Because blogging has gotten so much easier in recent years, here are my picks for the top ten free blogging sites you should use to build your first site and set the stage. foundation for what’s to come on your blogging journey.
Blogging has a long and rich history. Since 1993, people have been creating blogs that interest them, generate income, or help promote their core businesses.
Since you’re here on my blog, I’m assuming you’re interested in starting a blog of your own. .
You may have a deep calling to blog about a personal passion. Or, you may want to start a niche blog as a side hustle to make money blogging outside of your day job. Whether you want to blog for family photos, monetization, or to let the world know about your passions, chances are you don’t want to spend a lot of money to get started.
While there are many blogging platforms available on Nowadays, not all of them are free. However, a free blogging site allows you to experiment without creating financial strain. It’s a great way to get creative and find your voice without spending much more than your own time up front.
If you want to use a free blog site to boost your blog, I’ve compiled my list of 11 Best Free Blogging Sites You Can Get Started With Right Away.
11 Best Free Blogging Sites To Create Your Blog For Free In 2023
- WordPress (self-hosted)
- Wix
- WordPress. en
- HubSpot
- Weebly
- Medium
- Blogger
- Ghost
- Tumblr
- Joomla
- Yola
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission. When you buy one of the products I recommend using one of my affiliate links, I get compensated by the company, which helps me run this blog and maintain my content at no charge to you. Know that I only recommend products that I personally endorse.
Once you’ve used my free keyword research tool to pick the right niche blog topics and are ready to build a profitable blog, head over to my Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog.
Want to Start Your Blog (The Right Way)?
Check out my Ultimate Guide: How to Start a Blog ( to the side).
1. WordPress (self-hosted)
My number 1 recommendation among the best blogging sites free blogs en: self-hosted WordPress. WordPress currently powers 34% of the websites on the Internet.
Self-hosted WordPress, also known as WordPress.org, is an open source platform for building a blog and it’s 100% free. because the creators of WordPress believe in the democratization of publishing and the freedoms that come with open source.
In other words, the people who built and run WordPress believe that people should have access to a platform where they can post the things that matter to them, in the way they choose to. That is the power of purpose behind this free blogging site.
Who is a self-hosted WordPress blog for?
One of the main reasons Why I recommend -hosted WordPress as the best free blogging site to use is that it’s a great choice for a wide range of bloggers (and different blogging budgets, too).
If you’re a An absolute beginner learning what a blog is today, or running a six figure website, WordPress gives you the best tools to create an amazing site capable of structuring a profitable blog business plan around it. Most importantly, a WordPress-powered blog can grow with you as you develop your style, branding, and content over time.
As WordPress.org explains: “Many WordPress end users don’t have a technical minded. They don’t know what AJAX is, nor do they care what version of PHP they’re using. The average WordPress user just wants to be able to type without any issues or interruptions.”
On the other hand, they go on to say that with the many themes, plugins, and access to coding (if you want), those bloggers who have The more technically minded also have the freedom to build their own websites however they want.
Whether you’re a new blogger or a seasoned blogger, WordPress is most likely your best bet for creating free blogs. sites: hands down.
Self-hosted WordPress overview
WordPress.org (also known as self-hosted WordPress) is an open source content management system (CMS) created in 2003 with the goal of providing the world with a truly free blogging platform. Open source means software that is provided free of charge and can be modified by others. CMS is a software or program that allows you to create and manage your digital content.
WordPress is completely free to use, but you will need to sign up for a paid monthly web hosting plan and purchase a domain name in order to use it. (i.e. self-hosted).
We’ll go into more detail about web hosting below, but it’s important to note that it’s extremely affordable to run a self-hosted WordPress blog – think $ 2 at $10/month.
What is WordPress hosting?
Hosting refers to a company that hosts your website so you can be seen on the internet. Without it, your blog is not live or readable by others.
In order for your content to be stored and distributed correctly, you need what’s called a server. A web server is connected to the Internet and receives requests (people who want to read the content of your blog) and responds by displaying the pages of your website.
A home computer is not configured to properly host yours site web (without some serious modifications and expenses). That’s why you need the best web hosting plan from a reliable company to make sure your blog is connected to the Internet.
My personal recommendation for affordable and reliable web hosting is Bluehost. I have used them for years and am very happy with their services.
Even if you choose their cheapest plan (around $2.95/mo), you will have many great features such as a free SSL certificate that makes your website ultra-secure, unmetered bandwidth and a free domain name, along with their excellent 24/7 technical support to respond any questions you have.
They are also one of three hosting companies specifically recommended for WordPress (like these managed WordPress hosting plans) and offer an easy one-click installation to install WordPress as the site Free blogging to boost your blog. the scenes.
Examples of websites built on self-hosted WordPress
Jane Goodall Institute
The Pioneer Woman
How to make a living
A look inside self-hosted WordPress (free blogging site)
If you log into your WordPress account and select “Add a new post”, this is the screen you will see.
A few plugins were added in this free blog example, including Elementor and Yoast SEO.
In the WordPress editor, you can add media, change text, add a contact form, and many other things.
If you want to add a new page, you’ll be taken to a screen that looks pretty identical to the one below. adding a new screen blog post.
Here you can add different things or you can use the Elementor plugin to use drag and drop drop interface for easy viewing.
The free version of Elementor gives you a series of “widgets” in the left column that you can use to customize your site.
Advantages of self-hosted WordPress as a free blogging site
Customization and Flexibility
One of the most attractive features of self-hosted WordPress as a free blogging site is that it is highly customizable. There are over a thousand themes to choose from and over 55,000 plugins. Many of the themes and plugins are free to use, but there are premium ones that add even more functionality as well.
With WordPress.org, you can do whatever you want with your blog. Even start a podcast and embed episodes of your show with easy-to-use widgets and plugins, just make sure you choose the right podcast hosting platform.
Easiest blogging site to monetize 💸
If you plan to monetize your blog, WordPress.org is a good choice. You can monetize your blog in any way you choose. Zero restrictions.
If you also want to use your blog as an eCommerce site, you can use a plugin like WooCommerce (one of best eCommerce website builders on the market) to accept payments, display products, and manage inventory.
It’s a free blogging site that grows with you
Unlike many of the other free blogging sites, WordPress can grow with you. If you find that you really like blogging and want to take it to the next level, WordPress can take you there.
Disadvantages of Self-Hosted WordPress as a Free Blogging Site
Hosting is not free
The WordPress blogging platform is free, but you will still have to pay for self-hosting. You will also need to pay for a domain name with WordPress.org. This can be a turn-off for you, especially if you’re looking for something that’s completely free.
But, as your blog grows, you’ll probably want to find a platform that offers a lot more flexibility than the others. free options. Instead of upgrading to a plan like Wix or Weebly, you can find a fairly cheap hosting plan and build a blog that is exactly what you want.
Higher Learning Curve
WordPress is a good choice, even for newbies, but it has a higher learning curve than some of our other free blogging sites like Wix or Weebly. The interface isn’t as easy to navigate as the other what you see is what you get (WYSIWYG) website builders on this list, without the right theme and page builder.
If you want To use a drag and drop page builder to create your blog, I recommend Elementor. Here’s what it looks like behind the scenes:
Elementor has an amazing free version that you can use and allows you to check out how your site will look like before you hit publish.
Plus, when this page builder is combined with the Elementor WordPress theme (free), it’s a lightning-fast combination that will make your blog stand out. quickly and set it up well for months and years to come.
Maintenance
One last potential downside to using self-hosted WordPress as your blogging platform, is that you You are responsible for managing and maintaining everything on your blog. That includes things that ensure security plugins are secure, regular backups are made, and updates are made live.
Some of these things may be provided to you through your subscription plan. web hosting, especially if you are using superior hosting. company like Dreamhost or Bluehost, but regardless, it takes a little longer to maintain than some of the other free blogging sites we’re covering here.
2. Wix
Wix first came on the scene as a free blogging platform in 2006. Since So, it has provided a website platform to 150 million people. It is also used in 190 countries around the world.
Wix is a website builder with a drag and drop interface. It’s software (WYSIWYG) so you know exactly what your blog will look like before you hit the “publish” button.
They have several paid plans, but they also offer a free option.
Who would like Wix
Wix is a good option for someone who wants a really easy way to start their blog for free. If you want to start a blog without having to deal with things like security, backups, hosting, etc., Wix is a good choice. Wix takes care of all of that for you, even on their free platform plans.
The free version of Wix wouldn’t work for someone looking to monetize their blog or create a more custom look.
Wix Overview
Wix was created by three founders who wanted a “platform that would allow anyone to create their own website without the need for coding or design knowledge” . Hence their continued focus on providing a free blogging site option to new bloggers around the world.
In other words, they wanted to create a really easy way for people to create a blog or site. Web.
With the free version of Wix you get:
- Up to 500 MG of storage
- Up to 500 MB of bandwidth
- Customer Support
Wix Website Examples
If you want to start a food blog and keep it ultra simple, here is a Good example of how to do it on this free blogging site:
And here’s an example of a more portfolio-oriented site:
These are examples that Wix highlights as what you can create with their free blog site tools.
They are visually very impressive, but they were probably created using Wix’s more premium plans.
A Look Inside Wix
Wix is a true drag and drop builder. That means it takes features from the left side column and places them directly on the page. You can then manipulate text, images, videos, apps, and more simply by moving them around.
The great thing about Wix is that you can really change any element on your pages.
One of the drawbacks of Wix as a publisher, however, is that it doesn’t offer the same flexibility with blogging features like it does so on its most static pages.
The blogging interface is pretty basic with Wix. There are a limited number of settings for images and text, which makes this much less attractive for a free blog site.
Advantages of Wix as a free blog site
Very easy to use
There is no denying that Wix is really easy to use. With drag and drop to the website and the ability to see exactly what you’re getting, it’s very simple for beginners.
Completely free (if you stick to the right plan)
The free version of Wix is completely free. No need to sign up for hosting or a domain name.
Disadvantages of Wix as a Free Blogging Site
Wix Branding and Advertising Wix
Like WordPress.com, if you use a free Wix site, your site will be Wix branded (which is a standard feature of all free blogging sites).
The Wix name will be in your URL and there will be Wix advertising on your site.
Little or no monetization
Because Wix uses its own advertising, they do not allow you to post your own ads in the free version. There is also no eCommerce option for Wix’s free blogging sites.
Limited blogging features
While Wix has very good website features, responsive that make it easy and intuitive to use, their blogging platform is not that strong. It’s still easy to use, but it’s much more restrictive than the regular website pages you can create in Wix.
Added bonus: if you’re interested in food blogging as a potential niche to delve into , check out my own real-world approach to food blogging with my girlfriend’s vegan food blog, Vegan Anj.
No site migration
If you start your blog and decide Wix isn’t where you’d like to stay, it’s extremely difficult to migrate away from their free blogging site. They don’t have an easy option for site migration, so you’ll have to be more tech-savvy to transfer your content.
Can’t change templates
Wix has a good selection of beautiful templates, but you’re pretty much stuck with one once you pick it, which is not uncommon for free blogging sites like this one. This is a big drawback if you have a different vision for your blog in the future, but nothing that can’t be overcome by working with their support team.
3. WordPress.com
Even if you’re new to blogging, you’ve probably heard of WordPress .
However, you may not be aware that there are two different types of WordPress. There’s WordPress.org (self-hosted) and WordPress.com. Both offer options to function as one of the best free blogging sites.
I reviewed WordPress.org (self-hosted) first as our #1 pick here for the best free blogging sites, but now let’s talk about its counterpart. : WordPress.com
WordPress.com has paid plans, but also offers a limited free version.
Who’d Like WordPress.com
The free version of WordPress.com would work well for someone who wants to try blogging, but it’s not. He’s not too concerned about monetizing it or having access to many features, at least for now. While this is common among free blogging sites on the market today, it’s a pretty significant drawback in my opinion.
For those who want a simple hobby blog, or for those who just want to see if If you enjoy blogging, WordPress.com is an easy choice for a solid free blog site.
Another great benefit of WordPress.com is that you have room to grow with this platform. You can purchase more expensive plans for additional benefits. You can also easily migrate your site from WordPress.com to WordPress.org if you want more flexibility in the future.
General information about WordPress.com
WordPress .com launched in 2005 as a way to “bring the WordPress experience to an even larger audience” and has continued to offer its truly free blogging sites as a gateway for new content creators to enter the world of blogging. on a limited budget. .
WordPress.com describes itself as “a hosted version of open source software. Here, you can start a blog or create a website in seconds without any technical knowledge.”
Instead of paying for self-hosting, the hosting plan is part of the WordPress.com experience. This is true even with the free version from WordPress.com.
The free version from WordPress.com includes:
- Essential Jetpack Features
- 3G Storage
- Dozens of free themes
Examples of websites built on WordPress.com
Here’s a Take a look at some of the themes available for WordPress.com:
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Once you create a blog on WordPress.com, you will be taken to this page. You can choose options such as “statistics”, “layout” and “tools”, which allow you to create different types of content on your new blog.
WordPress.com gives you access to the admin panel used in WordPress, but it can be a bit more confusing to use both panels if you are not familiar with WordPress yet.
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Advantages of WordPress.com as a Free Blogging Site
Totally free
Yes use the free version of WordPress.com, you can run a blog completely free. You don’t even need to worry about paying for a domain name, since your free blogging site will be hosted on a URL like sublog.wordpress.com.
Maintenance Free
With WordPress.com, you don’t have to worry about things like site security, upgrades or hosting. These things are taken care of by WordPress, even on its free platform.
WordPress.com also offers live chat community support and a forum. where you can ask questions.
Disadvantages of WordPress.com as a Free Blogging Site
WordPress Branding
When you use a WordPress.com, your web address will include WordPress (such as yourblog.wordpress.com), which is quite common among free blogging sites.
While you don’t have to pay for a domain name, it doesn’t look clean and professional to have WordPress branding. It’s also harder for people to remember your web address than if it were just yourdomainname.com.
Limitations with personalization
WordPress.com offers a variety of free themes and plugins that you can use with your blog. But it doesn’t offer as many as the paid versions of WordPress.com. Neither the free nor the paid version of WordPress.com offer as much access to plugins and themes as WordPress.org.
Little or nothing Monetization
WordPress.com is not a good option if you plan to monetize your blog. The free version of WordPress.com may allow you to use affiliate links on a restricted basis, but you will not be able to advertise in any other way.
Your ads will be display on your site and you have no control over them or earn any income from them.
There is also no e-commerce option with the free version of the site from WordPress.com blogs.
Harder to use than other website builders
WordPress.com is not an extremely difficult interface, but it is not as easy to use as Wix and Weebly.
The ability to switch between the WordPress.com interface and the WordPress.org admin gives you more flexibility with this free blogging site, but complicates things for new bloggers.
4. HubSpot
If you haven’t used HubSpot as a CMS, you’ll most likely recognize HubSpot as a customer relationship management platform.
HubSpot is known for its award-winning all-in-one tool that includes a large collection of tools across its marketing, sales, service, and operations hub. In recent years, HubSpot has made great strides in the CMS space and recently launched its new free CMS platform.
The best part of The HubSpot platform is the connectivity between your business tools and website tools that brings your brand and customers together in one place.
Who is HubSpot Free CMS for Blogging?
In the past, HubSpot was a great choice for salespeople, reps, sales and customer service teams. But with its intuitive drag-and-drop website builder and CMS, HubSpot is becoming a great choice for small and large businesses looking for one solution to run their entire business.
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You can get started with HubSpot’s free CMS along with their free business tools. If you decide you want to scale, HubSpot also offers premium versions and features that can help you grow.
General information about the free version of HubSpot Blog CMS
With the new free CMS platform, HubSpot provides everything you need to start a free site with great content and even better security. This plan includes:
Free theme marketplace with built-in templates Built-in SEO recommendations to optimize content Included security measures such as SSL, web application firewalls, and malware detection Content hosting and content delivery network Integrations with your marketing, sales, and support tools
Examples of real blogs built with HubSpot
There are tons of businesses, both large and small, that have used the HubSpot CMS to create professional, engaging, high-converting websites. Here are some examples of the types of free blogs, websites, themes, and content you can create in HubSpot:
Source: Overwatch
Source: Bellair Golf Park
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Source: Anthros
A look inside the HubSp CMS ot
Since HubSpot’s website and blog builder is connected to the rest of its tools. You’ll need to navigate to your Marketing Center which stores all of your websites, landing pages, blogs, and site trees.
Depending on the type of content you are When creating, you have plenty of options for where to start.For example, you can quickly write a new blog post with just a few clicks.
From here, you can start writing your content and drag and drop various sections of the page, such as headers, rich text or related posts.
You’re already an expert in SEO or a beginner , you can use the powerful built-in SEO recommendations to make sure your titles, meta descriptions, headings, and content are optimized for rankings and drive as much traffic and leads as possible. To get the correct title, be sure to use my blog title generator tool.
HubSpot’s advantages as a free blogging site
Completely free blogging CMS
While HubSpot has some premium features, its CMS Free is exactly that, free. You can create, host and publish blog content without spending a dime. You will not be charged extra for using your custom domain or hosting your content.
All-in-one blogging tool connection</strong
HubSpot’s biggest strength is the biggest weakness of many other CMS platforms: connectivity. By using HubSpot’s CMS, you also get access to their free marketing, sales, and service tools that blend the customer experience into one inclusive platform. For example, a customer might go to your website and sign up for your newsletter.
That customer’s data may now be stored on your personal database to add to your HubSpot email workflows or send to your Customer Service team to help resolve an issue. Instead of having to install plugins or rely on integrations, you can find all your solutions in one place.
Maintenance-Free Blogging
Because HubSpot’s free CMS comes with a built-in content delivery network and free security features like its application firewall web, SSL and malware scanning and threat protection, you can spend less time with plugins and maintenance and spend your time blogging and writing content.
If you run into any issues, you can easily contact HubSpot support teams, the HubSpot knowledge base, or the HubSpot community using the same tools you do.
Disadvantages of HubSpot as a Free Blogging Site
Feature The expensive premiums
HubSpot operations on a freemium model. While many of its tools are free to use, there are more that you’ll have to pay to unlock. Since the company is interested in helping you scale and is very focused on your business plans, it can get expensive once your business starts to grow. You can start with the free tools, but if you’re a growing business, you may need to upgrade faster than expected, which incurs additional costs.
Difficult onboarding
As you can imagine, with the limitless possibilities with HubSpot, using it can quickly become confusing your tools to their full potential. HubSpot has tried to mediate this issue by providing its Knowledge Base, HubSpot Academy, and HubSpot Community to help mitigate any confusion. In general, using HubSpot can seem a bit overwhelming and will definitely be challenging for a new user.
5. Weebly
Weebly is another extremely popular choice among today’s top free blogging sites, largely because it’s easy to use and designed especially with eCommerce in mind.
Like Wix above, this free blogging site also has a drag and drop feature, and is centered around a page builder WYSIWYG. It’s very easy to use for a new blogger who wants to try things out using a free platform to get familiar with blogging.
Weebly starts out as a blogging site. free blog, but also offers premium plans to unlock more features, get your own blog name, and allow more readers to access your site.
Who Would Like Weebly?
Weebly is another good option for a blogger who wants a really easy website (free) builder to work with.
It also has an eCommerce option so you can use it to start a small business and sell physical items or digital directly from your blog.
The free version of Weebly would not be a recommended choice as a long-term blog that you intend to monetize.
General information about Weebly
Weebly was established as a free blogging site in 2006, the same year as Wix. Your free plan includes:
Free SSL security 500 MB storage SEO Lead capture and contact forms Community forum Chat and email support
Weebly Site Examples
The Whiskey Ball:
Participations details:
These examples appear on the Weebly website, but they were most likely created with premium plans (rather than just the free features of your blog site).
A Look Inside Weebly
If you choose Weebly’s free plan, you’ll get this initial option:
For our free blogs site roundup here, I’ve decided to choose a website with an online store to fully explore what Weebly has to offer. If you want to run just a content-based blog, choose “I just need a website”.
Then you can choose from several free themes.
Once you choose a theme, you can go to the editor.
The sidebar script is very simple, but it is not as intuitive or user friendly as the Wix interface. Plus, you also have a lot more customization options with Wix.
If you want to add a blog post, it’s really simple. Also, there is more flexibility with Weebly on this side of things than with Wix. The same drag and drop options you have for your website are available with your blog posts.
Since Weebly is focused on e-commerce, you can also add products and categories.
Advantages of Weebly as a Free Blog Site
Totally Free
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The free version of Weebly is completely free. No domain or hosting costs. A great way to start if you want to try things out on a free blogging site with no strings attached.
Easy to use
Weebly is really easy to use and offers the same quick setup for creating posts through their free blogging platform.You can make engaging and interesting blog posts using Weebly’s free plan. Weebly’s blog option has more features and customization capabilities than Wix’s blogging platform.
Change themes easily
With Weebly, you can change your themes as often as you like. You’re not locked into one topic forever, which is a good option if you want to change things up after your blog takes off.
Ecommerce Options
There is an option to sell items directly from your blog with Weebly. If you want to use this as a way to monetize your site, it’s possible with Weebly.
Disadvantages of Weebly as a free blogging site
Weebly Branding
As with WordPress.com and Wix.com, you’ll have to deal with Weebly branding for the free version. That means their URL will be Weebly branded and they will serve Weebly ads on your site.
Unlike the other two options, Weebly lets you to put up a custom domain name with the free version of Weebly. You still have Weebly ads, but you’ll be able to use your own domain name.
Not as easy to learn as Wix</strong
Weebly has a more customizable blogging feature, but the platform, overall, isn’t as easy or intuitive as Wix.</strong
Limited customization
Compared to My top pick for free blogging sites (WordPress.org), Weebly has far fewer ways to customize your free blog site. With only a handful of themes and apps, it doesn’t compare to WordPress.com or WordPress.org.
6. Medium
Medium is different than the other names on this list of free blogging sites, because it’s not really a true website builder.
In fact, while Medium is a free blogging site, it functions a bit more like a community of writers meets a social media platform.
That said, Medium is completely free for sharing your blog content, and you can get started right away.
Who Would Like Medium
Medium is a good choice for writers looking for exposure through a website Free blogging that also has a great community component. It would work well for a hobby blog or to start finding your voice as a writer.
Another reason people use Medium is to give a new life. to content they produced elsewhere. Since Medium has a built-in audience, some people choose to republish blog posts they have already published on their main blog, to help drive traffic to their blogs.
General Information About Medium
Medium was not originally created as a free blogging site, but rather to be a social media outlet for people who wanted to write longer posts than could be found on Facebook or Twitter.
When Medium launched in 2012, CEO Ev Williams published a blog post called “Welcome to Medium.” In it, he explained the purpose of the platform.
“Medium is a new place on the internet where people share ideas for blog posts and stories that are over 140 characters and not just for friends. It’s designed for little stories that make your day better and manifestos that change the world…”
“On Medium, you can contribute often or just once in a blue moon, without the commitment of a blog. And either way, you’re publishing to a thriving, vibrant network, not a standalone website that you alone are responsible for keeping alive.”
So the main appeal of Medium is that it gives you an integrated audience, similar to when you post to YouTube, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Example of a blog post created on Medium
Here is a post I wrote for my Medium blog ago a few years ago, where I sometimes republish content to attract more readers:
There is no need to show you multiple blog posts on Medium because, aside from different images or videos, blog layouts are essentially all the same.
A look inside Medium
When you start your Medium account, you will be prompted Let him choose the topics that interest him.
This has more to do with the type of articles that will appear in your feed and less to do with your own blog .
When you start typing g a blog post, this is what its initial screen will look like.
These are your copy options edition. This is how it looks once you type a title and add a top image.
You can embed videos directly into your blog posts on Medium.
You can also embed social media posts like this from my Twitter account.
Apart from those features, there’s very little you can do to change the look of your blog post or customize it.
And you can search the Unsplash media gallery to add images related to your blog post.
Advantages of Medium as a Free Blogging Site
Easy to learn and publish
Medium might be the easiest free blogging site to use out of all the options on this list. Just sign up and start writing. No need to set up a website or search for hosting. Everything is ready for you to get started right away.
The blogging interface is also extremely easy and doesn’t take much time to understand.</strong
Completely free to use
Medium it is completely free to use. No hidden fees or updates needed, making it a truly free blog site.
Built-in audience
When you post on Medium, you’re writing for an audience that already exists. You don’t necessarily have to compete with the SEO masters at Google to learn how to find your target audience on Medium, especially since there are hundreds of dedicated Medium posts that can feature your content (if you do some smart blogger outreach to impress). with your writing).
Disadvantages of Medium as a Free Blogging Site
Virtually no customization
Other than adding images, videos , or by embedding social media posts, all posts on Medium look the same. It’s like posting on Facebook: the text and images are different, but each post has basically the same format and layout.
With Medium, there’s there are no themes, apps or plugins to customize your posts, making it one of the easiest free blogging platforms on the market today.
No (real) monetization
Medium is not a platform you can use to monetize your blog. There is no option for ads or e-commerce. It’s explicitly against the rules to “advertise or promote third-party products, services, or brands through Medium messages, posts, or letters,” but you can still promote your blog content with tactics like blogger outreach.
You may use affiliate links, but you may not create content, “primarily to drive traffic or increase search rankings for an external site, product, or service… Extracting and republishing content from other sources for the primary purpose of generating income or other personal gain.However, a viable way to earn some income from Medium is to write an eBook that you can sell to your most engaged audience (done carefully on an external site, of course).
You don’t have a blog of your own
With Medium as your free blog site , you don’t have to take care of the maintenance of a blog, which could be an advantage for some. On the other hand, you ultimately have no control over the content you post.
You do, “own the rights to the content you create” . and post on Medium.” But your content can also be removed for “any reason.”
Let me be clear. With Medium, you’re posting to someone else’s website. That means they have control over the way things are presented.
They can also change the way they do things on Medium without consulting you or your interests… and heck, they might even shut down one day, taking your free blog site along with it.
That’s one of the main reasons why hosting your own blog (where you’re in control) is the smartest way to start a blog.
7. Blogger
Blogger is another solid (if slightly outdated) option for free blogging sites designed for those who want a free blog to test the waters with.
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Acquired by Google in 2003, with this free blogging site, instead of owning your own site, you’re more or less renting it from Google.
Who would like to Blogger
Blogger may be an option decent if you’re looking for a free place to start your hobby blog. However, with many more modern and future-proof free blogging sites available on the market today, I personally would not recommend using Blogger.
General Information About Blogger
Blogger was originally created by Pyra Labs in 1999 to be a free blogging site for the masses. (in the early days of blogging), but was later bought by Google in 2003 as the platform grew significantly.
At one point, it was a very popular way to start a blog on a limited budget. Not so much anymore these days.
Although there are plenty of customization options with Blogger, it doesn’t have the sophistication of more modern blogging sites. .
Examples of websites created in Blogger
A look Inside Blogger
Here is an example of some of the themes available with Blogger, as a free blogging site:
The Your blog post editor has a number of omization options, which are actually close to what you’d get from a better blogging site like WordPress.
There are a handful of sources you can choose from, and you can upload images and videos. You can also add HTML code for further customization.
The website editor can be a bit clunky and difficult to navigate, though…
You also have to “preview” your blog before you can see the changes you’ve made.
Advantages of Blogger as a free blogging site
Free to use
You can create a blog with Blogger and you won’t have to pay any fees. No hosting fees.You can choose to pay for a domain name that will remove the blogspot branding from your URL.
Monetization Options
Probably one of the best things about Blogger as a free blogging site is the ability to run AdSense ads on your page. You have much more freedom to monetize your site with Blogger than many of the other free blogging sites we’ve reviewed.
Cons of Blogger as a free blogging site
No ownership of your site
Unfortunately, with Blogger you don’t actually own your site. That means Google can choose to shut down your site if it wants to.
Not as user-friendly as other options</ strong
While Blogger is fairly simple to run, it has a steeper learning curve than many of the other options. It also has a minor reward once you learn to run it.
Limited customization
There are a number of different things you can change with Blogger, but ultimately it’s not loaded with customization options.
Outdated interface
Not many people use Blogger as a free blog site these days, because it is not up to date with other options like the ones we have already broken down here. The interface is not as user-friendly or modern as other blogging platforms.
8. Ghost
Ghost was founded in 2013 from a Kickstarter project, with the intention of offering a free blogging site to professional writers. It has some similarities to WordPress, and like WordPress, it has a hosted and self-hosted version.
The self-hosted version is free, but (like than with WordPress) requires a domain name and hosting.
Who would like Ghost
Ghost would work well for people looking for a simple free blog site that is specifically geared towards blogging. While WordPress started out as a blogging platform, it has become much more than that.
Ghost is still focused solely on blogging, not on the website in general. production or e-commerce.
John O’Nolan, founder of Ghost, has shared: “If you want a simple website with e-commerce that uses to run your business, try Squarespace. If you want to engage in a social network with sharing and reposting and lots of cats, maybe Tumblr is a better option for you. On the other hand, if you are looking to develop your own website or app with every feature imaginable, WordPress can be ideal.”
He continues: “If you want to have a simple yet powerful standalone publication, something that focuses in the writing experience and give you the freedom to be in full control of your content, then you might find Ghost interesting.”
Ghost Overview
Ghost exists as a free blogging site, primarily because Jo hn O’Nolan wanted to create something like WordPress that was just for writers, but was more minimalist and easier to navigate.
Ghost is a non-profit organization that is still in its infancy and still establishing itself as a free blogging platform. While I wouldn’t recommend Ghost over WordPress as a free blogging site right now, I’d keep an eye on what they’re up to.
It also looks like they plan to change the direction of its platform in the coming months.
Here’s an excerpt from Ghost’s 2018 inside look:
“We spent a lot of time trying to compete on convenience and simplicity. This was our biggest mistake and the hardest lesson to learn, because user feedback told us this was the most important… But it ended up still not being simple enough for the average user, and not powerful or flexible enough. for the professional user. the worst of both worlds.
So the most important takeaway after 5 years is that we have been moving, and will continue to move up the market, towards professional users who value the power and flexibility over ease of registration. This is where we can win compared to the competition. This is where Ghost comes in.”
The hosted version of Ghost has their lowest plan priced at $29 per month, so which obviously doesn’t have a free option.
However, Ghost is an open source CMS, so there is a free self-hosted version available . Signing up for that, however, is less straightforward than choosing WordPress.org as your free blog site.
Housing Options for Ghost
Not all hosting companies support Ghost as a blogging platform, but here is a list of great hosts that do:
A2 Hosting Cloudways Digital Ocean HostPapa
An example of a ghost theme
A Look Inside Ghost
One cool thing Ghost offers is a real way to check it out before you do . dive in It’s called play-with-ghost.com
<im g src="https://www.ryrob.com/wp-content/ uploads/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-08-23-at-2.10.14-PM.png" alt="Screenshot 2019 08 23 at 2.07.02 PM with the software for free.
Once you’ve selected a theme, it takes you to a testing area where you can choose different options and play around with the features.
The blogging features are very clean and simple.
Here’s a toilet k on some of the elements you can add to your blog post:
An example of what you can create as a blog post:
It’s a fairly simple layout without a lot of options, however it does have a feature called “markdown” that converts the content to HTML code.
Like this:
To this:
<img src="https://www.ryrob .com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Screen-Shot-2019-08 -23-at-2.29.08-PM.png" alt="Example of a blog post on the Ghost blogging platform" /
Advantages of Ghost as a Free Blogging Site
Simple and easy to use
For those who want a clean space to sit and typing, Ghost offers just that.
It’s easy to navigate and not weighed down by a lot of extr like. Its minimalist setup makes it easy for bloggers to sit down and write.
There’s room to grow h4>
Ghost is a newer establishment, so it will be interesting to see how they develop over the next few years. They can change the sphere of blogging in interesting ways, such as using javascript instead of PHP to run your blog site.
Disadvantages Ghost as a free blogging site
Not the most customizable option
Its pros are also a bit of a con, as founder John O’Nolan has pointed out.In their effort to create simplicity, they have missed another group of people who want more flexibility and customization.
Hosting rates and name Domain Name
As with WordPress.org, Ghost does not offer a completely free blogging site option, because you will continue to Being responsible for your monthly income. hosting plan and getting a domain name.
Hard to find hosting plans
Because Ghost chose to use javascript (node.js) to power its free blogging platform, it’s harder to find a hosting company that supports it from a standpoint. technical point of view, in addition to yours. Hosting plans, of course.
9. Tumblr
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Tumblr is an alternative free blogging site that currently hosts 476 million different blogs, and was recently bought by Automattic (the company behind WordPress). However, like Medium, Tumblr is a cross between a blog and a social media channel.
Who would like Tumblr
Tumblr is aimed at a younger generation and has good trends between the ages of 18-29. It’s a fun and interesting way to share your content. Tumblr describes itself as a place where you can find almost anything, which makes it an exciting combination of free blogging site and integrated community.
This is a great option for people who want to produce relatively quick or short content and don’t want to be bogged down by website production or the extra work involved in running their own site.
Tumblr would not be an ideal choice for someone interested in having their own blog/website. It would also be an unlikely choice for someone starting a business, although you could use Tumblr to funnel traffic to an external store like Etsy or eBay.
General information about Tumblr
Tumblr was created as a free blogging platform in 2007 by David Karp. Tumblr is sometimes referred to as microblogging, which is what Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are. But, Tumblr is more halfway between Twitter and WordPress. It’s multimedia and a bit different than most other forms of blogging sites out there.
In an interview with TechCrunch, David Karp describes reason created Tumblr. “All the blogs took the same shape…I wanted something much freer, much less detailed.”
He went on to explain that some people want create an online identity without learning the process of creating a website. He said: “It’s a commitment, you have to sit down for an hour and come up with a post.” He believes that WordPress is the best tool for people who enjoy writing and want to spend extra time, but the wrong tool for those who don’t.
Tumblr describes their platform this way: “We made it very, very simple for people to create a blog and put whatever they want on it. Stories, photos, GIFs, TV shows, links, jokes, silly jokes, clever jokes, Spotify tracks, mp3s, videos, fashion, art, deep stuff… Tumblr has 476 million different blogs, filled with literally whatever.”
Another cool part about Tumblr is that you can follow people on it. You can build followers through the platform and give Instagram likes, those people will see your new posts on their board. People can also come back to post your content for sharing and re-sharing.
Changes for Tumblr
In August 2019, Automattic, the owner of WordPress, bought Tumblr. It’s not yet clear what changes might come from this acquisition, but executives from both entities said they are looking at ways for WordPress.com and Tumblr to share services and functionality.
Tumblr has fallen in popularity since its original launch, partly due to its more recent ban on adult material, but Automattic can breathe new life into this free blogging site.
Examples of blog posts created on Tumblr
Here are a funny one from NPR :
And here is another example of creative content from Tumblr:
A Look Inside Tumblr
Tumblr allows you to include things like gifs, audio and quotes.
It doubles as a social media platform, but it’s very fun in nature.
Here’s how to see when you first log in to your account.
You can also add videos, images and tags.
Advantages of Tumblr as a free blogging site
Fun, creative and interesting community
If you want to produce fun and interesting content without being burdened by website construction, Tumblr is a vibrant place to express your creativity and one of the most used free blogging sites in the world.
Free to use
Like Medium, no You have to pay to post on Tumblr. You are free to do whatever you want on the platform with no additional charges – it is a truly 100% free blogging site.
Ability to monetize
Surprisingly, Tumblr offers a variety of ways to monetize your blog, including ads and affiliate links.
Disadvantages of Tumblr as a Free Blogging Site
Your site or content is not yours
When you use Tumblr, you have no control over the changes. done to the platform, which is one of the biggest drawbacks to using this as a free blog site. And while you own the “subscriber content” you create, Tumblr also has certain rights to it. Their privacy policy explains:
“When you provide Subscriber Content to Tumblr through the Services, you grant Tumblr a non-exclusive copyright Worldwide. free, sublicensable, transferable right and license to use, host, store, cache, reproduce, publish, display (publicly or otherwise), perform (publicly or otherwise), distribute, transmit, modify, adapt (including , among others, to adjust it to the requirements of any network, device, service or medium through which the Services are available) and create derivative works of such Subscriber Content.”
On Tumblr, when people reblog your content, they also have the right to change it. This might not be the worst, but if you want your original content to remain intact, Tumblr probably isn’t your best option.
Limited customization
While Tumblr allows you to be very creative with the media you share, especially among free blogging sites, the output itself is very standard. You don’t have the flexibility to extend its features or add custom themes.
10. Joomla (self-hosted)
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Like WordPress, Joomla is also an open source CMS. And just like running a self-hosted WordPress site, you’ll be required to purchase your domain name and hosting plan to fully utilize this free blogging site.
Joomla is the second most popular CMS in the world (after WordPress) and works with around 58 million websites.
Who Would Like Joomla
Joomla requires a bit more technical knowledge than WordPress and most other our other top free blogging sites here today, so it wouldn’t be ideal for someone looking for a very easy (non-technical) platform.
It also has a more advanced user system, which means that if you have the technical know-how, there’s more you can do right out of the box. box.
Another selling point of Joomla is that it has built-in multilingual support without adding additional plugins.
General information about Joomla
Joomla was originally called Mambo . Mambo was developed in 2000 by an Australian company called Miro. Eventually, the source code was “forked” into what is now called Joomla.
Joomla was officially released in 2005 and has had several major updates. since then. .
If you want to increase the capacity of Joomla, you can add an extension.
Joomla has five types of extensions:
1. Components
Components are like applets. Most have two parts, an administrative part and a site part.
2. Modules
This extension is used to render pages. A footer or login would be examples of modules.
3. Plugins
Plugins in Joomla refer to a function that triggers an event. This could be something like adding a form to your site, adding shortcuts, or adding an additional authentication method.
4. Templates
A template is the look and feel of your website. Change the way the component and modules will look.
5. Languages
Additional languages are already built into the core Joomla package, but more can be added with an extension.
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Hosting with Bluehost
Joomla also requires you to host your website yourself, which technically takes it a bit away from being a completely free blogging site. I highly recommend using Bluehost for your Joomla hosting as well. Bluehost currently hosts over 85,000 Joomla sites and gives you a one-click install option right after you sign up, but you can check out my compilation of 25 honest Bluehost reviews and make that decision for yourself.
Examples of websites created in Joomla
Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences:
The Hill (a political news website):
Advantages of Joomla as a Free Blog Site
Great multilingual options
Joomla is a great option for people who looking for a way to translate their website into many different languages.
Customization and flexibility
Joomla allows you to do many things with your website and blog. It is not locked into a particular theme or minimal set of features. This level of flexibility allows you to grow your blog.
Good for monetization
With Joomla, you can monetize your site however you want, even as a free blogging platform, which is an attractive feature. You can include ads, use affiliate links, and sell products however you see fit.
Joomla has eCommerce extensions like Eshop and J2Store that you can use to set up shopping carts and add products.
Disadvantages of Joomla as a free blogging site
Requires moderate level technical skills
If you are new to building sites and blogs, Joomla is probably not the best option for you. Someone with some knowledge of coding would do better with this free blogging site.
Cost per Domain and Hosting
The Joomla CMS is free to use, but you will still have to pay for your domain name and hosting.
Some compatibility issues
Some of the plugins with Joomla have compatibility issues. These could be solved by someone with more coding experience, but it’s not a reasonable route for people with limited coding knowledge.
This frustration is compounded by the fact that many of the plugins are not free, so you are paying for a plugin that is incompatible with other plugins you have installed.
Site maintenance and security
Again, with any CMS, you have a responsibility to make sure that your site is secure and properly maintained. If you’re looking for a very easy way to maintain your site, you might prefer something like Wix or Weebly, which do the background work for you, even on some of their more basic free blog site plans.
11. Yola
Yola is a free blogging site that is quite easy to use, with a drag and drop feature. It’s WYSIWYG, simple, and doesn’t take long to learn and use.
Who Would Like Yola
Personally, I wouldn’t consider the free version of Yola the best free blogging site. While it gives you access to some nice responsive templates, the free version is very limited and doesn’t compare to the other free blogging sites we’ve compared on this list.
The ability to use your Yola site as an e-commerce space is probably one of its most attractive features. Unfortunately, this is not available with the free plan.
Most importantly, you cannot create a blog directly on the Yola site. You can only create a blog by integrating an existing Tumblr blog.
With these things in mind, I would only recommend the free version of Yola’s as a way to play around with building websites or determine if you’re interested in paying for a higher premium plan.
General Information About Yola
Yola started as a free blogging site in South Africa in 2007. The company is based in Cape Town and currently has over than 12 million users.
Yola has about 80 templates; one minor problem with their templates is that they are not categorized in any way. So you’ll need to determine if you think the template works for the site you’re trying to build.
Sitebuilder is available in six languages , including English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
Their goal is to “Make it easy for you to get your business.” online.”
With a free plan you get:
3 Pages 1 GB of bandwidth 1 GB of storage Yola Subdomain
Example of a website created in Yola
Children’s Transportation Center:
A look inside Yola
Yola allows you to choose a template to start designing your blog . You can even choose a blank template if you want to start from scratch.
This is what the editor looks like with the chosen template. To get started, you can remove the standard images and swap them with your images.
There are many things you can customize in Yola, including the font , color, alignment, etc.
You can drag and drop widgets instead, but they have to land in a predetermined area.
This can be a bit restrictive if you have a different vision of what your blog it should look like in your mind.
Advantages of Yola as a free blogging site
Fairly easy to use
Yola has a low learning curve and doesn’t take long to start putting together a website.
Free to get started
You can start using Yola right away for free, but you’ll need to upgrade to remove the Yola brand, add multiple pages to your site, or sell products online.
Customization and HTML
Yola offers quite a few customization options for a free blogging site and you can add coding for extra features. They explain that your coding can conflict with your site builder sometimes, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Disadvantages of Yola as a Free Blogging Site
Yola Brand
With the free plan, you will have a prominent Yola ad in the footer of your page.
Only three pages
If you are using the free plan with Yola, you can only have three total pages.
No internal blog options
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Possibly the biggest problem with Yola is that you can’t run a blog directly from the editor. Instead, you would have to create a blog on Tumblr and integrate it into your Yola site.
You must upgrade to add a shop
Yola has some pretty cool eCommerce features, especially for a free blog site, but you’ll have to upgrade to use them. You cannot add a store with the free package.
Which free blogging site is best for you?
The free blogging site that matches what you’re looking for is ultimately up to you.
If you’re looking for an extremely simple way to start a blog and you’re not worried about making a profit with your site, something like Wix as a free blogging site might be your speed, at least from one point starting point.
If you want something fun and a little unusual with a built-in community, you can choose Tumblr.
However, for the best single answer as to which of these blogging sites is better… I would only recommend self-hosted WordPress as the way you can start your blog today, especially if you he finally wants to change the lives of many hos readers or build a business around your blog.
In short, if your blogging goals include generating revenue from your site and having a cohesive blog strategy that engages readers, self-hosted WordPress is still the best way to go.
WordPress gives you the most potential to grow as a free blogging site (without forcing you to migrate your site soon after starting). At WordPress.org you can start a simple hobby blog or build a profitable business. And for those who want something easy to get started, they don’t need any tech background.
A self-hosted WordPress blog has by far the most potential for bloggers who want to build a real business, and you can also keep your blogging costs around $5.00/mo with the right cheap hosting plan.
Once you’ve done your research and are ready to create a profitable blog, head over to my ultimate guide to starting a blog.
Want to start your blog (the right way)?
Check out my ultimate guide How to Start a Blog (in the side).
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