Blogging can be a rewarding hobby and also generate a good revenue stream once done correctly. Most people start off with free platforms while making a blog and start their journey online. So, here is a list of free blogging platforms that you can use to start your first blog.
WordPress.org
Founded back in 2003, WordPress.org gradually became one of the largest blogging platforms, powering almost 19% of all the websites on the internet. For a lot of people who blog for a living, WordPress.org is the best place to write a blog. It has a great community, tons to themes and plugins, and comes with no extra cost. All you need to pay for is the domain of your website. If you are serious about blogging, then this is the place to start.
WordPress.com
A free blog hosting website with some of the features from WordPress.com. WordPress.com is more automated. You need to perform less maintenance tasks, but then again, you will have less control over your blog. WordPress.com started in 2005, and it gives you a .wordpress.com domain for free. It is aimed at mass community blogging. Obviously, it is not a full featured blogging platform, but a hassle-free one. It is a good place to try out blogging. If you think you are going to continue with it, or you get serious about blogging, then you can transfer it to WordPress.org.
Blogger
Google’s free blog hosting site – Blogger offers great service. It was started back in 1999 and was pretty popular in near the beginning of the millennium. Google bought in on 2013. The web design in blogger is a bit elementary. You can use your own CSS/HTML designs with restrictions, add plugins or social media buttons. Your blog will come with a .blogspot.com domain name, but you can get your own at $10 per year.
Tumblr
When Blogger and WordPress were fighting to be the most popular blogging platform, Tumblr comfortably sat at the third place. Tumblr is a great site for arty people. It is a simple site that is commonly used by people to showcase artwork. It is more refreshing and minimalistic than both WordPress and Blogger. After its inception in 2007, it grew significantly amongst people who wanted to showcase their art, such as photography, paintings, and more.
Medium
Another alternative to Blogger and WordPress is Medium. Medium is a more advanced blogging platform that was started by the founders of Blogger and Twitter. It has a low user base, but Medium has services from Tumblr and BlogSpot, such as topic search or nostalgic photo shares. Medium gives a story telling feel that is absent in other platforms. However, for some reason, Medium has a small user base. If you want a simple yet classy blog, then try out Medium.
Joomla
Joomla is an advanced content management system written in PHP. It borrows a lot of features from WordPress and is way more customizable and flexible than WordPress. However, using Joomla requires a level of technical expertise and knowledge in web development that many may lack. However, it is still one of the more popular CMS’s that are out there.