![\"When](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/problogger.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/26324496-e3da-454c-a96c-cd085804e689_alternatives20self20hosted20wordpress.jpg?ssl=1\")
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Here on ProBlogger, we\u2019ve always recommended self-hosted WordPress (aka WordPress.org) as the very best platform for blogging.<\/p>\n
And with good reason.<\/p>\n
Many of the world\u2019s largest blogs and websites run on self-hosted WordPress. Thousands of plugins and themes are available \u2013 many for free, although there are lots of premium options too.<\/p>\n
And a self-hosted blog gives you full control and plenty of flexibility when you find the best blog hosting for you<\/a>.<\/p>\n But for some bloggers, self-hosted WordPress <\/span>might<\/span>\u00a0not be the best choice. <\/span><\/p>\n You may just want a blog you can use as a personal diary or writing outlet. You may not have the budget for buying domain names and hosting. Even if you do, the thought of settin them up and installing WordPress may seem overwhelming.<\/p>\n Sound like you? Then you may want to look at other options.<\/p>\n (That being said, if you want to build a profitable blog<\/a><\/span>\u00a0then choose the self-hosted option so you don\u2019t have to migrate everything down the track.)<\/p>\n Although there are other platforms that you can install on your own website (where you pay for a hosting account through sites such as Bluehost, Siteground and WPEngine),\u00a0in this article we\u2019ll be looking at hosted blogging platforms<\/span>.<\/p>\n With hosted blogging platforms, the company hosts your site on their servers \u2013 just as Facebook and Twitter let you set up pages and accounts on their sites. And if you want a custom domain name, you can register it through them too.<\/p>\n Which means you can get all the advice, help and support you need from one place\u2013the blogging platform company.<\/p>\n The five platforms we\u2019re covering in today\u2019s post are:<\/p>\n But before we start, keep in mind that your site could disappear from any of <\/span>these platforms if:<\/p>\n You are essentially building an asset on rented land – you don’t own your blog, which is why I recommend a self-hosted blog if you want to build a blogging business.<\/p>\n Find it at:<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span>WordPress.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n WordPress.com is a good choice if you\u2019re thinking of upgrading to WordPress.org (self-hosted WordPress) in the future. It functions like a cut-down version of the self-hosted WordPress, and you can transfer your blog from one to the other.\u00a0Here are <\/a>WordPress\u2019 instructions on how to do it<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n WordPress launched in 2003, and the company is not only well established but also well regarded in the blogging world.<\/p>\n Here are the different WordPress plans and their features<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Find it at:<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Blogger.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n If you want to set up a simple blog quickly, Blogger might be the best choice. It has limited features (which can be a drawback), but it can also be helpful if you don\u2019t want to be overwhelmed by choices.<\/p>\n They offer only a free, basic plan: you can\u2019t upgrade to anything fancier. Again, this could be a drawback or an advantage depending on your blogging needs.<\/p>\n Blogger (aka BlogSpot) is one of the longest-running major blog platforms. It\u2019s been around since 1999, and was acquired by Google in 2003. If you already have a Google account, you simply log in with that and create your blog.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Find it at:<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Wix.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Wix has a simple drag-and-drop interface so you can easily design your pages. If you find WordPress and Blogger daunting or confusing, Wix could be what you\u2019re looking for. It\u2019s designed to create websites rather than blogs specifically, so it\u2019s not so blog-focused as WordPress and Blogger.<\/p>\n Wix was founded in 2006, and acquired DeviantArt (a popular online community for artists) in February 2017.<\/p>\n Find it at:<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/span>Weebly.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Like Wix, Weebly has a drag-and-drop interface with lots of flexibility to help you design your website. Also like Wix (and Blogger), you can\u2019t use third-party plugins to extend your site\u2019s functionality.<\/p>\n But unlike Wix, Weebly lets you use third-party themes (templates) that you can change at any time \u2013 even once you\u2019ve created your website. So if you have trouble committing to a design, or you want to try out lots of options before you making your final choice, Weebly might well be a better choice than Wix.<\/p>\n Weebly was founded in 2006, and launched in 2007.<\/p>\n Find it at: SquareSpace.com<\/span><\/p>\n SquareSpace is the only platform on our list that doesn\u2019t have a free plan. Their cheapest is the \u201cPersonal\u201d plan at $144\/year.<\/p>\n That might put you off immediately. But SquareSpace could still be a good option, so don\u2019t rule it out. (They have a 14-day free trial, so you can try before you commit.)<\/p>\n Like Wix and Weebly, SquareSpace has a drag-and-drop content editor that\u2019s easy to use. If you don\u2019t feel confident with the technology of blogging, it may be a good option for you. While you\u2019re limited to their templates (which can only be customised to a certain degree), SquareSpace\u2019s templates look very professional and slick.<\/p>\n When it comes to blogging there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all. And \u00a0if you\u2019ve ruled out self-hosted WordPress as an option, any of these platforms could be a good fit for you.<\/p>\n If you want to set up a simple website quickly with a drag-and-drop interface that lets you position different elements on your page, Weebly is probably your best option. It\u2019s cheaper than Wix if you need more than the 500MB storage space. And \u00a0you can change themes at any time. (Still, if you love a particular Wix template it might be worth going with Wix.)<\/p>\n If your focus is on the blog itself, and you\u2019re happy to spend time getting to grips with the interface, Blogger is a simple and straightforward option. And even though it\u2019s free, it still has a lot of features.<\/p>\n If you plan on switching to self-hosted WordPress in the future, opting for WordPress.com now will make the transition much smoother in terms of both moving your content over and your own learning curve.<\/p>\n SquareSpace is widely recognised as having great designs. But that comes at a cost, as there\u2019s no free option. But if you need a premium plan regardless, you might want to go with SquareSpace for its quality designs.<\/p>\n Ultimately, what matters more than your choice of platform is getting your blog online. You could spend months researching and trying different platforms without ever having a live blog.<\/p>\n Blogs can (and do) succeed on a variety of different platforms. If self-hosted WordPress isn\u2019t for you, then any of these options could serve you well. Try a couple that seem promising, and then pick your favourite and stick with it.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll give the last word to Paul Cunningham\u00a0from Left Brain Blogging<\/a><\/span>, who wrote a great reply to a blogger struggling to choose a platform in our\u00a0<\/a>ProBlogger Community group on Facebook<\/a><\/span>\u00a0last year (emphasis mine):<\/span><\/p>\n I know you’ve been struggling with these platform questions for a while so I’m going to give you straight advice. My main concern is that you’ll get so stuck on this decision that it’s going to delay the real progress you’re trying to make.<\/span><\/p>\n Go sign up for a free SquareSpace trial. Mess around with the interface and make a few dummy posts or pages. Do stuff you’d normally do, like add an image, or set up a sidebar. Spend an hour on it.<\/p>\n If you like it more than WordPress, then use it. Otherwise use WordPress. Your choice of platform has to be something you’re willing to use and that doesn’t hold you back with technical limitations.<\/span><\/p>\n But here’s the bottom line. WordPress is successful for a reason. Whether you like the interface or not, there’s no denying the benefits of going with the mature, large community, feature rich, and deeply customizable platform in WordPress.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n What blogging platform do you use?<\/span><\/p>\n Photo credit: Christian Stahl<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Which Hosted Platform Should You Choose?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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WordPress.com: What to Expect<\/span><\/h2>\n
What You Get With the Basic WordPress Plan (Free)<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Limitations on the Basic WordPress Plan<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Blog<\/span>ger \/ BlogSpot: What to Expect<\/span><\/h2>\n
What You Get With Blogger (Free)<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Limitations on Blogger<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Wix: What to Expect<\/span><\/h2>\n
What You Get With the Wix Basic Plan (Free)<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Limitations of the Wix Basic Plan<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Weebly: What to Expect<\/span><\/h2>\n
What You Get With the Weebly Basic Plan (Free)<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Limitations of the Weebly Basic Plan<\/span><\/h3>\n
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SquareSpace: What to Expect<\/span><\/h2>\n
What You Get With the SquareSpace \u201cPersonal\u201d Plan ($144\/year)<\/span><\/h3>\n
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Limitations of the SquareSpace \u201cPersonal\u201d Plan<\/span><\/h3>\n
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So Which Blog Platform Should You Go For?<\/span><\/h2>\n