Do you dream of building a website but are scared it may cost you a fortune? Worry no more; this guide presents you with the best free blogging sites you can use to share your ideas and writing with the world.
And because you are here, I am guessing you believe personal blogs can help you make money. You may have already selected the best niches for blogging that will resonate with your audience.
However, the question is: which best free blogging site will you use to publish your blog post? Let me save you time with this complete list.
You might also enjoy reading: 9 Proven Ways to Promote Your Blog Fast (With helpful tips!)
1- Self-Hosted WordPress
WordPress takes the first position on this list of the best free blogging sites because it powers most websites on the internet- 39.5%.
WordPress.org is a free platform you can use to build a blog. The creators of this free blogging site believe in democratizing publishing, which is hard to achieve without an open source.
With WordPress.org, you can tell the world the things that matter to you.
Who Does Self-hosted WordPress Blog Suit?
I choose to start with self-hosted WordPress as one of the best free blogging sites because it is an excellent choice for different bloggers.
Whether you are starting out or struggling to figure out if blogging is worth it or if you are already running a six-figure business, this platform can double your income.
Furthermore, a WordPress-powered website can expand as you develop your branding, style, and content with time.
You do not need to have coding and technical skills to use WordPress.org. In fact, most WordPress users lack technical skills. These are people who only want to write and make money without interruptions.
Of course, if you are tech-savvy with coding knowledge, WordPress has many plugins and themes you can use to make your website the way you want it.
Regardless of your experience, WordPress is probably the best free blogging site you can choose.
What about hosting? I guessed you would ask that, so let’s discuss it in our next segment.
How Will I Host My WordPress Blog?
For those who don’t know, hosting is the company that stores or carries your website so people can access it on the internet.
If your site is not hosted, it is not live, and others cannot read it.
The hosting company often has a server to help distribute your content properly. And since the server links with the internet, it receives a request from people who click on your site to display your website pages.
If you are looking for a good web hosting plan, I recommend Siteground and Bluehost.
If you choose Bluehost, you can use the cheap $2.95/month plan and benefit from their free SSL certificate to make your site secure. The program will also give you 24/7 technical support and a free domain name.
Pros of WordPress.org
Self-hosted WordPress has several strong points, including:
- Flexibility and customization: As a free blogging site, WordPress.org is highly customizable, with over 55,000 plugins and thousands of themes you can choose from. With this platform, you can do anything from starting a podcast to hosting blog posts.
- It makes it easy to monetize your blog: If you want to make money with your blog, self-hosted WordPress can help you.
- The platform has no restrictions on how you want to monetize your blog: I have seen some bloggers turn their WordPress sites into eCommerce sites using plugins like WooCommerce.
- Your blog can grow with WordPress.org: WordPress is ideal because you can grow your business. As you increase your knowledge in a certain field, you can grow your blogging to the next level.
Cons of WordPress.org
Here are some challenges when using WordPress as a free blogging site.
- Hosting is not free: Although the blogging platform is free, you will pay for self-hosting, which includes the domain name.
- Higher learning curve: Unlike other free blogging sites like Wix or Weebly, WordPress.org has a higher learning curve.
- Maintenance: If you use WordPress.org as a free blogging platform, the management and maintenance of your blog are all up to you. I am talking about ensuring that the security plugins are safe and that regular backups are happening.
2- Wix
Wix was launched as a free blogging site in 2006. So far, it has helped over 15 million people start blogging sites in 190 countries.
This website builder capitalizes on the easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface.
It uses “what you see is what you get the software, ” allowing you to know what your blog will look like before it goes live.
Who Suits The Free Wix Blogging Site?
Wix is ideal if you are looking for a convenient way to launch your blog for free. It allows you to start a blog without worrying about backups, security, and hosting because Wix will handle all that in its free plans.
However, the free version is not good for someone who wants to make money with their blogs. You may also not like the free version if you want to customize your website.
Pros of Wix Free Blogging Site
Here are some advantages of Wix
- Easy to use: Since Wix has a drag-and-drop feature, it is easy to use for anyone building a website. You can see what you are creating before you finish.
- It is completely free: The free version has no additional charges for hosting or domain name.
Cons Of Wix As a Free Blogging Platform
On the downside, the free version is also flooded with challenges such as:
- Wix advertising and branding: The free Wix site will have the platform’s branding on it (this is standard for all free sites).
- You may not monetize your blog: Since Wix advertises on the free blogging site they have given you, they do not allow you to place your ads on the site. You cannot use eCommerce options on the free version.
- Few blogging functions: Wix’s platform is more restrictive than most website pages.
- You cannot migrate: If you started with Wix’s free blogging site and would love to migrate to other sites, moving is extremely challenging. You will need to be tech-savvy to attempt the content transfer.
- You cannot change templates: Although Wix has awesome templates, you will be stuck with the one you have chosen. This is also a common phenomenon with many free blogging sites.
3- Medium
Unlike other free blogging sites, Medium is not a true website builder.
Medium acts like a community where writers share their blogging works. Nevertheless, it is free, and you can start blogging on Medium anytime.
Who Needs Medium?
Medium is suitable for anyone looking for exposure through free blogging sites with a large community.
Do you dream of creating a hobby blog to help you find your blogging voice? I recommend using Medium.
Medium is also good for writers who want to give new life to published blogs elsewhere. With 60 million unique visitors every month, Medium is a behemoth and can help you drive traffic to your blog.
Medium allows you to edit your post as you write, and you can also embed videos into your blog post.
Furthermore, you can embed social media posts and add relevant pictures from the Unsplash media gallery.
Advantages of Medium As a Free Blogging Site
- Medium is easy to learn and publish: Medium is one of the easy free blogging sites you can use. You only need to sign up and start. Setting up a website or looking for a hosting company is no hassle. The platform does all these for you so that you can begin immediately.
- It is absolutely free to use: Medium has no hidden fees or charges. You will not need to upgrade your blog, thus making it a completely free site.
- It has a ready audience: Medium provides you with a ready audience. You don’t have to compete with internet gurus to find your target audience. Furthermore, Medium has several dedicated publications that will be willing to feature your content if you do an excellent job with your writing.
Disadvantages of Medium As a Free Blogging Site
Although Medium is a wonderful blogging site with several like-minded writers, it has shortcomings.
- You cannot customize your blog: Besides adding visuals or embedding social media posts, you cannot change medium posts. They all look the same. The platform looks like Facebook, where your content can differ, but every post uses the same design and layout.
- Medium has no plugins, apps, or themes you can use to customize your posts, making it an easy-to-use free blogging site.
- It does not have a real monetization strategy: You cannot monetize your blog on Medium because it does not allow for ads or eCommerce. The platform explicitly discourages advertising or promoting third-party products or services. Nevertheless, it allows you to promote your blog content using blogger outreach.
- Additionally, you can include affiliate links, but remember you cannot publish content on Medium primarily meant to drive traffic to an external site or product.
- You can also make money from Medium by writing an eBook program, enabling you to sell the book to your audience.
- Medium does not allow you to own a blog: You have no control over your content once you publish it on Medium. This is because you have no rights to the content you post on Medium; it can be removed anytime.
- Medium is someone else’s website, meaning you have no control over how your content is presented.
Other free blogging sites worth considering include:
Bottom Line
This article has examined three free blogging sites; which one matches what you are looking for? If you want something simple and are not worried about making a profit, you can choose Wix or Medium.
But if you are looking for a platform with one-size-fits-all, you can use WordPress.org. This platform offers you growth opportunities where you can touch the lives of readers and build your business around your blog.
Self-hosted WordPress can also help you monetize your blog and achieve your blogging goals.
P.S
Which free blogging site have you used for your blog, and how is it working for you? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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