Blogging Platforms & Sites in 2021 (100% Unbiased)
We did a deep dive and reviewed the best free blogging platforms the web has to offer. Learn which one is right for you (and why).
So, you’d like to take blogging for a test drive, eh?
See if you like it or not before ponying up the bucks for a complete self hosted WordPress setup?
You’ve probably heard you can start a blog for free, and indeed you can. The big question is:
What’s the best blogging platform right now?
And the answer is… it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.
If you’re a seasoned blogger who’s been around the block a time or two, who’s already figured out which ideas work and which don’t, it’s easy to chalk up these costs as the price of doing business. Spend money, make money. Wash, rinse, and repeat.
But what if you’re a beginner learning how to start a blog for the first time? What if you’re someone who hasn’t yet figured what works and what doesn’t?
I’ll let you in on a secret…
You can experiment just as well on a free blog site as you can on a self hosted WordPress blog set up with all the bells and whistles.
Actually, you can experiment better on a free blogging platform since the learning curve isn’t as steep.
Do you really want to experience the inevitable growing pains of blogging while forking over large piles of cash each month?
Free blogging platforms allow you to confirm your new blog topic has potential, spy on the competitors in your niche, and test your ideas without spending any of your hard-earned dough.
So which blog platform is best?
Well, that’s the thing:
No Blog Platform Is Right for Everyone
Different bloggers have different needs, and different blog platforms are good for different things. Ultimately, “best” will depend on you and your situation.
That said, each of the platforms we’ll discuss does have common traits (besides being free). Let’s briefly look at them before we dive in:
There’s zero maintenance hassle. The burden of maintenance doesn’t fall on you when you use a free blog platform. No worries about software updates, CSS or HTML tweaks, data backups, or gremlins hacking your server — they’re all handled by someone else.
They’re easy to use. To varying degrees, each platform is user-friendly to newbies and beginners. With limited tech-savviness, you could get started today.
Customization is limited. If you’re a micromanager who likes things to be customizable, take a deep breath: you will not have full control or unlimited options when you use a free blogging platform.
That last one can be both a blessing and a curse.
Once you get serious about blogging, the limited customization options of free platforms will likely hold you back. When you’re just starting though, the limitations will help you focus on what’s important: the aforementioned testing of your ideas.
Alright, enough prologue.
Ready to find out which platform is best for you so you can start blogging? Let’s go.
Editor’s Note: There are loads of options out there (Wix.com, Tumblr, Weebly, Joomla, Blogspot, Typepad, Ghost, and Squarespace are other popular blogging platforms), but we’re focusing on our favorite five.