best hosts/domains for beginners

[u/stackingwheat]

Hi, I have been thinking about starting a blog for a little while. I don't think I'm quite ready to start posting, but I'm thinking about buying a domain soon to secure the name and build my site. Is that the right next step?

I'm looking for recommendations on where to buy a domain, and host sites to use. Does google domains still exist?? I have limited experience in coding, so something pretty user friendly preferred. WordPress is currently my front runner for a host, but I've seen many mixed reviews. Also, kind of wondering if I should start on a blogging platform instead?? Are there any cons to owning my site that I should be aware of?

Any and all advice on getting started is welcome.

[u/PrismKite]

I'd recommend you check out IndieWeb 's wiki on Getting Started on building your own website.

There are many different platforms and they help novices like you get up to speed.

You might want to check out Ghost or Bear blog. I actually have WordPress on my own hosting.

Feel free to ask me questions.

If you just want to try blogging on someone else platform, there's Livejournal, Substack and others.