Are you looking to start a blog but need to know which self-hosted blogging platform is the best for you? Don’t worry; we’ve got you covered!
This article will introduce you to the nine best self-hosted blogging platforms available. Whether you’re a complete newbie or a seasoned pro, these platforms offer everything from SEO optimization to customization options.
So sit back, relax, and let us do all the hard work for you – it’s time to set up your very own blog posts with the best blogging platform!
Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate or referral links that may reward me in the event of a subscription or sale (at no extra cost to you!). I only recommend products or services that I know and trust.
Best Self-Hosted Blogging Platforms
WordPress.org
Wix
Squarespace
Ghost
Drupal
Joomla
Grav
Known
Typecho
What Is A Self-Hosted Blogging Platform?
A self-hosted blogging platform is ideal for setting up your blog and scaling it to a higher level. In addition, a blogger can change the look and control its functions as you want.
Self-hosting your blog is a great way to take control of your online presence. Instead of relying on a third-party platform like WordPress.com or Blogger, self-hosting allows you to manage all aspects of your blog from one place.
This means you can customize the design, add plugins and integrations, and even monetize your content in ways that may not be possible on a hosted platform.
Additionally, many plugins are only available for self-hosted blogs, which provide features such as improved SEO optimization or social media integration.
When you get a self-hosting platform from a reliable source, it gives you so much freedom to set up the theme and other customizable options the way you want.
Professional bloggers who know their goals and want to earn money by publishing online content choose a suitable self-hosting provider to host their blogging platform from packages within their budget.
Self-Hosted Blog vs. Hosted Blog?
The question must tickle your brain: if every blog is made to house your website, then what is all the fuss about? So stay put while I break down the key features of a self-hosted Vs.—hosted blog.
Hosted Blog
Hosted blogging platforms provide everything you need to get your blog up and running in minutes. Most offer a free plan. They are great for hobby blogs. These platforms provide templates, hosting, domain names, and other features so you can focus on content creation.
Hosted blogs are the best for new bloggers who want to test the potential of their writing on a personal blog to attract their target audience. Like Medium or a Tumblr blog. Where all the files are hosted and managed, you can use them while a third party manages and runs the network.
For example, if you set up a blog with Medium, you will get a domain like itsmyblog.medium.com. Unfortunately, you cannot get a custom domain name. But you can still house and publish all the content on the website.
The second big difference is that you are restricted from using the website’s tools and themes. You must keep its user interface the same.
Customization tools and options are very limited. But it comes with a great benefit that it’s all maintained by the hosting website itself. I’ll give some good examples towards the end of this article.
Also, with a hosted blog, you depend entirely on the website’s algorithm for your target audience to reach your content.
Self-Hosted Blog
Self-hosting a website refers to the process of setting up and maintaining your own web server. This means that you are responsible for handling all technical aspects of your website, including web hosting and server maintenance.
Self-hosting can be an excellent option for those who want greater control over their online presence.
One major advantage of self-hosting is that it gives you complete control over your website’s design and functionality. With a self-hosted site, you have full access to the underlying code, which means you can customize it however you want.
Also, self-hosted sites load faster than those hosted on external servers since they do not need third-party resources. Plus, you get to create and have your own domain name.
Open Source Software
Have you heard about open-source websites? Open-source software refers to software that is freely available for anyone to use or modify.
Open source is a license that allows users to access and modify the code of a piece of software or open-source content freely. This means that anyone can use or adapt open-source content without any restrictions.
You can add helpful free plugins to make your website more attractive. They also offer search engine optimization (SEO) tools to help you rank your content.
The best thing is they allow you to install attractive themes and set up as you like best. So, in addition to helping you rank to bring more traffic to your website, there are creative tools that help you promote your content. Which ultimately brings revenue to your website and gives great value for the money spent.
Why Do You Need A Self-Hosted Blog?
Many bloggers opt for self-hosted platforms because they offer more control and flexibility. With a self-hosted blogging platform, you have complete control over your website and can customize it however you like.
One of the main reasons why many bloggers choose self-hosted platforms is that they give them full ownership of their content. When you use a free blogging platform, your content belongs to the platform rather than you.
If the platform shuts down or changes its terms of service in a way that doesn’t suit you, you could lose all your content overnight. With a self-hosted blog, however, your content belongs solely to you, giving you complete control of your blog content.
You must have watched people spend so much time writing and publishing content on their websites and even thought to yourself; they must be getting something in revenue versus the time and money they have invested, right?
Speaking of numbers, when you look into the yearly income of a blogger in the U.S., it’s around 30,000 to 50, 000 which is not excellent but good enough to make a nice living.
So here are the following reasons why you need to buy a self-hosting platform instead of blogging on a hosted platform.
● Self-hosting websites give you unlimited access to the data stored on the websites. In addition, you have more control over the content you have stored in it.
● It’s like owning something. With a self-hosting website, you can make any changes to the website, which is not possible in a shared/ cloud service.
● Monetization allows you to promote and sell the products on your website through affiliate links. That creates a good income stream.
● It’s a cost-effective solution for generating a side hustle with minimum money.
Best Self-Hosted Popular Blogging Platforms Top-Pick:
1. WordPress.org
WordPress.org is the best thing since sliced bread. And if you think I’m exaggerating, just wait until you see all its amazing features.
First of all, with WordPress.org, you have complete control over your website’s design and functionality. You can choose from thousands of free and paid themes and plugins to help make your site look and work exactly how you want it to.
And regarding plugins, they’re like little magic spells for your website! Need an SEO boost? There’s a plugin for that. Want to add a contact form or social media icons? Yep, there are plugins for those too.
Plus, with WordPress.org’s open-source platform, there are endless opportunities for customization and development.
It’s the best option for a self-hosting blogging platform, which top professionals use and recommend—many small businesses with a large audience use WordPress.org.
Lastly, it needs some technical knowledge, but don’t worry; the results are worth the effort.
Pros
- Create a professional website with a custom domain name.
- Easily customize your website with a variety of themes and plugins.
- Take advantage of powerful SEO tools to optimize your website for search engines.
- An easy-to-use platform for creating and managing a blog or website
- Access to a wide range of free and premium plugins and themes
- Regular updates to ensure your website is always up-to-date and secure
Cons
- Difficult to use for beginners.
- Requires more technical knowledge than some other website builders
- WordPress.org can also be vulnerable to security threats if users don’t take proper precautions.
2. Wix
Wix is another top self-hosting platform not only limited to allowing you to create and publish your content but also helps you with the number of issues you may face as a professional content creator.
Blogger goes through several steps while setting up a blog. Logo-making is one of those steps. Its built-in logo maker tool helps you create a ready-to-use logo in minutes.
It has an excellent marketing tool for your content. The SEO and marketing tools help you rank faster and easier. So if you do not have a good grip on SEO, it will automatically optimize the content for search engines.
Wix is considered to be more user-friendly than WordPress, especially if you have no willingness to learn as you go.
Its email marketing tool allows you to set up your newsletter. You can generate a newsletter for your audience and keep your subscribers up to date.
Wix has a built-in option to make and share your content on social media platforms. In addition, you get several templates to give your self-hosted website a professional look. Its plans are relatively inexpensive too.
Pros:
● Easy to install and setup
● Tier one built Marketing and SEO tools
● Looks classy with its professional templates
● The logo maker set up a logo that fits the business tagline
● It gives you analytics and reports on how your blog is performing on the search engine
Cons:
● Tools are limited compared to WordPress
● It does not allow free analytics services
● Template change options are not available
3. Squarespace
Squarespace remains the most elegant-looking blog platform so far. I admire how Squarespace builds professional and beautiful websites.
Plus, if you are a complete noob and face difficulty setting up your blog, plugin, theme, and stuff like that. Don’t worry; Squarespace will do all those things for you. You just need to buy a $13/monthly plan and sign up.
With so much ease and flexibility to use, the pricing is generous. But let me tell you what you are going to get with it.
It gives you a wide range of themes and customizable options. So you can choose what fits best for your business model.
Its range of templates gives an elegant look to photography and displays your brand images. In addition, the drag-and-drop website builder option allows you to set the pre-set elements wherever you want on the page.
It’s a simple website compared to WordPress, where you do not need coding. If you have a dropshipping or e-commerce website, the templates on Squarespace will allow you to add mass changes and as many products as you want.
It’s easy for a newbie, but it’s more than what a beginner would want. You can manage 1000 pages on its beginner plan.
Pros:
● Its designs and templates are beautiful and professional.
● You can make a great e-commerce website with it.
● Its drag-and-drop editor gives you to play around with your content. You do not need any coding to set up your website.
● Squarespace is the most accessible platform to use and publish content, even on a beginner level.
Cons:
● It’s not so easy to back up a Squarespace website.
● SEO tools are not advanced. Instead, you get beginner-level SEO optimization.
● Prices are higher than average.
4. Ghost
Ghost initially started as a writing platform that provided ease of use to writers. But it developed as an open-source blogging platform over time. It is similar to WordPress in many ways.
It offers SEO services and XML site map services, which index your content on the website. That makes it easier for search engines to search and rank the content on your website.
As I said, it was built to facilitate writing. Hence it has a simplistic and distraction-free interface. But it gives you some templates and options to customize the websites to your requirement.
But you can only play a little with it in designing your website. It’s great for membership sites.
The self-hosted blogging platform is more invested in simplifying blogging and publishing. Therefore the plugin is also designed to help bloggers write and publish content.
Pros:
● Simplistic websites to facilitate writers
● All the plugins support the writer’s and publishers’ needs
● It has a built-in XML sitemap to optimize the website for search engines
● The recent version has added the email newsletter and better editing options.
Cons:
● It’s not built for e-commerce and dropshipping websites, so its scope is limited.
● It gives limited themes and editing options.
5. Drupal
Drupal is another open-source CMS (content management system). It has a community that has grown bigger over the years. Its community consists of developers, designers, and managers.
Drupal is the best platform and is similar to WordPress in so many ways that it allows you much freedom to customize your website, but unfortunately, it is more challenging to use. However, there are some very good Drupal developers out there. So, if you have the budget and need a customized platform, this is your best choice.
That’s why Squarespace is more expensive and does not allow you to change its functions. But the Drupal community has built many features and APIs out of the box. It provides tools and features like all other self-hosting platforms to write, edit and publish content.
It has almost the same level of security as a WordPress blog will give you. In addition, the site mapping service makes it possible for your content to appear in search engines.
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Pros:
● Drupal has a strong community of developers working on building its tools. They have made it suitable for future use
.● Drag and drop editors give freedom to design the webpage.
● It can generate log reports, top search phrases, and access denial options.
● It provides multiple-site support.
Cons:
● It lacks many customizable functions
.● The Drupal page has some security issues.
6. Joomla
Joomla is another popular self-hosting blogging platform that powers millions of websites worldwide. It’s an open-source platform allowing individuals and businesses to quickly create and manage their online presence.
With Joomla, you can build anything from simple blogs to complex e-commerce sites without coding knowledge.
Small businesses, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions widely use Joomla. These organizations prefer it because it’s easy to use, flexible, scalable, and secure. In addition, Joomla’s vast community of developers regularly contributes to its development, ensuring the platform is up-to-date with the latest technologies.
One of the main benefits of using Joomla is its extensive library of extensions and templates. There are over 8,000 extensions available in the Joomla marketplace, allowing users to add features like social media integration, forms creation tools, event calendars, and much more quickly.
Joomla has more flexibility but has a higher learning curve than WordPress, which is an easier choice for beginners.
Pros:
● With Joomla Self-hosted blogging platforms, content management is as easy as possible. Editors, writers, and media managers’ access can be limited to their content.
● It is backed by the strong, developed community constantly bringing in new tools and extensions.
● You get a cache management system.
Cons:
● It’s not a cheaper solution for self-hosted blogging
● There are not many designs available for a unique website.
7. Grav
Grav is a free, open-source Content Management System. It comes really handy for beginners. You only need to know how to edit basic HTML code and CSS.
Grav allows you to create and manage websites with ease. It is a modern platform that offers a variety of features.
One of the best things about Grav is its intuitive user interface. The platform is designed to be easy to use so you can start your blog quickly. Whether you want to publish articles, images, or videos, Grav makes it easy for you to add content to your site with just a few clicks.
Another great feature of Grav is its powerful caching system. This feature ensures your site loads quickly, even if it receives significant traffic.
Unlike WordPress and Joomla, where you go through a long process of setting up a blog. While with Grav, you get a Zip file to extract. All you have to do is upload and run it.
It offers limited SEO support that optimizes the metadata. Switching the existing site to Grav through routing is a simple process.
Pros:
● It’s a feature-rich self-hosting platform with a one-stop solution to every query related to website building.
● It’s easiest to unzip and extract the files to initiate your blog
● It is speedy, secure, and stable
● The developers offer 24-hour support.
Cons:
● Options for customization of the website are limited.
8. Known
Known as a less used and relatively different self-hosting blog for Windows. It lets you connect other apps to your website with several API solutions. It’s more like a social platform.
The editor can allow multiple users to use the Known self-hosting platform. Its features include the status update option, content creation, and image upload.
However, it offers limited customization features and publishing options and is far from other giant self-hostings like Ghost, Drupal, or Squarespace. But it sure does the job well.
Moreover, it’s a more suitable blogging platform for someone with good coding knowledge. If you want to run it on Windows, you must install a XAMPP.
Pros:
● It’s a simple self-hosted blogging setup where content creation and publishing are effortless.
● The unique feature allows you to add multiple users to one website. Where everyone can generate and publish their content on one site.
Cons:
● Very limited connect customization options are available
● It’s a self-hosting platform for beginners.
9. Typecho
Typecho is an excellent self-hosted blogging platform that offers bloggers a wide range of features. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced blogger, Typecho has everything you need to create and manage your blog.
One of the best things about Typecho is that it is incredibly user-friendly. The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple for anyone to set up a blog in just a few minutes.
Another great thing about Typecho is that it offers advanced customization options. It’s most popular in China. You can easily tweak your blog’s layout and design without any coding skills. This means that even if you have no experience with web development, you can still easily create a professional-looking blog.
The platform also offers extensive plugin support, meaning bloggers can effortlessly add various functionalities to their blogs.
How to Install Typecho
Installing Typecho is relatively straightforward and can be done in just a few simple steps. These are the steps that guide you on how to install Typecho on your web server.
Firstly, the installation process of Typecho requires access to a web server that supports PHP and MySQL databases.
Once you have confirmed that your web server meets these requirements, download the latest version of Typecho from their official website. After downloading the compressed file, extract it into your computer’s hard drive using any archive software.
Next, create a new MySQL database for your Typecho installation by logging in to the cPanel of your hosting account. Once logged in, navigate to the MySQL Databases section and click on “Create New Database.
Pros
- Easy to use, allowing users to create and customize your blog quickly.
- Offers a wide range of plugins and themes to enhance the user experience.
- Provides a secure platform with regular updates to ensure data safety.
- Flexible plugin system for adding extra functionality to your blog
Cons
- Lack of themes and plugins compared to other popular platforms like WordPress.
- A limited user base means fewer resources available online to help troubleshoot issues or find solutions for common problems.
- Due to their smaller developer community, updates and new features may not come as frequently as other platforms.
The Benefits of Self-Hosted Blogging Platforms
- Increased control and ownership over content, allowing for greater freedom in terms of design, layout, and features
- Ability to customize and tailor the platform to your specific needs
- Increased security and privacy, as the server, is hosted on your own domain and not shared with other users.
- No reliance on third-party hosting services, ensuring your blog remains up and running, even if your hosting provider experiences issues.
- Increased flexibility: With self-hosting, you can choose the exact features and plugins you want, giving you more flexibility than hosted platforms.
- Greater scalability
Self-Hosted or Hosted?
In conclusion,self-hosted blogging platforms are an excellent choice for those who want to take control of their blog.
They offer greater flexibility in design, functionality, and monetization opportunities.
Additionally, they provide more security features than free-hosted options, making it easier to protect your content from malicious attacks and theft.
Finally, with a self-hosted platform, you can ensure you’re doing the best work possible and getting the most out of your blog.
Also, view the free Resource Guide for new bloggers to find out all the ways you can monetize your website right away.
Hosting Providers to Host Your Self-Hosted Blogging Platform
It’s also very important that you choose a good host provider to house your website. I won’t overload you with a ton of info, but I will highly recommend my top 3 for you to choose from.
BigScoots
BigScoots has earned a reputation for providing reliable and secure web hosting solutions that are tailored to meet your unique needs. I switched to BigScoots from Bluehost for a faster website. They migrated my website over in about an hour.
One key feature that sets BigScoots apart from other web hosting providers is their commitment to delivering lightning-fast website performance. They use state-of-the-art technology and have optimized every aspect of their infrastructure to ensure maximum speed and reliability.
This means that websites hosted with BigScoots load quickly, respond instantly, and provide an excellent user experience with uptime guarantees of up to 99.99%.
In addition to its top-notch performance, BigScoots also provides exceptional customer support. Their team of knowledgeable experts is available 24/7 via email or live chat to help you with any issues you may encounter.
Their pricing plans are also fairly affordable, making them accessible for those on tight budgets.
One of BigScoots’ most popular pricing plans is their shared hosting plan, starting at just $3.55 monthly. This plan includes unlimited storage, bandwidth, and free SSL certificates to secure your website.
BigScoots’ VPS hosting plans start at $34.95 monthly for larger businesses or websites with higher traffic volumes. These plans offer dedicated resources and full root access, allowing users to fully customize their server environment according to their needs.
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is another great self-hosted blogging platform provider for WordPress. They are strong on security and performance, have great customer service, and offer both Linux-based shared hosting and fully managed WordPress-specific hosting.
This gives you the advantages of a Turbo Shared Hosting package with additional features and supports to maintain your website and server up-to-date and protected.
Their hosting plans are very reasonably priced and offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. The shared hosting plans offered by A2 Hosting start as low as $2.99 per month, including unlimited storage and bandwidth, free SSL certificates, and website migration services.
If you need more resources for your growing website, you can opt for the VPS or dedicated server plans at very competitive prices.
Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the most reliable and popular web hosting providers in the market today. They offer a wide range of hosting options. Whether you need shared hosting, VPS, or dedicated server hosting, Bluehost has got you covered.
Their team of experts is available 24/7 to assist with any issues or queries you may have. Additionally, they provide a range of tutorials and resources to help customers get started with their website quickly and easily.
Another great benefit of choosing Bluehost as your host provider is its affordable pricing plans. They offer very competitive rates compared to other hosting providers in the market without compromising on quality or reliability. With Bluehost, you can rest assured that your website will be up and running smoothly at all times without breaking the bank!
Their shared hosting plans start at just $2.95 per month, making it an excellent option for those who are on a tight budget.
With Bluehost’s shared hosting plan, you’ll have access to unlimited bandwidth, storage space, and email accounts. You’ll also be able to install WordPress with just one click, giving you the power to easily build your website without any technical skills required.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are self-hosted blogs and open-source websites the same?
Open-source websites are designed to be completely accessible to the public. So they can make changes, manage it and adjust its functions just as they need.
Self-hosted blogs are one example where you are responsible for installing them, uploading content, maintaining the software and its security to prevent hackers, and building as you want.
Is it better to host your blog?
Yes, it’s recommended that you host a blog. The self-hosted blog is optimized so that it ranks your content on the search engine. This brings in more traffic to your website and generates profit from the people visits, advertisements, and affiliate sales.
How much does self-hosted blogging cost?
The cost of a domain name ranges from $10-$15 per year, while web hosting can range from $3-$50 per month, depending on the provider and package you choose.
However, Namecheap makes buying your domain name very affordable because they pride themselves on not using upsell tactics to make money.
Additionally, you may need to invest in premium themes or plugins for your blog if you want it to stand out from other websites.