Which platforms can you use to start and run a blog? Compare website setup, subscriptions, and content needs

When starting and running a blog, consider comparing WordPress, Squarespace, Ghost, Blogger (BlogSpot), and Medium. If you want to customize your site’s functionality, start by exploring WordPress; if you prefer drag-and-drop design and managed hosting, look at Squarespace; if you plan to combine paid content with newsletters, consider Ghost. Your choice should account for more than publishing posts: check your needs for maintenance, payment collection, team collaboration, and future migration.

WordPress and Squarespace: comparing customization and maintenance

According to a Semrush overview dated September 25, 2023, WordPress offers post editing, image insertion, themes, and plugins, along with different permission levels for team members. Its core platform is free, but the setup described in the article requires separate hosting and a domain name, which involve additional costs. Premium themes and plugins may also carry fees, so a “free core platform” does not mean an entirely cost-free website.

The same overview presents Squarespace as suitable for beginners with little or no coding experience. Users can design layouts by dragging and dropping elements, while the platform handles hosting, security, and updates. It also includes built-in SEO, analytics, and image-editing features. The useful comparison is which features you want to extend yourself and which maintenance tasks you want the platform to handle, rather than simply asking which is easiest to use.

Ghost: bringing posts, memberships, and newsletters together

The Semrush overview mentioned above states that Ghost supports publishing free and paid content, sending newsletters, collecting payments, offering members-only content, and tracking post performance. These features are directly relevant if, for example, you plan to offer public posts alongside subscriber-only articles. However, having payment tools does not guarantee profitability. This summary covers the features described in that overview; it does not treat the prices or trial periods listed at the time as current commitments.

Starting at low cost and building a brand may call for different approaches

On Warrior Forum, priyankaarya considers BlogSpot suitable for getting started at almost no cost, but less than ideal for monetization, establishing authority, or building a personal brand. This is the poster’s assessment of its feature and SEO limitations, not grounds for concluding that no user can achieve those goals.

As for Medium, awoo recommended in a 2018 article that companies retain their own website and blog on their own domain, while using Medium as a channel to reach readers—for example, by selectively cross-posting content. This is a recommendation about where to distribute content; the article’s description of custom-domain restrictions at the time should not be treated as current policy.

List your feature requirements before deciding where to build your content library

A 2020 Semrush article on CMS migration cautions that different systems may not offer the same features, and recommends checking compatibility and backing up data before moving. When choosing a platform, start by listing:

• Writing needs: whether you need a WYSIWYG editor or multilingual support.
• Operational needs: whether you need team permissions, members-only content, newsletters, and payment collection.
• Migration needs: whether existing functionality can be retained and whether layouts will need to be adjusted.