-rich website in no time. It is easy for beginners to understand what is WordPress and how useful it is for them.

Pros

• WordPress is really flexible that gives you full control over your blog site.
• It is totally free to use.
• Monetize WordPress blog the way you want.
• More than 54K free plugins to let you add almost any functionality to your WordPress site.
• The large community support.
• Thousands of WordPress themes available.
• WordPress is a search engine friendly platform coupled with numerous factors which if managed carefully can help you design the best SEO WordPress theme for your project.

Cons

• WordPress.org is a self-hosted solution, therefore, you will have to look for WordPress hosting providers yourself.
• Security can be a matter of concern.

Pricing

WordPress.org is an open-source and free to use blogging site. However, except for the freely available platform everything else you have to do yourself. Like having a domain name as well as WordPress hosting. I suggest you Bluehost as it is also recommend on WordPress. It’s a genuinely priced (US$3.95/month) hosting solution.

WordPress is perfect for

• Professional blogs
• Blogging enthusiasts
• Business blogs
• Beginners bloggers

2. Blogger.com – Best blog site

Blogger.com is one of the oldest blog platforms. You need to have a Google account to sign up for Blogger. It is really simple to create engaging content. However, people still compare Blogger vs WordPress to be sure about their choice. And Blogspot vs Blogger has always been a matter of debate for some. So, make sure you don’t get confused about it. Blogger is considered as a simple blogging platform for beginners because of its user-friendly interface with various impressive features. It comes with a free domain and hosting. Blogger provides various themes to beautify your blog. However, you can create a Blogger template from scratch with the help of a strong Blogger template maker available.Check out how to install Blogger template.

Pros

• Blogger.com is easy to use platform.
• It is free to use and has hundreds of Blogger templates.
• Google AdSense automatically shows relevant ads on your blog, therefore, you can earn some extra money while showing your original content.
• Beginner-friendly platform.
• You can get a highly mobile-friendly website trouble-free.
• Smooth integration with other Google services like Google Drive etc.
• Blogger.com is coupled with anti-comment spam and tracking features.

Cons

• Blogger.com is a Google service, so, Blogger login is possible via a Google account only.
• Limited themes availability.

Pricing

Blogger.com is a free blog site that offers you a free blogspot.com domain to get started and quickly choose domain name . However, if you want you can buy another custom domain as well as desired hosting for your blog. You can check popular Kinsta, SiteGround, Bluehost – they all provide great services.

Blogger.com is perfect for

• Personal blogs
• Blogging enthusiasts

3. WordPress.com

WordPress.com is one of the leading blogging platforms. 35.2% of the internet is powered by WordPress only. Certainly, the most reliable platform of all. WordPress has everything you need to set a website up and running. You can create anything from the blog, portfolio, business website, create church website, create one-page website, create WordPress theme it’s just up to you. Moreover, WordPress.com is the hosted version of WordPress that sets you free from downloading and installing WordPress software on to your computer. You can simply go to the WordPress.com and sign up for or choose the pro version however you like. It is loaded with powerful features that make getting started easy. Check out WordPress.org vs WordPress.com and how to migrate from WordPress.com to WordPress.org

Pros

• WordPress.com offers hundreds of customizable themes to choose from.
• Intuitive editor with a drag and drop media (both audio and video) addition.
• For easy access, you can edit your website both from desktop and mobile devices.
• You can choose and install WordPress plugins easily.
• 24/7 support via email and community forum.
• Dedicated chat support on paid plans.
• Built-in statistics function to monitor website growth.
• WordPress.com includes stunning bookmarking tools and RSS feed.

Cons

• The free plan includes limited features.
• limited customization options in the free plan.

Pricing

WordPress.com is a free blogging site. But it has pro versions as well.

• Personal: US$4/month billed yearly
• Premium: US$8/month billed yearly
• Business: US$25/month billed yearly
• eCommerce: US$45/month billed yearly

WordPress.com is best for

• Hobby bloggers
• Professional bloggers
• Steady websites

4. Tumblr – best Blog Site for writers ($8.95 – $49.95)

Tumblr is another gem in the list of best blog platforms. It is a great microblogging platform, designed specifically for those who love to publish animations, GIFs, videos, micro-blogs, images, quotes, etc. It comes with various built-in tools to help you figure out the true functionality. Tumblr offers you subdomain and free hosting. Furthermore, you will get options to build amazing blog sites the way you want.

Pros

• It’s pretty simple to start a blog with Tumblr.
• It’s a free blog site platform.
• Tumblr comes with integrated social media components.
• Hosting and subdomain inclusive.
• It has several options to share and re-blog content.

Cons

• It doesn’t offer any extension or plugin.
• Themes available with Tumblr have limited features.
• Migration from Tumblr to any other platform is quite difficult to achieve.

Pricing

Tumblr is a free blog site, to begin with. It offers you a subdomain as well as free hosting.

Tumblr is perfect for

• Personal blogs
• Microblogs
• Blogging enthusiasts

5. Medium.com – Most Popular Blogging Site for Writers

Medium.com is an online publishing platform launched in August 2012. It is more like social journalism, having a collaboration of publications from rookie to pro. Medium is the brainchild of Twitter’s co-founder to express your view in more than 140 characters. It gives you a space to share your insights and wisdom with a huge audience.

Pros

• Medium is a platform where you can meet other bloggers with the same interests as you.
• Medium has amazing typography settings.
• The reporting feature of Medium helps you understand the reader’s approach to your content.
• It provides you the facility to embed third-party content or videos from platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, etc.
• It doesn’t require coding knowledge to get started.

Cons

• Limited control over your content.
• Constrained features as compared to other platforms.
• You just simply can’t transfer from Medium to any other platform.

Pricing

You need to become a Medium member in order to access the platform. They offer US$5/month or US$50/year for unlimited access to read the stories from experts and other medium users.

Medium is perfect for

• Hobby bloggers
• Bloggers who wish to expand their reach and connect with other bloggers.

6. Ghost.org – (premium blogging site $29 – $199)

The Ghost.org is an easy to use open-source publishing platform. It is a simple blogging platform. Even simpler than WordPress when it comes to blogging. Ghost.org has a simple and clean user interface that gets you through easily. The live preview of the post, while you are writing it, helps you write better and makes fewer mistakes.

Pros

• The modern interface keeps things manageable.
• Since it’s written in JavaScript, so, it is blazing fast.
• You can publish in multiple languages.
• You can schedule posts to be published in the future dates.
• Complete data ownership.
• It comes with built-in SEO that gives you a 100% SEO-friendly blog post.

Cons

• A little difficult to customize.
• Complex to configure.
• Limited accessible themes.

Pricing

Ghost.org offers a 14-day fully managed pack trial to get familiar with it. Further, it has three plans Basic: US$36/month, Standard: US$99/month, Business: US$249/month. All three plans include their own different set of features.

Ghost is perfect for

• Bloggers who wish to experiment with technology.

7. Typepad

Typepad is a comprehensive blog site with a beginner-friendly interface. It includes tons of beautiful themes and plugins to enhance your blog’s functionality. It is a fully hosted platform so you don’t have to bother about the technical details.

Pros

• It comes with thousands of template options to choose from.
• It is easy to integrate with Google Analytics.
• Built-in tools for search engine optimization.
• Tools for easy social interaction.
• It has tons of plugins to enhance functionality.

Cons

• It is not a free platform, though it offers a 14-days trial.
• Being a hosted platform, it limits the customizations.
• Security is an issue with Typepad.

Pricing

Typepad offers a 14-day free trial. And then you may use one out of the offered four plans and they are Plus: US$8.95/month, Unlimited: US$14.95/month, Premium: US$29.95/month, Enterprise: US$49.95/month.

Typepad is perfect for

• Large-scale organizations
• Professional bloggers

8. Joomla – Blogging site + Domain – Hosting

Joomla! is somewhat similar to WordPress.org in terms of extendability. They both are open-source platforms. However, before making your mind up, you can have a thorough comparison between WordPress Vs Joomla Vs Drupal. Yes! Drupal is another close comparison of Joomla! so, give it a look. It is really simple even for beginners to understand what is Joomla and how useful it is for them. You can create Joomla website with TemplateToaster. Check out Drupal vs Joomla, Drupal vs WordPress.

Pros

• Joomla! is an open-source blog site.
• Multi-language support.
• Joomla! has detailed documentation to refer to.
• You can use Joomla templates as per your needs.
• Migration from Joomla to WordPress is easier.

Cons

• Support can be a bit expensive for some.
• Joomla does require a basic knowledge of used technology.
• Security, Joomla backup, and updates seek your attention.

Pricing

Like WordPress, Joomla! is also completely free to use. You just have to pay for the domain and hosting. However, you can use Bluehost hosting for better results.

Joomla! is perfect for

• Technically skilled users
• Large websites
• eCommerce stores

9. Squarespace – (premium blog site $12 – $40 pm)

Squarespace is one of the convenient blogging platforms for designers and blogging enthusiasts. It has beautiful customization options that let you design the desired website in minutes without having to involve in the code at all. You can create anything from a simple website to a visually stunning website with multiple features and options. check out Squarespace vs WordPress vs TemplateToaster,  wix vs weebly vs TemplateToaster.

Pros

• Squarespace has many ready to use templates to choose from.
• You can have multiple templates on a single website and work smoothly on several designs at once.
• It has the highest quality fonts.
• It comes with a custom CSS editor.
• Every image on Squarespace is hosted with a global content delivery network (CDN).
• Seamless lightbox functionality integration.
• Distraction-free and clutter-free editing modes.
• Highly mobile-optimized designs.

Cons

• No free plan available.
• It is not an easily extensible platform.
• The basic plan includes limited features.

Pricing

Squarespace has a free trial version that lets you test its functionality before actually making any purchase. However, it has four plans Personal US$16/month, Business US$26/month, Commerce Basic US$30/month, and Commerce Advance US$46/month.

Squarespace is best for

• Entrepreneurs
• Blogging enthusiasts
• eCommerce
• Professional bloggers

10. Weebly

Weebly is a modern blog site with easy to use drag and drop editor. It has a range of useful features that can help you make a strong website in no time. In fact, those who don’t know much coding can easily rely on the drag and drop feature to get ahead. You can start with the free plan and move to pro plan as and when required.

Pros

• Weebly has a free plan.
• It is really simple to set up and get started with Weebly.
• You can choose from many useful and suitable themes to start your blog.
• Weebly offers many SEO features for extended reach.
• Powerful statistics to track visitors.
• It offers free hosting as well.

Cons

• A free plan comes with limited features.
• Migrating from Weebly to any other platform may be a little tiresome.

Pricing

Weebly has two sections when it comes to pricing i.e. for websites and online stores. And the pricing plans for Websites include Basic Use is totally free, Connect (Connect a domain) US$5/month, Pro (Groups and Organizations) US$12/month, Business (Small Business and Stores) US$25/month.

The pricing for Online Stores includes Pro (Groups and Organization) US$12/month, Business (Small business and Stores) US$25/month, Business Plus (Power Sellers) US$38/month.

Weebly is best for

• Portfolio websites
• Beginners with little to zero technical knowledge

11. Wix

Wix is also one of the most widely used blog sites. However, it is mainly focused on building websites as a whole. Like many other blog sites mentioned in this list, Wix also has an intuitive drag and drop editor. Wix offers a great amount of support for the users. you may also read WordPress vs Joomla vs Drupal, free website builders and Wix to WordPress.

Pros

• Wix has over 500 designer-made templates.
• The drag and drop website builder lets you design a website however you like.
• It offers personalized SEO plans.
• You don’t have to be a coding expert to set up a blog site with Wix.
• You can have an online store with minimal efforts.
• Seamless

Cons

• eCommerce store has less options to explore.
• A free plan has fewer features.
• The free display many ads.

Pricing

Wix has a 14-day money-back guarantee along with premium plans that include VIP (First Priority Support) US$39/month, Pro (Complete Online Branding) US$22/month, Unlimited (Entrepreneurs and Freelancers) US$17/month, Combo (For Personal Use) US$13/month.

Wix is best for

• Artists
• People with no coding experience

12. Webs

Webs is another free blog site building tool. It is coupled with amazing features that can elevate the quality of your blog. You can design your blog however you like with easy to use drag and drop feature. Every site you create is mobile optimized.

Pros

• You can choose from beautiful, customizable, and robust templates.
• The SEO booster feature makes your content SEO-friendly.
• Seamless third-party integrations.
• The Webs app store includes hundreds of apps to choose from.
• Webs have the best photo editing options to engage your audience.
• 30-day money-back guarantee.

Cons

• The free plan is restricted to 5 pages only.
• The free templates are not up to modern web design standards.

Pricing

You can create a free website with Webs and if you wish you can upgrade the plan anytime you want. The plans are Starter US$5.99/month, Enhanced US$12.99/month, Pro US$22.99/month.

Webs is best for

• Beginner bloggers
• Small businesses

13. Penzu

Penzu is a customizable journal platform that offers you to start a free blog site forever free. However, it also has two premium plans if you wish to upgrade to. Before starting a blog site, you can choose what kind of site you are about to have from the given categories. It has all the tools that you would require to get started well.

Pros

• The feature set of Penzu is simply amazing.
• Penzu is available for platforms such as Android, iOS, and Browser.
• You can use custom photos, texture, fonts, and more to personalize your blog site.
• 30-day money back guarantee.
• You can use the trash recovery feature for accidental loss of data.

Cons

• You might have to face some errors while synchronizing.
• Simplicity can be overwhelming for some users.

Pricing

Penzu has three plans to offer you. The Basic plan is forever free. Penzu ProUS$19.99/year and Pro Plus US$49.99/year with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Penzu is best for

• Beginner bloggers

So, which Blogging sites are right for you to create a Blog Site?

While there are several free and paid alternatives available on the web. But, determining the best blogging platform is quite a tough task since each has its own set of features to boost your blogging experience. If you are also not sure which is a substantial take for your project, I would suggest beginning with WordPress.org would be more comfortable.

I have covered all possible grounds in this comparison tutorial and I believe this has been helpful for those who have been looking for the best blog sites. No matter what business you’re doing, having an online presence is always worthwhile. However, a website be it a blog or a full-fledged website needs to have a great theme to display your services or offerings.

Why should writers/bloggers pay attention to the domain and hosting for their blog sites?

Domain name and hosting are two main ingredients that will add the magical touch to your blog site. No matter, if you are a beginner or a professional writer/blogger, knowing about these essential factors, will take you a long way in blogging. Let’s take quick catchup on the domain and hosting. The domain gives you your online identity and hosting allows your users to find you online. Hence, it is important to choose the best hosting according to your website needs. Also, make sure your domain name is suitable for your business or hobby website.

Best Blog sites – In Conclusion

Creating a blog can be easy for you if you choose any open source CMS such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal. And a proficient website builder software like TemplateToaster to create stunning themes for your blog sites. So, now it’s your turn to let me know which platform did you choose and who was your blog experience via comments below.