12 12
12 12

WordPress vs. Substack vs. Ghost vs. ?

by
James Liberty
James Liberty
Profile picture of James Liberty
James Liberty
Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
11 replies
Can I get your thoughts on the pros and cons of WordPress versus it's various competitors like Substack, Ghost, Medium, etc.? (I'd like to launch a membership site for humor writing).

Substack looks very easy, but it looks like they take an extra 10% cut of profits.

WordPress seems a bit less simple and I worry about website security a bit (I'm only slightly tech savey. I used WordPress once or twice before, and got hacked).

I'd love to hear your thoughts.
#ghost #substack #wordpress
  • Profile picture of the author Devilfish168
    Devilfish168
    Devilfish168
    Profile picture of Devilfish168
    Devilfish168
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    Do you use wordfence for your WP? for security purpose.
    Signature
    Find The Job That Fits Your Life
  • Profile picture of the author agmccall
    agmccall
    agmccall
    Profile picture of agmccall
    agmccall
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    Go with what you know. I have been using wordpress for years and will stick with it. If someone is totally new then look at the options and choose what is best for you.

    al
    Signature

    "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

  • Profile picture of the author CyberSEO
    CyberSEO
    CyberSEO
    Profile picture of CyberSEO
    CyberSEO
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    Originally Posted by James Liberty View Post

    Can I get your thoughts on the pros and cons of WordPress versus it's various competitors like Substack, Ghost, Medium, etc.? (I'd like to launch a membership site for humor writing).

    About 1/3 of all websites on the Internet run WordPress. Also it's the only CSM with an absolutely enormous baggage of themes and plugins for any possible and impossible customization needs. I think these two facts say it all.
    Signature
    CyberSEO Pro - the ultimate AI autoblogging and RSS, XML, HTML, JSON and CSV import plugin for WordPress with support for OpenAI o1, Claude, Gemini, Llama 3, Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion and more.
  • Profile picture of the author RMRC
    RMRC
    RMRC
    Profile picture of RMRC
    RMRC
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    I dont know much about the other options you mentioned, but WordPress is used to run many complex sites for large multinational corporations and manage small businesses/ blogging sites. It is definitely secure. Sorry to hear about your past experience with being hacked. Perhaps you need a better plugin for security on your site.

    Also WordPress sites tend to rank high for their keywords, largely because they're constantly being updated and because WordPress includes a variety of tools and plugins for optimizing content for SEO. Mobile responsiveness is also a factor in Google rankings, so websites need to look good on any device and WP offers a variety of responsive theme designs, and you can also make a static site responsive with plugins and adjustments to theme files.

    WP is such an adaptable and flexible platform for changing needs over time, I would honestly stick with it.
  • Profile picture of the author Jeanne71957
    Jeanne71957
    Jeanne71957
    Profile picture of Jeanne71957
    Jeanne71957
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    The advantage of Substack, especially for beginners, is that all you have to do is create an account and start writing. No need to set up your own website or do any of that 'techy' stuff. And it's free, as long as your content is free. Once you start charging for subscriptions, they take 10%, which actually seems quite reasonable, as they are doing the hosting and all the other stuff you would have to pay for with WP or any other platform you choose to use on your own website.

    If all you want to do is run a simple blog, this is what I would go with. I've used WP before, and it can get quite complicated at times.
    Signature

    Lean how to Avoid the Pitfalls of an Online Business. Also, check out my blog on natural health.

  • Profile picture of the author Food Forest Plants
    Food Forest Plants
    Food Forest Plants
    Profile picture of Food Forest Plants
    Food Forest Plants
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    I use WP but only because I wanted the webpage to be really mine and no one else owns it (like with Shopify). That said Wordpress if complex and your head might explode in the process. On the other hand side you could always pay someone later to clean up the backend a little. It is really not easy and there are tons of plugins and alone to decide which ones are good will take a lot of time. But if you have just text and you don't want it complicated no selling etc. Why not?
  • Profile picture of the author alanaj
    alanaj
    alanaj
    Profile picture of alanaj
    alanaj
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    WP may take you a bit more time to customize, but I prefer it 100%. That being said, it's important to use a system that works for you. You'll be able to better manage it and make changes, updates etc. quickly and easily.
  • Profile picture of the author MyeshaE
    MyeshaE
    MyeshaE
    Profile picture of MyeshaE
    MyeshaE
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    Despite some security flaws. WordPress is still better option.
  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    talfighel
    talfighel
    Profile picture of talfighel
    talfighel
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    I am using Wordpress and have been for a while now.

    What I like about it is that most people you hire in places like FIVERR, know how to deal with them.

    If you want better security for your wordpress website, there are people on there who can help you protect your website better.
    Signature
    Learn How Ordinary People Are Building
    Real Wealth With Gold And Silver...
  • Profile picture of the author Faceless Men
    Faceless Men
    Faceless Men
    Profile picture of Faceless Men
    Faceless Men
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    I don't know if you have heard about SSGs (Static Site Generators) but they are one of the best tools to build and manage your website if you know some development stuff. I use them exclusively and host on GitHub for free
  • Profile picture of the author entrepreneurjay
    entrepreneurjay
    entrepreneurjay
    Profile picture of entrepreneurjay
    entrepreneurjay
    Posts: Threads: Thanks: Account age: less than a second
    Wordpress will always be the best choice because Wordpress runs 43% of all websites on the Internet..

    Lots of plugins, themes, options, etc.

    Plus, the platforms not going out of business any time soon.

    That said, go with what works best for your situation.
    Signature
    Free Email Funnel Generator That Converts Leads into Sales—Affiliate Marketer’s Secret Tool!!

Trending Topics