19 Best Blogging Tools for Beginners: My Top Picks For 2025

I started blogging years ago…

But times were different then.

There are a ton of tools now that can make your life way easier.

After spending countless hours testing different tools, I’ll summarize which are the best blogging tools for beginners that’ll help you start strong.

Let’s go.

1. Blogging Platforms

Picking the right blogging platform can make or break your blog.

I’ve tried many platforms over the years, and I can tell you that some are way better than others for beginners.

WordPress.org

When I think about starting a blog in 2025, I always turn to WordPress.org first before anything else.

It’s free, open-source, and lets me do pretty much anything I want with my site. There are over 80,000 plugins available, so whether it’s SEO optimization or creating a forum, there’s a plugin for it.

Setting it up can be more work than the other 2 platforms I’ll mention below, but the control you get is worth it.

If you go with WordPress, you’ll need hosting and a theme.

• Hosting: My choice is Cloudways. It’s fast, which is great for keeping my readers happy. Their pay-as-you-go model allows me to scale my resources up or down as needed to accommodate changes in website traffic. Plus, with one-click WordPress installation and 24/7 support, I can focus on writing rather than worrying about tech stuff. Another good option is WPX, which is easier to set up but less flexible. Many would recommend Bluehost, but I feel it pales compared to the 2 above.
• Theme: My favorite has to be Kadence. I use it for all my websites because it’s fast and lightweight. It comes with many highly customizable modules without the need to code. I could probably replicate most website designs with this theme. But if you don’t like Kadence, Generate Press is another solid option.

You can’t just go to the WordPress website to sign up. It’s a CMS (Content Management System) that has to be installed on a WordPress host.

So choose either to get started.

Medium

Medium is a great platform for new bloggers. It’s free to use and has a built-in audience.

I’ve used it previously to share more thought pieces and also repurpose my blog’s content. The site’s clean design makes your posts look professional, even if you’re just starting out.

Plus, their partner program lets you earn money from your writing.

Another cool thing is its social features. Readers can clap for posts they like, which helps boost visibility. You can also follow other writers and build a network. This makes it easier to get your work seen by more people.

Medium is a solid choice if you want nothing to do with managing your own website aside from simply writing.

Ghost

Ghost is another sleek blogging platform I’ve used for several projects in the past. It’s kinda a mix between WordPress and Medium.

It’s for those who want some control over their blog, but not too much that it overwhelms you with choices.

Ghost offers built-in analytics, which I found super helpful when tracking my posts’ performance.

You can focus on content without getting bogged down in tech details.

There’s a bit of a learning curve, but it makes up for that with its speed and simplicity.

2. SEO Keyword Research Tools

As the saying goes “If you want to hide a dead body, put it on the second page of Google.”

Or any search engine actually.

As of Oct 2024, there are over 8 billion searches daily with 90,000 occuring per second. That’s insane.

Keyword research tools help you find the right words to rank higher on search engines and bring more readers to your blog.

Clicks.so

If you’re looking to cut through the noise without getting overwhelmed, both mentally and financially, Clicks.so is your tool.

It was created by a solo developer, Jaume Ros who wanted to provide an affordable all-in-SEO tool for beginners.

Aside from keyword research, the suite also comes with:

• Site analytics: To analyze your website performance
• Backlink analytics: To track and analyze your backlinks
• Site audits: To check your website’s health
• Rank tracker: To monitor your search engine rankings

Basically, everything you need to get started and you probably won’t be needing something more advanced till much later.

It’s user-friendly, so you don’t need to be an SEO guru to use it.

Semrush

I’ve been using Semrush for many years in my professional career as a marketer. It’s another all-in-one SEO suite like Clicks.so but on steroids.

However, it’s very pricey because it’s an industry-standard tool used by big companies and SME businesses. Quite an overkill for a beginner if you asked me.

Luckily for me the companies I work for pay for it.

But once you’re ready to scale your traffic, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Ahrefs

Ahrefs is another industry standard.

Here are some areas where it’s better than Semrush:

• Backlink analysis
• Content research
• Detailed keyword insights

Its backlink database is unmatched, offering deep dives into link-building opportunities.

The Content Explorer is a goldmine for content strategy, showing what resonates in your niche. Plus, keyword data includes click metrics, giving you a clearer SEO picture.

But like Semrush, Ahrefs might overwhelm beginners with its technical depth; its interface is more suited for seasoned SEO pros.

But as your blog grows, and you need those advanced SEO tools to scale, Ahrefs may be a good option too.

Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is actually it’s built for advertisers, not SEO.

It gives you search volumes in ranges, not exact numbers, and focuses on paid search data, like cost-per-click, not SEO metrics. It also lacks features like keyword difficulty or SERP analysis, crucial for SEO.

But hey, it’s FREE.

Use it to get a general sense of keyword trends and popularity, especially if you’re starting with no budget.

For deeper SEO insights, you’ll eventually want to look into dedicated SEO tools as your blog grows.

3. Content Creation Tools

Creating content for blogs can no longer be done without the proper tools.

They help you synthesize better, faster, and smarter.

Don’t forget you’re not just competing with individuals but companies that have teams behind them. So you’re going to need some leverage.

Let’s go over some of my favorite tools for content creation.

AgilityWriter

Out of all the AI writers I’ve tried specifically for blogging, nothing can match the affordability, features, and quality of AgilityWriter.

Simply enter a keyword you want to optimize for and it takes care of the rest.

You can:

• Give custom commands
• Select the type of post (listicle, review, product roundup, YouTube to article, and more)
• Train custom writing styles
• One-click bulk production
• Choose from multiple AI Models (GPT, Claude, and Gemini Pro)

There are too many to name.

And you must be thinking, “Oh but the quality must be subpar.”

Well, this entire article you are reading now was 80% written by AgilityWriter, I only went in to do some additional touchups and insert personal anecdotes.

ChatGPT

I don’t think ChatGPT needs any introduction at this point. This AI tool helps create content quickly and easily.

I use it to brainstorm ideas, outline posts, and even draft full articles. It’s like having a smart writing buddy who’s always ready to help.

ChatGPT can also answer questions, explain complex topics, and offer fresh angles on subjects.

But I don’t just copy what it gives me. I add my own voice and check facts to make sure everything’s right.

I can focus more on polishing my content rather than staring at a blank page.

Grammarly

Let’s face it, no matter how great you are at writing you’ll still make mistakes. This applies to me and even many professional writers I have hired or worked with.

Grammarly is a simple tool that catches grammar and spelling mistakes you might miss. It also helps me improve how my sentences flow.

The best part?

There’s a free plan that works great for most bloggers.

It’s indispensable for crafting clear, error-free blog posts.

Canva

Canva is my go-to tool for creating eye-catching visuals.

This graphic design platform offers a ton of templates for logos, infographics, and social media posts. I love that their free plan includes so many options to get started.

It helps me make professional-looking images without breaking the bank or spending hours learning complex software like Photoshop. There aren’t many alternatives worth mentioning on this front.

It’s a freemium photo editor that can help spruce up your blog’s visual appeal.

4. Blog Analytics and Performance Tracking Tools

I know you just want to write and pray you get traffic, but that’s not going to happen.

You need to know how your blog is doing with actual data.

These tools will let you know.

Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool that helps me keep tabs on how my site shows up in Google searches.

It’s extremely simple. Once set up, you can see which pages are ranking well and which need some work.

This tool is a must-have for any blogger who wants to grow their traffic.

You can measure metrics like:

• Total Clicks: The number of times users clicked on your site from Google search results.
• Total Impressions: The number of times your site appeared in search results.
• Average CTR (Click-Through Rate): Percentage of impressions that resulted in clicks.
• Average Position: The average ranking of your site for all queries.

It’s the perfect starting point for bloggers who want to boost their search presence.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics is another must-have tool for any blogger.

Unlike Google’s search console, this tracks users’ behavior on your website.

It shows me how my blog is doing and who’s reading it. I’ve used it for years to track traffic on various blogs.

Basically, every website you visit will have Google Analytics on it.

The tool gives me key info like where my readers come from and what content they like best. This helps me make smart choices about what to write next.

However, many beginners may get overwhelmed by it because it has a ton of features that you will probably never use.

And for that reason, I would recommend using Fathom if you want a really polished website analytics tool without all the complications.

Assuming you are willing to fork out a small monthly fee.

But Google Analytics is free.

5. Social Media Promotion Tools

Social media is key for blog growth. Tools like Buffer and BuzzSumo can boost your reach and find trending topics.

HypeFury

I love using Hypefury to promote snippets of my blog posts as social media posts.

It’s a one-in-one social media scheduler that lets me plan and schedule my content ahead of time. And I can do it across Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn, all in one place.

This saves me tons of time and keeps my social accounts active even when I’m busy.

Some of their top features are:

• Content Creation and Inspiration: An inspiration panel with curated top tweets from creators and your own, aiding in generating new content ideas.
• Automatic Retweeting: Automatically retweets your best-performing tweets to reach a broader audience across different time zones.
• Auto-plugs: Automatically promote your products, newsletters, or website under tweets that gain significant traction, helping to grow your email list and sales.
• Evergreen Content: Marks tweets as evergreen to be retweeted at set intervals, keeping older content relevant.
• Automated Sales and Marketing: Integrates with platforms like Gumroad for automated sales tweets and setting up marketing calendars.
• Engagement Builder: Facilitates direct engagement with other users’ tweets from the dashboard to increase interaction.

However, it only has analytics for X, not the rest.

But that’s fine because there are other tools for this.

For the price, it should be a foundational tool before subscribing to others, because it covers most of the essential features.

Taplio

Taplio fills the gaps Hypefury leaves when it comes to LinkedIn.

After using both, it’s clear that while Hypefury dominates Twitter growth and content repurposing across platforms, Taplio is laser-focused on LinkedIn personal branding.

The AI content generator is a game-changer, suggesting post ideas and analyzing performance in ways Hypefury just doesn’t cover for LinkedIn.

Taplio’s Relationship Builder and automated DMs make networking feel effortless, a feature Hypefury doesn’t emphasize.

The in-depth analytics give you a clear picture of what’s working (and what’s not), which I found lacking in Hypefury’s LinkedIn toolkit.

If LinkedIn is your primary playground, Taplio offers the precision that Hypefury can’t match.

6. Blog Task Management Tools

Keeping track of your blogging tasks can get messy fast. Task management tools help you stay on top of your to-do list and meet deadlines.

ClickUp

ClickUp is my choice for managing content pipelines and projects, especially when collaborating with freelancers.

I break down each project into tasks and sub-tasks, set deadlines, build custom dashboards, and keep track of who’s doing what – all from one place.

I’ve read that some users feel ClickUp can also get a little too complicated, especially if you’re just looking for basic task management.

I agree – it’s packed with features, and sometimes I don’t even use half of them.

But for bigger projects with lots of moving parts, those extra tools are needed. The time tracking is helpful too if you are paying virtual assistants per hour.

Still, for content creation and managing freelancers, ClickUp keeps everything organized and running smoothly.

It’s become a core part of how I manage and scale my blog’s content production.

Notion

Notion has completely transformed how I manage knowledge bases and organize blog tasks. I love how customizable it is – I can build everything from simple to-do lists to complex databases that track every stage of my content pipeline.

It’s my go-to for storing keyword research ideas, blog documentation, affiliate links, swipe files, and more by keeping everything in one place.

That said, I’ve seen other users mention that Notion can get overwhelming.

It took a while for me to get used to it. So I understand.

But once I got past that, it became indispensable.

Overall, Notion’s flexibility makes it an essential part of my workflow, and despite a few bumps along the way, I couldn’t imagine organizing my blog and content without it.

7. Email Marketing Tools

Email marketing tools help you grow your blog’s audience. Want to learn more about these tools? Keep reading!

Kit

I love using Kit for my email marketing needs.

It’s my favorite newsletter platform that helps me manage campaigns and automate my email processes.

With Kit, you can easily create:

• Landing pages
• Complex automations
• Custom liquid code

It keeps email marketing simple, making it ideal for beginners or solo bloggers.

Its intuitive interface makes crafting newsletters, automating follow-ups, and tracking performance easy, even if you’ve never run an email campaign before.

While it may lack some advanced features like referral programs or deep A/B testing, its ease of use, existing creator network, and limitless customizations more than make up for it.

If simplicity, flexibility, and speed matter, you won’t regret it.

Beehiiv

The best alternative to Kit is Beehiiv. No question.

Its built-in referral program and seamless newsletter design make audience expansion feel effortless.

Unlike Kit, Beehiiv lets you A/B test up to ten subject lines, maximizing open rates with data-driven insights.

The platform’s monetization tools also give you multiple ways to earn from your list, something Kit doesn’t prioritize.

Your subscribers can also vote and take surveys within each newsletter issue, which is a solid plus for engagement.

It technically can also serve as a stand-alone website with a blog archive.

So if those features are what you need, this is for you.

Wrapping Up

Starting a blog doesn’t have to be hard.

With these tools, you can make your blogging journey smoother and more fun.

From writing to design, these apps help you create great content.

They also make it easier to reach more readers and grow your blog. 

Alright, now get out there and get started.