Choosing the right blogging platform can significantly impact your online presence and the success of your content. Each platform offers a different key selling point that makes it ideal for different types of content and writers. However, choosing the best blog sites for writers requires careful consideration and understanding of your specific needs and goals.
At tiny lever, an expert SEO service provider, we have extensive experience with utilizing various blogging platforms. In our quest to align tools and techniques perfectly with our clients’ needs, we have tried out a variety of blog sites and highlighted their strengths. This has made us well-versed in the top qualities of each of the best blog sites for writers, which we’ll now take an in-depth look into with you.
Recognizing the benefits of having the best blog sites for writers, we’ll take a look at the top 8 sites to choose from. We’ll also go into what makes a blogging platform the best choice for your needs, as well as exploring the key considerations when picking the right fit. This ensures you make the right choice, so you can grow your brand and expand your audience base effectively.
Let’s jump right in.
What is the Best Blogging Platform for You?
The best blog sites for writers depend on specific needs and resources, offering various tools, communities, and opportunities for growth. Consider which of these factors is most important to you to help you make the best choice:
Ease of Use and Setup
The primary consideration you should think of is whether the platform would be easy to use and set up for your team, especially if you’re just starting out. If you have a fairly experienced team, they could be familiar with a number of platforms and would have an easier time setting up and using them. Still, try to consider which platform would be the easiest to work with for your team, preferably those that don’t require extra skills like coding, so you can focus more on content.
Alignment with Your Blogging Goals
Think about which of your overarching goals is your biggest focus. Is it monetization, multimedia integration, SEO, or establishing authority? Your ideal blogging platform should provide you with the tools and features you need to achieve your main goals.
Customization Features
The best blog sites for writers looking to invest in their blog’s design should allow them to bring their vision to life. Take a look at the customization features of each blogging platform you’re considering to see if they will allow you to shape your blog in the way that you want. It helps to make a list of layouts and functionalities you’d like to have and see how close each blog gets to fulfilling all of them.
Support and Resources
Even with the easiest-to-use platforms, you can still end up lost, confused, or otherwise delayed by an issue, especially with feature-rich blogging platforms. Consider the platform’s level of support and resources, as this will be what offsets setbacks and frustrations. A good support structure will provide ample tutorials, customer support, and a community of users that can help you troubleshoot and learn.
Long-Term Viability
The best blogging platform for you should be viable in the long term. To ensure lasting success, it’s essential to choose a blog that can grow with you and adapt to changes in your requirements. This usually entails good scalability features, regular updates, and the likelihood of a platform maintaining its audience through consistent support.
7 Best Blog Sites for Writers
Each of the most popular blog sites offers unique benefits for brands looking to make meaningful connections with their audience. Different platforms cater to varied needs, whether it's user experience, customization, or advanced SEO capabilities. Here are our top 7 picks for the best blog sites for writers in 2024:
1. Medium - Best for Building a Reader Community
Medium stands as the best blog site for writers due to its intuitive content management system and access to a vast, highly engaged audience. Chances are, you’ve read several blog posts hosted on Medium already. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned writer, Medium’s simplicity and large audience pool make it incredibly easy to grow your audience, increase search engine rankings, and establish authority.
The immense popularity of Medium as a blogging platform makes it perform admirably at just about anything you would want to use a blog for. The fact that it’s the easiest-to-use blog platform and is completely free makes it the best pick for anyone who isn’t looking for anything specific that other platforms offer.
Notable Features of Using Medium
- Seamless User Experience: Writers who favor Medium praise it for its unparalleled ease of use.
- Content Repurposing: Medium makes it easier to repurpose content, which has several benefits, such as boosting SEO and increasing revenue.
- Massive Community: Medium is visited hundreds of millions of times each month, guaranteeing that each of your articles will be viewed by thousands. With its paid membership programs, readers can support you directly for increased ROI.
Medium Pricing Plans
There is absolutely no cost to publishing on Medium, regardless of how large your audience is or how many of its features you take advantage of. However, Medium offers paid subscriptions from readers, and writers are paid based on reader engagement.
2. WordPress - Best for Customizable Blogging and SEO
Powering millions of blogs and websites, WordPress is an open-source content management system favored for its extensive customization options. A wide selection of Wordpress development plugins and themes gives users the ability to self-host. As such, it is considered as one of the best blog sites for writers looking for an affordable way to make a blog that’s uniquely their own.
Additionally, WordPress has an extensive suite of tools and customizability. Some of the most unique websites were created on WordPress, often without much technical expertise. Its established community and affordability solidify it as one of the best blog sites for writers.
Notable Features of Using WordPress
- Strong Tool Suite: WordPress boasts numerous themes and plugins, all completely customizable without requiring coding knowledge. On the SEO side, several SEO tools support your blog’s search engine optimization needs.
- Established Community: WordPress has been around for a while, and it has a thriving community with tens of thousands of active participants. You’ll always have someone to help you out with any questions or issues you may have.
- Diverse Plugin Ecosystem: WordPress offers a vast array of plugins to enhance your website's functionality, ranging from added SEO optimization to e-commerce solutions.
WordPress Pricing Plans
WordPress pricing is divided between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, with the latter being the self-hosted option. WordPress.org offers free core software, but users need to consider hosting fees ranging from $3 to $100 per month and additional costs. WordPress.com pricing starts from a free plan and goes up to $45 per month, billed annually.
3. Ghost - Best for Minimalist Blogging with Speed
Ghost is an open-source platform geared specifically for professional writers and journalists. With its simple, minimalistic design, it offers a distraction-free writing experience. Being another open-source platform, it has excellent support for customizable plugins and custom code integrations.
Ghost is ideal for those seeking a focused and efficient writing environment. With a strong Content API, native SEO, and intuitive Markdown-based editing, writers have plenty of options to create and distribute content their way.
Notable Features of Using Ghost
- Markdown-Based Interface: Ghost’s interface uses Markdown UI, which gives it its elegant two-column interface that makes creating quality content a breeze.
- Content API: Its robust RESTful Content API enables effortless integration with other apps and services, enhancing your content distribution and management capabilities.
- Native SEO and Social Media Integration: Its built-in SEO tools and integration with social media accounts help increase your content's visibility without additional plugins.
Ghost Pricing Plans
Ghost offers an affordable Starter plan at $9/mo, with basic features like one staff user and 18 free official themes. The Creator plan ($25/mo) provides unlimited custom themes and over 1,000 integrations, while the Team plan ($50/mo) adds priority support and higher usage limits. The Business plan ($199/mo) adds advanced configuration options and a 99.9% uptime SLA.
4. Wix - Best for Easy Drag-and-Drop Website Creation
Wix is a very versatile website builder based on a robust drag-and-drop editor. Practically anything on the site can be dragged and dropped anywhere, enabling writers to create visually stunning blogs without any technical knowledge.
Wix’s powerful editor, mobile app integration, and rich app market provide everything you need to build and manage a professional-looking site with ease. You can create visually appealing blogs even without extensive graphic design skills.
Notable Features of Using Wix
- Powerful Editor: Wix’s intuitive editor boasts functionality such as a drag-and-drop interface, advanced design capabilities, and real-time collaboration.
- Mobile App Integration: A well-developed mobile app allows you to manage all elements of posts and comments on the go with Wix.
- App Market: Wix offers an extensive app market with hundreds of apps and integrations, allowing you to enhance your website with additional features like live chat, marketing tools, and e-commerce functionalities.
Wix Pricing Plans
Wix’s services come in four different pricing options, each tailored to different sizes of business:
- Light Plan ($17/mo): Provides essential features for starting your online presence.
- Core Plan ($29/mo): Offers additional storage space and basic marketing tools.
- Business Plan ($36/mo): Adds more storage space, an enhanced marketing suite, and standard e-commerce capabilities.
- Business Elite Plan ($159/mo): Ideal for scaling large businesses with advanced marketing tools, unlimited storage space, and comprehensive e-commerce functionalities.
5. Squarespace - Best for Stylish, All-in-One Website Design
Squarespace is known for its beautiful designer templates and highly user-friendly interface, which makes it very easy to deploy. It’s ideal for writers who want to create the most aesthetically appealing blog they can without needing any graphic design skills.
Squarespace is an excellent choice for those who value design and ease of use. Its professional templates simplify the design process, allowing you to create a striking blog even if you don’t have a design team. The platform's integrated e-commerce features make it great for expanding your business’s online presence.
Notable Features of Using Squarespace
- Professionally Made Templates: Squarespace offers a wide range of professionally designed templates, ensuring a polished and stylish look regardless of your level of graphic design skill.
- Built-In Analytics: Squarespace includes robust analytics tools that help you track your website's performance, visitor behavior, and engagement metrics without needing third-party services.
- Integrated Ecommerce: The platform provides comprehensive e-commerce capabilities that make it easier to run an online store. These include inventory management, payment processing, and customizable product pages.
Squarespace Pricing Plans
- Personal Plan ($16/month): Best for users building their first website without e-commerce needs. Key features include a free custom domain, SSL security, and unlimited bandwidth.
- Business Plan ($23/month): Suitable for businesses with basic online transactions. It offers premium integrations, complete customization, and advanced website analytics but includes a 3% transaction fee on sales.
- Basic Commerce ($27/month): Ideal for medium-sized e-commerce businesses. Features include product reviews, on-domain checkout, and Instagram product promotion with no transaction fees.
- Advanced Commerce ($49/month): This service is best for high-volume e-commerce businesses. It offers advanced discounts, subscriptions, abandoned cart recovery, and access to commerce APIs for third-party integrations.
6. Substack - Best for Monetizing Through Newsletters
Substack blurs the lines between blogs and newsletters, allowing writers to reach their audience directly through email. This hybrid approach lends itself well to those looking to monetize their content through subscriptions, as well as build a loyal following.
With a focus on direct audience engagement and monetization, Substack is a great choice for those looking to build a dedicated readership while generating revenue. Subscribe to their platform to easily establish your brand.
Notable Features of Using Substack
- Merges Blog and Newsletter: Substack hybridizes blogs and newsletters by allowing writers to publish posts directly to their site and email subscribers simultaneously. This places more emphasis on building a direct relationship with readers.
- Monetization Focus: Brands looking to create a blog that’s also another revenue stream will appreciate that publishing on Substack is completely free, with monetization options via subscriptions.
- Community Engagement: By default, blogs hosted on Substack have a built-in comments section. Discussion threads are available as well, encouraging reader interaction and allowing you to create a thriving community around your content.
Substack Pricing Plans
Substack allows writers to publish for absolutely no cost, with the ability to define subscription plans for their readers. Readers are charged according to these plans, with Substack taking a 10 percent cut of each transaction. Stripe, the payment processor of the transactions, applies credit card fees (2.9% + 0.30 per transaction) and a billing fee (0.5% for recurring payments).
7. Tumblr - Best for Social-Friendly Microblogging
Tumblr is a microblogging platform that combines the features of social media platforms with traditional blogging. Although it leans more heavily towards its social media aspect, it’s still a valuable blogging site to use as it allows you to make more intimate connections with your readers. Its present user base is highly interested in art, making it a great place to reach a wider audience in this niche.
Although Tumblr is no longer the blogging titan it was during its heyday, there is still merit in cultivating a presence there. Its user base caters to art and art-based businesses, making it suitable for similar writing projects you may have. Its loyal users respond very positively to earnest efforts and personal connections,
Notable Features of Using Tumblr
- Visual Content Focus: Emphasizing visual content allows for easy sharing of images, GIFs, and videos, making it great for brands centered around art and design.
- Microblogging Format: Perfect for quick, frequent updates, making maintaining an active presence easier than creating lengthier blog posts.
- Community Interaction: Reblogging and commenting creates a strong sense of community, fostering more interactivity with your audience.
Tumblr Pricing Plans
Tumblr is completely free. Its microblogging approach doesn’t have the same impact as regular blogs, bringing you closer to your target audience. There’s also a paid feature called Tumblr Blaze that can promote your posts to your target audience, casting $10-$150, depending on audience size.
Considerations for Choosing The Best Blogging Platform
Choosing the best blogging platform requires a thorough analysis of each platform’s strengths and features. Here’s a detailed look at what you should consider when choosing the best blogging platform:
Evaluate SEO Capabilities
SEO capabilities are essential for enhancing your blog’s visibility and driving traffic. This often involves SEO tools and SEO-critical factors like how well a blog performs. Here are some of the most important SEO capabilities your blog platform should have:
- SEO Tool Suite: Ideally, your blogging platform should have built-in tools to optimize your blog’s search engine performance while writing.
- Performance: Good site speed and performance ensure a good experience for your readers. This is why search engine crawlers measure performance and load times when determining your site’s ranking.
- Analytics: Analytics tools help you track your blog's performance and understand your audience. This enables you to make data-driven decisions to improve your content strategy.
Features that make it easier to achieve your SEO goals make each blog post more aligned with your SEO strategy. If your chosen platform doesn’t have effective SEO support, you may need to compensate with these highly recommended SEO tools for content writing. Even if SEO is only a minor goal for you, improving search engine rankings and organic traffic is still beneficial for other goals like monetization and establishing authority.
Ensure Scalability
You may need to incorporate extensions and integrations for better functionality to support your blog as it expands. Consider support for third-party tools, as well as how helpful the community is when trying to innovate ways to improve your blog.
- Third-Party Integrations: Depending on your needs, third-party tools and services provide the functionality you need to take on the challenges of growth and changes in the market. This includes email marketing software and social media connectivity.
- User Experience: A platform that ensures an intuitive user interface and smooth navigation will always rank higher than those that don’t. Pay special attention to the platforms that stay on top of UX trends and innovations.
- Community and Support: Good community support and customer support both help you stay updated with the latest features and best practices. They can also give crucial insight into any issues and innovation efforts you take on.
Scalable features equip your blog for the difficulties of growth and changing needs in the future. As part of our comprehensive content strategies, we recommend that our clients use platforms that provide the flexibility to adapt to evolving challenges. Otherwise, you may be forced to migrate costly to a new platform if your chosen one doesn’t allow you to innovate enough.
Consider Value for Money
The initial costs of hosting your content on a blogging platform can be your first priority. Beyond determining whether you can afford a blogging platform, you should also pay attention to long-term affordability to support your blog’s growth. Consider these factors to get the most cost-effective option:
- Pricing Plans: Start by evaluating how much each platform would cost if you included all of the features that you want. This will allow you to compare plans between platforms to find out which one offers the most functionality for the least amount of money.
- Non-Essential Features: If you can’t find a plan that perfectly fits your budget and needs, think about which features you can stand to forego in a cheaper plan.
- Long-Term Affordability: Look at which platform has the best higher-tier plans to upgrade to as your blog grows. You should also consider whether you’ll have to invest in additional plugins or add-ons to support long-term growth.
Make sure that your choice of blogging platform is affordable both initially and long-term. This gives you the best value for your investment over time as your blog expands.
Ensure Design Flexibility
Customizable design options are key to maximizing brand expression. Being as expressive as you can ensures your brand’s story is as impactful as possible. Pay attention to these design customization options:
- Themes and Templates: The themes and templates offered by the platform should be varied, of high quality, and easy to customize.
- Design Builder: Some platforms let you create a unique look with intuitive drag-and-drop builders. Others allow deeper customization, but it requires some HTML/CSS knowledge.
- Custom Development: If you have some sophisticated features in mind that can only be built with custom code, see to it that your chosen platform supports it.
A platform’s design customizability gives you the power to make your blog stand out by showing off a unique style. A unique-looking blog can leave a powerful impression on your audience, generating buzz and solidifying your brand identity.
Assess the Content Editor
The ideal content editor should be intuitive and user-friendly, as well as equipped with advanced features that are highly compatible with your overarching marketing strategy. Take a closer look at these elements in choosing a platform’s editors:
- Ease of Use: Create a test project with the editor to see if it’s easy to create, format, and publish content with it.
- Advanced Features: Look for features that allow you to make richer and more complex content easily and quickly, such as drag-and-drop functionality and auto-save.
- Media Integration: Depending on the type of content you create, you may need to post different types of content along with your blog posts, such as audio or animated GIFs. You should make sure that the content editor supports this type of content to ensure a seamless experience for your readers.
Considering these factors allows you to choose the best blogging platform that enhances your blog content creation process, conserves your resources, and avoids burnout. These benefits support your long-term goals and ensure that you continue to function despite any challenges you may face in the future.
Key Takeaway
Blogging tools must be aligned with your needs to get the most out of an investment and ensure optimal efficiency. This is why it’s essential to carefully assess which of the best blog sites for writers is right for you. A platform that is considered by many to be the number 1 option may not be the best for you if it doesn’t focus on features that serve your business goals.
The most affordable platform may take approaches that are incompatible with your business model. Meanwhile, a more compatible one may not have the design features you need to produce the best-looking blogs. Each platform caters to different needs, so you should make an informed decision to improve your overall content strategy.
Are you seeking ways to maximize the benefit you get out of each blog post? Reach out to our team at david@tinylevermarketing.com today to get the most out of your content creation processes. Whether you need a boost in content quality, search engine visibility, or organic traffic, we’re here to give you expert assistance for your blogging success.
