The 5 best free AI tools for blog writing in 2026

Being a content marketer can feel like you're on a treadmill that just keeps speeding up. The content calendar is a beast that always needs feeding, SEO rules seem to change on a whim, and you're constantly expected to publish top-notch posts. This is where AI writing tools can help. They act as assistants, handling tasks like research, outlining, and drafting.

The problem is, there are many of them out there. Which ones are actually good? And which ones can you use without entering your credit card details? I decided to find out. I got my hands dirty and tested some of the most popular options to see which free AI tools for blog writing are worth your time.

While many tools generate a basic text draft, some platforms, like the eesel AI blog writer, are designed to produce more complete, publish-ready posts. For example, we used it to grow our blog from 700 to over 750,000 daily impressions in three months by creating content that includes assets like images from a single keyword.

What are free AI tools for blog writing?

Basically, AI blog writing tools are apps that use large language models (LLMs) to write text that sounds like a person wrote it. You give it a topic or a keyword, and it spits out a draft. It’s like having a research assistant who can whip up a blog post about anything in a few seconds.

Their main purpose is to get you over the starting line faster. They can create outlines, write whole drafts, tweak your sentences to sound better, or just throw ideas at you when you're stuck. A great cure for writer's block.

The "free" label can be a bit tricky, though. It might mean a free trial that expires, a "freemium" plan with limits, or a tool that's actually free. For this list, I've focused on tools that give you a genuinely useful free plan you can use right away. For content teams trying to publish more without hiring more people, these tools are becoming a necessity.

How we chose the best free AI tools for blog writing

I didn't want this to be just another listicle, so I didn't just read marketing pages. I actually used these tools to write stuff and judged them on a few things that matter in the real world.

Here's my checklist:

• How good is the writing? Is it something people would actually want to read, or does it sound like a robot wrote it? I was after quality, well-researched content.
• Is it easy to use? Can you jump in and start writing, or do you need a PhD in prompt engineering? I wanted tools that were simple to figure out.
• Does it help with SEO and AEO? Writing content is pointless if no one can find it. I looked for tools that help you optimize for Google and the newer AI Answer Engines (like Google's AI Overviews).
• How 'free' is the free plan? What can you actually get done before they ask for money? I picked tools with free plans that are generous enough to let you write a whole article.
• Does it give you a finished product? This was a big one for me. Does it just hand you a chunk of text, or does it give you a properly formatted blog post with images, links, and everything else you need to hit 'publish'?

The top 5 free AI tools for blog writing compared

For those who just want the highlights, here’s a quick comparison of the tools we’re about to cover.

A detailed look at the 5 best free AI tools for blog writing

Alright, let's dig into what makes each of these tools special and where they might not be the best fit.

1. eesel AI blog writer

The eesel AI blog writer is designed to produce a complete article, not just a draft. You feed it a keyword, and it produces a complete, media-rich, and SEO-optimized blog post that's ready to go. We're not just saying that; it's the exact tool we used to publish over 1,000 articles and grow our blog impressions in only three months.

Its main strength is automating various parts of the content creation process. It researches the topic, writes the post, and then adds AI-generated images, infographics, tables, relevant Reddit quotes, and even YouTube videos. This saves a ton of time on every single article. It is built specifically for long-form blog content, so it may not be the ideal tool for short-form ad copy or social media posts.

Using Fireflies.ai to transcribe sales calls → drop the summary into Claude → publish outline in Koala. Done.

Reddit

Pricing:

• It's completely free to try, so you can generate a post and judge the quality for yourself.
• The paid Early Bird plan is a reasonable $99 for 50 full blog credits.

Why it's on the list: The eesel AI blog writer is included because it offers a comprehensive solution for content creation. It handles processes from research and writing to SEO, AEO, and asset creation, making it an efficient option for content marketers looking to scale production.

2. ChatGPT

You can't have a conversation about AI writing without bringing up ChatGPT. It's a super versatile and smart conversational AI that has become the brainstorming buddy for millions. It can write solid first drafts on pretty much any topic, and the free version now gives you access to powerful models like GPT-5.2 (with some limits).

Flexibility is its biggest asset. You can chat with it to explore different angles, flesh out ideas, and get the basic text down for your post. The catch is that it's a generalist. The output is just text, which means you still have to do all the work of fact-checking, editing for your brand voice, finding images, and formatting it all into a proper blog post.

Pricing:

• A very useful free version is available to anyone who signs up.
• ChatGPT Plus is $20/month for higher usage limits and quicker access to new features.

Why it's on the list: ChatGPT is a beast when it comes to getting past a blank page. It's one of the most powerful and easy-to-access free tools for generating the core text of an article and just getting your thoughts organized.

3. Copy.ai

Copy.ai bills itself as a full Go-to-Market (GTM) AI Platform for sales and marketing teams. It does more than just write text; it uses pre-made "Workflows" and "AI Agents" to handle more involved tasks like sales prospecting, email campaigns, and, yes, blog writing.

Copy.ai really shines when it comes to automating repetitive GTM work and keeping your brand voice consistent with its "Infobase" feature. It also uses the best language model for the task at hand from different providers. Because it has a broad focus, its blog writing feature is less specialized than dedicated writing tools. The drafts are a decent starting point, but they still need a lot of manual work to become a polished article.

Pricing:

• The generous free plan, giving you 2,000 words per month and 200 one-time Workflow credits to try things out.
• Paid plans like the Chat plan begin at $24 per month if you pay annually.

Why it's on the list: With a good free plan and some powerful automation features, Copy.ai is a great choice for marketers who want to see how AI can help with a range of tasks beyond just writing blog posts.

4. Rytr

Rytr is a simple, budget-friendly AI writing assistant used by over 8 million people. It’s built to be easy and effective, with over 40 different templates for everything from blog ideas to writing full sections of an article.

The main appeal of Rytr is its price. The free plan gives you a fair number of characters to play with each month, and its paid plans are some of the cheapest around. It also includes a plagiarism checker, which is a nice bonus. For longer blog posts, the output may require significant editing to add more depth.

Pricing:

• The free plan gives you up to 10,000 characters per month.
• Paid plans are very affordable and come with unlimited generation.

Why it's on the list: Rytr makes the cut because of its accessible free plan and incredibly simple interface. It's a great starting point for individuals or small businesses who are new to AI content and want a tool that's easy to pick up.

5. HubSpot AI blog writer

HubSpot’s AI writer isn't a separate tool but a feature built right into its huge customer platform. It's powered by an AI assistant named Breeze Copilot and is made to help users create outlines and drafts without leaving the HubSpot environment.

The biggest plus here is the smooth integration. If your company already uses HubSpot's CMS, CRM, and marketing tools, this is a super convenient way to write content faster. The catch is that its best AI features are locked behind the paid Content Hub plans. The free features are more basic, acting more like a writing assistant than a full blog generator.

Pricing:

• Basic AI features are available for free for all HubSpot users.
• Advanced features require a paid Content Hub subscription.

Why it's on the list: It's on this list because for the many businesses already using HubSpot, it's the most convenient free option. The tight integration makes it a simple choice for existing users.

Pro tips for using free AI tools for blog writing

Whichever tool you end up choosing, keep these tips in mind to get the best results.

• Always add your human touch: Think of AI as your co-pilot, not the pilot. The best content comes from taking an AI draft and adding your own expertise, stories, and brand voice. That’s what makes your content stand out.
• Fact-check everything: AI models can sometimes "hallucinate," which is a nice way of saying they make stuff up. Always double-check any stats or facts with reliable sources before you publish.
• Use AI for more than just writing: These tools are great for brainstorming titles, writing meta descriptions, turning a blog post into social media snippets, or creating a list of FAQs.
• Get better at prompting: The quality of what you get out depends on the quality of what you put in. Be specific. Tell the AI who your audience is, what tone you want, and what keywords to include. More context equals better results.
• Future-proof your content: Search is changing. Look for tools that optimize not just for traditional SEO but also for AI Answer Engines (AEO). This will help your content stay visible as more people get answers directly from AI search results.

Seeing these tools in action can provide a clearer perspective on how they fit into a real workflow. The video below offers a practical demonstration of how various AI tools can be used to speed up the blogging process, from ideation to final draft.

A video from YouTube explaining how free AI tools for blog writing can help you create content faster.

The final word on free AI tools for blog writing

Free AI blog writing tools can help you create more content faster. General tools like ChatGPT are useful for generating first drafts and overcoming writer's block, though they often require manual work to create a finished post.

For marketers who want to streamline the entire workflow from drafting to publishing, a more specialized tool can be beneficial. The eesel AI blog writer is designed to handle the process from a single keyword to a complete, SEO-optimized post with rich media. You can try the tool for free to see how it works for your content needs.