The existence of free blog websites makes it possible for beginners to create blogs for free as soon as they come up with the idea. Free blog sites help beginners test the waters before making financial commitments to blogging.
You’ve probably heard that there are a number of free blogging sites out there to get started with? But you’re not sure what is the best site to start a blog for free? You really do not have to search so hard. By the end of this article, I’m confident you’d be able to choose which blogging site is be best suited for you.
7 Free Blog Websites for Beginners
Although there are a number of blogging websites in use today, not all of them are completely free. So, we’ ll just focus on the list of completely free and popular blogging websites there are. Below is a list of 7 free blog websites to get you started on your journey into blogging.
- WordPress
- Blogger
- Wix
- Tumblr
- Medium
- Weebly
- Ghost
1. WordPress
WordPress is apparently the most efficient free blogging platform you’d find in the blogosphere. 34% of websites on the internet are currently being powered by WordPress.
Some folks are also of the opinion that WordPress is the king of free blogging websites. Nevertheless, I’m going to present to you the two sides of WordPress and help you decide which suits your present needs.
WordPress.org also known as self-hosted WordPress is an open source platform for building blogs. It is free to use but the only requirement is that you must host it yourself. Did I mention you will need to acquire a custom domain to get started?
On the other hand, there exists WordPress.com which is hosted for free. Unlike WordPress.org, you don’t get a unique URL but a WordPress.com powered URL e.g. https://seomarketingmap.wordpress.com.
2. Blogger
Blogger is a completely free blog site. It is great for people who are just looking to write and share their ideas with others. It might not be best suited for professional use as its features are basic.
Blogger is a lot similar to WordPress.com. You don’t get a custom domain but you do not have to worry about hosting. A sample blogger.com URL will look like https://seomarketingmap.com.blogspot.com.
You need to create a Google account to use it. Creating a blog with Blogger.com is just as easy as it gets. The advantage of Blogger over WordPress.com is that you get the opportunity to monetize your blogger powered blog.
3. Wix
Wix is a highly intuitive WYSIWYG website builder for beginners to setup their first blog. Everything about setting up a blog with Wix can be managed from the front-end. To set up a blog with Wix, you just need to signup, choose a template, and use an editor to customize everything according to your preferences. Just like WordPress.com and Blogger, you do not need a custom domain to start using Wix. It provides a rich collection of both free and premium themes and blog templates to work with.
Alternatively, you can utilize the Wix ADI which creates a website for you based on the answers you furnish on a questionnaire.
4. Tumblr
Tumblr is a great blog site for people who are looking to publish more of image-focused content. It allows you to experiment freely with multimedia and social media-focused content. It is ideal for those who are looking at doing less of written contents. It is more or less a micro-blogging platform like Instagram.
In the words of David Karp, Tumblr founder:
We made it really really simple for people to make a blog and put whatever they want on it. Stories, photos, GIFs, TV shows, links, quips, dumb jokes, smart jokes, Spotify tracks, mp3s, videos, fashion, art, deep stuff.
Tumblr is not exactly a best fit if your intent is geared towards professional use.
A good thing about Tumblr is that it lets you integrate Google Analytics. It also allows you to display ads on your page and use affiliate links. You can also follow people and be followed.
5. Medium
Medium is a blogging space that is not under your direct control. Medium hosts a community of writers who create accounts to write for a community of readers.
To create an account on Medium is completely free and you can start writing as soon as you have signed up.
Medium is a great platform for those who just want to share their writing hobby with a large community of readers.
6. Weebly
Weebly is another free blog website that is great for beginners. It is a WYSIWYG page builder possessing drag and drop features which make it even easier to use.
An advantage of Weebly over the reset is that it was built with eCommerce in mind. Learn more about how to use Weebly for eCommerce.
Although Weebly is generally a free blog site where you do not get a custom domain, you can opt for the premium plan which unlocks even more features.
7. Ghost
Ghost possess similar characteristics as WordPress. Like WordPress, it has a hosted and self-hosted version.
With the self-hosted version, you would need a custom domain and then signup with a hosting company. Knowing these 7 Terrible Things Hosting Companies Do will help you avoid rogue hosting companies like a plague.
The Ghost platform is so easy to use that you can get started with Ghost as soon as you download it.
Conclusion
While you do not need to acquire a custom domain to use some of these free blog sites, you might need to make a switch to a custom domain much later in your blogging life. It is probably best that you start planning towards owning a self-hosted domain as soon as you’ve tested the waters and confirmed you really want to make a living or career out of blogging.
We hope you’ve found this article on free blog websites for beginners very helpful?