Starting a blog is easier in 2025 with many platforms offering free publishing. For budget bloggers, choosing the right free platform is crucial and there are several completely free blogging platforms that are perfect for beginners.
Whether you want to share your personal thoughts, promote your business, or build an online presence, this guide covers the best free blogging platforms or sites for beginners in 2025 that are easy to use, offer solid features, and let you focus on writing without worrying about hosting costs.
7+ Best Free Blogging Platforms or Sites for Beginners
WordPress.com (Free Plan)
WordPress.com is one of the most popular blogging platforms in the world. With its free plan, you get a WordPress-branded subdomain (e.g. yourblog.wordpress.com), 1GB storage, and access to clean, mobile-friendly themes.
Why WordPress.com Stands Out:
- Beginner-friendly: It has an intuitive block editor (Gutenberg) for easy drag-and-drop editing.
- Customizable Themes: Choose from dozens of free, responsive themes.
- Basic SEO Tools: Jetpack features like site stats, XML sitemaps, and basic SEO settings are included.
- Secure and Reliable: Hosted by Automattic with 24/7 updates and support forums.
Note: You can’t run your own ads on the free plan, and customization is limited compared to the paid version.
Blogger (by Google)
Blogger is a trusted, simple blogging service owned by Google. It’s 100% free, offers free templates, and integrates directly with Google AdSense for easy monetization.
Key Features:
- No Hosting Fees: Google handles all hosting and updates.
- Simple Editor: Very easy to use with no technical skills required.
- Monetization: Supports direct integration with AdSense.
- SEO-Friendly: You can optimize titles, meta descriptions, and use a custom domain.
While it’s a bit outdated in terms of design and features, Blogger is still great for casual bloggers or anyone who wants a basic platform with zero learning curve.
Medium
Medium is ideal for writers who want to focus on storytelling, thought leadership, or essays. You don’t build a standalone blog — instead, your content is part of the Medium ecosystem with a built-in audience.
Benefits:
- Extremely Simple: Just sign up, start writing, and publish.
- Built-in Readership: Your posts can be featured on Medium’s homepage or publications.
- Monetization Options: Through the Medium Partner Program, you can earn money based on reader engagement.
- Beautiful Design: All posts have a clean, minimalist layout by default.
However, Medium offers very limited customization and you can’t run your own ads or install plugins.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a microblogging platform that blends short-form blogging with social networking. It’s perfect for creatives, meme lovers, writers, and photographers.
Why Choose Tumblr:
- Free and Fun: Create blogs, post GIFs, share images, or write full blog posts.
- Social Features: Follow blogs, reblog posts, and engage with a community.
- Mobile Friendly: Works well on phones and tablets.
- Custom Themes: Some customization options are available for free.
Tumblr is great for personal expression, but not ideal if you want advanced SEO tools or professional branding.
Wix (Free Plan)
Wix is primarily a website builder, but it offers a free blogging option with modern design tools and a drag-and-drop interface.
What Makes Wix Great:
- Easy to Design: Drag-and-drop builder with lots of templates.
- Custom Domains Available (on paid plans): The free plan gives you a
username.wixsite.comURL. - Good for Portfolios or Business Blogs: Great for visual content.
- App Integrations: Access to add-ons and widgets.
The free plan includes Wix ads and limited storage. To remove branding or connect a custom domain, you’ll need to upgrade.
Weebly (Free Plan)
Weebly, now owned by Square, is another free website builder that includes blogging capabilities.
Highlights:
- User-Friendly: Simple drag-and-drop functionality.
- Free Templates: Basic themes with good mobile responsiveness.
- eCommerce Ready: You can start a free online store or blog.
- Hosting Included: Comes with a
yourname.weebly.comdomain.
Weebly is great for beginners, but not as powerful as WordPress when it comes to advanced blogging tools.
Ghost (Free via Self-Hosting)
Ghost is a professional publishing platform aimed at writers and newsletter creators. The platform itself is free and open-source, but you’ll need to self-host it (which may involve some cost unless you use a free tier from a provider like Render or Railway).
Best For:
- Clean Writing Experience: Focused, fast, and distraction-free.
- Monetization Tools: Supports paid memberships and newsletters.
- SEO Friendly: Built-in SEO tools and AMP support.
- Modern and Lightweight: Built for performance and minimalism.
Ghost is perfect for serious bloggers or developers willing to handle hosting. It’s less suited to complete beginners who want zero setup.
Substack
Substack is an increasingly popular platform for bloggers, writers, and newsletter creators. While it’s mostly known for newsletters, you can use it as a full blogging platform — and it’s completely free unless you choose to monetize.
Why Substack Is a Game-Changer:
- Free to Use: No hosting or subscription fees — Substack only takes a small cut if you enable paid subscriptions.
- Email + Blog in One: Publish to your blog and email list simultaneously.
- Monetization Ready: Turn on paid newsletters when you build an audience.
- Clean, Distraction-Free Interface: Focus purely on your writing.
- No Technical Skills Needed: Just sign up and start writing.
Substack is ideal for writers who want to build a loyal audience and earn directly from subscribers. It’s also SEO-friendly, allowing public access to your archives like a traditional blog.
Conclusion
The best free blogging platform depends on your goals, such as writing and growing an audience, building a customizable blog, making money with ads or sharing creative content.
No matter your niche — from lifestyle blogging to thought leadership — one of these platforms can help you launch your blog today without spending a dime.
Each platform offers pros and cons, allowing you to start blogging without a credit card. Choose the one that fits your needs, start creating content, and grow your online presence one post at a time.
