This number does not include self-hosted WordPress blogs or other CMS blogs. With that in mind, it’s never too late to start a blog.
So which blogging platform should you use?
In this article, we will talk about recommended blogging platforms.Blogging is still alive and well in 2020…and if you’re looking to start your own blog, you’ll want to check out this list of the best blogging platforms. CLICK TO TWEET
Best Self-Hosted Blog Platforms for 2023
Here’s a detailed look at the best self-hosted blogging platforms and why we recommend them. By the way, “self-hosted” means that you have to set up a separate server and domain to create your blog or website.
- WordPress.org
- Drupal
- Ghost
- Joomla
1. WordPress.org
You want to start a blog . Perhaps you have already heard of WordPress ?
Feel free to try Kinsta
An open source self-hosted content management system (CMS) is available for .org sites. CMS is a general term for software that allows you to create websites and publish, manage, and update content.
WordPress is the most used CMS on the internet , used by millions of blogs and websites. It is definitely the leader among the popular blogging platforms listed in this article.
If you want to create a commercial blog or website, WordPress is definitely your best bet. It’s completely free , open source, and has tons of themes , so you can easily create a professional looking blog.
Why WordPress is the industry standard
WordPress isn’t just for beginners, sole proprietors , and bloggers. WordPress has undoubtedly established itself as a leader in the CMS industry.
About half of the top 1 million most visited sites on the internet use WordPress. This includes, of course, not just amateur bloggers and people who love to write .
WordPress is chosen because it has 55,000+ free plugins and 7,000+ free themes in its official directory. Additionally, there are plenty of other paid themes and plugins available on other sites (such as buying sites) (be sure to check out our article on recommended WordPress themes and WordPress plugins at Kinsta).
Therefore, you can find a theme you like, and you can combine various combinations such as extending the necessary functions with plug-ins as needed.
WordPress also has one of the largest and most active developer communities . There are hundreds of developers out there who spend their time updating plugins and themes, releasing new ones , and supporting other users .
Such an active and large community is extremely beneficial to everyone involved with WordPress. It is also very beneficial from a security point of view as many problems and bugs are found and resolved quickly .
The community also makes it easier to ask for help and advice when you run into problems with your WordPress-powered business. For example, you can easily hire WordPress developers and designers .
WordPress is originally strong in SEO , and it is easy to be displayed at the top of the search results of Google and other search engines .
Major features
- WYSIWYG editor
- monetization
- Multilingual support (using plugins)
- Multi-user environment
- password protection
- global navigation
- Freely customizable theme /template files
- Content delivery schedule function
- SEO-friendly content structure
- Advanced SEO options ( use SEO plugin )
- Different types of plugins available (free and paid)
- Different types of themes available (free and paid)
interface and usability
If you are relatively confident in using the Internet and new services and technologies, you probably don’t even need to explain how to use the interface.
Most web hosts offer one-click installation of WordPress, making installation and setup a breeze. (All of our managed WordPress hosting plans also take care of the installation)
A built-in tutorial will show you how to use the dashboard and post your first blog post.
WordPress dashboard is very easy to understand without looking at the tutorial . Hover your mouse over the + icon to open a dropdown menu where you can choose to create a new post or add a user.
To edit the design of your website, click on “Appearance” and you’ll have a variety of options to choose from.
price
Self-hosted WordPress is 100% free forever with an open source license .
However, this is not enough to run a blog. You will need a domain name and hosting service.
If you’re concerned about loading speed, security, and reliability, Kinsta’s managed hosting plan costs $30/month and includes free site migration , CDN , malware protection , daily automated backups , and more. can.
2.Drupal
Drupal is the second largest open source CMS. It’s more of a professional, scalable content publishing platform than a blog-only tool.
Drupal comes with full-fledged version control and content delivery scheduling (planning) capabilities. In addition, more detailed user authority management is possible. You can also grant your own permissions to specific users. It also supports multilingual sites, making it a good option for large companies.
However, it’s not that easy to use, so creating a “good looking” blog can be a little tricky.
Major features
- basic editor
- monetization
- Multilingual
- password protection
- global navigation
- Freely customizable theme/template files
- Permission Management and Hierarchical Permissions
- Advanced content delivery scheduling features
- Full fledged version control (using modules)
- SEO-friendly content structure
- Advanced SEO options (using modules)
interface and usability
The interface is somewhat dated and unintuitive for beginners. Also, there is no tutorial when you install and log in for the first time. It opens directly to your user page, so you’ll have to learn how to edit your new website by doing it yourself.
The learning curve will be steep (pretty hard to get used to). That said, if you’ve used CMS or similar software before, the basics shouldn’t be too difficult to grasp.
It’s still not very intuitive. So unless you’re a developer or technically savvy, it might be a good idea to avoid Drupal.
price
Drupal is open source and completely free. Separately, you will be charged for the domain name and hosting provider.
Drupal and WordPress
The big difference between Drupal and WordPress is that Drupal is designed specifically for developers, agencies, and corporations. Although it is already equipped with advanced functions such as multilingual support, it will be difficult for beginners to master it.
For a more detailed pros and cons comparison of both, see our Drupal vs WordPress article.
3.Ghosts
When Ghost first debuted in 2013, the main goal was to be an easy-to-use dedicated blogging platform . But now it has evolved into a clean headless Node.JS CMS .
It comes with advanced SEO options and a clean web app dashboard powered by JavaScript.
Major features
- A clean Markdown editor
- password protection
- global navigation
- Multi-user environment
- Content delivery schedule function
- SEO-friendly content structure
- Advanced SEO options
interface and usability
From a usability standpoint alone, Ghost can be a bit of a hassle to install, as it doesn’t offer a one-click install. However, once installed, it offers a simple, clean and easy-to-use interface.
The Ghost installation data comes with content that can really be considered a how-to tutorial.
Similar to WordPress’ Gutenberg editor , Ghost’s editor is on-page WYSIWYG. It feels like you’re writing and editing pages dynamically on your site, but you can only add images, links, and quotes, and text can only be written in Markdown format.
Unlike WordPress, which uses JavaScript only in the editor, the entire dashboard uses JavaScript for a very smooth user experience. It works as a single-page web app, never having to load a new admin page or wait for a page refresh.
price
The self-hosted version is open source and free. Paid hosting plans start at $29/month .
Ghost and WordPress
Both Ghost and WordPress are easy-to-use and easy-to-learn tools. Even a complete beginner can have a new blog up and running in less than an hour with either of these.
However, Ghost is less popular than WordPress, and few web hosting services offer one-click installation, so installation can be a bit more cumbersome than WordPress.
On the other hand, Ghost is cleaner, and a Node.JS CMS may be more appealing to developers than using plain old PHP or MySQL .
For beginners, WordPress’s vibrant and extensible community may be the reason for choosing WordPress. Also, Ghost has less support for monetization and you have to insert ads manually through code .
( Please also read Inserting Google AdSense in WordPress )