10 Best Free Blogging Platforms & Websites to Start a Blog for Free
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Are you looking for the best blog websites to make money and help you establish a captivating blog filled with content? Or maybe you want your readers to not just enjoy your publications, but also allow them to interact with you and each other freely? If so, then keep reading to learn more about the top 13 platforms that will help you establish a blog for free.
Before we start, let’s take a look at the 5 best blogging platforms from our overview:
| Name | Developer | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | Free | Customizable blogs with powerful content management |
| Medium | Free or from $5/mo | Community-oriented publications |
| Wix | Free or from $4.50/mo | Personalized blogs |
| Tumblr | Free | Short blogs featuring visual media |
| Substack | Free | Newsletter-based blogs |
Top 13 Best Free Blog Websites
Regardless of your blog’s topics, having an accessible and free-to-use platform for interaction with your readers & subscribers is vital for any blogger. Due to this, many blog creator websites are experiencing increased popularity. While not all modern sites for bloggers may be completely free, they still provide an incredible range of benefits. Here are some of them:
- Free publishing: One of the main reasons for bloggers to choose free blog sites to make money is connected with free publishing. While being accessible to everyone, such solutions provide a diverse range of publishing tools, making the use of various paid apps or services unnecessary.
- Quick & easy setup: Most of the best blog websites allow easy setup and don’t require any expert knowledge from users. This is also one of the reasons to choose modern free blogging sites.
- Detailed analytics: Built-in analytical tools help writers track the success of their posts and learn more about what interests readers without having to pay for any third-party software.
- Zero maintenance cost: The developers of blog creator websites usually handle the maintenance of their site and all blogs located on it. That’s why many blog authors tend to choose such services when looking for a sustainable website providing trouble-free publishing tools.
No wonder that with such a wide selection of features and functional advantages, new & experienced blog authors wonder how to make a blog for free. Now, let’s find out more about the top 13 blogger sites to help you get started with your creative publications.
1. WordPress
For the start of our overview, we chose arguably the best free blogging platform. We are talking about WordPress, which is also known to many as the world’s leading CMS. Designed as an open-source & user-friendly platform for blogging, it is one of the main choices when it comes to creating a free, responsive, and content-rich blog.
One of the main benefits that WordPress provides is full control over every aspect of your blog. From content to performance and design, you can easily modify anything you want to make the best blog websites meet your readers’ expectations. Besides, with a diverse choice of page builders, such as Elementor and Gutenberg, creating new posts and pages will be a simple task that doesn’t require any coding.
Key features:
- Constant free updates;
- Lots of free & premium plugins to enhance your blog’s functionality, including for extra actions, such as appointment scheduling plugins, forums, website performance, etc.
- SEO-friendly and ready for mobile devices;
- Perfect for all types of blogging, from a travel blog to culinary;
- Strong & supportive user community.
Free WordPress Themes and Plugins to Kickstart Your Blog
Talking about the benefits of this best free blogging platform, we need to mention the variety of themes and plugins available for WordPress. They not only enhance your blog but can also completely transform it when you apply the right tools. For example, if you aim for deep customization that doesn’t require advanced coding, we recommend using Stratum (works for Elementor sites) and Getwid (works for the default WordPress block editor). These are free plugins that improve the functionality of the abovementioned Elementor and Gutenberg builders by providing widgets and blocks that feature professionally designed elements for your blog.
When it comes to the design of an online blog, we recommend using block-based themes for WordPress since they can be easily customized. Such solutions as Prime FSE can be used as a canvas for your blog. This theme has a variety of design elements to help you get started with online publishing. Another suitable solution is Getwid Base. Optimized for Gutenberg page builder, it comes with a range of pre-designed blocks to not only improve your blogging but also to make the result more attractive.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | WordPress Foundation | Free | 2003 |
2. Medium
Medium is one of the highly popular platforms when it comes to free blogger sites. In case you have an idea or a story to share, this platform is one of the best places since it doesn’t require any paid registrations to get started. While you can support the platform and authors by purchasing a membership starting from $5/month, most of the posts on Medium are available to read and publish for free.
As the second-best free blog platform on our list, this solution provides tools for basic text formatting available before you publish the post. Similar to WordPress, the platform allows you to share your publications as well as add links and featured images to them. This will help to attract readers’ attention. Moreover, Medium supports the customization of SEO data, such as title and description, to properly display your post in search results when using the best free blogging sites.
Key features:
- Highlights & embeddable elements;
- Social cards for more interactive sharing;
- Tags & in-line notes;
- Different topics for each publication;
- Built-in SEO tools.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | A Medium Corporation | Free or from $5/mo | 2012 |
3. Ghost
Ghost CMS is a fitting platform for bloggers who need an independent and open-source solution for publishing their content. With it, you can easily create and share your articles using modern tools that focus on speed and simplicity. Authors can use it as a blog website builder to not only deliver posts but also monetize them. Additionally, this platform provides extensive customization tools, allowing you to control every aspect of your blog’s design.
Aside from content, Ghost blog also allows you to manage memberships and keep track of your readers’ interests through analytics, aside other features. The platform also works as a Tumblr alternative, supporting diverse media for your blog posts. All in all, it is arguably the best website builder for blogs and publishing thanks to its varied range of features and supplied integrations.
Key features:
- Powerful editing tools;
- Easy-to-use blog dashboard;
- Membership functionality;
- Email newsletter support;
- Offers and promotions for readers.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | Ghost Foundation | From $9/mo | 2013 |
4. Weebly
Weebly is a website builder similar to Wix that provides an extensive choice of themes and tools for blogging. It is a perfect starting point if you don’t want to pay for your site’s hosting and domain and just want to start publishing using one of the several provided designs.
As one of the best personal blog websites currently offering 8 ready-made themes for blogs, Weebly delivers basic customization features with full access to text formatting and publishing tools. As a result, you get everything necessary to create any kind of blog in a few clicks, be it about lifestyle, food, or fitness. Additionally, you can get access to extra features, such as connecting a custom domain for a small monthly payment.
Key features:
- User-friendly visual editor with SEO tools;
- Optimized for mobile platforms;
- Fully customizable site templates;
- A variety of blocks for your content.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weebly | Block, Inc. | Free or from $6/mo | 2007 |
5. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the next online solution on our list and also one of the best blog websites for beginners. Used primarily for establishing professional connections, this social network provides free-to-use publishing tools. If you don’t plan to establish a separate website with a unique web design for your blog, this way of creating written content is worth checking out.
While being completely free to all registered users, the included tools are somewhat limited. For example, you can only choose from 2 heading styles. Additionally, the display of the final result will be defined by LinkedIn’s layout. However, you can schedule your posts for later and even provide an SEO title and description to appear higher on Google search results.
Key features:
- Simple text editor for your blog posts;
- Built-in Microsoft Designer for AI content generation;
- Post scheduling;
- Customizable data for search engine optimization.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Corporation | Free | 2003 |
6. Tumblr
Tumblr is one of the best blog websites oriented towards visual content more than just text. This solution provides a perfect place to publish your thoughts and ideas. Combining the best from the worlds of blogging and social networking, Tumblr allows you to express yourself in various ways. If you find traditional blogging too dull and lacking in media that is usually seen on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or Facebook, we recommend giving Tumblr a try.
Unlike some social networks, Tumblr doesn’t offer a strict word limit. This makes the platform a perfect choice for personal blog websites. Moreover, you can connect a custom domain without any additional payments or buy a domain from the platform starting from $5. As for the content, Tumblr supports various types of posts, ranging from traditional text to images, video, audio, and even chat. Getting started with publishing is free, and it may even help you build a greater community than on any other blogger sites.
Key features:
- 7 available blog post types;
- Integrated advertising tools (Tumblr Blaze);
- Custom domain support;
- Well-developed post tagging system;
- Limited blog customization features.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumblr | Automattic | Free | 2007 |
7. Substack
Substack is a newsletter-based blogging solution that allows you to deliver written content regularly to your subscribers. Regardless of the content you want to publish, this is the best free blog platform to get started for free if you aim to earn from your blog in the future. With the support of audio, video, and text-based publications, Substack is one of the best blog websites when it comes to publishing your ideas, tips, or just anything on your blog, especially if you already have fans or followers on other resources and social media.
While creating and publishing with this platform is free, once you decide to provide members-only content and monetize it, Substack will charge 10% off each subscription, while the remaining 90% goes to you (minus credit card fees). This makes the mentioned solution a great one for new bloggers who want to grow their audience. Luckily, you can export all your subscriber data to CSV at any time and move to any other blogging platform with similar features (such as Ghost or Medium).
Key features:
- Powerful post editor;
- No publication limit;
- A variety of topics and tags;
- Easy export of subscriber data.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Substack | Substack Inc. | Free (10% fee from monetized content) | 2017 |
8. Joomla!
If you’d like to publish using a CMS rather than any other best free blog platform on our list, we recommend trying out Joomla! Being less popular than WordPress but still rather feature-rich, this solution is a great package for a new blog. Additionally, it can be of great use if you’re looking for something more flexible than Medium or Substack.
However, Joomla! has certain downsides, too. For example, the visual design of the built-in content editor is somewhat outdated. Additionally, just like WordPress, this tool requires hosting and a domain to work. But if you are looking for one of the simplest and best blog websites that works out of the box and is fully customizable, Joomla! has got you covered. With diverse extensions and templates, it can surely be a great choice for any blog.
Key features:
- Simple yet effective blog editing tools;
- Wide choice of themes and extensions;
- Open-source and fully customizable;
- Optimized for search engines.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joomla! | Open Source Matters | Free | 2005 |
9. Hashnode
Many web developers may need a blog to share their knowledge and build a community of supportive readers. However, regardless of your experience as a developer, it is sometimes easier to create content having a blogging CMS pre-configured to your needs. Hashnode is the best free blogging platform for modern developers who not only like publishing but also need certain features, such as webhooks & analytics.
Being a free solution built just for developer bloggers, this one of the best blog websites provides an extensive set of advantages even on its free plan. Their variety is what makes Hashnode a CMS rather than just a simple blogging solution. For example, you can not only control your content but also customize the blog’s design, use the powerful blog dashboard, apply APIs to enhance your blog, and more.
Key features:
- Best choice for developer bloggers;
- WYSIWYG post editor with support for highlighting and embeds.
- Built for performance and user-friendly blogging;
- Automated GitHub backup of your articles.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hashnode | LinearBytes Inc. | Free | 2020 |
10. Blogger
Lastly, we’ll take a look at Blogger, one of the best blog websites originally launched in 1999 and owned by Google. If you don’t want to develop a blog from scratch and need to start your blog quickly and trouble-free, Blogger may be a suitable choice, especially for personal blogs. From analytics to design customization, the platform provides the essentials without overwhelming you with dozens of settings and interface elements.
As a modern solution and the best website to create a blog, Blogger delivers everything you’d expect from the best free blogging platform. For example, you get to choose from 12 themes and multiple color variations for your blog’s design. Additionally, as a blog owner, you can freely modify the layout and add widgets to the sidebar or other areas. When it comes to creating new posts, Blogger provides a workspace similar to Google Docs with varied formatting tools and extensive text customization. While not an innovative platform for bloggers in its functionality, it certainly delivers everything necessary for beginner bloggers for free.
Key features:
- Multiple themes with customizable color schemes;
- Blog monetization with Google AdSense;
- Detailed analytical tools;
- Support of custom domains.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blogger | Free or from $6/mo | 1999 |
11. Write.as
The next platform on our list of free blogging solutions is Write.as. Being minimalist in its design but feature-rich, it provides an easy way to help you post your content and share it online right away using an integrated blog builder. Thanks to its straightforward writing approach, you can start blogging or journaling without any financial commitment. Similar to some platforms mentioned earlier, you can monetize your content without having to connect with third-party solutions. These and other advantages make it a great alternative to Tumblr.
Moreover, as the best platform for blogging blog software, it takes care of your privacy and independence, while providing features for blog customization and performance of your page on Write.as. With its help, you can concentrate on creating posts. From saving drafts to publishing right away and creating posts of any length you need, this solution comes with a distraction-free environment, allowing you to write posts you need to shape your blog efficiently.
Key features:
- Flexible and free writing space;
- No registration required;
- Rich text editor;
- Multiple privacy-centered options;
- Open developer API included.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Write.as | Write.as | Free | 2015 |
12. WriteFreely
While Write.as is a ready-made solution allowing you to get started with writing right away, Write Freely works as a separate tool that you can install on your server if necessary. As an open-source writing platform by the same developers, it provides an easy and free way to manage your blog and build a community around your content. Designed to run on nearly any hardware, this self hosted blogging platform doesn’t require a lot of resources and has a minimalist interface to help you concentrate on your blog.
If you are a blog host who needs a lightweight blog platform without worrying about its security, WriteFreely can be a perfect choice. Besides, with its help, you can invite more writers to contribute to your blog. Moreover, this one of the blog apps is compatible with fediverse, allowing other sites like Mastodon and Pleroma to receive your posts in their social feed just by following your blog. The blog created with WriteFreely is also SEO-optimized, helping you to promote your content online.
Key features:
- Easy to install;
- Minimalist design;
- Markup & RSS support;
- SEO-friendly blog page layout;
- Page customization.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| WriteFreely | Write.as | Free | 2014 |
13. Wix
One of the popular website builders and the best blog websites, Wix, also provides considerable tools for publishing and sharing your ideas and posts. For example, you can easily create personal blog websites with this platform using a varied range of pre-made designs. Besides, feel free to add blogging functionality and enjoy the experience, while providing quality content the way you want.
Wix provides easy & free access to its blogging & customization tools. However, to unlock all the features and get a full understanding of what this solution provides, you may need to purchase a premium plan that starts from $4.50/month.
Key features:
- Easy-to-use blog builder;
- Multiple designs with customizable content elements;
- Free & secure website hosting;
- Advanced tools for SEO & content marketing.
| Name | Developer | Price | Launched in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wix | Wix.com Ltd. | Free or from $4.50/mo | 2006 |
Do I Get Free Blog Hosting?
Any blog creator looking to get started with an open-source blogging platform sometimes gets puzzled by various technical details of setting it up. For example, you may be unsure of where to get a blog hosting account or ask yourself, “How to make a blog for free?”. Luckily, the best blog platforms, including those listed above offer free hosting included with their paid plans. Moreover, very often you can get a free plan with limited posting options as well as free hosting.
In case you want to get started with an open-source solution on a free server, you can often find many providers that help you with the question of how to start a blog free. However, keep in mind that those are used for testing rather than long-term hosting. Eventually, as a blog maker, you need to simply make a choice between two options – hosting it yourself (using providers, such as Kinsta or Bluehost) or entrusting your blog to the best blogging platform with a free plan, like Substack or Write.as.
How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Blog
Aside from getting a hosting for your online blog for free, it is also necessary to take care of a domain name for it. Many best blog platform options listed in this article, such as Blogger or Wix, provide a free domain or subdomain. Others, like Substack, support connecting a custom domain. If you choose to buy a domain from a third-party provider, here are some tips to follow:
- Choose short and simple names;
- Use keywords;
- Make it reflect your blog’s purpose;
- Check availability;
- Choose an appropriate domain extension.
Following these simple recommendations, you can easily choose a free domain for blog that not only fits it but also helps you to promote it, rank higher in search results, and make sharing content more efficient. With a dedicated domain for blog, your website will easily develop a foundation for future growth and ensure the online success of your publications.
How to Make Money with a Blog
While you may choose to start blogging to share your content online, you may be wondering how to start a blog for free and make money. Some platforms may offer direct ways to create free blog and monetize your content using built-in tools. Still, you may additionally boost your earnings using other methods alongside utilizing blogging software. They include various ways of marketing that apply to blog posts. One of the common methods is to partner with brands to promote their products on your blog via sponsored posts. Other promotional techniques for those who want to start a free blog include:
- Memberships: Create exclusive content for paying members. Many blog sites for writers like Medium or Write.as provide this feature, allowing you to earn from your blog posts right away.
- Affiliate marketing: Similar to sponsored posts, you can earn money on your content by including affiliate links to your content when promoting products and services of third-party providers on your blogging platform. If you are just discovering how to set up a blog for free, we still recommend researching companies and websites that offer affiliate programs in the sphere that meets your blog’s topic.
- Selling digital products: Another way to earn from your articles is to use them to promote your services and products. From ebooks to templates and copywriting services, you can use what you do best to both promote your content and monetize it, even if you just learn how to start a blog website.
- Displaying ads: One of the most traditional ways of marketing can be applied to your blog, too. This includes using platforms like Google AdSense to display relevant ads on your blog’s website. Even the best blogging platform to make money is certainly compatible with this marketing method.
WP.org vs WP.com for Free WordPress Blog
While there are many platforms available today that can’t be used for blogging, you may still be wondering how to start your own blog for free. For this purpose, WordPress is arguably one of the most popular options. However, it is offered in two versions, available as two different solutions.
For example, WordPress.org is a downloadable and easy-to-install CMS that requires separate hosting with support for PHP and MySQL. It provides you with a free content management tool designed for setting up a customizable blog using a variety of available free and premium themes. This option also supports plugins that can enhance the default functionality of this platform. For example, you can install additional page builders like Elementor or Brizy, improve the security of your free WordPress blog, add membership functionality, and more. However, choosing this option requires more involvement in regular website updating and maintenance.
WordPress.com, in turn, is owned by Automattic, a team contributing to the CMS development. Choosing it allows you to worry less about maintaining your blog, especially if you go for a premium plan. Instead, you can concentrate on creating content for your WordPress free blog. Additionally, this platform provides fewer plugins and themes to choose from compared to the installable CMS option. The final choice depends on your needs, budget and how much time and effort you can dedicate to website maintenance.
| WordPress.Org | WordPress.com |
| Requires compatible hosting & domain | Free subdomain & hosting |
| Free & premium themes & plugins from WordPress catalog and third-party vendors | Only supports themes and plugins from WordPress. com catalog |
| Requires manual maintenance, support is provided by theme & plugin developers | Paid support from the theme of WordPress.com, no support on the free plan |
| Plugins provide various integrations | Google Analytics integration |
| Unlimited customization | Customization depends on the plan you choose |
| Full eCommerce support | eCommerce support requires the Business pricing plan |
| Full access to SEO tools | Limited SEO capabilities |
| You retain access to your data | WordPress.com can limit content based on the terms of service |
| Available free of charge but requires free or paid hosting & domain | Available for free with basic features, paid plans offer more functionality starting from $4 per month |
Conclusion
If you look forward to sharing your knowledge & ideas with the world, then starting a blog is an excellent choice. Moreover, it will help you build an audience interested in your publications and the creative style of your blog. Getting started with any of the best blog websites we mentioned above will simplify the first steps for you as a blogger. Furthermore, there are multiple benefits to using these solutions rather than developing a blog from scratch:
- Focus on content: Using any of the mentioned blogger sites allows you to focus on writing and publishing new articles right away, without having to think of your blog design and features first.
- Rich functionality: The feature range is often one of the main decision-making factors when it comes to choosing a platform for personal blogging sites. Whether it’s an easy-to-use text editing toolkit or a secure space for your readers, certain functionality matters more than the design-oriented features of the best free blog platform.
- Customization: Improving the appearance of a blog was a tool available only to web developers until now. Luckily, some of the blog creator websites allow you to change your blog’s design without having to develop or code anything at all.
- Pricing: While all of the solutions we covered in this article offer free blogging options, some of them also allow you to improve the blogging experience without costing you a fortune. If you’re ready to enhance your publishing process or want to reach more potential readers, this may be a great decision.
