If you’re running a blog, especially if you’re just starting out, you want to keep costs low while still accessing high-quality tools. Fortunately, there are plenty of free blogging tools available that can help you create, manage, and grow your blog without spending a penny. Here’s a roundup of over 30 free tools that will help you build a successful blog while staying within budget.
Content creation tools
- Google Docs
A fantastic writing tool for drafting your blog posts. It’s cloud-based, allowing you to collaborate in real-time with others, and it’s accessible from any device. - Grammarly
Grammarly helps you write error-free content by catching grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. It also provides style suggestions to enhance readability. - Hemingway Editor
This tool highlights overly complex sentences, adverbs, and passive voice, helping you make your writing clearer and more concise. - Canva
Canva is perfect for designing blog graphics, social media images, and infographics. It offers free templates and drag-and-drop functionality, making design accessible for beginners. - Pexels
A free stock photo site where you can find high-quality images for your blog posts. Pexels has a large library of free-to-use photos with no attribution required. - Unsplash
Another excellent source for free stock photos, Unsplash offers a wide selection of beautiful, high-resolution images to use in your blog. - GIMP
A free, open-source alternative to Photoshop, GIMP allows you to create and edit images for your blog. While it has a steeper learning curve, it offers powerful design features.
SEO tools
- Google Keyword Planner
Part of Google Ads, this tool helps you find keyword ideas for your blog posts. You can see search volume and trends, helping you target the right terms for your content. - Ubersuggest
Created by Neil Patel, Ubersuggest is a free keyword research tool that also provides SEO audit and backlink data. It’s great for beginners looking to improve their blog’s search engine rankings. - AnswerThePublic
This tool visualises search queries related to your target keyword. It’s helpful for generating blog post ideas based on what people are searching for online. - Yoast SEO
If you’re using WordPress, Yoast SEO is a must-have plugin. It helps you optimise your blog posts for search engines by analysing readability, keyword usage, and meta tags. - Google Search Console
Google Search Console allows you to monitor how your blog is performing in search results. You can track search queries, monitor backlinks, and submit sitemaps. - Moz Link Explorer
Moz’s free link explorer lets you check backlinks and analyse your domain authority. It’s a great tool for improving your link-building strategy.
Analytics tools
- Google Analytics
One of the most powerful tools for tracking your blog’s traffic, Google Analytics provides in-depth insights into your audience’s behaviour, traffic sources, and much more. - Hotjar
Hotjar offers free heatmaps and session recordings to see how users interact with your blog. The free plan provides limited features but is valuable for user experience research. - MonsterInsights
This plugin integrates Google Analytics with WordPress, giving you detailed analytics reports directly in your dashboard.
Email marketing tools
- Mailchimp
Mailchimp offers a free plan for up to 500 contacts, making it ideal for beginner bloggers. You can build an email list, create campaigns, and automate emails. - MailerLite
Another excellent option for email marketing, MailerLite’s free plan includes email automation, drag-and-drop editing, and up to 1,000 subscribers. - Sendinblue
Sendinblue’s free plan allows you to send up to 300 emails per day, with unlimited contacts. It also offers email automation and simple design features.
Social media tools
- Buffer
Buffer’s free plan allows you to schedule up to 10 posts at a time across various social media platforms. It’s a great tool for managing social media accounts and staying consistent. - Hootsuite
Hootsuite’s free plan offers social media scheduling for up to 2 profiles. You can schedule up to 5 messages at a time, making it ideal for small-scale social media management. - Later
Later is a visual social media scheduling tool perfect for Instagram. It offers a free plan for scheduling up to 30 posts per month. - TweetDeck
TweetDeck is a free tool from Twitter that allows you to manage multiple Twitter accounts, schedule tweets, and monitor trends and hashtags.
Writing and editing tools
- Evernote
Evernote is a note-taking tool that’s perfect for organising blog ideas, to-do lists, and draft content. Its free plan offers syncing across two devices. - Trello
Trello is a project management tool that allows you to create boards and lists for your blogging tasks. Use it to organise your content calendar and track your blogging progress. - Notion
Notion offers an all-in-one workspace for note-taking, task management, and project collaboration. It’s a great tool for organising blog drafts, ideas, and editorial calendars.
Productivity tools
- Toggl
Toggl is a time-tracking tool that helps you manage your time effectively. Track how long you spend on writing, editing, and promoting your blog to improve productivity. - RescueTime
This productivity tool tracks how you spend your time on your computer or mobile device, offering insights into where you can improve focus and cut down on distractions. - Asana
Asana is a project management tool perfect for organising your blog content, setting deadlines, and keeping track of tasks. It’s particularly useful if you collaborate with other writers or editors.
Other useful blogging tools
- Medium
Medium is a free blogging platform where you can republish your blog posts for added exposure. It’s a great way to reach a broader audience and gain more readers. - Pingdom
Pingdom offers free website speed tests. Use it to analyse your blog’s load time and find ways to improve performance for better user experience and SEO. - CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
Writing compelling headlines is crucial for attracting readers. This free tool analyses your headlines and provides tips to improve their appeal.
FAQs
Q: Are free blogging tools good enough to grow a blog?
A: Yes, many free tools offer excellent features that are more than enough to help you start and grow your blog. As your blog scales, you may choose to upgrade to premium plans.
Q: Can I switch to paid versions of these tools later?
A: Absolutely. Most of the tools listed here offer premium versions with additional features. You can start with the free plan and upgrade when your blog grows or when you need more advanced features.
Q: Do free tools come with limitations?
A: Free tools often come with limitations, such as fewer features, restricted usage, or watermarks. However, for most new bloggers, these tools provide enough functionality to get started.
By using these forever free blogging tools, you can keep your costs low while benefiting from powerful functionalities that help your blog thrive. Whether it’s content creation, SEO, email marketing, or social media management, these tools will support your journey towards building a successful blog.