16 Best Free Blog Sites to Build Your Brand in 2024

Blogging is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience, build credibility, and grow your brand. It allows you to share ideas, showcase expertise, and engage with a global audience. Top brands like HubSpot, Semrush, and Zoho leverage blogging to attract millions of users every month.

For businesses and individuals, blogging is a powerful tool to enhance visibility, boost authority, and earn valuable backlinks. These backlinks can improve your search rankings and drive organic traffic.

Starting a blog is simple, but choosing the right platform is essential. To find the best fit, consider factors like ease of use, customization options, SEO support, scalability, flexibility, and audience needs. These elements will help you select the ideal platform for your goals.

To help you discover the best free blogging platforms, Geekflare has researched and curated a list of top free blog sites evaluated based on key features like customization options, monetization support, SEO capabilities, storage capacity, mobile responsiveness, and pricing.

• 1. Medium – Best for Minimalist Design and Building Brand Authority
• 2. Hashnode – Best for Development Team
• 3. Dev.to – Best for Developers
• 4. Indie Hackers – Best for Software Developers
• 5. WordPress – Best for Beginners
• 6. LinkedIn Articles – Best for Consultants and SMBs
• 7. Wix – Best for Drag-and-Drop Interface
• 8. Weebly – Best for eCommerce and Marketing Businesses
• 9. Blogger – Best for Individuals
• 10. Tumblr – Best to Record Personal Journey
• 11. Hackernoon – Best for Technology Audiences
• 12. DZone – Best for Tech Companies
• 13. Substack – Best for Newsletter
• 14. Beehiiv – Popular Choice to Start Email Marketing
• 15. Kit – Best for Creators
• 16. Notion Sites – Best for Sharing Templates
• Show moreShow less

1. Medium

Medium is an online publishing platform for sharing long-form content, stories, and ideas with a global audience. It is known for its high-quality articles across diverse topics, including technology, culture, business, and lifestyle.

Medium empowers writers and businesses to deliver valuable content, building authority in their field. Its standout features include a clean, minimalist interface and the ability for readers to show appreciation through ‘claps.’

Medium follows a subscription-based model, providing access to premium content for $5 per month. Writers are compensated based on reader engagement, empowering independent creators. Its WYSIWYG editor simplifies content creation, and with 129 million monthly visitors, it offers substantial audience reach. Both free and paid plans are available.

Try Medium

2. Hashnode

Hashnode is a developer-centric blogging platform that simplifies blog creation and management for developers and technical teams. It offers SEO optimization for enhanced visibility and is user-friendly for both technical and non-technical users.

Its collaboration and integration features make it ideal for developers who want to streamline content creation and grow their online presence. Blogs are discoverable on personal domains and within the Hashnode ecosystem, and built-in analytics track performance and engagement.

It employs a block-based WYSIWYG Markdown editor, offering a user-friendly writing experience. With an impressive 1 million active users per month, Hashnode caters to a large, engaged community. It provides a free plan to get started, with advanced features available.

Try Hashnode

3. Dev.to

Dev.to is an open-source community and blogging platform for developers and tech enthusiasts. It enables users to share knowledge, experiences, and insights through articles on topics like programming tutorials, how-tos, coding, software development trends, and more.

It focuses on community-driven content to build an environment where both novice and experienced developers can contribute. Dev.to offers a user-friendly interface where members can write articles, participate in forums, and collaborate with peers.

It offers a Markdown editor with collaborative features, which simplifies content creation and editing. With over 8.8 million monthly active users, Dev.to provides significant visibility for contributors. Best of all, it allows users to create posts for free, making them accessible to a broad audience.

Try Dev.to

4. Indie Hackers

Indie Hackers is a content-sharing hub for entrepreneurs, software developers, and bootstrapped startups to share insights, discuss strategies, and support each other in building and scaling businesses. It enables users to share project experiences, fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange to build authority in their fields.

It shares real-world stories, practical advice, and actionable tips from independent founders of profitable businesses. Publishing on Indie Hackers connects you with like-minded entrepreneurs, helping you build a community and grow your personal or business brand.

Indie Hackers offers a markdown editor integrated with community features, providing a seamless writing and sharing experience. Its subscription model is free by default, with optional paid features available for access to advanced tools.

Try Indie Hackers

5. WordPress

WordPress is a popular platform for building and managing websites and blogs. Its user-friendly interface and robust tools for content creation, customization, and site management make it ideal for individuals, businesses, and organizations.

With various features and customization options, WordPress has become a top choice for building a brand and authority online. It has an extensive list of free and paid themes with plugins to expand its features. It supports publishing long-form and short articles, making it suitable for personal blogs, small websites, and enterprise-level projects.

WordPress offers a block-based visual editor for intuitive and user-friendly content creation. Trusted by over 340 million users worldwide, it caters to diverse website needs. Its subscription model includes a free plan, with paid options starting at just $4 per month for additional features and customization.

Try WordPress

6. LinkedIn Articles

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, ideal for publishing long-form articles to build authority and brand. Its strong domain reputation increases the chances of articles ranking well on Google, making it a popular choice for businesses and individuals aiming to establish their online presence.

LinkedIn’s article editor is user-friendly, allowing you to include multiple images and multimedia. It also lets you add external links to your business or personal website, helping to drive traffic.

Publishing articles on this platform, with a massive user base of over 1 billion, fosters engagement and interaction. Readers can like, comment, and share your content, significantly enhancing your online visibility and reach. LinkedIn provides free access to basic features, with premium plans starting at just $29.99 monthly, offering additional tools to maximize your impact.

Try LinkedIn Articles

7. Wix

Wix is a leading cloud-based website builder with an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, enabling users to create professional websites or blogs without coding skills. Its user-friendly design ensures quick and easy publishing, making it ideal for building an online presence.

Wix offers customizable templates and tools ideal for individuals, entrepreneurs, and businesses. Its paid plans include AI features to simplify website creation. It also offers SEO optimization, mobile responsiveness, and integrated analytics to help users enhance and grow their online presence.

With over 250 million users worldwide, it remains a popular choice for website creation. Wix follows a freemium subscription model, with free options and paid plans starting at $17 monthly.

Try Wix

8. Weebly

Weebly is a beginner-friendly website builder for creating websites, blogs, and online eCommerce stores. Its intuitive drag-and-drop interface makes customization easy and requires no technical expertise.

It offers diverse themes and tools for eCommerce and marketing. Its industry-specific, mobile-responsive templates enable visually appealing designs. Weebly robust e-commerce features support online store setup, inventory management, payment processing, and order tracking.

Weebly has grown to over 50 million users by continually enhancing its website-building features. It offers SEO, analytics, and email marketing tools to help users effectively grow their online presence. While Weebly is free, paid plans for additional features start at $10/month.

Try Weebly

9. Blogger

Blogger is a free blogging platform from Google designed to create and publish blogs. Its simple interface requires no technical expertise, making it ideal for sharing thoughts and experiences or promoting businesses while building online visibility and brand presence.

It offers a range of customizable templates for setting up websites and blogs. It is integrated with Google services, so you can manage your content and engage with audiences seamlessly.

With the ability to monetize content through Google’s AdSense, Blogger enables users to earn money while expanding their audience. Its intuitive WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor ensures a seamless blogging experience for users of all skill levels.

Currently, Blogger attracts over 37 million visitors, making it a popular choice for bloggers worldwide. Its free subscription model ensures accessibility for anyone starting or maintaining a blog.

Try Blogger

10. Tumblr

Tumblr is a microblogging platform for building online authority and brand. Most people use Tumblr to record and share personal journeys and experiences with others. You can use the platform for creative expression and share multimedia content, such as text, images, and videos. It helps build a vibrant community to connect with like-minded people and showcase unique views.

Tumblr is popular among artists, writers, and influencers looking to build a personal brand. It stands out with its user-friendly interface and extensive customization options, making it a popular choice for individuals looking to create visually appealing blogs. It offers social networking features for better engagement and content sharing.

It employs a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor, simplifying the content creation process for users. With a massive user base of over 135 million, Tumblr remains accessible to all as it operates entirely on a free subscription model with no paid plans.

Try Tumblr

11. Hackernoon

Hackernoon is a tech-focused platform for tech enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, and businesses to share their expertise and insights. It helps users build authority and brand presence in the tech community by showcasing knowledge on topics like coding, software development, AI, blockchain, and startups.

Hackernoon stands out for its emphasis on quality content and fostering community-driven discussions, making it an invaluable resource for tech enthusiasts and professionals alike. It allows users to write for free, but businesses seeking to build authority can opt for its paid options.

It operates as a collaborative content publishing platform, attracting over 2 million monthly visitors.

Try Hackernoon

12. DZone

DZone.com is a community-driven platform for tech companies and professionals. You can publish anything related to technology, from articles to tutorials and resources on various tech topics. It can position you as a thought leader and help you attract a dedicated audience interested in technology.

DZone is a highly valuable resource for developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts, offering extensive insights and updates for anyone looking to stay informed in the technology field. As a collaborative content publishing platform, it empowers users to share, discover, and engage with industry trends and technical know-how.

With over 1.6 million monthly visitors, DZone boasts a vast, active community of tech professionals. It is entirely free to use, with no paid subscription plans, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Try DZone

13. Substack

Substack is a newsletter publishing platform that helps writers, journalists, and creators build and monetize their audience. It offers tools for creating, distributing, and managing subscription-based content, making it ideal for independent professionals seeking to grow authority and recognition in their niche.

Substack is a popular choice for writers due to its user-friendly interface and focus on simplicity. It supports various content types and is suitable for different writing styles and topics.

As a newsletter publishing platform, Substack has attracted a large audience, boasting over 35 million users. It offers a subscription model that includes a free option alongside paid plans, and it takes 10% of the subscription revenue, providing flexibility for writers to monetize their content effectively.

Try Substack

14. Beehiiv

Beehiiv is a newsletter platform that helps creators build authority and grow their brands. Its user-friendly interface enables professional newsletter creation without technical skills.

You can engage with the audience directly and grow your subscriber base with Beehiiv. It suits anyone looking to launch and scale their newsletters without technical skills. It offers advanced analytics, segmentation, and growth tools to optimize audience engagement.

With a substantial user base of 50 million unique readers, Beehiiv caters to a wide audience. The subscription model includes a free tier, with paid plans starting at $34 per month for additional features and scalability.

Try Beehiv

15. Kit

Kit is a user-friendly platform for creators, influencers, and professionals to share curated product recommendations. It supports brand building through email marketing, allowing users to create newsletters, segment audiences, and personalize content for better engagement.

It also enables users to open digital stores, offer subscriptions, and run ads, consolidating multiple income streams on one platform to simplify sales and maximize revenue.

Creators can create and customize kits to match their interests or niche, making it easy for followers to find and buy recommended products. Each kit includes links to sites like Amazon, allowing followers to shop easily while helping creators earn affiliate commissions.

With a substantial user base of over 644k individuals, Kit has earned its reputation as a go-to solution. It operates on a subscription model, offering a free tier with paid plans starting at $25 per month, making it accessible to a wide range of users.

Try Kit

16. Notion Sites

Notion Sites lets you quickly turn your Notion pages into websites without knowing how to code or design. It’s a simple and flexible way to create personal websites, portfolios, blogs, or project pages using Notion’s editor.

It lets you personalize your website with features like custom domains, themes, templates, and branding elements. Its mobile-friendly designs make sure your site looks good on any device. Plus, Notion Sites works seamlessly with your Notion workspace, so you don’t need extra tools.

It is used by over 30 million people, and Notion offers a free plan, with paid options starting at $10 per user per month.

Try Notion Sites

Best Free Blog Sites Comparison

Here, we compare the best free blog sites based on storage and bandwidth, customization options, and monetization support.

Blogging Platform	Storage & Bandwidth	Customization Options	Monetization Support
Medium	Unlimited for posts	Minimal (predefined style)	Limited (partner program for writers)
Blogs by Hashnode	Unlimited for posts	Basic (theme-based customization)	Limited (content sponsorships)
Dev.to	Unlimited for posts	Minimal (focus on content)	No direct monetization tools
Indie Hackers	Unlimited for posts	Minimal (community-oriented)	No direct monetization tools
WordPress	Free plan: 3 GB, Paid: Unlimited	High (plugins, themes)	Available (ads, affiliate links, etc.)
LinkedIn Articles	Unlimited for posts	Minimal (standard LinkedIn look)	Indirect (professional exposure)
Wix	Free plan: 500 MB, Paid: Unlimited	High (drag-and-drop, custom themes)	Available (eCommerce, ads)
Weebly	Free plan: 500 MB, Paid: Unlimited	Moderate (eCommerce templates)	Available (eCommerce, ads)
Blogger	15 GB via Google Drive	Minimal (basic templates)	Limited (ads with AdSense)
Tumblr	Unlimited for posts, limits on media	Minimal (themes and colors)	Limited (affiliate links, sponsorships)
Hackernoon	Unlimited for posts	Minimal (focused on storytelling)	No direct monetization tools
DZone	Unlimited for posts	Minimal (technical content focus)	No direct monetization tools
Substack	Unlimited for emails	Moderate (simple branding options)	Available (subscription model)
Beehiiv	Unlimited for emails	Moderate (branding customization)	Available (subscription, sponsorships)
Kit	Unlimited for kits	Minimal (focused on product pages)	Available (affiliate revenue)
Notion Sites	Unlimited for notes	Moderate (no-code builder)	Indirect (selling templates/resources)

3 Tips to Build Your Brand Presence with Your Blog

Building a strong brand presence through your blog requires a strategic approach. Any successful brand strategy must include elements such as content creation, SEO optimization, and social media promotion.

Here are some essential tips to enhance your online authority and brand visibility effectively.

1. Content Strategy

Creating user-first content is the cornerstone of any successful blog. Your content should answer the queries of your target audience and address their needs and interests.

According to a study by HubSpot^[1], companies that focus on blogging are 13 times more likely to see a positive ROI. Hence, focus on producing in-depth articles, tutorials, and insights that inform and engage readers. By establishing yourself as a knowledgeable resource in your niche via blogging, you can build trust and credibility, which help build a strong brand.

2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Implementing best SEO practices is crucial for increasing your blog’s visibility. HubSpot research^[2] states that 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results. This makes it vital to optimize your articles and blogs for higher search ranks with SEO.

Here are a few tips you can use to optimize your blogs:

• Identify keywords matching your audience’s search intent and add them naturally in your posts.
• Use attention-grabbing title tags and meta descriptions to get more clicks from the Search Engine Result Page.
• Update your content regularly to improve rankings, as search engines favor fresh information.
• Create content that’s focused on meeting users’ queries and helping them instead of content for ranks.
• Generate quality backlinks from websites and brands in your niche to improve your site’s authority.

3. Social Media Promotion

Social media is a key channel for sharing content and engaging with your audience. Share your blog posts on platforms like X, LinkedIn, and Facebook to reach a wider audience, and engage with followers through comments to build a community. Boost high-performing posts with social media ads for even greater reach. By focusing on these strategies, you can strengthen your blog’s impact and build a strong online presence.

So, sign up with one of these platforms and start publishing content.

References

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1. Blogging Statistics — 31 Stats You Need to Know

2. Stats About Inbound Marketing That Will Make Your Jaw Drop

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