There a few reasons really: 1. You have much more control about how your words are presented on your own website. Got an interesting idea for a style? Know how

There a few reasons really: 1. You have much more control about how your words are presented on your own website. Got an interesting idea for a style? Know how to code some neat features for the site? Want to avoid ads or calls to donate or subscribe altogether? Go for it, you've got the power to do just that. 2. You're not under corporate control like you'd be on a 'platform' and can't be as easily bullied off the internet by angry scumbags in a social media lynch mob. Oh sure, it can still happen if you annoy people that much (see, a certain far right website that had trouble finding a host recently), but you're still more protected than on a service that cares only about saving its own reputation. 3. If you don't like the service, you can move elsewhere and keep the same URL, theme and content. 4. All money made via the site goes to you rather than a middleman. 5. And well, it's really closer to what the internet should be in general. We should be supporting people who setup their own sites and ventures, and who don't merely help walled gardens become more popular or dominant online. Plenty of reasons really.