How to Start Your Blog for Free

Last updated Jan 26, 2020

Whether you want to promote your business, design a portfolio, or are looking for the perfect creative outlet, you may be wondering how to create a blog. Fortunately, starting a blog isn’t that complicated.

Thousands of people prefer to try free blogging before they invest in paid hosting plans.

Here is the list of top free blogging platforms

WordPress.com
Wix.com
Blogger
Medium
Tumblr
Weebly

Let’s take a look at each platform one by one, we will see their pros and cons

1. WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a blog hosting service offered by Automattic, a company created by WordPress.org cofounder Matt Mullenweg.

WordPress.com offers a basic blog hosting service for free. You can purchase additional options like a custom domain name, additional storage, and other premium services. Example: Start Blog Free

Pros:

No setup required.
Easy to use and manage.

Cons:

Limited options to extend your site.
You cannot run advertisements on your blog.
You do not own your blog and WordPress.com can suspend your account if they find you are violating their terms of service.

2. Wix.com

Wix is a hosted platform to build websites. It offers an easy way for small businesses to build a website using drag and drop tools. You can also add a blog to your website by adding the Wix Blog app. Example: Start Blog Free

Pros

You can customize your site using dozens of templates and third-party apps.
Build your site with easy drag and drop tools; no coding skills required.
Setup is quick and easy.

Cons

The free account is limited and shows Wix branding and ads on your site.
Free third-party apps are limited.
Once you choose a template you cannot change it.
E-commerce features are limited to paid plans, and even those features are limited.

3. Blogger

Blogger is a free blog hosting service. Acquired by Google in 2003, it offers a quick and easy way to create a blog for non-tech-savvy users.Example: Sayyad Imran’s Blog and Hindi Wire

Pros:

Blogger is free.
It’s easy to use and manage without any technical skills.
Has the added advantage of Google’s robust secure platform and reliability.

Cons:

You’re limited to basic blogging tools and can’t add new features as your blog grows in popularity.
Design options are limited, with fewer templates available. Third-party templates for Blogger are often low quality.
Blogger does not receive frequent updates or new features.
Google can suspend your blog at any time, or even cancel the Blogger service altogether.

4. Medium

Launched in 2012, Medium has grown into a community of writers, bloggers, journalists, and experts. It is an easy-to-use blogging platform with limited social networking features. Example: The Life Blog

Pros:

Medium is easy to use, with no setup required and no coding skills needed.
It allows you to reach an existing online community of people of similar interests.
You can focus solely on writing, instead of designing a website.

Cons:

Features are very limited in terms of design or building a brand.
Medium owns your audience, so losing your blog means losing all your followers.
You cannot run your own ads to make money.

5. Tumblr

Tumblr is a little different than other blogging platforms. It is a microblogging platform with social networking features including following other blogs, reblogging, built-in sharing tools, and more. Example: Sayyad Imran

Pros:

Tumblr is free and very easy to use.
It has an integrated social media component.
As a microblogging tool, Tumblr makes it easy to quickly blog videos, GIFs, images, and audio formats.

Cons:

Tumblr comes with a limited set of features that you cannot extend as your blog grows.
There are many themes available for Tumblr, but they can’t offer additional features.
Backing up your Tumblr blog or importing it to other platforms is difficult

6. Weebly

Weebly is a hosted platform that allows you to build your website using drag and drop tools. It comes with dozens of ready-to-use themes that you can customize using their web-based interface. Example: Sayyad Imran’s Blog

Pros

Easy-to-use drag and drop website builder with no technical skills required.
Quick and easy setup, since Weebly will host your site for you.
Weebly’s free plan allows you to try out the service before buying.

Cons

Built-in features are limited, and you can’t add new features.
Limited integration with third-party platforms.
Exporting your site from Weebly to another platform is difficult.