Best Blogging Platform To Make Money In 2023

Do you want to start a blog, but still confused about how to choose the best blogging platform?

I know it is hard for beginners to figure out which blogging platform is okay for them.

If you find yourself in this category. Don’t worry, in this article, you will find out how to choose the best blogging platform after going through the pros and cons of some of the most used platforms on our list.

How To Choose The Best Blogging Platform For Beginners

Before going through the list, it is very important to know what you are looking for in a blogging platform.

For people who are new to blogging, you need to go for a platform that is easy to use, even when you can’t code. It will be easy to set up.

When you grow from beginner to professional blogger, you will want to redesign your blog and also add more advanced features. So make sure you choose a blogging platform that is flexible to use.

Making the mistake at the early stage of your blogging career will be hard for you to correct if you pick the wrong blogging platform.

When I start my first blog, I choose the wrong platform, which makes me lose all my content and also traffic. Most new bloggers also make this mistake, But this free guide will help you make the right choice.

Some Popular Blogging Platforms

Check out some of the most popular blogging platforms I will be talking about in this article.

1. WordPress.org

2. WordPress.com

3. Weebly

4. Blogger

5. Tumblr

6. Medium

7. Wix

8. Hubspot CMS

Best Blogging Platforms: Pros and Cons

After going through this on how to choose the best blogging platform pros and cons, you will be able to pick the best platforms to start a blog.

1. WordPress.org

WordPress.org is open-source software. That was launched in 2003, the software is the most popular blogging platform, powering more than 40% of all the websites on the internet.

The platform allows you to create a nice-looking website without having proper knowledge of coding.

Among all the good blogging platforms, WordPress has the best blogging tool and is also a secure blogging platform.

WordPress.org is a self-hosting platform that enables you to have total control of your blog, all you need is to sign up for a WordPress hosting provider that will house your blog data.

The cost of using WordPress.org

WordPress.org is free software, But you will need to buy a domain name and hosting space where you will install it.

It will cost you around $50 a year to get a domain and hosting space from Bluehost. At Shakeworldonline we advise our users to choose Bluehost because they are highly recommended by the WordPress developers community.

Pros:

• WordPress.org allows you to have full control of your blog.
• They are many already-made themes available for you to customize your blog without knowing how to code or design.
• You can also get tons of free plugins from the WordPress directory, these plugins enable you to add great features to your blog.
• You can use WordPress.org to create any type of website, such as a forum, membership, and more.
• WordPress.org is good for building a blog that is search engine friendly and also responsive.
• WordPress.org is easy to maintain.

Cons:

• Too many plugins may slow down your website.
• Some third-party tools may harm your blog.
• Requires regular updating and the updates can cause significant compatibility and other problems.
• Hackers may gain access to your site if it is not adequately secured.
• Customizing some themes might require some coding and design knowledge.

2. WordPress.com

WordPress.com is for people who want to start a blog without spending any money at the start-up stage. But the big issue is that you will not have full control over the blog.

WordPress.com was created by the co-founder of WordPress.org Matt Mullenweg. The website was launched in 2005 with the goal of attracting a large audience to WordPress.

It has a basic and premium package. The basic plan allows you to run a blog with their domain extension such as wordpress.com/yoursitename. While the premium package gives you the chance to use a custom domain e.g yoursite.com

The cost of using WordPress.com

The basic version of WordPress.com is totally free. But the premium version will cost you some extra fees for a custom domain name and extra webspace.

Pros:

• You don’t need to perform any software installation.
• It is very easy to use.
• You don’t have to worry about backup and security.

Cons:

• You cannot customize the look of your blog to your specification.
• You don’t have total control of the blog.
• WordPress may delete your site at any time if they see any violation.

3. Weebly

Weebly is a drag and drops website builder owned by Square’s payment platform. The company focuses on creating website-building tools for eCommerce stores and Business owners.

You can build a nice-looking website with Weebly without knowing how to code, Weebly gives you a custom domain and email address and free hosting space.

The platform powers millions of websites on the internet, and one of the major factors that make it gain popularity is because of its easy-to-use editor. But we don’t recommend it to people who want to build a complex website.

The cost of using Weebly

Weebly has a free plan which allows you to try the platform to know if it is suitable for your business. The free plans enable Weebly to place their advert on your site and you are limited to some features such as 500MB and you can’t use a custom domain.

The platform has three main packages, in case your want to upgrade.

• Personal plan: $6 per month
• Professional plan: $12 per month
• Performance plan: $26 per month

Pros:

• Weebly is one of the easiest and most user-friendly drag and drops website builders on the internet.
• The platform is not overwhelmed with excessive numbers of tools, it is equipped with the basic tools needed to build a functional website.
• You can easily build a website within a few hours.
• Has a broad range of templates for free and premium users.

Cons:

• It is not designed for a complex website.
• Has basic functionality.
• Weebly has limited template designers

4. Blogger

Blogger.com is one of the easiest blogging platforms owned by Google for its users to publish information online.

The platform was developed and launched by Pyra Labs but was later acquired and redesigned by Google.

Blogger.com can be used to create a personal and professional blog for free. All you need to use this website is a Google Gmail account.

The cost of using Blogger.com

The platform is totally free. There are no hidden charges but you will spend around $14 a year to buy a domain name if you want to use your own custom domain e.g yoursitename.com

Pros:

• Blogger has a good user interface.
• You don’t need to pay any extra charge for Webhosting
• Blogger’s blogs are always active online
• It is easier to integrate other Google services into your blog

Cons:

• You are not the full owner of the blog.
• Difficult to upload other media files.
• Not good for building an authority website.
• The template is not easy to customize.

>> How To Create A Blog With Blogger

5. Tumblr

Tumblr is a social networking and microblogging website which was started by David Karp in 2007.

You can post short-form of blog and multimedia content on the site and users can read and comment on your blog.

Tumblr is good for people who don’t want to publish a long blog post, it is excellent for anyone that is looking for a where to share quick multimedia posts from their mobile devices.

The cost of using Tumblr

There is no money required to use Tumblr for blogging, but you can spend more to buy a domain name if you don’t want to use their own custom domain.

Pros:

• Tumblr is very easy to set up.
• It is easy to edit and design.
• The platform already has many users.
• Good for short-form content such as images and links.

Cons:

• Tumblr is not suitable for long posts.
• The customization is limited.
• Your blog is limited to some advanced features when it grows.

6. Medium

Medium is a blogging and social networking website designed for writers and creators. To publish content without paying for web hosting or setting up a blogging platform like WordPress.

Medium was created by one of the founders of Twitter and blogger, Ev Williams in August 2012.

While the platform is free for blogging, it is hard to monetize your medium blog. Medium is mainly used by digital marketers to send traffic to their money blogs.

The cost of using Medium

Medium is free for blogging, you will not pay for any extra features like domain name and hosting space. But the platform lacks advanced blogging tools.

Pros:

• Medium has a large audience.
• It is free and requires no setup, all that is required from you is to write quality content.
• You don’t need to have any coding skills to use the platform.

Cons:

• You are not the full owner of the blog. Your content can be deleted at any time.
• You are working for another person’s blog.
• You cannot monetize the blog.

7. Wix

Wix.com is a free and premium platform that allows you to build a website from scratch. It does not require any advanced technical coding skills such as HTML, CSS, or PHP.

Anyone with basic computer knowledge or course can use it to create a website. The platform is owned by an Israeli company, they have their own web hosting and do not require the installation of any software.

The cost of using Wix.com

Wix.com has a free and premium package. The basic plan allows you to build a website using their domain extension or your own custom domain. While the premium plans cost around $8.50/month to $24.50/per month.

Pros:

• The platform is good for a simple website.
• It is easy to build a website fast with knowing how to code.
• Wix offers free and secure hosting.
• It has easy to use drag and drop editor.

Cons:

• You can’t access all the functionality and features when using the free version.
• You can’t implement your own design ideas.
• Lack of total control and advanced features
• Not good for a large website.

8. Hubspot CMS

Hubspot CMS is a digital marketing platform built for small and large businesses. Hubspot has all the features needed for building a successful website.

The platform does not only allow you to build a website. It also has other special tools for running an email marketing campaign and building a sales funnel.

The good thing that HubSpot does is offer a ton of education to the free customers on how to grow their sales & Marketing efforts – which in effect makes the customer more successful and oftentimes will lead to them upgrading their account.

The cost of using Hubspot CMS

Hubspot CMS offers a starter plan which cost around $26/month, the starter plan is for beginners with a low budget. This plan allows you to create and customize your blog.

But if you want to access all their advanced tools and functionality. Then you need to upgrade to higher plans such as the professional plan ($360/month) or Enterprise plan ($1200/month).

Pros:

• You can easily learn and understand how to use the Hubspot CMS fast.
• It comes with advanced marketing tools
• It is very secure
• The CMS is SEO friendly

Cons:

• Enterprise price is high.
• Very hard to move your blog to another platform.
• It does a lot, but never really in-depth.

Top Blogging Platform FAQ:

Conclusion:

WordPress.org is the best platform for blogging and also building other websites. The platform is free and they are many videos available on youtube that show how to use it to design your blog.

The platform has a wide range of features that can take your blog from the start-up stage to the professional level. If you are interested in building your blog with WordPress. Then read how to start a blog article.