The Best Blogging Tools (Both Free & Paid!)

On your journey to becoming a big-time blogger, you’ll need to stack your toolbelt with the best blogging tools on the market. 

More than just a keyboard and a dream, successful bloggers are armed with tools that help them reach new audiences, optimize their workflow, and produce more engaging content. 

I’ve compiled the best blogging tools for professional use, with both free and paid options. While there are plenty of amazing free tools, the key to success is to mix them with paid options. 

Discover which blogging tools are worth the price tag and how they can drive your success as a blogger!

Related:

• Blogs Are Back: How to Start Blogging
• 90-Day Blogging Guide For Beginners
• 9 Ways to Avoid Blogging and Freelance Burnout
• 25 Bloggers Share How They Made Their First Dollar Blogging
• How To Build Backlinks For Your Blog On A Budget

The Best Blogging Tools for Successful Bloggers

There are a surprising number of blogging tools on the market, though they vary in quality and usefulness. 

Here are the best blogging tools that I’d recommend, with categories varying from image design to monetization.

Blogging Platforms

Every blogger needs their platform, and there are several free options to get started with. 

Tools like WordPress.com and Blogger are free blogging platforms, with basic features that are great for beginners, small businesses, and freelancer portfolios. 

With that said, these platforms are limited in their capabilities. You won’t own your domain, meaning the hosting sites can run ads on your behalf, without paying you. 

In addition, you’ll have little control over design, monetization tools, and personal branding. While this may be a good place to start, serious bloggers should definitely invest in a paid website host and domain. 

Website Hosting + Purchasing Your Domain

If you’re ready to take your blog to the next level, you’ll need to register a domain through a trusted site. This simply means purchasing the rights to your web address. 

Some popular examples include GoDaddy and Namecheap.

Next, you’ll need to purchase hosting through a tool like Bluehost or SiteGround. Website hosts store your data, make your content available to viewers, provide security, and give you access to site management tools. 

You can also purchase your domain through certain website hosts, with platforms including Squarespace, Elementor, and Shopify. These hosts are one-stop shops, streamlining the set-up process. 

Note – Registering your domain and host separately gives you more control for moving platforms and tends to cost less. 

Writing + Content Creation

At its core, a great blog is only as good as its writing!

Tools like Grammarly are great for improving your writing quality, checking for grammatical errors, punctuation checks, tone reading, and flagging lengthy sentences. Free for users, you can also upgrade to their paid version for even more polish. 

Hemingway Editor is another free writing tool that flags weak words, convoluted sentences, passive voice, and adverbs. This tool focuses more on clarity and readability, and works well in conjunction with Grammarly. 

Finally, Google Docs is king when it comes to free content storage, helping you draft and organize your blog posts.

SEO + Keyword Research

Anyone looking to blog professionally and increase their reach as a writer needs to use SEO (search engine optimization). 

SEO tools provide keyphrases in your niche that internet users are searching for. The goal is to integrate these keywords into your work, bringing your blog to the top of search results. 

My recommendations for keyword research include Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz. 

I also recommend the free Yoast WordPress plugin for further SEO analysis. This will track how well-optimized your blog post is and give you suggestions for improvement. 

Graphic Design + Image Editing

Branded visuals help improve user experience, drawing in readers and welcoming repeat visits to your blog. 

Both free and premium Canva memberships are perfect for creating custom graphics, logos, social media posts, and more. 

For photo editing, Adobe Photoshop is the popular choice for its many capabilities. And for video editing, Adobe Premiere Pro is user-friendly and offers users plenty of creative functions. 

More blogging tools for graphic design:

• HauteStock (Paid) – Professional stock photos
• Unsplash (Free) – High-quality stock photos 
• SuperbThemes (Paid) – Customer WordPress blocks, animations, pre-built web pages, and more

Social Media + Content Promotion

One of the best blogging tools to promote your content is your social media presence. 

Use top platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and TikTok to drive users to your blog content. 

These social media tools will help you with content planning and promotion:

• Tailwind (Paid + Free Options) – Write and schedule social posts across Pinterest and Instagram, with AI tools for caption writing and posting optimization.
• Later (Paid + Free Options) – Create, review, and schedule social media posts across Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and more.
• Manychat (Paid) – A chat marketing tool that helps you build your community with smart responses to comments and DMs. It also helps you collect phone numbers and emails from your followers, allowing further promotion. 

Email Marketing 

Email marketing is one of the best ways to engage your audience and drive blog clicks. 

Substack is a free platform for content creators that acts like a newsletter. Users can pay to read your content through the platform or have it directed to their email. This is also a great way to generate some extra revenue, with invested readers paying to read exclusive content. 

Other top email marketing tools include:

• Flodesk (Paid) – Helps you create and schedule aesthetically pleasing marketing emails.
• GetResponse (Paid) – Includes drag-and-drop email templates, automated email options, performance testing, and more. 

Affiliate Marketing + Monetization 

With all of the hard work you’ve put into your blog, you deserve to get paid!

Affiliate links are an easy way to earn revenue through your blog. Simply create your link, insert it into the blog copy, and earn a percentage for every click or sale. 

Popular free programs include Amazon Associates and PartnerStack. 

More tools for affiliates and monetization:

• PrettyLinks (Paid + Free Options) – A WordPress plugin that shortens and tracks affiliate links for a cleaner look. 
• ThirstyAffiliates (Paid) – Geo-tracking and advanced reports for affiliate links. 

The Best Blogging Tools: Final Thoughts

Using a combination of these free and paid blogging tools can help you create a viable business strategy for your blog. 

Experiment with these tools to streamline and automate as much of the business side as possible. That way, you can get back to the fun part – blogging!

Ready to start your own blog? Check out my post on how to Get a Jumpstart on Your Blogging Goals.