What Blogging Platform Should I Use?

Last updated on 16 June 2026

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One of the most common questions that come up when people are starting a blog is “Which blogging platform should I use?” And honestly, it’s an important question. And unfortunately, there’s no super easy one-size-fits-all answer.

When it comes to choosing a blogging platform, you need to think about a bunch of different things to make sure that your blogging platform is going to be good for what you want to do. We’re going to take a look at some of the questions you should be asking yourself before you just launch into the blogging world, as well as look at some of the main blogging platforms out there and what they might offer.

Ask yourself these questions before choosing a blogging platform

Before just jumping on any bandwagon, ask yourself these blogging questions first:

1. What kind of blog do you want to write?
2. Are you hoping to monetise it?
3. Do you have any technical skills at the moment?
4. Do you want lots of control of things like design, or are you happy with preset designs?
5. How much are you willing to learn as you go?
6. How much are you willing to pay for your blog?

Once you have a better picture of some of these things, it’ll be easier for you to decide which blogging platform you should use for your blog.

A note before we continue

The beauty of a blog (well, one of the many!) is that you can pick up all your content and take it with you. This means that if you start out on one platform and a year down the line you change what you want to be able to do, or you’re more confident in your blogging, or you want to monetise … you can move platforms. Yes, it involved a bit of work, but it’s not impossible.

In fact, my first blog was on Blogger back in 2009. And then, around 2016 I think it was, I decided I wanted to blog more seriously and I moved to a self-hosted WordPress blog. We’ll get to hosted vs self-hosted in a moment, but the main point is: I moved platforms. And while it was a bit of a faff, here I am, years later, still using WordPress.org.

8 blogging platforms you could try

Hosted

A hosted blog means that you are essentially renting space in someone else’s bookshelf to house your blog. You don’t have to do much with a hosted blog, everything is sorted for you. But it does mean that, because of that, you do have some limitations. You’re restricted to what your host will and will not let you do. Having a hosted blog is fine if you’re starting out and wanting to ease into it, but if you’re looking at working to monetise straight away or as soon as possible, then self-hosted is the way to go.

Watch out for hidden fees, too.

WordPress.com

Not to be confused with WordPress.org, WordPress.com is the hosted version of the latter. You pay a subscription each month/year, plan-dependent, and while it might be good for beginners, you don’t have a lot of control over what your blog looks like. There are themes and templates you can use, but just be wary that if you suddenly think having XYZ would be a great addition to your blog or you need more SEO insights or whatever it is … you’re not going to be able to do it.

Substack

Substack is incredibly popular at the moment, and it’s good for beginners, for sure, as everything is right there where you need it. It’s less of a blog platform and more of a blog-combo-with-email platform. You can read more about Substack in this blog post: Substack vs Blogging: Which is Better for You?

Wix

Wix is a drag-and-drop website and blog builder, which is relatively easy to use. Like WordPress.com, above, you don’t need to worry about finding a separate hosting provider; it’s all part of the package. You can also sign up for free, but you will have a Wix domain name. If you want to have your own domain name, you’ll need to upgrade. I’ve used Wix for client websites before and while it drives me insane, it’s also quite simple.

Blogger

When I started my first blog, I used Blogger, and it was really good for me as a starting point.

It’s relatively easy to use, and while the interface in the backend changed when we were writing Blogger’s Bookshelf, making it less user-friendly, all the things that you needed. Like the others, you’ll have a blogspot.com name in your domain, but if you have your own domain name you can add that in, making the domain name what you pay for and need to sort out yourself.

The advantage of Blogger is that it’s a Google product, it works well with other Google products. But you’re still limited in terms of third-party plugins, or really making the most of what your blog could be.

Squarespace

Out of all the hosted blog platforms I’ve used, Squarespace has been the best.

I haven’t used it for myself, but with clients, and while it is still a hosted site and I’m all about self-hosted, Squarespace provides everything you need in one place – hosting, domain registration, and the website builder itself. And this means that for those looking to start a blog like …today, you can. It’s got drag-and-drop capabilities, which makes it easy to use, and there’s a decent amount of customisations.

Self-Hosted

A self-hosted blog means that you do pretty much everything. You look after the design, the hosting (you find a company to host it – I recommend Lyrical Host, they’re amazing), you can control your plugins and how your blog functions, and you can monetise your blog. The benefits far outweigh the cons when it comes to having a self-hosted blog, and while it may seem bit daunting at first, there are tons of tutorials and people out there who can lend a hand.

WordPress.org

The OG, the popular kid, the one that everyone talks about. WordPress.org (not to be confused with .com!) gives the most flexibility when it comes to creating a blog or a website. It’s what this blog is built on, and 40% of the internet, too. It’s a biggy for a reason. And if you’re going self-hosted, this is my recommendation.

WordPress is free, forever. Gasp! But you do need to buy a domain name (that’s something like thissplendidshambles.com) and also you need somewhere online to host it. That’s where the ‘self-hosted’ comes in; you’re in charge of finding someone who can house it online. Again, I love Lyrical Host, but there are plenty of others, too.

Drupal

Drupal is another self-hosted option, and while I don’t have any personal experience with it, rumour has it it is super customisable. It’s similar in setup to WordPress.org in that you also need to purchase a domain name and choose a hosting platform so your blog has somewhere to sit online. Word on the internet is that it’s a lot more complex than WordPress, so if you’re headed for self-hosted and have no experience in the techy side of things, perhaps hold off on this one.

Ghost

Ghost is an interesting one, as you can use it for free and self-host, or you can get them to host your blog for you. I’ve put it under Self-Hosted for the former reason. It’s straightforward to use, has a few built-in functions that WordPress would require plugins for, and even has email functionality. It doesn’t seem to have a one-click installation, which WordPress does so beautifully, so the installation may be a bit more of a challenge. But it’s another option for you.

Other platforms to be aware of

• Groove – Offers an all-in-one hosted blog platform
• Subsplash – If you’re a church, then Subsplash is a great hosted option
• Medium – For people who don’t want to commit to a full-on blog but want to write online
• Weebly – A hosted website builder, which you can add a blog component to

What blogging platform should I use?

At the end of the day, while not that helpful, I know, it’s completely up to you. But after you’ve answered those questions above, have looked through some of the options, and have figured out one to start this, remember these things:

1. You can change your platform. If you find in 6months or a year’s time that you need your blog to be doing more for you, you can change.
2. It’s worth giving things a go.
3. Sign up for the free ones to get a feel for it before committing.

And if you need a hand or you’d like to talk it over with someone, drop me a line on Instagram or send me an email. Happy to talk through some options with you.

Which blogging platform do you use? Do you love it? Why? Let me know in the comments!