Last updated on September 11th, 2023 at 10:21 am
In today’s digital world, it has become much easier for people to create their own blogs.
In addition to that, there are many different blogging platforms available these days.
If you are looking to start a blog but aren’t sure where to begin, this article is going to be of great help. It lists the top 7 best and free blogging platforms for beginners in South Africa.
Table of Contents
What is a Blogging Platform?
A blogging platform is a software that helps you create and manage your blog. It is like the internet itself, which provides you with a platform to share your thoughts and ideas with the world.
There are many different types of platforms on the market, but this list is going to cover the most effective ones.
- WordPress
- Blogger
- Tumblr
- Medium
- Squarespace
- Weebly
- Typepad
1). WordPress
One of the top free platforms for bloggers, WordPress is an open source platform that allows users to create a blog without paying anything. It is also easy to use and there are many tutorials available online to help you get started.
Depending on the features you require, you can choose between a hosted or self-hosted WordPress blog.
While self-hosted WordPress gives you more control, it also requires more time and patience to learn.
WordPress is one of the most popular blogging platforms and is used by millions of bloggers across the world.
You can also use this platform to create a responsive website or a mobile-friendly website.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- You can create a blog for free.
- You have full control over your content.
- There are many available tutorials to help you get started.
Cons:
- It is not free if you choose to self-host your blog.
- WordPress is an attractive target to hackers because it’s open source.
- Certain themes use too much generic code, which can make the website slow to load.
Should you start a blog on WordPress?
Everyone can use WordPress as a blogging platform to share their thoughts and ideas with the world. It can be used by anyone looking to create a personal website, a business site, a team site, or any other type of site.
If you have something that you want the world to know and connect with other people through your message, then WordPress is for you.
It is easy to use and is suitable for beginners. If you want to start a blog and share your knowledge with the world, WordPress is the best platform for you.
2). Blogger
Blogging is a very popular option for people to get their voice out there in the digital world. Blogger, just like WordPress, is an easy-to-use, free blogging platform that anyone can use.
Though it is only available as a website and not in mobile form, many features make up for this including its simplicity. Blogging on Blogger offers you the freedom of having your own blog without having to pay for any hosting costs.
The blog also has a good reputation when it comes to being secure and reliable.
This makes it an excellent choice for beginners who are just getting started with blogging on their own terms.
The other great thing about Blogger is that they have an excellent community built around their service as well as helpful tutorials on how to set up your blog correctly.
This makes this site perfect for beginners who want to learn more about blogging in general and are looking for a mentor in the process.
Pros:
- Free SSL certificate.
- Free web hosting is both fast and secure.
- Good uptime of the website.
- User-friendly interface.
- Easy to integrate Google services.
- Free storage of website.
Cons:
- the bad domain name and URL structure
- Slower updates and bad support
- You get no access to plugins
- Fewer customizations on your chosen theme
Should you start a blog on blogger?
Blogging on Blogger is a great way to start out as a beginner. It is easy to use and you can easily get started with a free blog.
And the free web hosting is fast, secure and reliable.
The downside of the service is that you don’t have access to WordPress plugins or any other third party services. This means that you are stuck with the options that Blogger offers you, which can be limiting for some users. If you want more freedom when it comes to your blog, then this service might not be for you.
You also don’t have complete control of your domain name or URL structure which can make it difficult for people who are looking for a specific type of domain name when they search online.
Another downside of this service is that there are few updates and support from Blogger itself as well as from its community members on the site itself. This makes it hard for beginners who are just getting started with blogging in general because they won’t get much help.
3). Tumblr
This is another one of the best free blogging platforms for beginners in South Africa.
On Tumblr, it is easy and quick for you to create your blog. All you have to do is choose a name for your blog, select a few of the pre-made themes or upload one of your own. You can also write short posts that are called “posts” on this platform.
You can also share photos on Tumblr, and they will appear just like on a social media site. When you are creating your blog, choose a few of the pre-made templates or upload a photo of your choice. You can also write short posts called “tweets” on this blogging platform.
Pros:
- With free SSL and no premium, you can get a website that’s secure.
- Free Webhosting.
- Setup a blog within minutes.
- User-friendly interface.
- Unlimited storage.
- The blog theme does not feature any ads.
- It is a social networking website.
Cons:
- You don’t own the website.
- No plugins.
- Less customization of the website.
- Safety, security, and user experience are not good.
- Not a good social network website overall.
- Not suitable for long-form content.
Should you start a blog on Tumblr?
Start a blog on Tumblr if you want to create a blog that is more socially oriented and you don’t want to spend too much money. It is also suitable for anyone who wants to start a blog that has no ads, free SSL, and unlimited storage.
Tumblr is a great choice for bloggers who want to start a blog without the use of any technical knowledge.
You can start a blog on Tumblr by following these simple steps:
- Create your Tumblr blog
- Add your desired content to your blog
- Use a professional theme
- Add a custom URL to your blog
- Publish your blog.
4). Medium
Here is another one of the best free blogging platforms for beginners in South Africa.
Medium is a community publishing platform that was launched in 2012. It is an online publishing tool that lets people share their work, ideas, and thoughts with one another.
It has a very basic layout and doesn’t have any ads or other distractions on the homepage. This platform allows you to start your blog with minimal effort by creating your own account and linking it to your social media accounts.
You can start a blog on Medium by signing up for an account and adding your interests, expertise, and areas of study to your profile.
Once you have done this, you can start sharing your content with other members of the community. You can then build a following around your content by liking and commenting on other people’s posts.
In order to make money from Medium, you need to be invited to join their partner program. Also, if you want to make money from Medium, you need to publish high-quality content that will attract a lot of readers and earn likes from their followers.
Pros:
- Huge readership. Medium has around 100 million monthly readers.
- Easy to set up and use
- You don’t need to worry about technical SEO stuff
Cons:
- You don’t own your content, the platform does.
- There is a lot of competition for attention.
- You are building Medium’s authority, instead of your own.
Should you start a blog on Medium?
You can start a blog on Medium if you are confident that you can generate enough traffic to make it worth your while. You should also be able to create quality content that will attract a lot of readers and keep them coming back for more.
If you are not sure whether or not Medium is the right platform for you, there are a few other platforms that will pay you for blogging and let you own your content.
5). Typepad
While this is not a free blogging platform, it’s worth noting because of its features.
Typepad is a blogging platform that allows you to create an online blog. It is a simple, straightforward, and easy-to-use platform for anyone who wants to blog. Typepad has many features that make it suitable for bloggers of all levels of expertise.
In addition to promoting your blog via social media, it also provides you with the opportunity to share your articles on external websites or blogs in order to reach more people.
Pros:
- The intuitive TypePad Interface is easy to use and understand. I had no problems finding out where which function was-I found it very user friendly!
- TypePad supports scripts that allow users to add nearly any desired widget. This means it can be easily integrated with other services like Twitter, and Facebook.
- With TypePad, you can incorporate advertising on your website. Since most content is scripted (you write it), with TypePad you could develop a make-money-blog or affiliate website for amazon.com
- Plus level members are able to customize their blog theme from scratch, without having to pay for a developer.
- The 200+ themes make up the wide variety of options TypePad offers. They are constantly adding new themes to keep things fresh and exciting!
- An unlimited number of Photo albums is what Tumblr has to offer. They have integrated this feature into their blogging platform, which is better than Flickr and other services in terms of features.
Cons:
- You cannot use TypePad without paying. It will not work at all, but if you want to set it up or customize your settings, there are a variety of plans that cost money and can be tailored to meet the needs of any individual user.
- Although the Typepad software has a wide range of widgets that you can install on your blog, many require payments. There are also free ad-based and paid ad-free versions of some widgets. This means you will have to pay for other common features like an embedded shopping cart or payment processing services as well as the cost of installing various types of widgets on your website’s template design.
Should you start a blog on Typepad?
If you are looking for a blog platform that is fast and easy to use, TypePad is a good choice.
It is an excellent option for bloggers who want to start a blog without having to learn complicated software or pay for additional services.
If you are looking for something more advanced with many options, then TypePad may not be the best option.
Also, if you don’t mind paying a monthly subscription to use a blogging platform.
6). Squarespace
Squarespace is a free website building platform that allows users to have their own website up and running in just minutes. It offers a range of features that are great for beginners who want to create a professional-looking site.
You can create a website for anything you want, such as a wedding planning business or a clothing line.
The website builder offered by Squarespace allows you to create a variety of different website types, such as a blog or a portfolio.
You can select the template that you want, such as a one-page website or a blog template.
Once you have uploaded your content, publish your website and invite your friends and family to visit it.
Pros:
- Squarespace allows you to customize your website without needing any design experience. They have a huge selection of templates that will give you professional results in no time at all.
- In most Squarespace templates, switching out the stock photography for your own is a quick and easy task. The coding in their template makes it so that even when you colourize it, use different fonts, or make responsive adjustments – everything still stays aligned with the model propped up on top of this structure.
- Squarespace is easy to use and intuitive. If you are a WordPress, Blogger, or similar platform user then it will be very straightforward for you with the layout of the site pages being visually clear and easy to navigate even if you have never used their website builder before.
Cons:
- As a website builder, Squarespace offers customers a great one-on-one experience. However, they don’t offer phone support at all; therefore their chat system is not as responsive or fast as human conversations would be in this case.
- If you want your website to be more personal, then plan on spending $18 every month. However, this comes with the possibility of limited site features and a single website at lower tiers in comparison to their other plans. Buying the annual contract fee upfront drops this cost down by $12 per month for new customers only! Personal sites are as low as 12$ per month!
- Squarespace is great for getting your website up and running quickly, but there are a lot of features that it doesn’t have. SEO isn’t particularly advanced in comparison to other platforms like WordPress or Shopify. A/B testing options are nonexistent on this platform overall as well. Squarespace does offer basic URL redirects, but you’ll be left wanting for more if using this platform exclusively for your site’s main marketing efforts means you are stuck with what comes pre-built into the software itself.
Should you start a blog on Squarespace?
If you are looking to start a blog, the answer is yes. However, if you are looking to build a site that’s more than just a blog, you may find yourself wanting more functionality out of it.
If you want to get started blogging on Squarespace without getting your feet wet with the software right away, then get yourself over to their website and create your account!
You can enter all of your details in order to start using the service immediately!
If you want more features and customization options out of your website then you’ll need to pay for them. If this is something that’s important to you, then pay for it upfront. If not, then you may want to consider some other options!
7). Wix
Wix is another one of the best free blogging platforms for beginners in South Africa.
As such, if you are just starting out with your own blog and don’t want to spend money, Wix is a great place to start.
It has an easy-to-use interface, and drag-and-drop feature, and is also available in over 40 languages. It also comes with many different themes that you can use as templates for your blog.
Pros:
- You receive design templates that are more customized for your business.
- The interface is easy to understand and helpful.
- Wix offers the best of both worlds. You’ll get a high-quality experience without compromising on security.
Cons:
- If you want to switch your template after publishing, then you’ll have to start from scratch.
- For long-term scalability, you may need to pay extra for third-party apps.
- When you first start working on your website, the Wix editor may seem overwhelming – there are many design options and features.
Should you start a blog on Wix?
If you are looking to start a blog in South Africa, Wix is definitely one of the best options. It has many features that make it easy to create a high-quality website. It also comes with design templates that are customizable.
What To Consider When Choosing a Blogging Platform
You need to understand the pros and cons of blogging platforms before deciding which one to go with.
Here are some of the factors you should consider:
- Is your site hosted on a high-traffic platform?
- Will you be able to grow without having to worry about scalability?
- How will your readers find you?
- Will your blog be indexed by search engines?
- How do you want your site to look like in the future?
- Will you be able to edit your site without having to pay for a developer?
When choosing a blogging platform, you will have to consider factors such as cost, features, and availability.
Of course, you will also want to find a platform that is user-friendly, fast, and reliable with a strong support team.
For many bloggers here in South Africa, WordPress is the best blogging platform because it has a lot of customization options. It can be easily modified, and it has a lot of plugins. These plugins make it easy to create an attractive blog website.
Besides, WordPress is free, and it comes with a free theme. You can also get premium themes for your blog, which will make your site more appealing.
You can also pick from different post formats like video posts or photo posts. This way, you can create both text-based and visual content for your readers.
Better part?
You have the option to use widgets in your blog that will let you add extra functionality such as Facebook or Twitter feeds to your site with just one click