What are the best free blogging platforms? Are you looking to start a blog but not sure what blogging platform you should be using? While the idea of having your own blog may seem exciting, creating the first blog/website can be a little overwhelming.

That is why we have created a list of 10 Best Free Blogging Platforms. We’ll also go through their pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision on which needs.

Check the one that will work best for you in our list below and get ready to choose the perfect platform for your new blog! Get started for free.

Let’s take a look

Where can I start blogging for free?

In this guide, I’ll show you how to start a blog with our list of 10 of the best (and easiest) free blogging platforms designed for bloggers. From beginner-friendly WordPress alternatives like Wix, Blogger, and Squarespace to more advanced platforms such as Medium, starting your blog has never been this easier.

Note!!! This list of free blogging platforms is not in a logical order to my liking or the choice you should make. Therefore, it is my advice you go through each of these free blogging platforms and make a decision according to what you like and what best suits your needs.

My personal preference is wordpress.org (self-hosted), but you will need to buy a hosting plan for as cheap as 2.95$ in Bluehost (and get a free domain name)

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1. WordPress

#WordPress.org

WordPress.org is one of my favorite free blogging platforms, and I actually using it right now to host “This Online World”. The most well-known platform on our list, WordPress.org is one of the easiest to set up. If you’re worried about your technical ability or know that your audience will be mostly international, it’s a great option.

This is also one of your best bets if you want to add e-commerce later, as many themes come with built-in shopping carts. Once you’ve created an account and installed WordPress on your server, there are thousands of themes available from sites like Elegant Themes, and Astra Theme among other themes. Your site will be fully customizable and SEO friendly as well!

Note: wordpress.org is free but you need hosting for as low as $2.95 in Bluehost. After getting hosting you are given 1 year free domain name.

#WordPress.com

Alternatively, you can create a personal blog for free on WordPress.com. It has limited customization compared to WordPress.org. You also get a custom domain name of your own and unlimited hosting space.

The pro version of WordPress.com starts at a cost of $4/year to $45/year (max)which is still cheaper than most other premium hosting. If you’re planning on using it long-term, that’s by far one of your best options—and it’s also great if you don’t have much money to spend up-front but plan on monetizing your blog down the road (i.e., later in life).

There are hundreds of themes and thousands of plugins with add-ons for e-commerce available as well!

What are the Pros and Cons of WordPress?

Pros

• There is no application fee.
• You get a free domain name with a free web hosting plan, so you can set up your site right away. 
• You can start blogging right away with their powerful and simple-to-use content management system without having to pay any more money or wait any longer than necessary.
• It’s an open-source platform which means that it can be customized by anyone.
• It allows unlimited, un-metered storage space, which is not provided on other platforms like Typepad.
• You get up to 3-5 free themes when you sign up for their free web hosting service along with easy instructions about how to upload them once you login to your site for the first time and create an account.
• WordPress is easy to work with and has thousands of plug-ins that help bloggers in various ways.

Cons

• It can be very technical and it takes time to learn how to navigate its admin dashboard.
• You need some HTML knowledge in order to change your header, footer, or other page elements so that you can personalize them.
• It has ads on its free hosting service which is not as aesthetically pleasing as other platforms like Typepad.
• You will have limited features when you use their free web hosting service but there is no limit on storage space.

2. Squarespace

Squarespace is the second on our list of free blogging platforms. Squarespace is hands-down our top choice for those looking to start their first website or jump into blogging.

Not only does Squarespace have easy-to-use templates and an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, but it also boasts an impressive free domain name and free storage space. Squarespace has everything you need to create your perfect site, on your own time, without breaking a sweat—or emptying your wallet.

If you don’t have any idea where to begin when it comes to choosing between Squarespace and WordPress, we highly recommend starting with SquareSpace since its pages look just as good if not better than many other websites online.

But for an even more powerful website or blog, you might consider WordPress.

What are the Pros and Cons of Squarespace?

Pros of Squarespace 

• It’s Easy to Use: This might sound obvious, but we can’t stress enough how great it is that you can set up your site with little to no technical knowledge.
• It’s Beautiful: The template designs look beautiful and modern and won’t clash with your content.
• It Has Appealing Pricing Plans: You get 30 days free to test out all features. If you want to start off small, you can choose their Basic plan which costs $8/month. If you want more control over things like analytics and third-party integrations, upgrade to their Advanced plan at $18/month.
• It Offers Amazing Support: From live chat through Twitter or Facebook Messenger 24 hours a day 7 days a week or support tickets submitted during business hours via email or through their help center, they’re serious about giving users good support!

Cons of Squarespace

• It’s Completely Cloud-Based: This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it might not be what you’re looking for. You might prefer hosting on your own servers or if you want to choose where to host instead of being forced into one solution.
• Can’t Manage Your Own Backups: For many bloggers, backups are extremely important, especially if you spend money on features and customizing your site. When using Squarespace, their Backup and Restore feature only gives you peace of mind in case something happens to your account – it doesn’t give you any control over backing up your site’s content.
• There’s No Integration with WordPress: If you have been blogging for a while and built up an audience on WordPress, migrating over can be difficult as there aren’t any plugins that make transferring between platforms easy.
• 3rd Party Integrations Are Limited: If you have advanced needs when it comes to analytics or other integrations, then Squarespace probably won’t meet them without paying more than $18/month.

If these cons don’t affect you though, consider checking out some of our other recommendations below!

Also, keep in mind that we always like hearing from our readers so leave us a comment below with questions about any free blogging platforms we should add to our list!

3. Wix

Wix is the third on our list due to its more customization features. Wix’s drag-and-drop website builder makes it quick and easy to create stunning websites without any coding knowledge. If you need more customization than that, Wix has plenty of templates for you to choose from in its marketplace.

But where I think Wix really shines is in its tools for non-designers. The platform allows anyone to add pictures from Flickr or Instagram and videos from YouTube; automatically share posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, and Tumblr; and optimize SEO with just a few clicks.

What are the Pros and Cons of Wix?

Pros of Wix

• It’s very simple to use.
• They do all the hosting, so you don’t have to worry about that or hiring someone to do it.
• It’s free! 
• You can build a website in an hour if you know what you’re doing and don’t get stumped by details.
• There is no editing function, which means that if you make any mistakes with links or images, then it could break your site.

Cons of Wix 

• It’s not as user-friendly as some other platforms because there aren’t many instructions, and it’s hard to find some information.
• You need to have coding knowledge, or you’ll struggle to get around and make changes.
• They have ads so that if you aren’t paying for a premium plan, then you will probably see advertisements on your site from time to time. 
• It’s been known that their customer service isn’t great when things go wrong with your site.
• Their template library is very limited, which could mean that you don’t find something suitable for your needs.

4. Tumblr

Tumblr is a well-known place to start a blog among many other free blogging platforms on our list. It’s simple and easy to use, as well as aesthetically pleasing. You can also theme your website in order to fit your brand if you are working on launching an online store or want to make sure that you’re professional-looking.

Start with Tumblr if you’re looking for an easy way to get started with blogging, but don’t forget about other great options like WordPress which has much functionality.

What are the Pros and Cons of Tumblr?

Pros of Tumblr

• Tumblr is free to use.
• There is no limit on space.
• It’s supported by ads that help in your blogging process.
• The service allows users to create blogs, edit photos and videos as well as post texts or quotes.
• You can have multiple blogs under one account and can customize each one accordingly.
• If you want to upgrade your account then you need $5/month or $50/year to get features like themes, customization options, analytics, etc.

Cons of Tumblr 

• The service lacks an app and is not mobile-friendly.
• The design is quite cluttered which may not appeal to everyone.
• You can’t customize your home page.
• There is no share button unlike other platforms so if you want people to find your content, you need to share it manually.
• On popular tags, there are tons of pornographic images posted so if you’re into art or culture, avoid such tags and stick with more niche topics instead.

5. Weebly

Weebly is another favorite among the beginner free blogging platforms and is one of my top picks as well. Weebly offers free, mobile-friendly templates that are easy to customize. All you need to do is drag and drop elements where you want them to be on your website.

This is not just a blogging platform but also comes with e-commerce features so that you can sell items from your own store without needing any kind of third-party application or payment gateway. What I really like about Weebly apart from its ease of use is that it has all kinds of amazing apps and extensions available for download in their app center.

For example, if there’s an app that lets you set up an appointment booking feature on your site within minutes, why would you look anywhere else?

What are the Pros and Cons of Weebly?

Pros of Weebly

• Easy to Use – The drag and drop editor is easy to use and well designed.
• The Community – There’s always someone around to help out.
• Customer Support – They offer toll-free support on every page so you can get questions answered when you need them.
• Paid Add-ons -You have access to paid add-ons like Google maps, contact forms, event calendars, shopping carts, and much more.
• Custom Domain -You can buy your own domain name through Weebly at no extra cost!

Cons of Weebly

• Limited Design Options – The custom design feature is limited to colors and header styles.
• Banner Ads -You have to deal with banner ads on every page.
• Limited Features -There’s no ability to create photo galleries, slide shows, or video embedding.
• No Search Engine Submission – You have to submit your site yourself which can take several weeks to months depending on how popular you want your site to be.
• Templates Aren’t Flexible -The templates are designed for specific purposes like blogs, e-commerce sites, restaurants, and more so if you need something different, you’re out of luck!
• Complicated Domain Registration – The domain registration process is complex and could cost you money in unexpected ways.

6. Blogger

Use Google’s free blogging platform, Blogger. It’s really easy to use and it gets good search engine rankings. A few drawbacks, though: It isn’t as flexible as other platforms, you can’t sell your own ads or affiliate products on it, and if you want to integrate third-party widgets you’ll have to do some coding yourself.

Other than that, though, it has all of your basic blogging needs covered, making it one of our top choices. Google automatically updates all blogs with new code so that they’re SEO-friendly and secure. If you need help figuring out how to set up your site after signing up, there is excellent support available 24/7.

What are the Pros and Cons of Blogger?

Pros of Blogger

• It’s free. That’s right, no need to pay anything to get started with blogger. Google will even give you 100 MB of storage space and unlimited bandwidth.
• It’s simple. Setting up your own site on blogger is as easy as typing out your username and password and you can have it ready to go in about 30 seconds.
• It doesn’t require any coding knowledge or website design skills to make a well-designed site.
• You can change it later if you want. If you decide you don’t like what you made, then just delete it and start over again.
• There are thousands of themes to choose from. Google has thousands of themes you can use for free but there are also lots more that you can purchase.
• Having an RSS feed is important but difficult for new bloggers. This platform makes it easier because blogger already comes with one built-in for you so there’s nothing else to do except fill it up with content!
• The dashboard is easy to navigate – even if there’s something you are looking for, you never have trouble finding it in your dashboard since they keep things really organized!

Cons of Blogger

• Even though it’s free, you can’t monetize your site very well. If you’re looking to make money, your best bet is probably going to be using Google Adsense. This allows you to put targeted ads on your page which means they pay you based on how many people click on them. If they get enough clicks, then they give you some money! But not every site will qualify so just keep that in mind if that’s what you’re looking to do with your new site!
• It has fewer features than WordPress. If you like having tons of options and control over everything, then blogger may not be right for you since it’s a little bit more limiting when it comes to customizing your design and layout.
• It doesn’t have as much social integration as other platforms like WordPress does. Not being able to easily share content from another website can really hurt SEO results so definitely keep that in mind if SEO is one of your goals!
• You won’t have as much control over who sees what parts of your website. Because Google runs blogger, all content has to go through them first before anyone else can see it.

7. Livejournal

The few reasons why Livejournal is great for bloggers are: It’s free, it’s simple, and has plenty of bells and whistles. You can make your own theme with HTML or CSS to make it look like you want, add widgets, etc.

It’s an easy platform to use and there are tons of communities on it for every possible interest. There is also an RSS reader built in so you can have one place where you keep up with all your favorite blogs. You could even set it up so that people who subscribed to particular feeds got their updates posted directly to your Livejournal so they didn’t have to go on another site altogether!

Livejournal allows you to manage multiple blogs but charges between $1.5 to 25/per year depending on the package you choose if you decide that’s something you want to do after registering initially. Paypal payments are supported. Oh, and did I mention LiveJournal doesn’t have ads? A nice bonus if you don’t like being bombarded by banners while browsing through a website.

What are the Pros and Cons of Livejournal?

Pros of Livejournal?

• It’s free.
• It’s popular with bloggers.
• You have complete control over your content, which is important to some people.
• It has been around long enough that you have an online community there already
• You can make your posts public or private, so not everyone will see them if you don’t want them to.
• Posting to it is as easy as typing in a web address and writing something.

Cons of Livejournal?

• It is free, which means that it can be slow and overloaded at times.
• You have to figure out how to control your own server and firewall, which may or may not be difficult.
• The interface is less than intuitive at times.
• There are millions of users now, so you don’t stand out as much as you might like to think you do.
• You have no way to monetize your site or use it in any way other than blogging or journaling.
• If a new feature comes out and you want it, too bad!

8. Ghost

Ghost is an open-source free blogging platforms that is built on Node.js and uses markdown syntax to create posts. On Ghost, you can write your own code or install third-party plugins to add functionality to your site.

Because it is open-source, you can run it on your own server if you like, which gives you full control over what happens with your content and how often it gets updated. Ghost also integrates seamlessly with Disqus so that readers can leave comments directly on posts without being redirected to another site or page.

What are the Pros and Cons of Ghost?

Pros of Ghost?

• It’s free and easy to use, requiring little to no setup time or technical expertise
• It has an intuitive, easily navigable interface.
• It includes plenty of useful features, like Google Analytics integration and automatic post scheduling.
• You can sign up with your Facebook account, making it easier than ever to get started.
• There’s a big community out there that will answer your questions if you’re struggling with anything that you find confusing.

Cons of Ghost?

• If you’re not experienced with it, it can be difficult to customize.
• It doesn’t have as many features as some other blogging platforms.
• The formatting is limited and could prove frustrating if you’ve previously used something like WordPress.
• Because it’s hosted by Automattic, your site might be slow or down from time to time.
• There isn’t really any way to sell products on your website using Ghost.
• Unless you know exactly what you’re doing, don’t even think about changing themes once you get started – it could cause major problems.
• While there are always ads at the bottom of posts when using Ghost, adding your own will require purchasing either an ad-free subscription or buying another theme from outside their marketplace.
• It’s important to keep in mind that even though Ghost is free, their service includes Google ads that make money for them – so they don’t offer a truly free platform at all. 
• Because they host everything themselves instead of relying on third parties as other popular blogging platforms do, updates take a little bit longer than they do on some other sites – so make sure that happens occasionally to avoid being left behind!

9. Site123

Site123 is one of those free blogging platforms where you can start a free blogging website. Its free package includes all important features such as creating unlimited pages, widgets, comments, and others. You can use Site123 as your portfolio or create an online store and sell your products with no monthly or hosting fees.

If you are not sure about what domain name you would like to choose for your site, then simply try their name generator tool which will help you pick a unique but relevant domain name. There are many ways through which you can promote your site using Site123 but my favorite feature is widgetizing your social media profiles on other sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and more!

If anyone wants to try their hands on some design work there’s no need to worry as they have cool tools through which they can create images/graphics in minutes; everything depends upon creativity of course!

What are the Pros and Cons of Site123?

Pros of Site123

• Starting a free or premium account is easy.
• You can sign up with either your email or social media account, like Facebook.
• It’s easy to set up and customize.
• You get free templates that you can use to build your site from scratch.
• There’s in-depth training to help you learn how to use it, write posts, and create an engaging experience for your readers and followers.
• Site123 also offers coupons!
• They also have great support via chat or phone, which means you won’t feel alone trying to figure it out yourself—even though it is easy enough if you have some common sense around the building and hosting websites!

Cons of Site123

• You do have to sign up for their email newsletter, which is their way of getting you to try out their other services.
• You can only add 40 images to your free site. If you want more than that, then you need to upgrade and pay monthly or annually. 
• It’s not as mobile-friendly as some other platforms. 
• You won’t get customer support via live chat on your free account.
• You have to choose from one of their templates unless you’re upgrading and paying for something more personalized.
• The platform is currently owned by Endurance International Group, Inc., so if they went out of business tomorrow, your website would cease working too!

1o. Medium

Medium is one of our favorites. It’s an online publishing platform that makes it easy to publish your thoughts on topics like business, technology, design, food, travel, and more.

If you want to be taken seriously as a blogger and grow your brand, Medium has a much higher reach than your average personal or business site. You can also apply to get featured in their monthly directory which is organized by categories from design & photography to science & knowledge.

In short, Medium gives anyone something to write about and have people read it – either if you already have an audience in mind or if you just need some editorial exposure so people can find you. There are many pros and cons to consider before deciding whether to use Medium as your blogging platform.

What are the Pros and Cons of Medium?

Pros of Medium?

• You can get started right away
• The interface is great for writers
• You can import your WordPress blog posts to Medium with one click
• It doesn’t take long to learn how to use it, so there’s no steep learning curve that might intimidate new writers, or hold you up from getting started right away.
• Medium is responsive so readers can easily access your work on any device.
• It has built-in stats so you can track how well your posts are doing.
• You don’t need to build a website or blog with Medium, which saves time and effort — or money if you were going to pay someone.

Cons of Medium?

• It doesn’t look good in your portfolio unless you’re going for a social media job (yes, that exists)
• Most people won’t find your stories unless they already follow you on Medium or are referred by someone else (which means you need to build an audience elsewhere first)

Suggested Blog? How To Monetize Your Blog (4 Proven Ways): The Ultimate Guide

Conclusion

WordPress is clearly the king of free blogging platforms in 2022. In recent years it has overtaken other, similar platforms and become the go-to choice for bloggers who want to start their own blog without it costing anything. Though wordpress.org you need to buy a hosting plan (Bluehost for $2.95) and get a free domain name, WordPress still wins in our list of free blogging platforms because of how cheap the shared hosting plans are.

Blogger is also another great platform that can be used by people who want to create an online journal or have a place on the internet to show off their work in order to build more business relationships. It’s very easy to use and you need no tech skills whatsoever to create a good-looking website with Blogger. If you are just looking for something simple and fast, then blogger is a great option.

It is actually hard to find 100% free blogging platforms. There may have some hidden commissions (like promoting certain products and businesses on their website) included in these platform’s plans. And the good news is: Blogger and WordPress are still among the top dog in this industry.

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