Ask HN: Which platforms to use to build a personal website?

If your website is going to be static HTML pages, I suggest using Github Pages.

https://pages.github.com/

For a personal website, primarily with static content with maybe the exception of a blog, you could use something like Jekyll or Hyde (Ruby & Python respectively) along with bootstrap assuming you wanted to have granular control and not have to learn an (or be limited by) a given CMS or platform. Just a thought.

I'd say one choice is to build it on Wordpress, possibly hosting it in a managed Wordpress hosting provider.

Another would be to use a tool such as Jekyll and host it as static files with any web server.

Either way, I'd recommend that you buy a template to use as a starting point.

I'd recommend Weebly.com.

It's fast and easy.

I use Ghost hosted on a Digital Ocean droplet. It was super easy to set up since DO has a droplet preconfigured with Ghost. It only costs me $5/month. I've liked the set up so far.

Wordpress is the best way to go. It is the most popular choice, easy, and has everything you will need. Unless you have some specific reason to prefer something else - go with wordpress(self hosted).

It depends on what you want. Ghost is great, and my go-to choice if I don't want to do any backend work. On the other hand, building it from scratch makes it an addition to your portfolio.

Python, Pelican, Bootstrap Theme

Any lamp hosting would be good. AWS/Azure/heroku are an overkill for such a need. As many pointed out, wordpress can take care of all your needs. Even though I would recommend a lamp hosting instead of a managed wordpress hosting.

A very cost effective way is to go for Baby plan (around $3) on Hostgator, 1 click Wordpress install and you are good to go. I have used many shared environments in past several years, HG shared account can easily handle 5k - 8k visitors a day if wp is optimized properly.

http://www.webhook.com with the Webhook Internet Presence theme (http://webhook-theme-internet-presence.webhook.org, source code: https://github.com/webhook/webhook-theme-internet-presence)

Tumblr.

Thanks guys for the great suggestions, I might just go with Wordpress to start with - although I am liking the look of github pages as well.

If you're trying to show off your ability to build websites, GH Pages will be a better bet than Wordpress. The source is easily browsable, and you'll have, y'know, built it.

If what you do has nothing to do with building websites, then just go with Wordpress. You'll get something that looks good (if not super original) without too much effort.