Blogging platforms for writers, authors, and essayists

There are many softwares out there for blogging. If you have discovered this article, it means you have a very specific niche.

You are more than a blogger.

A writer.

Let me list a few renowned blogging platforms for you that are considerably good options and in the end I will try to make a case for lykhari and why you should consider that too.

• WordPress is the most popular platform on the entire internet. 43% of all websites on the internet are made in WordPress. It works but it doesn't just work. You have to work hard to make it work for you. It's bloated, clunky, and archaic. It's more of a website builder than a blogging platform. For many features and optimizations you have to pay and it gets really expensive really fast. It is not for writers in my opinion but I mentioned because it is very popular.
• Ghost is a publishing platform. It has good SEO features and could be a good platform for writers. One downside is that it costs $11/month for starters. Its value lies in having multiple people working on the same blog, customizations, and third-party integrations like media publications. For solo writers, it's an overkill but definitely a platform worth looking into.
• Medium is a popular platform among writers. Unfortunately, it is a closed platform where you can't build your personal mailing list. You can't export your mailing list and you become locked in to the platform. Which is why I said it's a closed platform designed to keep you in the system. It's not a bad choice but the downside is after you choose Medium, you have no choice later down the road even if Medium doesn't remain a very viable platform. It did happen as Substack took over the concept of Medium with better features.
• Substack is a popular platform among writers. It's the new medium for the new internet. Unfortunately, similar to Medium, it's a closed platform that is building an entire ecosystem of it's own. It has a very strong community and equally strong lock-in, which is why I stay away from it too. Just like Substack took over Medium, a new(fresh) platform will take over Substack and you will be locked in to Substack.

A bit about me

I am Kashif. I have been writing on and off for more than a decade. I write essays, random stuff, do journalling, share fictional short stories, poetry, etc... I am a programmer too and have been at it for a decade.

I started writing with Blogger, then switched to WordPress and then to Ghost.

Blogger had a very limited, archaic set of features. the platform never evolved. WordPress is a bloated mess and you can't get many things right easily. I loved Ghost the most. It came with a $11/month price tag. Ghost started targeting media publications more than solo writers.

Given my 10 years of software development, I decided to build a platform for solo, independent writers. Casual and Pros. Something open. Something lean. Something well thought out. Especially to build a business, a platform that listens to customers and not investors.

About lykhari

I made https://lykhari.com/ all by myself. No investment was taken unlike Substack which works for hyper-growth and investors because they have raised more than 80 million from investors. I do not plan to have any stakeholders except customers and myself. My most important stake is that my own blog runs on this platform too.

If you are casual and write sparingly you can start a free personal blog.

If you are a pro, you get to build an audience, send emails, AI-generated marketing feed, off-the-shelf SEO, and very soon an ability to monetize your audience.

If you do try lykhari, I can personally help you through onboarding if needed. I can listen to your feature requests. I can import your content from other forms. You can find me on Twitter (now X). Email me at kashif at lykhari [dot] com.

We can grow this thing together and I assure you it covers 95% of regular blogging needs for a price no other platform offers. Also free to get started.

If you are looking for a simple free blogging platform for writers where you can build a little space for yourself on the internet, build an audience in the form of a mailing list, reach your audience's email boxes, find inspiration, have a shot at ranking on search engines for your niche, try lykhari.