The 12 Best Blogging Platforms for 2020 (& How to Pick One)


Whether or not you are occupied with running a blog for your corporation or as a interest, publishing blog content has many benefits. Not solely does running a blog assist you to set up authority in an trade — it additionally drives site visitors to your web site and lets you higher convert that site visitors into leads.

To reap the rewards of running a blog, we'll stroll by the method of selecting the best platform on your wants and targets. Then we'll discover a number of the finest running a blog platforms that may assist if you are trying so as to add a weblog to your corporation web site or create a stand-alone weblog.
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How you can Select a Running a blog Platform

To pick a running a blog platform that is proper for your corporation, consider how its capabilities align along with your targets and desires. If you might want to increase your visibility in SERPs, for instance, search for a platform with built-in search engine marketing instruments. In case your major precedence is to beginning publishing visible content material quick, then you definitely would possibly deal with discovering a platform that helps multi-media posts.
Let's check out some important options that you simply would possibly want on your weblog. You need to use this listing when evaluating totally different running a blog platforms. 

Content material Editor

The content material editor is the core of each running a blog platform. As a blogger, you is likely to be working on this editor each day, so ensure you choose a platform with an editor you want.
You possibly can make a listing of must-have and nice-to-have options. For instance, possibly your editor will need to have drag-and-drop performance and an auto-save characteristic and it would be good to have an choice to preview how your submit appears to be like on totally different gadgets.

Themes and Templates

Themes and templates mean you can customise a weblog rapidly and simply. When taking a look at totally different running a blog platforms, take a look at their number of themes and templates.
Have they got lots of choices for running a blog particularly? Have they got a wide range of free and premium ones? What is the common value of their premium themes? Are you able to edit the themes and templates to create a very personalized search for your web site?
You may additionally need the choice to begin from scratch quite than use a predesigned theme.
These are just some questions that may assist you choose a platform with the design and customization choices you want.

search engine marketing Options and Instruments

Optimizing your content material for search is important to driving site visitors to your weblog. In keeping with Search Engine Journal, websites listed on the primary SERP in Google get 91.5% of the site visitors share for a key phrase or phrase.
To get on that first web page, you ideally need a platform with built-in instruments that will help you optimize your content material. CMS Hub, for instance, presents search engine marketing suggestions as you write.
If a platform does not have this sort of superior performance, then examine in the event you can set up an search engine marketing plugin or third-party instrument. In any other case, you may need to rise up to hurry on search engine marketing finest practices and ensure to implement them in your weblog.
Now that you understand some options to think about in your choice course of, let's check out a number of the finest running a blog platforms in the marketplace.
We'll divide this listing into paid and free running a blog platforms, so yow will discover one which meets your wants and finances.  Let's get began under.

Paid Running a blog Platforms

Most premium running a blog platforms will provide extra options and management over your weblog than free platforms. When you've got the finances, investing in your running a blog efforts now may also help you develop over time.

1. CMS Hub

G2 Rating: 4.3/5.0 (6,044 Opinions)
What units CMS Hub aside from different running a blog platforms is that it is totally built-in with HubSpot’s advertising and marketing, gross sales, and repair instruments and comes with a built-in CRM. Which means you possibly can create a completely purposeful and customised weblog.
You can begin by deciding on a pre-designed theme or construct your personal customized theme. Then, utilizing HubSpot's weblog editor and built-in search engine marketing instruments, you possibly can rapidly create search engine optimized weblog posts with CTAs, kinds, and different interactive components. You may even create language variants of your weblog posts and run A/B assessments on them to succeed in a worldwide viewers. Earlier than you publish, ensure that to preview how your posts and pages look on each kind of machine.
When you're prepared to begin selling, join your weblog to your social media accounts. That manner, you possibly can mechanically share new weblog posts in your social networks in the identical place that you simply wrote them.
As you publish extra content material, you possibly can analyze your weblog efficiency with HubSpot's built-in analytics to know what subjects and varieties of content material are resonating along with your readers.
As your weblog grows, so will your crew. With HubSpot's CMS, you can also make edits and add feedback in composer mode to collaborate on the identical items with different writers. It's also possible to maintain observe of adjustments in your web site — and who made them — with exercise logs on the Enterprise stage.
Check out this retailer's feature-rich weblog constructed on the CMS Hub under.
Blum blog on CMS HubKey Takeaways:
  • Integrates with HubSpot's advertising and marketing, gross sales, service, and CRM instruments
  • Constructed-in search engine marketing suggestions 
  • Multi-lingual help and different superior performance built-in

2. WordPress

G2 Rating: 4.3/5.0 (7,613 Opinions)
WordPress was initially created as a running a blog platform. Although it has advanced right into a multi-purpose content material administration system, it nonetheless has many options and themes for running a blog.
WordPress lets you not solely buy a customized area and obtain one in all 3,000+ themes particularly designed for blogs — it additionally enables you to add social media buttons, kinds, affiliate hyperlinks, and different options through plugins.
The customization choices are nearly limitless with the 55,000+ plugins obtainable, however you'll have to ensure that these plugins are suitable and up to date. In any other case, they will disrupt the customer expertise or break your web site.
Creating and managing a weblog on WordPress would possibly require extra upkeep than different platforms, however it should present the pliability, customizability, and content material administration options you might want to create a fancy weblog.
Tech Crunch, one of many largest and hottest know-how information blogs, is powered by WordPress. Check out this WordPress website example under.
Tech Crunch blog on WordPressKey Takeaways:
  • Over 3,000 free running a blog themes 
  • Nearly limitless customization choices through plugins
  • Plugin and web site upkeep may be time-consuming

3. Squarespace

G2 Rating: 4.4/5.0 (847 Opinions)
Squarespace is a perfect running a blog platform for creating image-rich content material. With their award-winning designer templates and integrations with Getty Photographs, Unsplash, and Google AMP, you possibly can create visible content material that is participating and shareable.
Whereas SquareSpace solely presents 60 templates, they're all mobile-optimized and totally customizable so you possibly can create a weblog that appears the way in which you need it to. As soon as you have designed your pages, you should use Squarespace’s running a blog and search engine marketing instruments to create and optimize your content material.
Lastly, after publishing your weblog posts, you possibly can join your social media accounts to simply promote them. Then use the built-in analytics instrument to be taught the place your site visitors is coming from, what your guests are searching for, and the way they’re interacting along with your content material.
Squarespace offers even more features, from audio recordsdata help to e-newsletter signup kinds, however finally it is restricted in performance. That is as a result of you possibly can't set up plugins or further modules, so that you’re restricted to the options Squarespace offers out-of-the-box.
Since they will’t probably have each characteristic that each blogger wantsthey do not have an auto-save characteristic, for instance — Squarespace is just not the best platform for everybody. But it surely does enable some bloggers to create stunning websites, like this lifestyle blog under.
Lifestyle blog on Squarespace-1
Key Takeaways:
  • Restricted number of templates however high-quality
  • Sturdy performance for running a blog, search engine marketing, and extra
  • Restricted to options Squarespace presents

4. Wix

G2 Rating: 4.2/5.0 (1,177 Opinions)
Wix is a well-liked running a blog platform for inexperienced persons searching for internet hosting and running a blog instruments in a single place.
You can begin by deciding on from over 500 pre-designed templates that any blogger can use, whether or not you personal a retail enterprise or run a meals assessment web site. Or you can begin from scratch if you understand HTML and CSS.
After you have picked or created your template, you possibly can start writing and enhancing posts on desktop or cell, embed Wix's inventory pictures and movies or your personal media, and arrange them into subjects.
So as to add extra superior components to the web page, like music or maps, you’ll need to add HTML code. This course of may be intimidating for inexperienced persons, significantly when in comparison with the benefit of putting in plugins on WordPress. It is submit editor additionally is not drag-and-drop, which could frustrate some bloggers.
When you're completed writing, you possibly can configure your search engine marketing settings to spice up your natural attain, push your content material to your subscribers with Wix's e mail instrument, and share them by your social media accounts. You may additional foster a way of group amongst your readers by letting them grow to be members.
Whereas Wix is extra versatile than different hosted web site builders, it lacks customization choices and content material administration options, significantly when comparing Wix vs WordPress or one other CMS. This makes Wix preferrred for bloggers seeking to create blogs that prioritize visible content material over performance. Check out this Wix blogger's site under.
Bella & Bloom site on Wix
Key Takeaways:
  • Choice to make use of pre-designed templates or begin from scratch
  • Constructed-in archive of free pictures and movies 
  • Editor lacks drag-and-drop performance

5. Weebly

G2 Rating: 4.2/5.0 (402 Opinions)
Like Wix, Weebly is a well-liked running a blog platform that gives every part you might want to launch a weblog, together with web site constructing instruments, templates, and internet hosting.
Weebly differentiates itself from Wix in a number of methods. The editor helps drag-and-drop performance for each posts and pages, for instance. You may create extra complicated layouts by including components like kinds and picture galleries as properly. It's also possible to add extra sub-levels to your navigation menus, which lets you arrange bigger quantities of content material. All Weebly templates are additionally mobile-optimized, which implies you will not need to do any further enhancing or rearranging for cell.
Whereas Weebly presents extra performance than most web site builders, it does lack flexibility when compared to WordPress or one other CMS. For instance, you possibly can’t drag and drop components anyplace in your posts and pages or edit components of the underlying supply code.
That makes Weebly preferrred for blogs with plenty of content material however extra primary performance. Check out this Weebly blog under.
Leadapreneur blog on weebly
Key Takeaways:
  • Editor helps kinds, picture galleries, and different superior components
  • Cellular-optimized templates
  • No entry to supply code

6. Craft CMS

G2 Rating: 4.1/5.0 (30 Opinions)
Craft CMS is a running a blog platform designed for builders, designers, and internet professionals. With Craft's personalised content material modeling, entry to your weblog's code, and highly effective templating, you possibly can utterly management the looks and performance of your web sitewhen you've got the required expertise.
Craft CMS additionally presents a picture editor, collaboration instruments, and a localization characteristic that may translate your content material to particular languages. To research your content material's efficiency, you possibly can combine Craft CMS' dashboard with Google Analytics.
There is a free model for a single admin account with highly effective web site constructing instruments and templates. For limitless consumer accounts and extra superior options, you may need to improve to the professional or enterprise model.
You will want some internet growth expertise to completely leverage the facility of Craft CMS. For those who can, you can create a fancy weblog with customized submit varieties. Check out this travel blog constructed on the Craft CMS under.
Tiny shiny home built on craft cms
Key Takeaways:
  • Superior performance together with personalised content material modeling and localization characteristic
  • Free model for single admin accounts
  • Requires some internet growth expertise

7. Contently

G2 Rating: 4.0/5.0 (21 Opinions)
Contently is a sturdy running a blog platform that is preferrred for enterprise corporations with giant budgets however few inside editorial sources.
Contently means that you can handle your complete content material creation course of in a single place. You may create and visualize your editorial technique with their customizable manufacturing calendar instrument, arrange your weblog posts with their tagging instrument, and successfully collaborate along with your crew on initiatives by leveraging their superior workflow instruments. You may even pay for Contently's well-vetted freelancers to write down a few of this content material for you.
Earlier than publishing your content material, Contently's sensible content material assessment instruments will guarantee your content material is aligned along with your model, optimized for search, and legally compliant. Lastly, to refine your content material technique, Contently lets you evaluate your content material's efficiency in opposition to trade benchmarks and measure its efficiency by matter, format, and sources immediately in your dashboard.
With costs starting from $3,000 to $25,000 per 30 days, Contently is without doubt one of the costliest running a blog platforms for enterprise corporations
The Royal Financial institution of Canada, one in all North America’s largest banks, makes use of Contently to streamline content material creation throughout 14 advertising and marketing departments. Try its weblog under.
RBC blog on Contently
Key Takeaways:
  • Can handle complete content material creation course of
  • Deep-dive analytics
  • Pricing solely possible for enterprise corporations

8. Joomla

G2 Rating: 3.9/5.0 (290 Opinions)
Joomla is an open-source CMS with superior content material administration options which can be constructed immediately into the platform. For instance, it means that you can create customized submit varieties, handle a whole bunch of customers, and publish content material in a number of languages proper out of the field. This makes it a wonderful WordPress alternative
Due to its strong built-in performance, Joomla does have a steeper studying curve than WordPress so it's going to require extra time to arrange. It additionally presents a smaller number of themes and extensions than WordPress, which may restrict your customization choices.
Amongst this choice are some nice extensions for running a blog, nevertheless. EasyBlog by StackIdeas, for instance, offers a a lot cleaner drag-and-drop editor than Joomla's built-in editor. It's also possible to allow star scores in your weblog and mechanically publish posts to your social media platforms with this extension.
Beneath is an instance of a Joomla blog built with EasyBlog.
The Grid blog on Joomla
Key Takeaways:
  • Superior content material administration options
  • Steep studying curve as a consequence of strong built-in performance
  •  Could require running a blog extension like EasyBlog

9. Drupal

G2 Rating: 3.8/5.0 (326 Opinions)
Drupal is a extremely versatile open-source CMS that is finest fitted to giant, complicated blogs.
Drupal has a whole bunch of out-of-the-box options and modules. For those who don’t know the best way to use them and haven't got the time to be taught, they are often complicated and hinder your running a blog efforts. However in the event you do know the way or have the time to be taught, then Drupal will present you extra energy than different open-source platforms.
Particularly, Drupal helps a wide array of taxonomies, content material varieties, web page templates, blocks, views, and extra for creating and managing plenty of several types of content material. It additionally has superior consumer permissions so you possibly can present web site admins, content material editors, and different stakeholders personalised entry to particular content material.
This makes Drupal preferrred for superior customers in addition to enterprise corporations with complicated running a blog wants who're searching for a self-hosted resolution.
Beneath is a Drupal blog that options all the add-ons and modules developed by the location proprietor.
Blog on Drupal
Key Takeaways:
  • Highly effective content material administration options
  • Superior consumer permissions
  • Finest fitted to technical customers with complicated running a blog wants

Free Running a blog Platforms

Whereas free running a blog platforms would possibly provide much less performance and adaptability than their premium counterparts, many can nonetheless present the running a blog instruments and customizations you might want to begin running a blog. Let's check out a number of the hottest choices under.

10. Write.as

G2 Rating: 4.2/5.0 (19 Opinions)
Write.as is a light-weight running a blog platform that is preferrred for people seeking to create easy blogs with a minimalist design. Providing a stripped-down editor with nothing however an auto-save characteristic, Write.as presents the expertise of writing in a digital journal.
Write.as does require you to use Markdown, a syntax that makes use of particular characters to format textual content. For instance, you'd kind in asterisks to create bullet factors, hashtags to create headers, and [Link]  so as to add a hyperlink. The syntax is just not tough to be taught, however it would possibly require some follow. For those who'd want to easily click on a button to create bullet lists or add hyperlinks, then you definitely'll be higher off with one of many free platforms under.
Write.as is free to make use of and does not help adverts. Nevertheless, to attach a customized area identify, set up a customized theme, and extra, you may need to improve to its professional plan for $6 per 30 days. Try an instance of a Pro blog under.
Process imagining blog on write as
Key Takeaways:
  • Minimalist interface and design
  • Requires you to be taught and use Markdown syntax
  • Free model is add-free

11. Blogger

G2 Rating: 4.1/5.0 (56 Opinions)
Blogger is a free platform designed for amateur bloggers.
To get began, you simply have to create an account with Google, choose a template, and get publishing. You should buy a customized area, optimize your SEO settings, join your weblog to Google Analytics, optimize your posts with Adsense, and even edit the HTML and CSS of your web sitehowever you will not have the ability to do a lot past that.
To get a greater sense of the platform's limitations, you possibly can evaluate Blogger vs WordPress or one other CMS. With Blogger, you possibly can't set up plugins to increase the performance of your web site. You may't create totally different content material varieties, like portfolio pages. And you'll't change the default show of your content material from reverse-chronological order to, say, your hottest posts. In brief, in the event you want the content material administration options and customization choices of a CMS, then look into options to Blogger.
However in the event you want the simplicity of a free running a blog platform, than Blogger is extra feature-rich than most. For that cause, Blogger is ideal for people seeking to create way of life blogs as a interest or to make some further money. Check out this personal travel blog under for an instance.
Here and There blog on Blogger.com
Key Takeaways:
  • Extra feature-rich than different free platforms
  • Cannot create customized submit varieties or change show of posts
  • Finest fitted to way of life bloggers

12. Tumblr

G2 Rating: 3.8/5.0 (24 Opinions)
Tumblr combines the facility of running a blog and social networking in a single highly-visual publishing platform.
Tumblr presents every part you might want to create a professional-looking web site. You may choose from a whole bunch of free and premium themes and add a number of pages, sidebars, social sharing buttons, remark sections, and extra. It's also possible to purchase a customized area identify from a website identify registrar quite than use the free subdomain: yourusername.tumblr.com. When you've got HTML coding expertise, you possibly can additional customise your web site.
Whenever you’re glad along with your web site's design, you can begin creating and publishing multimedia submit varieties. That includes pictures, GIFs, hyperlinks, chat dialogue, audio recordsdata, and video in your content material makes it 40 times more likely to be shared on social networks.
Since different customers can simply like, reply, and reblog your posts on their Tumblr in addition to their different social accounts, proper from their dashboard, this is a wonderful platform for participating and fostering a web based group.
There are restrictions on the location that may frustrate customers. For instance, you possibly can solely schedule (or "queue") 50 posts in a day, which could restrict your potential to plan and execute a long-term content material technique. It's also possible to solely add movies beneath 100MB and in MP4 format and solely observe 20 tags at a time. Moreover, your web site may be suspended at any time in the event you’re present in violation of Tumblr’s community guidelines.
Regardless of the restricted diploma of possession Tumblr presents, it appeals to non-public bloggers and types alike. Whereas bloggers would possibly have the ability to use this as their solely platform, brandstend to make use of it as one platform amongst many to indicate their characterVogue, for instance, has a extremely visible and multimedia-rich web site on Tumblr. Test it out under.
Vogue tumblr-1
Key Takeaways:
  • Splendid for publishing multi-media posts
  • Restrictions on what you submit, when, and the way usually
  • Splendid for people and types to have interaction with followers

Get Began Running a blog

When you establish your running a blog targets and desires, you possibly can choose a running a blog platform with the performance and adaptability you are searching for. Ideally, your platform combines ease of use and energy so you can begin running a blog and reap the advantages in search engine marketing and site visitors.
Editor's word: This submit was initially revealed in April 2019 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
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