The best website builder for a blog isn't always the one you'd expect.

Okay, real talk— I've probably tried every platform out there (and yes, I'm slightly embarrassed about how much time I've wasted doing this).

You know that moment when you're clicking around some bloated dashboard at 2 AM, wondering why every template looks like it was made for selling insurance? That's been my life for the past few years. I kept bouncing between platforms, each one promising they'd be "the one."

Spoiler alert: most of them just helped me build websites that looked more like boring corporate pages than actual blogs people would want to read.

But then I found beehiiv, and honestly? It just made sense.

I know what you're thinking—"WordPress is the obvious choice, right?" Or maybe you've seen those Wix ads where they make it look super easy to drag and drop your way to blogging success.

Here's the thing, though: after testing way too many of these platforms (seriously, my friends think I have a problem), I've realized the best ones aren't necessarily the most famous ones. What matters is finding something built for people who want to grow a real audience—not just scream into the internet hoping someone listens.

These days, when people ask me where to start their blog, beehiiv is always my answer.

Before I found beehiiv, I was frustrated with every blogging platform I tried:

I'll admit it—every time I returned to WordPress, I hoped this time the experience would be different—that somehow, I'd finally feel at home.

But each attempt left me more frustrated, more disconnected from my own writing, lost in a maze of settings and technical hurdles. I wanted something that made my passion for blogging feel effortless, not something that dulled my creativity with complexity and endless tinkering.

I craved a platform that stirred excitement, not regret.

Here's what I was looking for in a platform:

This is the kind of platform I needed— focused, integrated, straightforward, and adaptable.

That’s when I found beehiiv.

What really sets beehiiv apart from other blogging platforms is how it thinks about audience growth. Most website builders focus on getting people to visit your site. 

beehiiv focuses on turning visitors into subscribers and subscribers into engaged community members.

The growth tools feel integrated rather than bolted on. They're designed to work together to build a sustainable audience for your content.

Dakota Robertson, founder of Capital Creators and the Wrongs to Write newsletter, once shared, “What I loved about beehiiv right away was how simple the interface was. And, I mean, the level of support is fantastic too.”

Roberston added, “beehiiv just does everything I need it to. I don't need this crazy stuff or these extra features that I just never use.”

When I first discovered beehiiv, I was skeptical—it marketed itself as a newsletter platform, not a blogging tool. But that's exactly what made it perfect for audience-focused bloggers.

Unlike traditional blogging platforms that treat email subscribers as an afterthought, beehiiv puts audience building at the center of everything.

The platform gives you both a newsletter and a website from day one.

Every post you write can be sent to subscribers and published on your blog simultaneously. This dual-publishing approach means you're building an email list while creating searchable content—something most platforms handle as completely separate tasks requiring multiple tools and integrations.

Don’t take it from just me—Kaitlyn Arford, the creator of the newsletter Freelance Opportunities!, once said, “I had about 4000 people initially. Since I went with beehiiv in September, I now have 11,000 subscribers, and I don’t think I would have had that kind of growth rate if I hadn’t chosen beehiiv.”

beehiiv's website builder took me by surprise.

Instead of overwhelming me with hundreds of design options, it focuses on the elements that matter for a blog: clean typography, readable layouts, and clear calls-to-action.

The Styles tab is where you control your blog's overall look. I spent about 20 minutes choosing fonts and colors that felt right for my brand. The key insight here is that beehiiv doesn't give you infinite choices—it gives you good choices. You can pick from carefully curated font pairings and color schemes that work together.

I remember listening to Jon Finkel, an acclaimed author and the creator of the Books & Biceps newsletter, talk about the importance of design. Finkel said, “Just like authors spend significant time making sure we get the cover of our books right, newsletter creators have the same chance to make a powerful impression with their landing page and email design.”

He added, “The [beehiiv] Design Lab makes that possible to do on your own, even if you’re not a great designer.”

My simple setup:

The Layout tab is where the real customization happens. I could drag and drop sections to build my homepage: a hero section introducing my blog, a featured posts area highlighting my best content, and a clear subscribe section. What I love is that every layout element is optimized for both reading and subscribing.

Unlike WordPress, where you might spend days tweaking header layouts and footer menus, beehiiv's builder focuses on the essentials. You get clean navigation, properly formatted post pages, and author pages that look professional without any custom coding.

Here’s how to create your blog site page:

I prefer a prebuilt template option, so the fact that beehiiv offers layouts that thousands of successful bloggers and content creators have used simplifies that part of planning for me.

Here's how I actually use beehiiv for day-to-day blogging:

This workflow is streamlined because everything happens in one place. I'm not switching between WordPress, Mailchimp, Google Analytics, and social media scheduling tools.

After using beehiiv for several months, the writing experience keeps getting better. 

The editor is fast and responsive, with autosave that actually works. I've never lost content due to browser crashes or internet disconnections.

Most blogging platforms treat monetization as an afterthought. You're left to figure out how to add PayPal buttons, integrate with Stripe, or convince people to join your Patreon. 

beehiiv builds revenue opportunities into the platform.

The key advantage is that all these monetization options work together. 

A reader might start by subscribing for free, then tip you for a particularly helpful post, and eventually upgrade to a paid subscription. beehiiv tracks this entire journey and makes it easy to optimize.

One concern I had when switching from WordPress was whether beehiiv could match the SEO performance I was used to. 

After six months, I'm convinced it's actually better for most bloggers.

The simplicity actually helps with SEO. There are fewer moving parts to break, and every element is optimized for performance.

This is where beehiiv's philosophy really clicked—email list building is core to the platform, not an afterthought.

Traditional blogging platforms make you install pop-up plugins, connect third-party email services, and hope everything works together.

beehiiv flips this model entirely.

Every visitor sees clean, integrated subscribe forms that match your site's design automatically. No jarring pop-ups or clunky third-party embeds that break your site's aesthetic. The forms feel natural and optional, which paradoxically leads to higher conversion rates than aggressive pop-up strategies.

They also have a feature called Boosts.

One of my favorite features. This feature helps grow your list through cross-promotion with other newsletters. When someone subscribes to your blog, they might see recommendations for complementary newsletters, and you get paid for successful referrals.

It's audience growth and monetization combined into one elegant feature.

Linda Hwang has extensive experience in B2B marketing and previously worked at a renowned international facilities management company. There, she played a crucial role in creating effective content and social media marketing plans. Now, Hwang is a marketing consultant who helps small businesses create compelling brand stories.

I've tested the most popular blogging platforms over the years.

Here's the honest comparison:

While WordPress is undeniably powerful, its complexity quickly becomes a burden. Instead of pouring energy into creating meaningful content, I find myself trapped in technical upkeep—exactly the opposite of what drives my business forward.

Price also played a factor into my decision to pick beehiiv.

WordPress.org "Free" Setup

WordPress.com

Medium provides clean writing, but it offers no business control.

Pricing:

Medium works for some publications.

One of my favorite creators, Dave Schools, started his content on Medium. During an interview, he mentioned, “I was watching Ev Williams, one of the co-founders of Twitter, with what his next project was going to be. And it was the platform Medium. I was early and waiting for Medium to open its doors.”

School continued, “I created a publication—a repository for all my writing and learning about starting a business and launching a startup. Since I was early, and because I protected the quality of the editorial direction of the publication, it attracted writers, and I had some viral stories go off.”

School’s creation became the Entrepreneurial Handbook (EH), a top-tier publication on Medium. Schools mentioned, “We have a contract with Medium directly. We get paid to publish. There are many great writers on Medium. We scout and hunt for top voices in the startup and entrepreneurship space.”

My opinion: Substack is closest to beehiiv's model but falls short:

Pricing:

Another one of my favorite content creators and social media geniuses is Samir Mezrahi, the innovative mind behind the social media trend, Zillow Gone Wild, started on Substack.

During an interview, he walked us through his journey, “I started on Substack before coming to beehiiv. I was one guy doing Zillow Gone Wild, so my publishing frequency varied from every other week to every month or two.”

Wix is great for general websites, but not optimized for audience-building bloggers.

Pricing:

 Squarespace excels at beautiful design but lacks the tools serious bloggers need to grow.

Pricing:

To be transparent, beehiiv has some limitations, but it might not be a big deal for most content creators.

beehiiv keeps things streamlined by focusing on core newsletter and blogging features.

Unlike WordPress, which offers an endless plugin ecosystem for virtually everything imaginable, beehiiv opts for simplicity and quality over quantity. This translates to—you won’t find tons of templates or endless customization options—think of it as having a few great shirts rather than a closet full of mediocre ones.

For many bloggers—that’s a win.

If you’re looking to build a complex website with multiple post types, custom databases, or advanced functionalities, WordPress or other platforms might be more suitable.

Or, if your main goal is e-commerce—selling products directly from your site—platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce are better options.

Large team collaboration and multimedia-heavy content, like videos or podcasts, are also better handled elsewhere.

beehiiv shines brightest with text-based content, supporting images and simple embeds, making it ideal for writers focused on storytelling, audience engagement, and monetization through subscriptions, sponsorships, or affiliate marketing.

Dakota Robertson mentioned, “For anyone who wants a newsletter or simplified email marketing, it does everything I need it to. When you get the Scale plan, it has great data analytics on who you're sending the emails to. It gives you good feedback.”

For those new to email newsletters, beehiiv's features might feel a bit unfamiliar at first, but the effort to learn pays off—email lists are gold for independent creators.

beehiiv makes a conscious trade-off: fewer customization choices for a platform optimized for writing, audience growth, and revenue generation.

If that aligns with your goals, you’ll probably love what it offers. If you need complex features or custom designs, other platforms might be more your style—but for most content creators focusing on content and community, beehiiv hits the sweet spot.

The best website builder for a blog is the one that gets out of your way and helps you connect with readers.

For me, that's beehiiv.

If you're tired of fighting with your current platform, it might be worth trying something built specifically for bloggers who want to grow. The beauty of beehiiv is that you can test everything without any major commitment or time investment.

Here's exactly how to get started—it takes less than 30 minutes:

That's it.

In 30 minutes, you'll have a complete blog with built-in email marketing that's ready to grow with you.

You don't need a perfect design or comprehensive content strategy to begin.

For bloggers who want to focus on creating great content and building an engaged audience rather than wrestling with technology, beehiiv offers the best balance of simplicity and power available today.

It's not just a website builder—it's a complete platform for content creators who take their craft seriously.

Try beehiiv free today!

No credit card required. No time limits. Just the tools you need to build a blog that actually grows. Start your first post in the next 30 minutes and see why thousands of successful creators have made beehiiv their home for audience building and content monetization.

Your future subscribers are waiting. Give them something worth reading.