Best Blogging Platforms for Developers & Technical Content

Karl Hughes
5 min read
content-marketing
TL;DR: Choosing the right blogging platform depends on your technical needs and content strategy:
  1. For non-technical teams: WordPress (41% of all websites) offers the most extensive plugin ecosystem and user-friendly interface
  2. For developer blogs: Static site generators like Gatsby, Hugo, and Jekyll provide speed, version control, and customization
  3. For modern publishing: Ghost combines clean editing experience with headless CMS capabilities for flexible content distribution
This page provides comprehensive reviews, platform comparisons, and setup guides to help you choose and implement the best blogging solution for your technical content strategy.

There are dozens of blogging platforms you can choose from. On this page you’ll find reviews, comparisons, and tips for setting up some of the most popular blogging platforms. While some are aimed at technical blogs, most would work for any subject matter. Find even more technical content at Draft.dev and the Draft.dev Blog

Choosing the Best Blogging Platform for Technical Content

Choosing the right blogging platform is one of the first decisions any dev marketing team needs to make. This impacts site performance, content workflow, SEO capabilities, and long-term scalability. This guide covers popular blogging platforms, from traditional content management systems to modern static site generators.

Key Factors When Choosing a Blogging Platform

Consider these essential criteria before committing to a platform long-term:

  • Technical requirements: Developer-friendly features like markdown support, version control integration, and API access
  • Performance needs: Page load speed, Core Web Vitals scores, and ability to handle traffic spikes
  • Content workflow: Editing experience, collaboration features, and publishing automation
  • Customization level: Theme flexibility, plugin ecosystem, and ability to modify core functionality
  • Hosting and maintenance: Self-hosted vs. managed solutions, ongoing technical requirements
  • SEO capabilities: Built-in optimization features, schema markup support, and mobile responsiveness

Platform Reviews and Comparisons

The Best Technical Blogging Platforms

By Karl Hughes

One of the first decisions any developer marketing team needs to make is which technical…read more.

How to Use React DevTools in Safari

By Lucien Chemaly

React is commonly used for the frontend in static site generators like Gatsby and now…read more.

Getting Started with WordPress Development: A Developer’s Guide

By Naman Bansal

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS), supporting 41 percent of all websites…read more.

Complete Guide to Blogging Platforms

Writing a blog is one thing, but finding a place to publish it is quite…read more.

Using Ghost as a Headless CMS

By Jerry Ejonavi

Ghost, an open source publishing platform built with Node.js, provides a good editing experience and…read more.

Running Ghost on Docker for Your Developer Blog

By Arek Nawo

Ghost is one of the most popular open source blogging platforms. It boasts powerful features…read more.

React vs. Vue: A Modern Comparison

By Piero Borrelli

Choosing the best frontend framework can be a daunting challenge. New technologies are created every…read more.

Next.js vs. Gatsby

By Shaundai Person

React frameworks are software platforms that extend the capabilities of React web applications. Certain functionality…read more.

Introduction to Publii, the Static Site Generator

By Kealan Parr

There is so much to consider when making a basic website. You have to think…read more.

Hugo vs. Gatsby

JAMStack, which stands for JavaScript, API, and Markup, is the latest buzzword in the world…read more.

Jekyll vs. WordPress

By Richard White

There are many choices when it comes to building a website or blog, catering to…read more.

How to run your own Keyword Audit and Creating Topic Clusters.

Setting Up a Custom 404 Page with GitHub Pages

By Sodeeq Elusoji

In this article, I’ll be showing you how to create a custom error 404 page…read more.

Hugo vs. Jekyll: Which is Right for Your Blog?

By John Gramila

Static site generators create HTML sites, with predictable page layouts and content with regular presentation…read more.

Creating Gatsby Starters

By Ashutosh K Singh

GatsbyJS is an open-source React-based, GraphQL powered static site generator. You can create blazingly fast…read more.

Creating Hugo Themes

By Siddhant Varma

Lately, developers are adopting static site generators like Hugo to quickly deliver content to their…read more.


Blogging Platforms for Your Startup

By Karl Hughes

There are many good reasons to start a blog for your startup: to update your…read more.

Additional Resources

Looking for expert help with your technical content strategy? Draft.dev specializes in creating high-quality technical content for developer tools and B2B SaaS companies. Our network of experienced technical writers can help you scale your content production while maintaining technical accuracy and SEO best practices.

Explore more resources:

Visit the Draft.dev Blog for more insights on technical content marketing, or schedule a consultation to discuss your content needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best blogging platform for developers?

The best blogging platform for developers depends on your needs. Static site generators like Gatsby, Hugo, and Jekyll offer superior performance, version control integration, and markdown support. Ghost provides a modern editing experience with headless CMS capabilities. WordPress remains popular for its extensive plugin ecosystem and user-friendly interface.

Should I use WordPress or a static site generator for my technical blog?

Choose WordPress if you need extensive plugins, non-technical content editors, and dynamic functionality. Choose static site generators like Gatsby, Hugo, or Jekyll if you prioritize performance, version control workflow, and want full control over your site's code. Static sites typically load faster and have better security than WordPress.

What is a static site generator?

A static site generator creates HTML pages at build time rather than generating them dynamically for each visitor. Popular static site generators include Gatsby (React-based), Hugo (Go-based), and Jekyll (Ruby-based). They offer superior performance, built-in version control, and developer-friendly workflows compared to traditional CMS platforms.

Is Ghost better than WordPress for blogging?

Ghost excels at clean, focused writing with modern markdown editing and built-in SEO optimization. It works well as a headless CMS and requires less maintenance than WordPress. WordPress offers more plugins, themes, and community support. Choose Ghost for streamlined publishing or WordPress for extensive customization and plugin ecosystem.

How do I choose between Gatsby and Next.js for my blog?

Choose Gatsby for fully static sites with content from multiple sources via GraphQL, ideal for blogs with infrequent updates. Choose Next.js for hybrid static and server-side rendering, better for frequently updated content or sites requiring dynamic functionality. Both are React-based and offer excellent performance and developer experience.

Can I use GitHub Pages for a professional blog?

Yes, GitHub Pages works well for professional technical blogs, especially when paired with Jekyll or other static site generators. It offers free hosting, automatic deployment from Git, and custom domain support. However, it lacks dynamic functionality and requires technical knowledge for setup and customization.

What blogging platform is best for startups with limited technical resources?

Startups with limited technical resources should consider WordPress.com (managed hosting), Ghost Pro (managed Ghost hosting), or Medium for the simplest setup. These platforms require minimal technical maintenance while providing professional publishing capabilities. As technical resources grow, you can migrate to self-hosted solutions for more control.

About the Author

Karl Hughes

Karl is a former startup CTO and the founder of Draft.dev. He writes about technical blogging and content management.

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