Blogger
Free
blog platform with gentle learning curve for beginners Run by Google,
so it integrates with Google products well. Lacks many plugins to
improve functionality. Limited design options.
Editorially - no longer available
A stripped-down a text editor. Allows for collaborators. Tracks changes. Not a publishing platform.
Ghost
Simple to use, custom domains. The product of a Kickstarter campaign. CMS free. Hosting is $4.99 a month.
Jux
Photo-oriented with great layouts and fonts. Custom domains. Writing tool weak.
LiveProBlog
Liveblog Pro is a liveblogging platform built by journalists, for
journalists. Free to use for individuals, with a paid-for service
offering multiple users.
Marquee
Publishing platform focused on presentation.
Medium
Created by Twitter co-founders to support good writing. Clean design and
easy-to-use interface. For those who want to write but don’t want to
maintain a blog or website. Intended to be a place where smart people
plant their thoughts. Share a draft of a post with friends who can make
comments as marginal notes (rather than at the end of a post). Free, but Twitter account is required. No custom domains or customization.
Newsbound
Visual-storytelling platform that can combine photos, graphics,
animations and text into a slideshow. Considered part of explainer
journalism, the company behind the site can be hired to create pieces.
Postach.io
Publishing platform limited to Evernote (popular note-taking platform). Custom domains, but limited themes. Pulls your thoughts from Evernote into the blog. Free for basic service, $4.99 a month for advanced options.
Postagon
Blogging platform. Custom domains, writing-oriented, comfortable setup. Limited customization. $5 a month.
Posthaven
Custom domains, tagging. Weak on themes.$5 a month.
Roon
Blogging platform. Free if
using Roon sub-domain, $12 a year for custom domains and Google
Analytics (but the Roon logo remains on your blog). Easy-to-use iOS app,
nice post editor, low learning curve. Limited layouts.
Scribble Live
Live-streaming. Create, curate and publish content to provide real time coverage and storytelling. Fee.
Silvrback
Blogging platform. Establish your own brand with a custom domain. Nice archive and bio pages. $29.99 a year special. 14 day free trial.
Sparkwise
A dashboard tool to bring many data streams together to tell a story using video, audio and text.
Square Space
Inexpensive way to build a website or blog. Templates for a ready made site. From $8--$24 a month, includes hosting. WordPress has more flexible design and functionality (no plugins with Square Space), but not everyone will want so many extras. Square Space is for those who are more focused on content than code.
Storify*
Social media aggregate. Publish elements - photos, tweets, videos together. Free.
Svbtle
Writing platform. Minimalist interface. Encourages reader response.
Tumblr*
This
social platform allows users to see posts from all of the blogs they
follow in a single stream. Sort of Twitter, but with full text and more
images. You can populate your stream with content by others simply by clicking the "like" and "reblog" buttons.
Weebly
Simple website creation.
Wix
Free blogging platform. Student example here.
WordPress.com
WP-dot-com is free and easy to use. The dot-org version is not. WP-dot-com includes hosting and a domain name (yourdomain.wordpress.com) but your own domain name is only $15 more. Basic customization available (themes, colors, layout and fonts). Limited monetization and plugin options.
WordPress.org*
The most often used software for publishing on line. Pick your own domain name, host whereever you like, and add plugins as you like. Steeper learning curve that WP-dot-com.
