Welcome to the fast-paced world of digital publishing where every click, tap, and swipe holds the potential to connect your words with a wider audience. It's crucial to have the right tools at your fingertips to reach your audience.
Join us as we explore various digital publishing platforms and features that can help you find the perfect fit for your literary ambitions in 2024.
Here are the topics and platforms we'll be covering in this blog post:
- What is digital publishing?
- Platforms for blog content VS digital magazine platforms
- Best digital publishing platform comparison for blogs
- Best digital publishing platforms comparison for digital magazines
- Streamlining your digital publication workflow
What is digital publishing?
Digital publishing refers to the publication of content for consumption in digital formats, such as blog articles and the digital editions of magazines. In today’s world where content marketing reigns supreme, businesses of all sorts usually engage in some form of digital publishing.
Platforms for blog content VS digital magazine platforms
Publishing a blog article is very different from publishing a digital magazine.
Blogs are typically published with a content management system (CMS) to store all media and articles in one place and to provide a user-friendly way for marketers and content creators to publish content without help from website developers.
Digital magazines, on the other hand, need to be formatted for easy consumption across phones, tablets, and desktops. They are not published with a CMS, but rather with a flipbook-creator or digital-magazine-creator.
For these reasons, we’ve split up our platform comparison into two categories:
- Best digital publishing platform comparison for blogs
- Best digital publishing platforms comparison for digital magazines
Now, let's dive right into our comparisons!
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Best online publishing platform comparison for blogs
When I say "digital publishing," you might think of Huffington Post articles, or you might think of lying down on a couch reading through the recent digital edition of Forbes Magazine on your iPad.
Digital publishing refers to both articles and flipbooks. Both of these are completely valid ways for readers to consume their favorite publications, and for their part, digital publishers need to adapt and serve their audience with the format that fits.
First up, let's look at your options for publishing digital articles (not flipbooks or online books — we'll get to those next).
1. StoryChief
StoryChief allows content teams to create and publish interactive articles across multiple channels with one click. This allows businesses to generate more awareness and leads while saving up to 6 hours of time per story. There is aneditorial approval flow and SEO tools built-in.
StoryChief acts as a layer above your existing CMS system (eg. Wordpress, Adobe AEM, Sitecore, Drupal, Webflow, ...) which keeps contributors away from the complex backend of the main website.
Example sites
Let's have a look at two examples of StoryChief use cases.
Example site #1: Userpilot
Userpilot is a popular tool for user onboarding and increasing product-led growth. They use StoryChief to easily manage freelance writers and publish content to their blog. Userpilot’s content manager can brief and assign content, review and comment, publish approved posts, and promote them all in one place.
Example site #2: Hotelchamp
With Hotelchamp, hoteliers can increase bookings through their own website and digital advertising on Google, Tripadvisor, and Trivago. Their blog is full of resources on creating a conversion-optimized hotel website, improving ROI from Google Hotel Ads, and ways to drive traffic for more direct bookings. They use StoryChief to manage content collaboration and distribution.
The pros of using StoryChief for digital publishing
- Integrates with WordPress, Webflow and other content publishing platforms so your contributors don’t have to work in the backend of your website
- Overall Ease-of-use: the editor is made to create content-rich articles, not documents
- One-click publish to all your channels and to new channels provided by the system
- No formatting is necessary afterward, the layout will adapt to the main website automatically
- Easy to use for non-technical team members (doesn't require IT involvement)
- Saves time on online content promotion and distribution, not just collaboration
- Pre-schedule content for publication and promotion, and includes an editorial content planning tool
- Very affordable plans for companies of any size
- Measure the performance across all the channels in one clear dashboard
FYI: With StoryChief, reporting and analytics are seamlessly integrated into one powerful tool, making it easier than ever to track content performance. Create a free account and start optimizing content today. 🙌
The cons
- No digital asset management system. However, you can upload files into your media library as well as connect DropBox, Google Drive, OneDrive or Bynder.
- May require use of another CMS (such as WordPress or Webflow) to make a fully customizable home page for content
2. Adobe Experience Manager
Adobe Experience Manager allows digital publishers to bring their content management system (CMS) and digital asset management (DAM) in one central place that integrates to the Adobe Creative Cloud.
Example Sites
Example site #1: Hershey's
Yumm. Okay, let's try not to get distracted. Hershey's uses Adobe Experience Manager for all of their site content, including dozens of recipes. And with summer on the way, there's of course an entire section of their site dedicated to s'mores. The readability on each recipe is superb, and as a whole they are easy to sort through and discover.
Example site #2: American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society publishes treatment advice, support columns, stories, research updates, news, events and more on their website built with Adobe Experience Manager, which allows them to publish content across several categories while maintaining an easily navigable site.
The pros of using Adobe Experience Manager’
- Ease of use for nontechnical admins when product is already configured by the development team
- Robust digital asset management with tagging and sorting
- Perfect for companies using Adobe CC for content and design
- Allows for collaboration between authors and editors
The Cons
- Requires adept development team to configure initially
- Requires editorial team to have ongoing interaction with the development team for ongoing training and help with commonplace technical issues
- Could necessitate external consulting if no one in-house is experienced
3. Webflow
Weblow is a WordPress-alternative that’s growing in popularity because it allows designers to create attractive websites without having to learn how to code or asking a developer to help.
However, Webflow is still complicated to use, so you’ll need a talented Webflow designer to create your blog layout, individual blog style, and content categories so you can start publishing.
Example sites
Example site #1: Showdigs
Showdigs offers software and services for property managers in large cities in the US. Their blog is designed with webflow, and they prominently feature one blog post in the center, while recent blog posts are displayed on the right-hand side.
Example site #2: Flowrite
Flowrite is an AI-powered writing tool that helps find grammar issues and generate content based on your simple commands. The main use case is for responding faster to emails. For this reason, the blog has tons of email productivity hacks and email templates.
The pros of using Webflow for digital publishing
- Integrates with StoryChief for streamlined content collaboration
- Offers beautiful, modern blog styles
- Content categories can be customized to create interesting blog layouts
The cons
- Can be hard to find talent who specializes in Webflow
- The user interface can be difficult for content marketers to learn
4. Sitecore
Example sites
Example site #1: San Diego Tourism Authority
Built with Sitecore, Sandiego.org is the official website of the San Diego Tourism Authority. There's tons of content on what to do in San Diego, and everything can be sorted by city neighborhoods and surrounding areas.
Example site #2: ONYX Hospitality
ONYX Hospitality uses Sitecore to rapidly update website content and resources as needed. With the web content management system, non-technical site administrators can easily update existing website pages without the help of a developer and publish news items about their hotel brands.
The pros of using Sitecore for digital publishing
- Best-in-class for personalizing content to user groups
- Highly scalable for heavily trafficked websites
- Multiple users can share and access content in one place
- Well-received by developers, who are able to achieve whatever they set out with it
The cons
- Too high of a cost, in a world where profitability alludes even big-name publishers
- Involvement from internal or external developers is required, the editorial team can't configure the framework on their own
- Too complex for most needs
5. WordPress
WordPress is a content management system that is affordable, relatively easy to use and setup, and extremely widespread. 75 million websites (approximately 27% of the internet) are powered by WordPress.
Example sites
Example site #1: OkDiario
OkDiario is a Spanish digital newspaper that covers political news across Spain. The website categorizes news articles by the department as well as by region. With WordPress, there are several different templates that make such news sites fairly easy to set up.
Example site #2: TechCrunch
Also built on WordPress is everyone's favorite place for tech news: TechCrunch. Startups, apps, and gadgets are among the top categories on the TechCrunch site.
The pros of using WordPress for digital publishing
- Easy to set up and configure
- Free to use WordPress.org, just pay for your hosting and any plugins you need that have a paid version only
- Because it's so widespread, many digital editorial team members are already skilled in it, and little to no training is required
- Most of the features you need like categorizing, tagging, different user permissions, author bios, etc.
The cons
- Requires content to be entered from other formats (Word docs, Google docs), which necessitates a lot of manual tasks, particularly with formatting content and uploading photos
- Requires you to give access to your main website in order to collaborate with writers and other team members
- WordPress has a huge community of contributors, but this is both good and bad. Because they don't talk to each other this creates a lot of inconsistency and errors, meaning some plugins can't work together, the code can be poorly produced, plus it requires a lot of maintenance and its security is vulnerable.
6. Ghost
Ghost is a website builder that makes it easy to create content-driven sites. For this reason, it’s popular amongst content creators like YouTubers, bloggers, and podcasters.
However, large companies can use Ghost too. It has built-in SEO, making it a good fit for content teams across any industry.
Example sites
Example site #1: Fastmail
The Fastmail blog is dedicated to content on email privacy and productivity. The tool offers email management where your data isn’t shared with advertisers (unlike Gmail). Their blog features 6 content categories which users can navigate to by selecting from the Topics drop-down menu.
Example site #2: Duolingo
As one of the most popular language apps in the world, Duolingo serves over 30 languages. Their blog uses a simple chronological layout, with different content categories, including learning, research, engineering, etc. for their hundreds of blog posts.
The pros of using Ghost for digital publishing
- Offers an alternative to WordPress for those who don’t like the UX
- Includes built-in SEO features
- Makes it easy to design a unique, attractive blog
The cons
- It can be difficult to find talent that knows how to use Ghost
- There are no plugins to add functionality that Ghost doesn’t offer
- Doesn’t integrate with StoryChief for content collaboration
7. Foleon
Foleon is a content creation platform that enables users to easily create interactive content that aligns 100% with their brand.
Use it to:
- Collaborate & distribute content
- Template content to publish content and stay on-brand
- Analyze audience engagement insights
Comparison for digital magazine platforms and flipbooks
Next up: flipbooks! Unlike digital articles and blogs, flipbooks are entire magazines. Flipbooks improve upon standard PDF format with HTML5, allowing them to easily scale to multiple devices while making the "flipping" far more intuitive. With a PDF, you'd be scrolling down and up, but with flipbooks, you can move left and right as if you were flipping the pages of a magazine. Here's the digital publishing platform comparison for flipbooks.
1. eMagazines
eMagazines is one of the most-used digital magazine platforms by magazine publishers in the US. The company offers mobile-optimized digital editions and mobile app development for magazines.
The company only operates as a service, however, meaning it might be too expensive for very small publishers who want to do everything themselves in house.
Example magazines
Example magazine #1: Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated parters with eMagazines for their digital magazine editions, their mobile app (which delivers digital magazines to subscribers), and for the landing pages for selling more digital subscriptions.
Example magazine #2: People
All of People’s digital editions are created with eMagazines. The company also delivers these digital editions to subscribers via email notifications and their mobile application.
The pros of using eMagazines for digital magazines
- Every aspect of creating a digital magazine is handled for you
- More cost-effective than managing it in-house, for large and medium publishers
- Ancilliary services are available, such as app management and landing page creation
The cons
- No do-it-yourself option (they only offer done-for-you or done-with-you technology and services)
- Too expensive for very small magazine publishers
2. Vertiqul
Vertiqul is another option for creating and publishing digital magazines. The online publishing platform can also be used for digital newsletters, media kits, and brochures.
Example magazines
Example magazine #1: Bucknell University’s magazine for prospective students
Bucknell University uses Vertiqul to digitally share their prospective student magazine, which offers all of the benefits of attending Bucknell University, as well as answers to common questions.
Example magazine #2: LIV Sotheby’s
LIV Sotheby’s is a print and digital magazine devoted to covering high-end real estate listings in Colorado, as well as local restaurants and activities. LIV Sotheby’s makes use of Vertiqul to easily publish their digital edition for desktop and tablet reading.
The pros of using Vertiqul for digital magazines
- Affordable for small or infrequent publishers
- DIY software
- Optimized reader for tablets and desktops
The cons
- Not well optimized for mobile devices
- Doesn’t offer advanced reporting
- Doesn’t offer mobile app creation or management
- Jack of all trades (probably not a fit for major magazine publishers)
3. Issuu
Issuu is one of the top digital magazine platforms for publishing. Readers can sign up for an account and browse free publications and also buy individual magazines and subscriptions. From the publisher's perspective, one of the top features is being able to serve readers your content in a distraction-free setting. No tabs, no ads. Just your magazine content. Ready for the digital publishing platform comparison for Issuu?
Example magazines
Example magazine #1: Where Magazine Las Vegas
Where Magazine publishes monthly magazines in a variety of locales, not just Las Vegas, but Los Angeles, Sydney, Venice, London, and many others. If you're heading to just about any major city, sign up for Issuu and do a quick search to see if Where Magazine covers that city. If they do, you're in for a treat: all the best events and attractions happening that month. These magazines are free. They make their revenue from local advertisers in each city. That's why getting wide distribution with Issuu is so important for them.
Example magazine #2: Go Escape
Unlike Where Magazine, which specializes in each city, Go Escape by the USA Today Network covers top destinations by location. It's not only a travel magazine but is more of a lifestyle magazine as well. Published twice per year for each region, it is sold on newstands and available on Issuu.
The pros of using Issuu for flipbooks
- No distractions for readers
- Easy to manage payments and subscriptions for readers
- Access new readers in the Issuu ecosystem
- Pre-schedule content for publication
- Embed videos inside of magazine pages
- Affordable lower tier plans
- Can integrate with StoryChief to embed magazine issues in blog posts (such as for a post announcing the new issue is available)
- Easy to share on social media
The cons
- The only plan including their team collaboration tool may be too expensive for some publishers
- Small number of templates means that most publishers will need to do the heavy lifting when it comes to page layout and design
4. DCatalog
DCatalog is a digital publishing solution that is focused not only on digital magazines but also on other enterprise needs as well, such as catalogs, customer support guides, and other marketing- or business-related material. Let's take a look at the digital publishing platform comparison for DCatalog.
Example magazines
Example magazine #1: International Society of Aboriculture
DCatalog makes it easy for companies and organizations to gate their magazines on their site. For example, the International Society of Aboriculture requires a society membership to review each month's issue of "Arborist News," which allows them to incentivize new memberships and deliver exclusive content.
Example magazine #2: Lockton
Lockton is an insurance company that uses DCatalog to publish attractively designed books that review customers' benefits. It's an important reminder that flipbooks can be used not only for publications, but also marketing material, product catalogs and customer service as well.
The pros of using DCatalog for flipbooks
- Multiple-use cases: magazines, guides, catalogs, lookbooks, brochures, training & HR, online directories, newsletters, and more
- Content can be made widely available on the website, gated, or private
- Robust design tools that are great for businesses, like saving and applying custom branding and hosting in a custom domain
The cons
- Some features and functionality may be unnecessary for digital publications that are not intended for marketing purposes
- It may be too costly for many companies
5. Readymag
Readymag is a versatile digital publishing platform designed for creating visually stunning web-based projects. It’s an excellent choice if you need to produce immersive content with a strong focus on design. Whether you’re crafting digital magazines, landing pages, or interactive presentations, Readymag offers plenty of customizable templates.
It supports interactive elements such as animations, hover effects, and scrolling features that make your publications more engaging. Although it doesn’t support PDF content directly, its design-first approach makes it a strong option for those seeking visually compelling digital experiences.
6. Ceros
Ceros is an ideal platform for brands looking to produce high-quality interactive content without coding knowledge. Known for its advanced interactivity features, Ceros allows you to create interactive infographics, eBooks, and marketing materials that captivate audiences.
Its drag-and-drop editor enables users to add various interactive elements, such as embedded videos, clickable hotspots, and dynamic animations. Although it doesn’t directly handle PDF content, Ceros shines when it comes to delivering engaging, immersive content that tells a story through interaction.
7. Maglr - Online Publishing Platform
Maglr is an online publishing platform focused on creating interactive presentations, digital magazines, and company brochures. It’s designed for marketers and designers who need to produce interactive elements easily.
Maglr provides two different editors: a Pro editor for designers and an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor for marketers. It handles the embedding of multimedia, interactive infographics, and even third-party apps. While Maglr doesn’t support traditional PDF content, it’s perfect for creating rich, immersive content that works seamlessly across devices.
8. Publuu
If you’re looking to convert PDF content into engaging digital flipbooks, Publuu is a top choice. This platform allows you to transform static PDFs into interactive digital publications by embedding links, videos, and other multimedia elements.
Publuu also provides realistic page-flipping effects that enhance the reading experience. It’s an ideal solution for businesses or educators who want to present PDF content in a more dynamic way, incorporating interactive features that increase audience engagement.
9. Joomag
Joomag is a robust platform for businesses looking to create, distribute, and track digital publications. Whether you're creating marketing brochures, digital magazines, or reports, Joomag integrates interactivity, allowing users to add multimedia such as videos, slideshows, and forms. It also allows users to embed and manage their PDF content.
Joomag offers detailed analytics to track how readers engage with your content, making it a comprehensive solution for those who need both interactivity and audience insights.
10. Magloft
Magloft is an intuitive digital publishing platform that helps you convert your PDF content into interactive, mobile-responsive digital publications. This platform supports a seamless transition from static documents to interactive elements like videos, links, and slideshows.
Magloft's strength lies in its ability to help publishers create mobile apps or web apps for their magazines or newsletters, offering a high level of interactivity that can transform static content into an engaging, immersive experience.
11. Flipsnack
Flipsnack is a user-friendly platform perfect for converting PDF content into interactive flipbooks. It supports the embedding of multimedia elements like videos, links, and even shopping buttons, making it a great option for those looking to create interactive brochures, catalogs, or magazines.
The platform’s drag-and-drop editor allows users to enhance their PDF content with interactivity, making it more engaging and visually appealing.
Key takeaways from this digital publishing platform comparison?
If you've noticed, digital publishing may require multiple platforms. If you publish both magazines and digital articles, then it is a given.
Even if you only focus on one content type, you may need an additional tool to help streamline your workflow.
StoryChief lets you...
- Distribute content across multiple platforms (your Webflow or WordPress website, Medium, LinkedIn articles, and more)
- Promote content (social media, employee advocacy, influencer marketing, press lists, etc.)
- Embed podcasts and Issuu publications inside of blog post
- Save hundreds of hours collaborating with content contributors
Learn more about how to use StoryChief in conjunction with WordPress or any other digital publishing platform to save dozens or hundreds of hours for your B2B content marketing and editorial content collaboration, distribution, and promotion.
Join 5,000 marketing professionals and teams who already save multiple hours every week on creating and distributing content. Create a free account and start publishing today. 🙌
