Internet users trust blogs as a valuable source of information. In fact, blogs have been rated as the 5th most trusted source for getting information online.

Now is as good a time as ever to start a blog, and it is very simple to set one up.

To get the most out of your blog, you want to start a blog on the best hosting site possible. But with so many options out there, the choice can seem overwhelming.

In this post we will look at the best hosting sites out there and which one is best. Realizing you don’t have what you need from a hosting site down the line can be a drag, and it’s annoying to have to relocate your entire site.

Choose the best blog hosting site at the start and save yourself time and headache down the road.

Let’s start.

Best Blog Hosting Sites List

Here is a comparison of 10 of the most popular and best blog hosting sites you can choose from.

WordPress.org

Price: Free

Users: More than 37 million

Company: WordPress Foundation

WordPress.org is the self-hosted version of WordPress. It gives you the full functionality of WordPress with thousands of themes and plugins. WordPress is the most widely used CMS (content management system) with over 50% of sites using it.

WordPress.org gives you the full functionality of WordPress plus the ability to use all the themes and plugins available. You can easily install WordPress with one click with most hosting providers.

WordPress.com

Price: Free and premium plans available

Users: More than 37 million

Company: Automatic

WordPress.com is the free hosting version of WordPress and lets you set up a free site with the WordPress platform. Compared to the .org, this version of WordPress has fewer themes and plugins you can use. Note that ads will be shown on your site and you will have to upgrade to a premium plan to remove them.

Blogger

Price: Free

Users: Not Disclosed

Company: Google

Blogger is a free blog platform offered by Google. Blogger makes it simple for someone with little experience to create a blog. More suited for casual bloggers, this hosting option allows for only basic control and customization of your blog. If needed you can buy and set up your own domain name. Also, be aware that if you want to move your blog in the future, it can be a complicated procedure.

Wix

Price: Free and premium plans available

Users: More than 150 million

Company: Wix.com Inc.

Wix lets you create and design a basic free website, and also has paid plans available if you want more options. They have over 500 website templates and have a simple drag and drop website editor which lets you customize your site. You can add functionality to your site from the Wix App Market.

Note that on the free version, Wix may show ads on your site. Also, know that once you build your site on a template you cannot switch, so test out a few before making a decision.

Wix boasts an average of 45000 signups per day and offers comprehensive support. For a beginner looking to build a website purely with drag-and-drop, Wix can be a good option.

Squarespace

Price: Paid Plans Only

Users: Over 1 million paying customers

Company: Squarespace Inc.

Squarespace lets you create a beautiful website with ease. With their personal website plan, you get up to 20 pages, galleries and blogs, a free custom domain, and 24/7 hour support.

Weebly

Price: Free and premium plans available

Users: More than 50 million

Company: Weebly Inc.

Weebly is another website builder with free and premium plans. The platform also has numerous templates you can choose from and a drag a drop site builder. To remove Weebly branding on your site you will need to purchase a paid plan.

Ghost

Price: Paid plans only

Users: More than 37 million

Company: Ghost Foundation

Ghost puts blogging at top priority. The platform offers a blog writing interface that is designed to help you create and manage blog posts with ease. If you have a team that you need to work with, you can simply invite them and collaborate right on the blogging platform. Ghost can also be downloaded and self-hosted. Don’t forget to try 9xmovies green during your free time.

Drupal

Price: Free

Users: More than 10 million

Company: Founded by Dries Buytaert

Drupal is a popular free and open source CMS offering rich functionality. You can choose from thousands of free plugins and themes to design your website. Drupal is a versatile and scalable CMS that gives you many options to customize your site. Many hosting providers include a one-click install for Drupal. Note that it has a steeper learning curve and is harder for a beginner to use.

Joomla

Price: Free and premium plans available

Users: Over 50 million downloads

Company: Open Source Matters, Inc.

Joomla is another popular CMS that you can either self-host (Joomla.org) or use their free hosting service (Joomla.com). Joomla has thousands of extensions and designs you can choose from.

Joomla’s complexity allows powerful customization and development options. It is better suited for those with CMS experience and is harder to use if you are a beginner.

Typepad

Price: Paid plans only

Users: More than 37 million

Company:Typepad, Inc.

Typepad is a paid blogging site that allows you to easily create a blog. The platform features easily customizable themes and full personal support. With the most basic plan, you get unlimited storage and can use your own domain name. Upgrade to the unlimited plan and you will be able to create unlimited blogs and fully customize your design. This option is suitable for an entry level blogger looking to create a simple blog.

The Verdict

As you can see there are many blog hosting sites out there. So which one should you choose?

If you are looking to have complete control over your blog we recommend self-hosting your blog with the most popular blogging platform out there: WordPress. Here’s why.

The Best Blog Hosting Option

By far, WordPress is the most popular blog platform out there.

WordPress.org is used by some of the biggest brands on the internet including Time, Forbes and LinkedIn blog.

Why do people choose WordPress.org? Here are some features that make WordPress great for hosting a website or blog:

• It’s easy to install and use.
• There are thousands of free and premium themes to choose from.
• Thousands of plugins are available to add virtually any feature to your blog.
• Some of the biggest brands on the internet use WordPress.
• The support community is huge. There are tons of tutorials and forums online that can help you with any question you might have.

WordPress gives you everything you need to start a professional looking blog with ease.

By now you have probably realized there are two versions of WordPress listed here: WordPress.org vs WordPress.com. How are they different and which should I use?

WordPress.org is the self-hosted version, and WordPress.com is the free blog hosting site version similar to Blogger. Using WordPress.org gives you the full functionality of WordPress and gives you the most control. You can compare the two versions of WordPress in this chart.

Self-hosting is the option most serious bloggers choose. Starting a blog with the self-hosted version of WordPress gives you full control of your blog and the full features of WordPress (use any theme or plugin you want).

Self-Hosted Vs. Free Hosting Sites

If you want to have true control over your blog, the best option is self-hosting. You get full control over the design, layout, advertising, functionality of your site. You are also free to monetize your blog in any way you want if you want to make money from your blog.

With the right hosting companies, you can get your blog up for only a few dollars a month and also get a free domain when you register. The best hosting sites also let you install WordPress easily with a one-click installer.

Starting a blog this way is simple and takes as little as 20 minutes. You can use this guide to learn how to start a blog and get a free domain name.

The Disadvantage of Free Hosting Sites

Free blog hosting sites are restricted. Although they are free the service is basic. There are limited features and restrictions on what you can do. You don’t get full control over your blog and they can shut it down if they want.

Here are a couple of reasons why we don’t prefer free hosting sites:

• Non-personalized domain.
• Limited features.
• “Free” comes with restrictions. In the end you most likely will have to pay for additional features if you want them.
• Free hosting platforms can show ads on your blog.
• No control. Without telling you, free hosting sites can shut down your blog.

Starting a blog on a free hosting site just doesn’t give you the control needed. For hobbyists, this might be good enough but for serious bloggers self-hosting is the best option.

Creating a self-hosted blog is simple and even beginners can easily set one up.

Conclusion

By now you should have a good idea of the best hosting sites available to start a blog.

There are many free hosting sites out there. However, if you’re looking to get the most control of your blog and full features, starting your own blog is the best choice.

Making the right choice at the beginning can save a lot of work down the road if you choose to move.

You want to be able to focus on the actual blogging part: creating great content and building an audience. Having a good blog hosting site will let you focus on achieving success for your blog.

Read more How to Buy a Mattress – A Detail Guide