WordPress vs Ghost vs Medium – Which Is the Better Blogging Platform

Whether you are an avid writer or a rookie starting in the field, blogging is one of the best ways to create a name for yourself. You can write on whatever topic you fancy. But it’s important to select a suitable blogging platform to ensure your blog looks and feels good to attract as many readers as possible. 

There are several blogging platforms available on the internet, and three of the most prominent ones you can go for, are WordPress, Ghost, and Medium. 

First, there is WordPress. Although it is now the most popular website development and content management system, WordPress was initially launched as a blogging platform. Currently, this platform powers more than 43% of all websites on the internet, many of which are blogging sites. 

Then, there is Ghost. It has a straightforward UI and is used purely for blogging, where you can add writers, easily edit the code, add subscriptions, fully control the site, and scale it accordingly. An added advantage of this platform is that it helps you create scalable blogging sites. 

Another prominent blogging platform is Medium, which focuses more on community-focused writing. So basically, writing a blog on Medium can be considered as having something published in a school, college, or company magazine or bulletin board rather than a personal journal.

This content will show you a brief overview of these blogging platforms with their pros and cons. Moreover, for people looking to create their blogs, a comparison between the three would help make the right choice. 

WordPress vs Ghost vs Medium

WordPress

Launched in May 2003, WordPress is the world’s most popular blogging and web development platform. Nowadays, people think WordPress is just a platform for creating websites. What they don’t know is that it was initially launched as a blogging platform. 

So if you are an enthusiast aching to put your thoughts online, creating a high-quality blog on WordPress would surely help. Not only is it easy to use, but its features and functionalities help you design and develop more than just a basic blog.

There are thousands of free WordPress themes and plugins that can help improve every aspect of your blog, from appearance to features. 

WordPress has a well-deserved reputation as a versatile and powerful content management system. Originally just a blogging platform, it has evolved to allow users to build complex websites with a vast array of customization options, including eCommerce SEO, and marketing solutions.

With access to thousands of themes and plugins, WordPress provides a comprehensive solution for website creation and optimization.

Even if you already have a website, WordPress maintenance services can help rookies as well as experts with automatic backups, updates, security checks, website, and database optimization, etc. 

Pros & Cons Of WordPress

Here are a few pros of using WordPress as your preferred blogging platform:

• Popular Web Development Platform

Not only can WordPress help you create blogs, but it is also the most popular website development platform. It hosts more than 800 million websites worldwide, which is more than 43% of all websites on the internet.

• Plugins and Themes

One of the biggest advantages of using WordPress for blogging or web development is the WordPress themes and plugins you can use. This platform has thousands of free plugins and themes that can help you transform everything from the appearance of the blog or website to its features and functionalities. 

• Economical

Another significant benefit of creating your blog or website on WordPress is that the core WordPress and most of its plugins and themes are free to use. Moreover, if you are looking to integrate additional premium features and functionalities, the paid plugins and themes are not that costly either.

• Easy to Use

Whether it is for blogging or website development, WordPress is easy to set up and use. You don’t need any coding skills or experience to create basic websites or blogs. You can easily set a name and URL for your site, set up color and theme, and even install plugins to integrate more functions. 

• SEO-friendly

One of the biggest concerns when setting up a new blog or website is whether your target audience will be able to see your blog on the SERPs to get more traffic. WordPress solves this issue through built-in SEO features. It will help rank your website or blog in the top positions to ensure it reaches as much of your target audience as possible.

• Open-source Nature

WordPress is open-source, with thousands of expert developers and contributors constantly updating the features and functions. It also gives you clear access to all the software’s features and capabilities.

Like any other software platform, along with the pros, WordPress has some cons as well. So let’s check out the cons of WordPress:

• Too Many Extensions

Although WordPress offers loads of plugins and themes you can use to improve every aspect of your website or blog, too much variety may run you off the rails. Integrating too many of these extensions into your website or blog will have a significant impact on its speed and performance. 

• Security Issues

Since WordPress is open-source, anyone can alter its core program, which may make your website or blog more vulnerable to cyber threats. But there are certain steps you can take to improve WordPress security.

• Complex Optimization

Although setting up the platform and creating basic websites and blogs with WordPress is very easy, creating complex ones or optimizing your existing ones can be a little more tricky. For that, you would require advanced programming skills and expertise, making the process more complicated for beginners.

These pros and cons might be enough to help you understand whether or not this popular blogging and website development platform is suitable for your requirements and expectations.

Ghost

Launched in October 2013, Ghost is an open-source blogging platform designed with simplicity in mind. It allows users and writers to create and manage their blogs easily.

It provides a clean and intuitive interface for writing and publishing content, as well as a flexible and customizable platform for customizing the look and feel of your blog.

Pros & Cons Of Ghost

Here are a few benefits of the Ghost blogging platform:

• Simple User Interface

Ghost’s interface is designed in such a way that it enables users to focus on writing high-quality content and publishing it effortlessly.

• Customizable

This blogging platform allows users to fully customize the appearances and functionalities of their blog with a variety of themes and customization options.

• Powerful Publishing Tools

Ghost platform offers a range of professional publishing tools, including memberships, newsletters, and custom domains.

• Open-source

Ghost is open-source in nature, which means users can access the code and modify it to suit their needs.

• Strong, Active Community

Ghost has a strong and active community of developers and contributors who offer valuable support to the users in case of any issues. 

Along with these benefits, the Ghost blogging platform has some drawbacks, which must be considered before making a choice.

So let’s check out the cons of the Ghost blogging platform:

• Steep Learning Curve

Ghost is a powerful platform, but it may take a while to get a comprehensive understanding of all its features and customization options.

• Hosting Costs

When compared with WordPress and several other blogging platforms, Ghost can be a little more expensive for creating high-quality blogs and websites.

• Limited Plugins

In contrast to WordPress, Ghost has a smaller range of plugins and extensions in its library, and the possibility of updating and customizing blogs and websites with the latest features and functionalities is slightly lower.

• Technical Requirements

Ghost needs a certain level of technical skills and knowledge to set up the blog or website and maintain it, which might be a little harder for non-technical users.

• Limited Support

Ghost, compared to other blogging platforms, does not have the same level of support, meaning users may need to rely on community resources for help, which may not always be fully accurate.

These pros and cons might be enough to show whether or not Ghost would be suitable for creating blogs and websites. 

Medium

Released in August 2012, Medium is a popular online publishing platform that allows anyone to share their thoughts and ideas with a large audience through writing articles or blog posts.

It is a platform for professional writers as well as rookies, with a range of tools and features to help create, publish, and distribute their work with ease.

It is basically a hybrid of a blog and a social network, where writers can publish their articles and engage with their avid readers through comments and reactions. It also offers a variety of analytics and distribution tools through which you can track views and followers and even share articles on other social media platforms.

Pros & Cons Of Medium

Here are the pros of Medium:

• A Large Community of Users and Readers

Medium has a constantly-growing audience, which means if your content is relevant enough, you’ll reach a massive number of your target audience.

• Quality Content

One of the most significant benefits of Medium is that it focuses on high-quality content, making it an excellent platform for writers and users who want to establish their image as thought leaders in their respective industries.

• User-friendly Design

Medium has a clutter-free design that makes it suitable to use and read, encouraging higher user engagement and longer reading times.

• Built-in Community

This blogging platform has built-in communities of readers and writers who may share your interests, making it easier for you to build your own community of writers.

• Easy to Use

Another advantage of using Medium is its simple and intuitive user interface, making it easy for writers to create and publish articles and for readers to navigate to your content.

But don’t think Medium is all good because, like any other platform, it’s a double-edged sword. So let’s check out the cons of Medium:

• Limited Customization Options

The minimalist design of Medium can be a boon as well as a bane. It limits your ability to fully customize the pages and articles, which means your content won’t stand out amongst the crowd.

• Dependent on Algorithm

Medium’s algorithms play a significant role in identifying which content is recommended and highlighted on the top, making it a little more tricky for some writers and their content to get noticed.

• No Direct Monetization

Currently, with Medium, there is no way to monetize the content and pages, which means the writers cannot earn money on this platform. If you want to make some money on this platform, you will have to sign up for the Medium Partner Program.

• Limited Control Over Audience Data

Although Medium collects user data, writers have little to no control over how the platform uses or shares this data.

Comparison Of WordPress, Ghost, & Medium

Looking at these overviews and the pros and cons of these three blogging platforms, you may be able to choose the most suitable one more effectively. You can refer to the comparison table below if you are still uncertain.

Let’s check out a table comparing the three blogging platforms on a variety of factors to help make the choice a little easier.

Conclusion

WordPress, Ghost, and Medium are all great platforms for creating high-quality blogs. All of them have some significant pros and cons. But when it comes to any software for any project, however big or small, it’s all about your requirements and expectations. 

First off, there is a reason hundreds of millions of websites around the world opt for WordPress as their preferred CMS. It’s easy to set up and use for blogging and web development. Moreover, it has built-in SEO features, which help websites and blogs rank higher on the SERPs.

Then there is the extensive range of themes and plugins that you can use to enhance every part of a website or blog, from the appearance to the features and functionalities. But the best part is that it is open-source and free to use. 

Then comes Ghost. This platform can also be used to create high-quality websites and blogs. But the features are not as comprehensive as WordPress.

Although there are some extensions you can use to enhance your blogs or websites, they are not as many as WordPress. Plus, it is a paid blogging platform, which means not everyone would be able to afford it. 

Finally, Medium is purely a blogging platform where you can find millions of experts and rookie writers and even reach a massive number of your target audience. Medium is a writing platform with a touch of social media aspect.

Since it’s free to use, anyone can write and share their interests and create a massive following in the process. But if you want to make any kind of money from it, you’ll have to go for a paid Partner Program. So not everyone will be able to afford it. 

That’s why overall, WordPress is considered a superior platform among the three. So if you are looking to create a new website or blog, reach out to a professional WordPress development company.

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