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So you’ve decided to start a blog. A popular place to start is WordPress. You have two options: WordPress.com, which offers free blog hosting, or WordPress.org, which is free blogging software you can download and then use to create your blog on a hosted site.

The free blog hosting allows you to set up a simple blog, with plenty of options for format and style. You can purchase certain features that customize your page.

WordPress.org lists four hosting services that it recommends. Here are some of the features of each that may help you choose a host that’s right for you:

Bluehost – Costs start at $6.95 a month (billed upfront for 12-, 24- and 36-month packages) and include free domain registration and unlimited domain hosting, hosting space, file transfers and email accounts.

Dreamhost – Monthly charges start at $8.95 a month (also billed in yearly packages upfront) and include very similar features as Bluehost. Dreamhost does offer a two-week free trial and free WHOIS privacy control, something you have to pay for at Bluehost.

Media Temple – Plans start at $20 a month and have limits, albeit large ones, on storage space, network transfer amounts, number of domains available and number of email accounts. Their domain registration is cheaper and they emphasize their ability to handle traffic spikes with ease.

Laughing Squid – With fun-size packages starting at $6 a month (billed monthly), Laughing Squid promotes arts, culture and technology. They don’t offer domain registration or any programming support, but they are awfully personal and make the hosting experience seem almost human.