If you want to create a self-hosted blog, is an excellent option, with total flexibility, support for third-party plugins, and as much storage as your hosting plan allows. If you're interested in making a static website rather than an online journal,. You also only get 500MB storage, too, so bear that in mind. You are, however, free to build a blog with an unlimited number of pages, and where Wix really shines is with its powerful blog functionality. The editor may be simple, but you get access to all the stuff you need — from image galleries through to videos and music — and there are a ton of ways to customize a post. And what makes Wix truly compelling is on top of this, you get the run of the rest of what this website builder offers aside from blog support. And you can always upgrade at a later date if you want to break free of them in the longer run. Try it online: Active support community Powerful and highly customizable, is a brilliant platform for blogs of any size, and bloggers of any level of experience. Creating your first blog is very straightforward, with a simple wizard that guides you through the process of choosing a name and suitable theme. The post-writing interface is much like an ordinary desktop word processor though some options are presented in a toolbar at the top, while others are in a menu at the side, which can be a little confusing at first. Again, time spent getting to know the interface is rewarded with advanced features like customizable social media sharing buttons, geotagging, and the ability to pick a custom style for individual posts. Sometimes you might want to create a photo gallery, for example, and other times a more text-focused style would be more appropriate. You can also view and edit the HTML source. As your blog grows, WordPress lets you track its stats, including page views, visitors, likes and comments over time. You can also see how readers reach your site, which content they viewed, and where they are in the world, so you can tailor your content accordingly. Your site is hosted on WordPress servers, with an address in the format yoursite. Try it online: Not as powerful as WordPress is another superb blogging platform. Blogger offers an excellent selection of templates, all of which include mobile versions optimized for smaller screens — a very sensible addition with so many people accessing online content through smartphones. As a result, its toolbars are less confusing — a trade-off between power and usability. For example, it uses your Google Drive account to store images and other files for your blog. There are some handy visualizations here, including a world map to show the global distribution of your readers. Your blog will have an address in the format yoursite. Support is available through , which is very active but has a strange layout that can be a little off-putting. In all other respects, Blogger is brilliant — one of the best free blogging sites if you prioritize ease of use over flexibility and are a fan of the Google ecosystem. Try it online: Limited to 500MB of storage takes a modular approach to blog building, with a drag-and-drop editor that lets you choose which elements to add to your site, and where. Pick a basic template, then plonk various types of content onto the page, including social media links, text, images, maps, and sections of code. This makes sense — forcing you to stick within the confines of your chosen template stops the page looking messy — but you might find it limiting. Blog posts are made in the same way: drag text boxes, picture frames, buttons and page breaks into position, then click to edit them. Try it online: Some pressure to upgrade to paid version Whereas the other free blogging sites are designed to get as many eyeballs on your posts as possible, is the equivalent of a locked diary stashed in a safe. There are free apps for iOS and Android that enable you to update your Penzu diary anywhere, but the contents are for your eyes only. Custom colors and backgrounds come at a price —. Extra options are often dangled under your nose then yanked away, but the core offering is a good one, and if you simply want a place to record your thoughts and practise writing, Penzu could be just what you need.