8 Best Website Builders for Blogs: Tested & Free to Try [2024]

Not every builder has the tools and features you need to design a unique and compelling blog that will attract visitors and keep them coming back.

Some builders may seem appealing at first but offer limited customization or lack essential blogging features. Others may have the necessary tools, but pricing is unclear and the overall value is poor.

After testing popular website builders for blogging, I’ve put together a list of the best options for different blogging niches and goals. These builders offer everything you need: robust blogging features, ample customization, helpful AI support, and SEO and marketing tools. They’re also easy to use and give you multiple ways to monetize your blog as your audience grows.

While any of these builders can help you create an engaging blog, Wix stands out above the rest. It has a template for any blog type or need, advanced blogging features, impressive AI tools, and all the monetization options you could ask for. It’s also easy to use and offers ample creative freedom, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced bloggers.

Keep reading to discover more of my top picks that might suit your blogging needs.

What We Look For in the Best Website Builders for Blogs

To create a successful blog, you need a website builder that enhances your content and supports your growth. I focused on key features that make blogging easier and more effective.

• Free or affordable plans. Most of these builders offer free plans and those that don’t, have free trials. When you’re ready to scale, affordable paid plans deliver good value.
• Easy customization and design. These builders make it easy to design a blog that reflects your personality and vision. They offer intuitive interfaces, no-code editing, and helpful AI tools that do everything from writing blog posts to building your website.
• Advanced blogging tools. You need powerful blogging tools like post scheduling, rich text editors, content management, image optimization, and built-in RSS feeds. I prioritized builders that give you the tools to create and organize engaging content.
• SEO and marketing features. I only chose builders that offer expert SEO guidance, social media integration, and email marketing tools to help you rank higher with search engines and grow your audience.
• Monetization options. The builders on my list give you multiple ways to make money blogging, including ad revenue, affiliate marketing, newsletters, memberships, premium content, and donations.

1. Wix: Versatile Builder with Best Templates and Blogging Tools1

Wix is the most versatile website builder for blogging, suited to any blog type, goal, or skill level. It offers 69 templates for blogs, vlogs, and podcasts in a range of styles, which makes it easy to choose one that suits your taste and needs. You’ll also be able to customize every element of your blog without having to touch a line of code.

Powerful blogging tools let you schedule, tag, categorize, and share estimated read times for posts. Other features help you build an active community of followers by allowing readers to comment, share, and contribute original content. In-depth analytics offer insights into your blog’s performance and audience behavior, helping to guide your content strategy to increase traffic.

Recognizing cost shouldn’t be a barrier to blogging, Wix offers a full-featured free plan1, as well as well-priced paid plans that scale with you as your blog develops. I recommend the Light plan for serious bloggers seeking to monetize their content. It removes ads and includes a custom domain and email for a professional look.

Features

• Helpful AI tools. Wix AI will design your blog, write personalized content, and create custom images, taking much of the work out of managing a successful blog.

• Personalized SEO support. Your Wix SEO Setup checklist has tailored tips that help your blog rank higher on search engines, making it easier for readers to find you.
• Multimedia blog content. Easily incorporate images, videos, and audio into your blog posts to create engaging and dynamic content. Add a Wix Pro Gallery for even more advanced design features.
• App marketplace. Hundreds of apps to enhance your blog’s user experience and add new capabilities. Many are free and available with Wix’s free plan.

Read our expert Wix review for more details.

2. WordPress.com: For Content-Heavy, Informational Blogs1

For ambitious bloggers with lots of content to share, my top recommendation is WordPress.com. This “builder” version of WordPress couples a powerful content management system with hosting, easier customization, and other useful features. While there’s a steeper learning curve than with a builder like Wix, once mastered it’s worth the time you must invest.

WordPress.com has over 125 free themes for personal and business blogs, such as news, product reviews, lifestyle, and technology sites. First-rate blogging tools include a search feature, automated post recommendations, RSS feed, and archive pages. You’ll also get detailed analytics to help you tailor content and capture new subscribers.

WordPress.com has one of the most generous free plans I’ve seen. You can sell subscriptions, charge for exclusive content, and accept donations on the free plan, though you will have to pay a transaction fee. As usual, if you want to remove WordPress ads and access additional features, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid plan.

Features

• Social sharing tools. WordPress will automatically send new blog posts to your social platforms and create open graph tags and URL short links to drive more social media traffic to your website.
• Plugins. WordPress.com offers 50,000+ free and premium plugins that add functionality and can enhance the user experience, but you’ll need a Business plan to access the plugin library.
• Eye-catching blog layouts. Choose from a wide variety of pre-built page layouts, for blog posts, galleries, and newsletters to more quickly create an appealing blog site that will attract readers and keep them coming back.
• Multimedia content. Upload any type of media, including photos, videos, and audio files to create blog posts that will captivate your audience.

Read our expert WordPress.com review for more details.

3. Squarespace: For Visually-Focused Travel and Style Blogs1

You can create a visually stunning blog with Squarespace1 by choosing one of its 50 high-quality templates or using its Blueprint tool to create a custom design. Whether pre-built or AI-generated, templates are easy to customize, mobile responsive, and come with impressive blogging features.

In addition to tagging and categorizing blog posts for easier search, you can use in-blog editing to label posts as drafts or mark as “needs review.” You can also link an RSS feed and allow reader comments and social media sharing. Squarespace will even convert your blog posts into an email, though there is a small fee for this feature.

Squarespace doesn’t have a free plan but does offer a 14-day free trial. The Personal plan is a good fit if you simply want to share your passion or create a portfolio and blog to showcase your work. However, I recommend the Business plan for bloggers who plan to sell newsletter subscriptions, products, and services, which includes e-commerce capabilities.

Features

• AI blogging support. Squarespace AI will suggest ideas and create starter content for your posts. It will also write homepage text, email copy, image captions, and product descriptions. Be sure to activate the brand identify feature in your dashboard for better results.
• Compelling blog pages. You can create engaging blog pages with attractive gallery layouts, visual effects, video/audio content, and built-in photo editing.
• Paywall-protected content. Monetize your blog by selling membership access to online courses, newsletters, and premium content.
• Impressive marketing tools. Squarespace offers powerful marketing tools, including personalized email campaigns, social media integration, and the Unfold app to help you promote your blog and grow your audience.

Read our expert Squarespace review for more details.

4. SITE123: Fast and Easy Builder for Multi-Language Blog Sites1

SITE123 is one of the most beginner-friendly builders on my list, ideal if you want to quickly get your blog up and running without sacrificing core features. While there are only 7 blog templates, customization is so easy you can add a blog to any template that catches your eye.

Bloggers looking to reach a global audience with localized content will appreciate SITE123’s Multilingual Website tool. It automatically translates your blog content into up to five languages and allows you to edit the translation to enhance its regional appeal. SITE123 will also embed href-lang meta tags on your pages so your blog will automatically display in the appropriate language.

With the free plan, you get essential blogging features, including post scheduling, an RSS feed, and visitor sharing and commenting, but it does come with ads. You’ll have to upgrade to one of SITE123’s paid plans to make money with your blog, remove ads, add third-party plugins, get additional storage, and unlock more features.

Features

• SEO boost for blog posts. Automatic SEO optimization and schema markup for posts can improve your blog’s visibility and search engine ranking.
• Blog forums. You can create and manage blog forums to engage your audience, foster discussions, and build a community around your blog topics.
• Visual appeal simplified. Simply swap out your template’s homepage image for a video or slideshow and choose from 8 gallery layouts to draw visitors in. A royalty-free multimedia library makes it easy to create engaging blog posts, even if you lack photography skills.
• Apps add additional capabilities. SITE123’s marketplace has about 100 apps you can use to add functionality, including live chat, payment processing, analytics, and marketing tools.

Read our expert SITE123 review for more details.

5. Webador: Simplest Builder for New Bloggers1

Even beginners can build an appealing blog site in under an hour with Webador – and do it for free. There are fewer than 10 blog templates, but you can choose any template with a layout and style you like and use the drag-and-drop editor to create a blog that captures your vision.

Webador’s blogging features are more basic and customization is limited, but its fast, no-frills approach is ideal for individuals and small businesses that want to get a blog online quickly. The intuitive interface makes it easy to choose a blog layout, customize your posts with uploaded or stock images, link social media, and set up commenting.

The free plan and several affordable paid plans are best suited to budget-conscious bloggers. Unfortunately, the entry-level paid plan has Webador ads, which can make your blog look unprofessional. That’s why I’d recommend the Pro plan, which costs just $9.00 per month, and includes Google analytics data, e-commerce capabilities, and other advanced features.

Features

• Pre-filled content. When you answer a few questions about the type of blog you want to create, Webador will prefill a template with suitable text and images. You can then tweak the design to fit your brand and style.
• Unlimited storage. Webador offers unlimited storage on every plan, including the free plan. It also doesn’t limit the number of website pages or site visitors, as other builders do.
• Audience engagement. Using embeds, you can add video and audio content to your blog posts by integrating YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, and SoundCloud. This can make your blog posts more engaging for visitors and encourage them to return.
• Sell digital products and services. Bloggers can create a simple online store to sell eBooks, music files, online courses, and other downloadable materials. Webador doesn’t add a transaction fee in addition to your payment processor’s fee.

Learn more in our expert Webador review.

6. IONOS: A Budget-Friendly Builder for Small Business Blogs1

IONOS offers 27 attractive and modern templates tailored to different industries, making it easy to create a professional business blog and website to promote your brand. You won’t have the creative freedom Wix offers, but you can quickly customize your site using pre-built sections, color schemes, image galleries, and blog layouts.

Like other builders on my list, IONOS has several AI-powered tools to help you with website and blog design, a plus for busy entrepreneurs who might find it hard to build their own website. A standout feature is its AI support for SEO, which you’ll appreciate if you’re just starting out or need help improving your blog’s search ranking and traffic.

Affordable plans make IONOS a good choice for budget-conscious businesses. Despite the low cost, these plans come with useful features for small business advice bloggers, like a custom domain, professional email, social media integration, and ample storage. A 30-day money-back guarantee lets you build your site and test blogging features risk-free.

Features

• Help with content. AI will generate ideas for blog posts, headlines, detailed articles, and images. This can make it easier to add fresh content and help you establish your expertise and build relationships with
• Brand building tools. Pre-built templates help you design effective email marketing campaigns, gather leads, and encourage visitors to subscribe, essential for growing your blog’s audience and boosting sales.
• Automatic image optimization. Your images are automatically optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile, ensuring quick load times and a better user experience.
• Website translator. IONOS’s website translator allows you to easily reach a global audience by translating your blog into multiple languages.

Our expert IONOS review has more info.

Other Notable Website Builders for Blogging

7. Shopify1

Shopify is ideal for e-commerce businesses looking to build brand identity through blogging. Its 200+ free and paid store themes generally come with a blog already built in, though it may be titled recipes, stories, resources, or magazines. The editor makes it easy to customize your blog posts with images, videos, animations, and product links to engage shoppers, which can help drive sales.

Although Shopify’s basic plan is pricier than other builders on my list, its powerful sales and marketing tools make it well worth the cost. Built-in tools support detailed analytics, SEO, email marketing, and integration with social media/sales channels, enhancing your blog’s potential to convert readers into customers.

8. Hostinger Website Builder1

Despite more limited blogging features than the top builders on my list, Hostinger’s well-designed templates, helpful AI tools, and fast website loading times make it worth a look. Hostinger also takes a hands-off approach to affiliate marketing which can make monetizing your blog easier.

While Hostinger doesn’t have a free plan, it has two affordable paid plans that are heavily discounted for the first 2 years. I’d recommend the Business plan for bloggers. It costs just $1 more than the entry-level plan and comes with e-commerce capabilities. You also get the full suite of AI tools – website builder, blog post generator, SEO optimizer, heatmap tool, and more.

Choose the Best Website Builder for a Successful Blog

Ultimately, the choice of which website builder is the best fit for your blog will depend on your priorities and goals. Factors to consider include the type of blog you want to create, your budget, technical skill, and the features and add-ons you’re looking for.

For most bloggers my top recommendation is Wix1. It gives you outstanding blogging tools, a beginner-friendly interface, good-looking templates for any blogging niche, advanced customization, and impressive AI features.

On the other hand, if you have lots of information to share and need powerful content management, WordPress.com is a great choice1. While its features are first-rate, it’s best for more technically adept bloggers.

For art, photography, and other visually focused blogs, Squarespace is the best option1. Its striking templates, blog layouts, and integrated SEO and marketing tools can help your blog stand out and attract more traffic.

FAQ

What is the best free website builder for a blog?

Wix is the best free website builder for blogs. Its generous free plan includes ample features, easy customization, robust blogging tools, and hundreds of free apps to enhance your blog’s functionality. Wix’s suite of useful AI tools, available on the free plan, can help you design your blog, fill it with engaging text and visuals, and optimize it for search engines.

What are essential features to look for in a blog platform?

The best builders for blogging offer user-friendly editors, mobile-responsive blog templates, ample customization, SEO tools, and social media integration. Blogging tools like post scheduling, analytics, built-in RSS feeds, and comment management are a must. You should also look for detailed analytics, lead gathering, and marketing tools to help you build an audience.

How can you monetize a blog?

You can make money blogging with affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and paid advertising. Builders like Wix and Squarespace will let you offer subscriptions and exclusive content to paying readers and sell digital products/services, making it easier to turn your blogging skills into a profitable income stream. WordPress.com will even let you sell on its free plan.

Which is better for blogging, Wix or WordPress.com?

This depends on your needs, though Wix is better for most bloggers. Wix is easier to use and offers total creative freedom. Wix also gives you a suite of impressive AI tools to help you build, manage your blog, and add fresh content. Both have strong blogging tools, but WordPress.com is better for managing lots of content, even though it’s more challenging to use.

If you’d like to explore other top platforms for blogging, see our in-depth review of the best website builders in 2024.