I launched a poll a little over a week ago – asking users which blogging platform they prefer to use – and the results so far have been quite astounding (hardly shocking), and it’s clear that WordPress is dominating the whole blogging and CMS industry. You can preview the results on the poll’s page, hosted by Polldaddy.

WordPress started in 2003 with a single bit of code to enhance the typography of everyday writing and with fewer users than you can count on your fingers and toes. Since then it has grown to be the largest self-hosted blogging tool in the world, used on millions of sites and seen by tens of millions of people every day.

Is it better than premium services like Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace? I’m more than certain that the opinions on this matter are going to differ quite a lot, especially for those who’re working with smaller scale websites, and don’t yet understand the potential of self-hosted CMS platform.

By default, WordPress is incredibly easy to use, most hosting platforms will offer a one-click installation feature and you’ll have a ready-to-go website in less than two minutes. The same goes for using WordPress as a full-scale CMS platform, it’s so easy to find pre-built templates and plugins that can help with this.

I’m going to try and attempt to list some of the advantages and disadvantages of using each company, and will sum up my thoughts of WordPress at the bottom of the page, I do hope that you find the opinions sincere, and will not cling on to them just because one person told you to do so!

Why is WordPress better than Squarespace?

Right out of the bat, the first problem we encounter is the pricing. You’re entitled to a free 14-day trial, but I don’t think that is going to be even remotely enough to understand the service, and all the features that it has to offer. After the trial ends, you’re given a choice to upgrade and become a customer, or leave and find a different website builder.

$8/month is not that bad, but given the fact that WordPress offers full flexibility with both internal and external problems, I find it difficult to pay so much for such a limited amount of features. For example, the cheapest plan – personal – will only enable you to sell one product at a time, seems kind of restricting!

Why is WordPress better than Wix?

We do have to take into consideration the fact that a WordPress self-hosted installation is going to require a hosting account somewhere, but companies like DigitalOcean, BlueHost, and HostGator can take care of that problem for us, for a very cheap price. Wix gives you a free webpage to build, hosted and maintained by their team of engineers.

It also seems very silly of Wix to provide a blogging service to its customers, while themselves – operate a WordPress installation on their official blog. Yes, the blogging tools that Wix provides for its customers are very different, and lack any serious features. In short, Wix is more of a service for those who need a single page website, showing a few pictures and information on how to get in touch.

Why is WordPress better than Weebly?

Hooray, Weebly knows how to use its own software to power its many pathways. Great! All jokes asides, Weebly has been around for what seems like an eternity. They’re definitely a household name when it comes to website builders, and provide a reasonably good quality service.

Weebly gives millions of people a surprisingly easy and affordable way to create a site that is as unique as they are. With a Weebly site, people can start their own business, communicate with their clients, showcase their achievements, and be an authority on personal and professional interests.

I’m quite happy with the service that Weebly provides, their premium plans start at as low as $4/month, and you always get access to their extensive list of features. Truth to be told, I’d probably recommend Weebly over WordPress to a beginner webmaster – any time of the day. Weebly is a learning curve in the world of novice development.

WordPress Continues to Stack Up in Popularity Points

I’m sure we all could find faults and problems within many different hosting platforms out there, as the title suggests – this was a quick overview of why a WordPress self-hosted installation might be better than depending on a website builder like the ones mentioned in this post.

WordPress provides the user with a lot of flexibility, and although some common HTML/CSS knowledge is required, these days – developers themselves build plugins and themes around the fact that not everyone is a programmer, and so in turn make the process of customizing the site a very easy one.

Besides, website builder platforms aren’t really built to scale for a large audience, and trying to serve 50,000 users on a free hosting plan might come biting back at you. Have you used a free website builder before, and what has your experience been?

About the author: Alex has been working with the web for nearly ten years, his experience ranges from single tasks like managing a website, to full blown web development, mostly within his own projects. Find more of his writeups on CodeCondo.