If you\u2019re serious about starting a blog just like this one, WordPress (the self-hosted version) is the way to go.<\/strong> Are there exceptions? Absolutely, but not many. <\/em><\/p>\n I use WordPress<\/strong> for every single one of my sites, without a second thought. If you\u2019re blogging to make money with affiliate marketing or ads, there\u2019s really no better choice<\/strong>. It\u2019s flexibility, versatility, and functionality are truly unmatched by any other blogging platform. To get started, you\u2019ll need a host\u2013Hostinger<\/a>\u2018s the easiest and most affordable. <\/strong><\/p>\n Wondering about those exceptions?<\/em> Here they are. Go with:<\/p>\n The last two options are completely free<\/strong>\u2013they\u2019re great places to practice writing and publishing regularly. If you go with either of those options, you can always set up your own WordPress blog later. <\/p>\n WordPress is the most popular blog platform out there\u2014for starters it\u2019s free, you just have to pay for hosting<\/strong>.<\/p>\n We recommend Hostinger\u2019s WordPress hosting<\/a> because it\u2019s the best price ($2.79 per month<\/strong> if you sign up for four years) and easiest to use. With it, you\u2019ll have a WordPress blog in a few minutes<\/strong>, even if you\u2019ve never built a website before. It walks you through every step from installing WordPress to choosing a theme. <\/p>\n However, the beauty of WordPress is that you can move everything to another host later. You\u2019re not stuck, like you would be with any of the other options below. <\/p>\n Decide Hostinger isn\u2019t right for you? Maybe you\u2019ve grown to a point where you need more resources. No problem\u2013you can download your entire WordPress site and move it anywhere you want.<\/strong> <\/p>\n WordPress itself is a highly customizable content management system<\/a> (CMS). It\u2019s truly the way to go if you want to scale your blog and make money from your website<\/a> via ads, affiliate marketing, sponsored content, or anything similar<\/strong>. <\/p>\n The reason? Aside from the above, WordPress is open source<\/em>\u2013they don\u2019t keep their code a secret. Developers can go in and create widgets, plugins, and other tools so you <\/em>can create any kind of blog and make it look like whatever you want<\/em>.<\/p>\n No matter the functionality you want, there is probably a plugin or widget that does it. Check out our favorite plugins, here.<\/a> <\/p>\n This dramatically streamlines customization and eliminates the need for coding or hiring a developer to create something for you. On top of that, the Gutenberg block editor makes the actual act of blogging\u2026 pretty great<\/strong>. It\u2019s easy to add images, lists, code, whatever you want. And those plugins I mentioned? They let you add even more functionality to the blog editor in the form of drag-and-drop blocks. <\/p>\n Need a countdown timer? A cool CTA block for an affiliate product? A video? No problem. <\/p>\n Aside from my own experience, my team interviewed several people to put this guide together. One of them who\u2019s used WordPress for nearly half a decade describes it as \u201cblogger-friendly\u201d with plenty of SEO features baked in<\/strong>. They aren\u2019t the only one who feels that way. <\/p>\n That said, there is a bit of a learning curve. To get the most out of WordPress in terms of customizability, you\u2019ll need to be more hands-on with the plugins and widgets you choose and how you manage the backend.<\/p>\n However, even this is fairly straightforward\u2014and it doesn\u2019t take long to learn the ropes.<\/p>\n \u201cWith no knowledge of WordPress when I started, it was a bit of a steep learning curve but I figured everything out quickly enough<\/strong>,\u201d said one user. \u201cWordPress is very intuitive and if you can\u2019t figure something out, you just have to Google it or check on YouTube and you will likely find an answer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n With a little effort, you\u2019ll know how to manage and customize your blog yourself. <\/p>\n Bottom line: <\/strong>Building a WordPress website takes more time than something like Wix. However, the tradeoff is that you get full control and can do literally whatever you want with your site. Hostinger makes it easy<\/a> to get started, choose a theme, and start writing in just a few hours. They even give you a free domain name for the first year, so you get everything you need.<\/p>\n Wix<\/a> (and other website builders<\/a> like it) are basically the opposite of WordPress.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need a separate host<\/strong> nor do you really need to learn much of anything\u2013however, it\u2019s a lot more expensive<\/strong>. WordPress + hosting is around $3 per month. Wix starts at $16 per month. It\u2019s more than 5x the price. <\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to note that you won\u2019t be able to move your Wix site<\/strong> somewhere else if you change your mind. You\u2019ll have to rebuild it from scratch. That\u2019s no problem if you want to stay with Wix forever, but it doesn\u2019t really give you a lot of options. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re not as sensitive to price and don\u2019t care that you can\u2019t move elsewhere, it may be worth it to use a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface with a virtually non-existent learning curve<\/strong>. You can literally build a Wix site<\/a> in less than an hour. <\/p>\n Right out of the box, you can choose from hundreds of free, professional templates<\/strong> to start with. From there, you can move elements around, change the colors, fonts, images\u2013whatever you\u2019d like. <\/p>\n In just a few minutes, you can have a full website ready for you to start blogging. <\/p>\n One person we interviewed said \u201cI think it\u2019s as straightforward as it can get for people with no coding background<\/strong>.\u201d Our own experience reflects that, too. Wix walks you through the entire process, step-by-step. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re really short on time, you can use it\u2019s AI-powered site builder<\/strong>. All you have to do is answer a few questions and you\u2019ll have a full, customized website in just a few seconds<\/strong>. It won\u2019t be perfect\u2013you\u2019ll probably want to tweak some things and adjust it to your liking. But it\u2019s something WordPress can\u2019t do for you. <\/p>\n Blogging in Wix is simple and intuitive, with analytics and SEO built right in. <\/p>\n Writing a post is as simple as clicking Create a Post, writing your copy, and adding images. You can save drafts or even give other contributors writing privileges for your site. This is all just as easy from a mobile device as it is on desktop. <\/p>\n It\u2019s also easy to add additional features you might want on your blog, too\u2014elements like social tools, likes, comments, hashtags, categories, and subscriber forms<\/strong> can all be added in a few clicks.<\/p>\n Aside from blogging, Wix has a lot of cool features like a live chat widget, marketing tools, and even ecommerce functionality<\/strong> to sell products, courses, digital content, subscriptions, and tickets on more expensive plans. <\/p>\n Bottom line: <\/strong>Wix<\/a> is an okay option if you don\u2019t want to mess with the learning curve of WordPress. Just keep in mind that it\u2019s monetization options are more limited, you can\u2019t move your site somewhere else, and it\u2019s significantly more expensive.<\/p>\n WordPress is an amazing choice, even if you\u2019re in a creative field. But if the idea of unlimited opportunities scares you<\/strong>\u2013you\u2019re not alone or out of luck. <\/p>\n Squarespace<\/a> is similar to Wix. It also starts at $16 per month, doesn\u2019t require hosting, is incredibly easy to use<\/strong>, and makes it really challenging to move your website<\/strong> somewhere else. What makes it different from Wix is its creative and beautiful website templates<\/strong>. <\/p>\n If visuals, imagery, video, and an artistic flair<\/strong> are what you\u2019re after, it can\u2019t be beat. <\/p>\n Sure, Wix has templates too. But they pale in comparison to what you\u2019ll get with Squarespace. Just take a look at Squarespace\u2019s website. It\u2019s unique, a little funky, and way different than most of the other sites you\u2019ve seen<\/strong>. That\u2019s the same impact all of its templates have. <\/p>\n My team interviewed several Squarespace users, including a web design expert, a gardening influencer, and an interior designer<\/strong>. There\u2019s a reason they all chose Squarespace\u2013ease of use and stunning design. <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI think I had my blog up and running within a day,<\/strong>\u201d said the user who runs an interior design blog. <\/p>\n Editing your website, from the contacts page, to the about page, home page, portfolio, and your actual blog itself, is about as easy as it gets. All you have to do is update the template you chose to match your preferences and you\u2019re good to go. Of course, you can further customize it with additional elements if you\u2019d like. Every pre-made element is just as stunning as the templates. <\/strong><\/p>\n Aside from blogging tools, you can add an online store, set up integrated email marketing<\/a>, build a members area,<\/strong> and much much more. Squarespace\u2019s documentation is also excellent. <\/p>\n However, one of its biggest limitations is customization<\/strong>. A lot of Squarespace websites tend to look similar because it\u2019s hard to create truly unique designs. <\/p>\n One person we interviewed said \u201cCustom CSS is only available in the Business Plan<\/strong>. It\u2019s doable for my website, I found some great tutorials on the internet for extra CSS customization and I had to buy a sidebar plugin<\/strong> because it wasn\u2019t integrated in my template. For more complex websites this might be a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n On top of that, it treats the mobile version of your site in a pretty weird way. <\/p>\n \u201cThe mobile editor is the thing which my students find the most annoying,\u201d the web design expert told us. \u201cWith Squarespace, building a website takes time [on desktop], and then you have to literally go build the thing a second time [for mobile]<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n Bottom line: <\/strong>Squarespace<\/a> offers great looking templates that showcase visuals or videos front and center with basic customization options. It\u2019s severely limiting in comparison to WordPress, but a good choice if that level of freedom isn\u2019t appealing to you. <\/p>\n If you want to practice writing and publishing your content, you can get by with something that doesn\u2019t cost anything<\/strong>. LinkedIn<\/a> is the right choice if your audience is mainly professional folks or other businesses. <\/p>\n It has a built-in audience of over 740 million business professionals<\/strong> from all <\/em>stripes, including HR, digital marketing, finance, tech, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n Many of them are highly active on the site, frequently sharing thought leadership style articles, commenting on opinion pieces, contributing to community posts, and sharing insights you won\u2019t find elsewhere. I personally don\u2019t use LinkedIn like this but many of the people on my team do and find it very valuable. <\/strong><\/p>\n The platform has a ready-made culture and set of expectations that a business blogger could only dream of creating on their own site. The challenge for you is creating the types of content that\u2019ll gain traction. <\/p>\n After all, LinkedIn is a social network. Your influence grows in proportion to the size of your network<\/strong>. The more thought-provoking, insightful, and transformational posts you publish, the more connection requests and followers you\u2019ll attract.<\/p>\n In terms of making money, you can certainly do so on LinkedIn\u2013but in a much different way than you would with your own blog. There\u2019s no affiliate marketing, advertising revenue, or sponsored posts. <\/strong><\/p>\n Each user we interviewed said they leveraged LinkedIn blogging to make connections<\/strong>. Engagement<\/a> is the key to making money on LinkedIn. <\/p>\n \u201cSo far, I have experienced higher-quality clients<\/strong> through LinkedIn by blogging and writing content on the platform.\u201d<\/p>\n It might seem painfully obvious, but not a lot of people realize that the platform can be incredibly lucrative. The folks on LinkedIn are typically high-earners. They\u2019re C-Suite executives. They\u2019re industry movers who want to innovate and build lasting businesses.\u00a0They\u2019re willing to pay a premium to the right person<\/strong> who will get them there.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI make money indirectly from LinkedIn. I have to make a post, then throw a link to a webinar in the comments section<\/strong>. Some people sign up and then purchase my course through the webinar<\/strong> later on,\u201d another user explained.<\/p>\n Creating a blog on LinkedIn only requires a profile, which is entirely free. Once you have that, you only have to click a few buttons to open the article editor. <\/p>\n \u201cI simply add images, write the text, and publish\u2014and I\u2019m done. No crazy misalignment or formatting issues.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Alternatively, you can post shorter entries as posts instead of articles. Our CEO was able to get a ton of traction by publishing a strategic series of short posts without ever publishing an article at all. <\/p>\n While LinkedIn does offer a lot of opportunities, there\u2019s no archive of your old articles<\/strong> (people really have to dig to find them) and LinkedIn seems to prefer showing posts in users\u2019 feeds instead of longer-form articles. <\/p>\n Bottom line: <\/strong>LinkedIn<\/a> is great for networking within your community. While it doesn\u2019t replace the need for your own website, it\u2019s a cost-free place to start if you want to practice and connect with professionals first. <\/p>\n Medium<\/a> is easily one of the most polarizing platforms out there\u2014and it\u2019s certainly the most controversial one on our list.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/p>\n It\u2019s home to bloggers focused on crafting niche content for readers. It\u2019s also where you can find some of the most thought-provoking, incendiary content online.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n What really makes Medium stand out for writers is its built-in communities of readers<\/strong>. People can browse a vast library of publications and topics, find your blog, and subscribe to it with a single click<\/strong>\u2013they can even choose to get your blog posts sent to their inbox every time you post. <\/p>\n Writers can post pieces under their personal account, a publication they own and run, or submit their writing to publications for a chance to be published on other Medium blogs and put in front of even more readers.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just plugging and chugging and going,\u201d one user told us. \u201cEven if you have no writing experience, and just want to write, it\u2019s not hard to get started<\/strong> and find an audience.\u201d<\/p>\n The ability to tap into a well of readers was a draw for many users\u2014another is not having to try to drive traffic yourself<\/strong>. <\/p>\n \u201cI definitely recommend not even starting with a traditional WordPress blog,\u201d one user said. \u201cJust go on Medium because it works as a blogging tool and a social media platform. Naturally, there\u2019s going to be a much larger audience there<\/strong> for people to read your work.\u201d<\/p>\n Medium also gives you the ability to get paid based on the amount of engagement<\/strong> your articles get.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some bloggers make six figures a year\u2014however, only 7% make more than $100 annually<\/strong>. \u201cI make a few bucks,\u201d one user told me. \u201cIt does not pay nearly enough to justify the time and effort I put into writing.\u201d<\/p>\n To get started, all you have to do is set up a profile, click \u201cWrite a Story\u201d, and start writing.<\/strong> The dashboard is a lot like WordPress\u2019s Gutenberg editor, so it\u2019s fairly intuitive. Once you\u2019re finished, add a few tags and click \u201cpublish\u201d and it\u2019s out in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n On your own publication, you can also add additional writers and editors plus accept submissions<\/strong> if you\u2019d like. <\/p>\n One of the users on our panel helped found one of the biggest and most popular publications on Medium: The Writing Cooperative. They currently have around 226,000 followers and publish multiple times every day. <\/p>\n \u201cThe Writing Cooperative began on Medium in 2014. In some regards, we\u2019ve grown up with the platform\u201d said co-founder Justin Cox. \u201c[\u2026] The Writing Cooperative\u2019s content is often recommended in user feeds, which is a great way to grow an audience.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n Justin went on to say that he doesn\u2019t make a living off of the Writing Cooperative, but he and his co-founder are able to generate some income by setting up a Patreon<\/strong> for the publication as well as launching a coaching program for their community. \u201cEverything we do is geared towards supporting and encouraging writers,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Bottom line: <\/strong>Medium<\/a> can be a great place to start writing, publishing content for the first time, and building an audience. While there are some monetization options, you shouldn\u2019t expect to make much. At some point, you\u2019ll want to set up your own website. <\/p>\n We chose our top five blogging platforms by focusing on the following essential qualities:<\/p>\n We researched dozens of the most popular and prominent blog builders and platforms, reviewing each against the criteria above. <\/p>\n This process involved \u201clighter\u201d research that looked different from platform to platform. We created accounts and built out<\/strong> basic blogs<\/strong>. We also looked at each of the platform\u2019s features and tools across their payment plans if they had them.\u00a0From there, we narrowed down our list from 12 to five. <\/strong><\/p>\n As a team, we had a good amount of general knowledge, and some insights into the user interface for each platform at this point. <\/p>\n But we didn\u2019t know what it was like to use each product for years or what it was like to depend<\/em> on these blogs for business. So we set out to find people who did.<\/p>\n I have a ton of experience with WordPress<\/strong>, so I leaned heavily on that. As for the rest of them\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Long-term users the ones who have the hands-on experience<\/strong> we were looking for. They\u2019re the one\u2019s who have spent anywhere from hours to years building their blogs. They know what\u2019s working, what they love, <\/em>and what needs to be improved.\u00a0<\/p>\n To find these folks, we reached out to users across each of the platforms. In all, we reached out to 116 users and ended up interviewing 15. <\/strong><\/p>\n We also verified that they\u2019re actual users of the platforms we talked about. <\/p>\n Our biggest takeaway: <\/strong>There simply isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all approach to blogging.\u00a0But WordPress + Hostinger<\/a> is the best choice if you want to own everything you create, have full control, and make money. <\/strong><\/p>\nThe 5 Best Blogging Platforms and Blog Sites<\/h2>\n
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WordPress with Hostinger<\/a> \u2013 Best for Most Bloggers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"Hostinger](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hostinger-logo-1.jpg\"\/){kind=logo}
![\"Hostinger](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/hostinger-logo-1.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Wordpress](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/wp-editor-layout-1024x589.png\"\/)
![\"Wordpress](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/wp-editor-layout-1024x589.png\")
Wix<\/a> \u2013 Best if You Want the Easiest Way to Create a Blog<\/h3>\n
![\"Wix](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/wix-logo.jpg\"\/){kind=logo}
![\"Wix](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/wix-logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Editing](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Editing-a-Wix-Blog-e1548984448391.png\"\/)
![\"Editing](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Editing-a-Wix-Blog-e1548984448391.png\")
Squarespace<\/a> \u2013 Best if You\u2019re an Artist, Designer, Musician, or Creative<\/h3>\n
![\"Squarespace](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/squarespace-logo.jpg\"\/){kind=logo}
![\"Squarespace](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/squarespace-logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Squarespace](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/squarespace-design-blogging-platforms.png\"\/)
![\"Squarespace](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/squarespace-design-blogging-platforms.png\")
LinkedIn<\/a> \u2013 Best if You\u2019re Trying to Connect with Businesses and Professionals<\/h3>\n
![\"LinkedIn](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/linkedin-logo.png\"\/){kind=logo}
![\"LinkedIn](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/linkedin-logo.png\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Publishing](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Publishing-blog-on-LinkedIn-e1548984513647.png\"\/)
![\"Publishing](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Publishing-blog-on-LinkedIn-e1548984513647.png\")
Medium<\/a> \u2013 Best if You Just Want to Try it Out and Start Building an Audience<\/h3>\n
![\"Medium](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/medium-logo.jpg\"\/){kind=logo}
![\"Medium](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/medium-logo.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/figure>\n![\"Getting](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Medium-front-page-1024x594.png\"\/)
![\"Getting](\"https:\/\/www.quicksprout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Medium-front-page-1024x594.png\")
How We Chose Which Blogging Platforms to Review<\/h2>\n
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How We Reviewed Each Blogging Platform<\/h2>\n
Best Blogging Platforms and Blog Sites: Your Questions Answered<\/h2>\n