The Ultimate List of Blogging Platforms, Blog Software, Free and Paid (100+!)
[This is part of the Blogging Foundations Starter Kit Series.]
*Last Updated: September 6, 2011*
Choosing the right blogging platform is just as important as understanding what a blog is, answering the question about why you should blog, and even your blogging persona, because you eventually have to use one!
In fact, choosing the right one could mean the difference between becoming a successful casual blogger, a TentBlogger, and even a Professional Blogger (if that’s your aim), and separate you from the ocean of mediocre ones.
But where do you start? Well, they say that knowledge is power and it’s best that you have as much of it as possible! So, I decided to create a list of the all of the blogging platforms and software that exist out there and let you take a gander!
Currently I have over 100 different platforms listed! As you peruse them please note the following things:
- This list is by no means complete. I’m sure I’m missing a few.
- This list is roughly ordered in terms of use and adoption globally. In other words, the more popular systems are at the top.
- A few of these might be considered more on the side of a Content Management System (CMS) but they are listed because they have a great blogging component to them.
- Some are free and some you have to pay for. Do your research!
- Some require zero technical knowledge to get started while others require a lot!
- With some of them you can start blogging in minutes while some of them require a little bit more setup and installation time.
- Some of these are a part of a social networking application and web service (a’la Facebook, MySpace, Ning, etc.) while most of them are just blogs.
- Some of these are closer to microblogs and are used for microblogging while others might be more suited for video blogging or vlogging.
Remember that choosing the right blogging platform is a personal decision as well as a strategic business one, and the person who ultimately should decide is you! Make sure that whatever blog software you use meets as many of your needs as possible (do you know what you need?).
In fact, I let you know what I use here (if you’re curious).
So, without further ado, here’s the ever-growing list of blogging software and platforms. Please let me know if I’m missing one!
1. WordPress
WordPress is one of the top blogging platforms in the world and is used by more people than any other (and with good reason).
TentBlogger is built on WordPress and it is my blogging software of choice.
Please note that there is a free version called WordPress.com and a self-hosted solution called WordPress.org where you can download the application yourself, install it, and use it on your own server. We use the latter.
2. Blogger
Blogger is simple to use and is also a very popular choice.
3. Twitter
4. Tumblr
5. Posterous
6. Squarespace
7. TypePad
8. Movable Type
9. Drupal
10. ExpressionEngine
11. Open Diary
12. Live Journal
13. Xanga
14. Dead Journal
15. MySpace
16. Facebook
17. Ning
18. Bebo
19. Identi.ca
20. Plurk
21. Jaiku
22. hi5
23. Tripod
24. PHP Nuke
25. Windows Live Spaces
Please note that they are moving to WordPress instead!
26. Wheatblog
27. Penzu
28. Joomla
29. EggBlog
30. FlatPress
31. LifeType
32. LoudBlog
33. Serendipity
34. Pixie
35. glFusion
36. Textpattern
37. BlogHarbor
38. Open Salon
39. b2evolution
40. Blog CMS
41. Blosxom
42. Nucleus CMS
43. Pivot
44. SPIP
45. Dotclear
46. Globber
47. Habari
48. LiveStreet
49. Pblog
50. NibbleBlog
51. Open Blog
52. PluXml
53. Pritlog
54. SweetRice
55. Zomplog
56. Croogo
57. Blogware
58. Compendium
59. Bloog
60. cpedialog
61. ihere-blog
62. pyweblog
63. Picoblog
64. Vosao
65. JoeyB
66. PinaxCombo
67. Project Picky
68. Micolog
69. Toon-Blog
70. Django Tech Blog
71. Byteflow
72. MightyLemon
73. Kukkaisvoima
74. Jeeran
75. Spinder
76. Roller
77. Bricolage CMS
78. Blogsmith
79. Scoop
80. Blog.com
81. BoastMachine
82. Super Simple Blog
83. Webmobo
84. WikyBlog
85. Blogr
86. Blogabond
87. Blogetery
88. Weebly
89. Blogster
90. Multiply
91. vBulletin
92. Insane Journal
93. Terapad
94. Tblog
95. Friendster
96. Edublogs
97. Wikispaces
98. Aeonity
99. Blogates
100. Bravenet
101. eHow
102. Google Sites
103. HubPages
104. ISeekBlog
105. PBWorks
106. Squido0
107. Stikipad
108. Thoughts
108. Jurnl
109. Dreamweaver
110. Apple’s Mobile Me
111. Oxite
112. Blog Engine
113. DasBlog
114. Microsoft Sharepoint
115. Kontain
116. Blogspot.es
117. GitWrite
GitWrite is the blogging software for nerds. Sweet!
118. Toto
Toto is a seriously-small blogging engine. Yikes! Looks sweet.
Whew! That took a while.
Do you have any others that you’re using? Did you roll your own?
What platform are you using?
[This is part of the Blogging Foundations Starter Kit Series.]
Dude… people still use Xanga?
yes.
i got my start there!
I definitely had a Xanga blog in 2005 wish I hadn’t stopped blogging!
eh. no major loss……
Wow, that is quite an exhaustive list. Most of those I’ve never heard of before. I’m using WordPress.org on just about every new website I create; even those that aren’t really blogs.
One correction for you: Windows Live Spaces is dead. They are moving all of their blogs over to WordPress.com!
A couple of additions you could make to your list:
*A blog created with Dreamweaver
*A blog on Apple’s web.me.com
I wouldn’t recommend either of those options, but I know people that are using them.
yes. i am aware of that and I’ll make that change!
I’ve tried a couple of the top ten. Ultimately, I’ve decided to go with WordPress. Flexibility is the main reason it’s working for me.
WordPress and Posterous are my favorites. WordPress for the extreme versatility and Posterous for the extreme simplicity.
probably don’t need that group posterous for 8bit after we launch the proper blog, right?
Yes, indeed.
yup yup yup!
Oxite:
http://visitmix.com/labs/oxite/
BlogEngine:
http://www.dotnetblogengine.net/
dasBlog:
http://www.dasblog.info/
peace | dewde
sweet. thanks!
that is one serious list…high 5 to wordpress!
thanks chris.
wow, what a list. Thanks for taking the time to put these up.
sure…! it took over 3 hours.
If you are blogging to a corporate intranet, SharePoint is an option. Either the free with Server 2003 edition (WSS 3.0) or the MOSS incarnations.
You can use Windows Live Writer as a desktop client for composition.
Please don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
That’s true! i used this while i was working in big business as well.
Crazy how many platforms there are.
and more everyday apparently.
Extraordinary! One of the greatest lists I’ve ever seen. I actively use the first 5 platforms and know a few of the others but the amount of relatively unknown ones is impressive.
I tip my hat to you. I will post a link here on monday for sure.
(Applause)
angel,
thanks! took a long time… but worth it!
Thanks for all the work in putting this list together. I began posting on Myspace and then Facebook before moving to WordPress.com and now moving to self-hosting with WordPress.org as I continue developing my blogging “career.”
and it will continue to evolve!
Hey that’s an excellent list. I never realized that there are so much blogging platforms available.
sure thing simrandeep!
Two additions to the list:
http://www.kontain.com
A very small, simple platform. Not really a microblog, but quite smaller than a full-form blog.
http://blogspot.es
A simple blogging platform in Spain that evidently is taking advantage of blogspot’s popularity. Spanish-only
angel,
thanks for this I will add both of them!
I didn’t know Xanga was still around! Ha!
i got my start there……..!
Hello. I have a suggestion one blog that is not list above: Bloglog.
It is mircoblog like Tumblr. Not much things. You can only uses one theme, that’s it.
You can upload pictures, or typing in a text in post.
Opps! Here’s address: http://www.bloglog.com
————————————————————————————
Hello. I have a suggestion one blog that is not list above: Bloglog.
It is mircoblog like Tumblr. Not much things. You can only uses one theme, that’s it.
You can upload pictures, or typing in a text in post.
sweet, let me take a look!