Every blogging platform has a built-in blog editor, some better than others. However, you’ll be hard pressed to find an online editor that can offer the richness found in many desktop applications. Features like offline editing and posting to multiple blogs at once make desktop solutions a must have for professional many bloggers.
Here’s a list of 20 applications that allow you to create blog posts from the comfort of your operating system environment, no internet connection required.
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Jan 29, 2020 WordPress.com is a desktop app that gives your blog a permanent home in your dock. Features: Focus on your content - Write and design with no other browser tabs to distract you. Switch easily between managing your WordPress sites and your favorite desktop apps. Speed is a feature - The desktop app builds upon the already fast WordPress.com by bundling the entire site as a local copy.
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The WordPress.com desktop app will scale to any size. Do you need a small window on the side to keep your eye on notifications, or do want to expand to a truly full screen for a.
Aug 13, 2018 The Best Apps for Writers on Mac As I said earlier, these writing apps can not improve your writing, however, what they can do is to assist you in improving your efficiency while writing. They create an environment where you can forget about technical stuff like formatting and focus more on the art of writing itself.
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Mars Edit 2: Mac
Mars Edit is among the most popular desktop blogging apps for the Mac. It supports all of the major blogging platforms such as WordPress, Blogger, and Drupal and even many of the newer ones like Squarespace and Tumblr. Composing a blog post in Mars Edit can be as simple as writing an email but there are enough advanced features like macros (reusable snippets) and TextWrangler integration to keep professional bloggers happy. Price: $29.95
Flock: Mac & Windows
I know this doesn’t strictly fit the category of a desktop blogging app, but it is a desktop app and it does have blogging integration… so there. Flock is the most unique web browser I’ve ever come across and is absolutely worth checking out. The thing that makes Flock unique is that it has integrated tons of the services you use online into the browser itself (by default). This means you can browse the web while keeping tabs on your social networking and blogging services. The built-in blog editor isn’t as fully featured as Mars Edit, but as a free utility bundled in a browser it’s pretty impressive. Check out all the services Flock supports below. Price: Free
Flock Services
Ecto: Mac
Ecto is a surprisingly fully featured blogging application with support for a ton of platforms. Ecto features include both a rich text editor and an HTML editor, full local control of recently posted entries and drafts, and the ability to convert and scale images. In my own testing Ecto seemed a bit rough around the edges but it’s definitely a good alternative to Mars Edit if you’re looking for something a little cheaper. Price: $19.95
Qumana: PC & Mac
Qumana is another free option with most of the necessary features we’ve already discussed: WYSIWYG and HTML editor, support for most major blogging platforms, and local control of previous posts. What sets Qumana apart is its emphasis making money with your blog. Qumana lets you easily include ads in your posts so you can (theoretically) earn cash as viewers click on the ads. Price: Free
Blogo: Mac
Blogo breaks ground in the interface category by delivering a slick, minimal UI for updating your blog. Blogo supports WordPress, Blogger, Typepad, Typo, Drupal, Expression Engine, Twitter, Ping.fm and more. Notable features include a bookmarklet to easily grab content from your browser, a fullscreen editing mode and easy drag and drop photo uploading/resizing. Price: $25
MacJournal: Mac
MacJournal is geared more towards private journaling than professional blogging, but it does include full support for LiveJournal, Blogger, Movable Type, and WordPress. MacJournal takes full advantage of OS X by offering features like Quicklook integration and iSight compatibility. Price: $39.95
BlogJet: Windows
BlogJet is one of the nicer Windows-only options that I came across. BlogJet sports a ton of great features including posting to multiple blogs simultaneously, Flickr and YouTube integration, file sharing/attachments for your readers to download, and browser/feed reader integration. And of course, support for WordPress, TypePad, Movable Type, Blogger, MSN Live Spaces, Blogware, BlogHarbor, Squarespace, Drupal, Community Server, etc. Price: $39.95
RocketPost
Another really impressive Windows only app, RocketPost claims to be the “only one with WYSIWYG editing, full local editing and full blog import.” RocketPost boast tons of top notch features like automatic linking to related posts, quote tracking, quick linking, auto save, instant photo album creation, and scheduled posts. If you’re on Windows and are serious about blogging, this may be the way to go. Price: $29
And a Bunch More!
After you’ve listed the features for eight desktop blogging apps, things start to get redundant. So I’m going to stop there and let you check out the rest. The apps above are the ones I found particularly impressive or unique, but here’s another 12 that are definitely worth looking into.
Conclusion
You should now be more than equipped to enrich your blogging experience with a desktop application. Use the comments below to let us know which options you prefer, which you hate, and what we left out.
[This is part of the Developing Great Blog Content Series.]
Update: I’ve built my very own desktop publishing app: Desk PM!
Great content is born out of your head, your hands, and the apps that you use. Many of us choose to draft directly into our blog applications (which can be dangerous) while others choose to use a number of different applications to draft and write in.
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Honestly the best blogging application for you to use is the one that you love the most and that’ll encourage you to write more! It doesn’t matter to me as long as those two elements are there!
As such, here’s a list of a number of applications that you should consider trying as you solidify your blogging and writing workflow. These apps specifically connect to your blogging platform so that you can publish directly to them without ever having to login!
I’ve broken them out into apps for Windows, Mac, and those that are Web-based for your consideration… and even a few bonus ones for Linux:
Windows Blogging & Writing Apps
Here is a list of blogging apps that you might want to check out if you’re a Windows user that are specifically designed to connect to a blogging platform, such as WordPress, Blogger, etc. Enjoy!
Windows Live Writer
This is one of the more generally accepted desktop apps that many people have used with success.
It’s capable of connecting to WordPress, Blogger, and many more apps so you won’t have to worry about compatibility issues.
I’m not a mega-uber fan of Microsoft but this product isn’t half-bad.
Get it here.
Raven by Zoundry
This Windows app is currently open source and wants to be the “best” publishing platform out there.
It’s not there yet but it’s a good try and perhaps you can even make it better if you’ve got the coding skills to help out.
From what I can understand it’s functional and works quite well. Give it a go why don’t you?
You can get a copy of it here.
BlogDesk
A totally free app for you to use it interfaces with WordPress, Drupal, Movable Type, ExpressionEngine, and more.
It’s got an image editing wizard and even sports some support for multiple languages.
And heck, it’s even got a spell-checker? Fancy that.
Get a copy of it here.
wBloggar
wBloggar is a free app that has a few neat features like importing data, posting to multiple blogs, and even set up your FTP to upload images and more.
You can even edit in HTML mode so that you can see what you’re doing in the raw.
Get a copy here.
Apparently they are still working on a refresh of their webpage so you can check out their FAQ for more information.
BlogJet is a posting screen on steroids. And even that description understates the power of this program. BlogJet is not free […], but its features are worth the price to many power bloggers.
The cost is a bit prohibitive for the average blogger but it’s worth sharing for those that might find it quite useful.
Check it out here.
Qumana
Qumana, besides the different name, is a robust blogging application for both Windows and the Mac although it’s more well-known in the former context than the latter.
Hey, it’s even available for Linux if that’s your kernel of choice.
One of the neatest things about it is the ability to add advertisements right into the system so that you can monetize your blog.
You can check out a copy here.
Free Old Mac Apps
Rocket Post
This app is currently having some serious website issues but the app itself has been historically robust.
One of the best features from this premium desktop app for Windows is the fact that it can download your entire blog so you can quickly (and locally) edit posts and more.
Now if they could only get their website working properly so you could check it out… Ah, the features page works.
PerfectJournal
This app is built specifically for Blogger (Blogspot) so if you’re looking for a WordPress-specific app then you can just skip over this one.
But, if you’re a user of Google’s Blogger then you might consider this app in the lineup. It integrates well with Blogger and it’s free.
The fact that it enables you to draft while offline is definitely a nice catch.
Check it out here.
WebStory
Take away the pretty bare looking website and you actually have a really decent publishing application!
It has a fairly large following and is used by a number of bloggers.
I personally haven’t tried this one but if the screenshots are true then it might be one of the better ones out there!
Give it a try here.
Thingamablog App
This simple app that’s a bit older is still a goodie and works well for many bloggers. All you need to have is FTP/SFTP access and an internet connection to get started.
It doesn’t necessarily have any significantly-unique features that would call it out above the rest but if you’re interested in trying everything then here’s one more for your list.
Get a copy here.
Post2Blog
This app is very similar to the previous app in that it’s not supported much any more but worth a look if you’re interested in testing out multiple different apps.
It’s free to download and try and can even help with image uploading from Flickr and even insert affiliate links from Amazon.
A nice touch, if I do say so myself.
Get a copy here.
WB Editor
Another windows-based app it sports a WYSIWYG editor and let’s you save offline drafts.
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You can even moderate comments via some of the supported blogging platforms.
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It’s not free so that’ll stop many people from using it but it’s worth a shot if you’ve got a few bucks to spare.
Check it out here.
NewzCrawler
This app is somewhat different in that it’s both a blog client as well as a RSS Reader client. You can get updates from your favorite new sources and then write about them.
But, it only supports Blogger, MetaWeblog, MovableType, and LiveJournal at this point in time. Not a big problem if your a WordPress user since I believe there are better apps out there.
Take a look if you’re interested.
Mac Blogging & Writing Apps
If you’re a Mac user like me (Macbook Air all the way!) then you might want to try some of these apps listed below for your writing needs that specifically connect to WordPress, Blogger, etc. Check them out!
Desk
This one is the app that I always wish I had… and so I eventually built it myself!
It combines the power of a fully native desktop publishing client with the focused writing interface that helps you concentrate on what really matters: Writing.
I hope you love it as much as I have enjoyed building it!
Get it here!
Ecto
This app is one of the top Mac-based apps that you could get to help you manage and create content for your blogs.
It supports the major blogging platforms that you’re using and feel comfortable knowing that tons of people have been using it with satisfaction.
It’s not a free app but it might just be money well spent.
Get it here. And guess what? It’s also available for Windows.
MarsEdit 3
This app is a close competitor to Ecto listed above. It supports your favorite blogging platform and the interface is intuitive and clean.
I’ve had many people convert to this application simply because of the UI, by the way, and so if that’s a big deal then you might have found a winner.
And hey, you can’t beat that logo, right? Personally I felt like this app edged out Ecto slightly in my use of it.
Check it out here.
Blogo
One of the nice things about Blogo, another very competitive product for your desktop blogging needs, is the ability to do full-screen writing.
Other than that it’s very comparable to MarsEdit and Ecto in form and function. Actually, I take that back – the form is a bit different (and that’s why some people like it better).
It’s not free but it’s worth it if you find that you love it.
Get it here.
MacJournal
This app is another great app on the list that many have found to do everything they need to do and more. A much more robust app than just a blogging system you might find use for it in other contexts.
The screenshots can paint a larger picture of what you will be getting with this much larger desktop app.
It’s not free but it might be worth it.
Check it out here.
RapidWeaver
This app is generally know for helping people create websites and the like and has won a number of outstanding awards for it’s great feature-set and easy-to-use interface.
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But, someone has been clever enough to create a plugin that allows you to publish to WordPress and a number of different blogging platforms.
I won’t necessarily recommend buying RapidWeaver for just your blogging needs but if you need the other features that RapidWeaver offers then it might be a good buy.
Check it out here.
iBlog
This is one of those apps that looks pretty sweet but I wish they’d update it since I feel it’s a bit outdated.
But it’s worth mentioning in this comprehensive lineup as a free alternative.
The screenshot on the homepage gives you a good feel of where you might be taken with this app but I’d recommend one of the paid apps above before committing to this app wholesale.
Check it out here.
Web Apps for Blogging and Writing
Love the web way too much to give a desktop-based application any love? Then you’ll want to try these neat services that can connect directly to your blog.
ScribeFire
This web-based app is seriously impressive allowing you to blog directly in your browser and connecting to your blog seamlessly.
It’s available for every major web browser too (except IE, sorry!) and you’ll be able to blog with speed very quickly.
You almost have to try it at least once to appreciate this work of art in an app!
Get it here.
Deepest Sender
This app is very similar to ScribeFire listed above but is just Firefox specific. The interface is quick and functional and for some people this is exactly what they need.
It has some unique features like Music Detection that can detect if a song is playing and insert the details of the song for you.
Pretty neat. Download it here.
Bonus! Linux Apps
Why not, right? Here are a few that you might want to check out if you’re a Linux user.
Gnome Blog
This is pretty much your most stripped-down and bare blogging app that lets you just publish with speed.
It’s got a WYSIWYG editor and that’s about it.
If you’re fan of simplicity this might be the king! Get it done quick and easy. Sweet.
Get it here.
QTM
QTM is also another Linux app that’s pretty barebones. You will need the QT graphical user interface to use this app, so just an FYI.
If you’re up for it give it a try – you might just have found a new love.
Or maybe not.
Get it here.
Drivel Blog Editor
Drivel is a GNOME client for working with blogging platforms like LiveJournal, Blogger, MovableType, WordPress and Drupal.
Simple, elegant design as well as a simple feature set make it a good choice to review.
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One of the nice things is an automatic recovery if it crashes. That’s pretty sweet but hopefully you’ll never have to use it, right?
Get it here.
BloGTK
This open source app is a weblog client that allows you to post to your weblog from GNOME without the need for a separate browser window.
BloGTK allows you to connect with many weblog systems such as Blogger, Movable Type, WordPress, and more.
BloGTK is written using Python and PyGTK, and is designed to be fast and simple to use.
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Check it out here if you want.
KBlogger
This is a blogging application for the K Destkop Environment. With integration in the KDE Kicker and it is also available as a standalone application for KDE 4.
It can connect to Blogger, WordPress, MetaWeblog API, MovableType, and more.
It’s currently in “Alpha” so don’t bank on it forever.
Check it out here.
Got any that I’m missing? Please let me know!
And, of course, which ones do you use?
[This is part of the Developing Great Blog Content Series.]