Why You Need a Personal Website
Social media profiles are rented land — platforms change their algorithms, policies, and even shut down. A personal website is the one corner of the internet you fully own. It's your canonical home base: where your best work lives, where people can contact you, and where you control the narrative entirely.
But which platform should you use? The answer depends on your goals, technical comfort, and budget.
Platform Comparison at a Glance
| Platform | Best For | Ease of Use | Customisation | Starting Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com | Bloggers, writers | Medium | High | Free (paid plans from ~$4/mo) |
| Squarespace | Creatives, portfolios | High | Medium | From ~$16/mo |
| Framer | Designers, developers | Medium | Very High | Free (paid from ~$10/mo) |
| Carrd | Simple one-page sites | Very High | Low | Free (Pro from ~$19/yr) |
| Notion + Super.so | Minimalists, writers | High | Low-Medium | Free + ~$12/mo for Super |
| GitHub Pages | Developers | Low | Very High | Free |
WordPress: The Most Flexible Option
WordPress (self-hosted via WordPress.org, or hosted on WordPress.com) powers a huge proportion of the web for good reason. Its plugin ecosystem is unmatched, giving you the ability to add almost any functionality you can imagine. The trade-off is a steeper learning curve and more ongoing maintenance. Best for anyone who wants a content-rich site with long-term flexibility.
Squarespace: Beautiful Without the Fuss
Squarespace is the go-to for creatives who want a polished, professional site without touching code. Its templates are genuinely beautiful and cover portfolios, resumes, blogs, and more. The drag-and-drop editor is intuitive. If you prioritise aesthetics and simplicity over deep customisation, Squarespace is hard to beat.
Framer: For Design-Minded Builders
Framer has emerged as a favorite among product designers and developers. It offers far more visual control than traditional website builders and includes features like animations and responsive design tools that are rare at this price point. It has a steeper learning curve than Squarespace but rewards the effort with exceptional results.
Carrd: The Fastest Path to Online
If you just need a clean, professional one-page site — a bio, links, and a contact form — Carrd is remarkably good. It's the quickest way to establish a web presence, and at its price point, it's one of the best deals in the space. It's limited in scope by design, but for a personal landing page, that's often all you need.
GitHub Pages: The Developer's Choice
For software developers, a GitHub Pages site (often built with Jekyll, Hugo, or just plain HTML/CSS) signals technical competence in a way no drag-and-drop builder can. It's free, fast, and gives you complete control. The downside: you need to be comfortable with version control and static site concepts.
How to Choose
- Just want a quick presence? → Carrd
- Creative professional with a portfolio? → Squarespace or Framer
- Plan to blog or create lots of content? → WordPress
- Software developer? → GitHub Pages or Framer
- Writer who lives in Notion? → Notion + Super.so
Whichever platform you pick, the most important thing is to launch. A simple, live site beats a perfect site that never ships.