Top Offline Blog Editors for Windows and Mac

An offline blog editor is an amazing tool for bloggers because it lets you create blog posts without an internet connection. So, instead of waiting to wait for an online editor to load and then worry that a hiccup in your network connection could cancel out all your work, you can just work offline.

Offline editors let you create, edit, and format your content before you upload it to your website. Then, if you have an internet connection, you can publish the posts directly to your blog.

The following are the nine best offline blog editors for Windows and Mac. However, before you pick one, consider the many reasons you might want to use an offline blog editor and discover the features you should look for when selecting one.

Windows Live Writer (Windows)

Windows Live Writer is, as you might guess from its name, Windows-compatible, and owned by Microsoft. It's also completely free.

Windows Live Writer is rich in features and very easy to use, and you can even add enhanced functionality with free Windows Live Writer plug-ins.

Supports: Wordpress, Blogger, TypePad, Movable Type, LiveJournal, and others.

Download Windows Live Writer

BlogDesk (Windows)

BlogDesk is also free and can be used on Windows as your offline blog editor.

Because BlogDesk is a WYSIWYG editor, you can clearly see what your post will look like when you're done editing it. You don't have to worry about editing the HTML content since images can be directly inserted.

If you need help using BlogDesk with your blogging platform, check out this tutorial on BlogDesk at wikiHow.

Supports: Wordpress, Movable Type, Drupal, ExpressionEngine, and Serendipity.

Download BlogDesk

Qumana (Windows & Mac)

Qumana is for Windows and Mac computers, and it works with most common blogging applications.

What sets Qumana apart from most other offline blogging software is the integrated feature that makes it very easy to add advertising to your blog posts.

Supports: Wordpress, Blogger, TypePad, MovableType, LiveJournal, and more.

Download Qumana

Reasons to Use an Offline Blog Editor

By Susan Gunelius

MarsEdit (Mac)

Meant for Mac computers, MarsEdit is another blog editor for offline use. However, it isn't free but does have a free 30-day trial available, after which you have to pay to use MarsEdit.

The price isn't going to break the bank, but do test MarsEdit as well as a free alternative before you commit to paying anything.

Overall, MarsEdit is one of the most comprehensive offline blog editors for Mac users.

Supports: WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, TypePad, Movable Type and others (any blog that has support for a MetaWeblog or AtomPub interface).

Download MarsEdit

Ecto (Mac)

Ecto for Macs is easy to use and offers a lot of features, but the price deters some bloggers from using it, particularly when there are less expensive options available that offer similar functionality.

However, Ecto is a good and reliable tool that works with several popular and even some uncommon blogging platforms.

Supports: Blogger, Blojsom, Drupal, Movable Type, Nucleus, SquareSpace, WordPress, TypePad, and more.

Download Ecto

BlogJet (Windows)

Another Windows blog editor with lots of features that you can use offline is BlogJet.

If you have a WordPress, Movable Type, or TypePad blog, BlogJet lets you create and edit pages for your blog right from your desktop.

The program is a WYSIWYG editor so you don't need to know HTML. It also has a spell checker, full Unicode support, Flickr and YouTube support, auto-draft capability, word counter, and lots of other blog-specific features that you can read about on the BlogJet homepage.

Supports: WordPress, TypePad, Movable Type, Blogger, MSN Live Spaces, Blogware, BlogHarbor, SquareSpace, Drupal, Community Server, and more (so long as they support MetaWeblog API, Blogger API, or Movable Type API).

Download BlogJet

Bits (Mac)

Bits doesn't support a wide variety of blogging platforms like the other programs from this list, but it does let you write offline blog posts right from your Mac.

See the Bits Help page for some instructions if you need help making it work with your blog.

Supports: WordPress and Tumblr.

Download Bits

Microsoft Word (Windows & Mac)

Everyone knows that Microsoft Word can be used offline, so it's a given that it can be used to build blog posts. However, did you know that you can also use Word to publish your blog posts directly to your blog?

You can purchase Microsoft Office, which includes Word and other MS Office programs like Excel and PowerPoint. If you already have MS Word on your computer, see Microsoft's help page on how to use it with your blog.

However, we don't recommend purchasing MS Word just to use it as an offline blogging editor. If you already have Word, then go ahead and try it out for yourself, but if not, go with one of the free/cheaper options above.

Supports: SharePoint, WordPress, Blogger, Telligent Community, TypePad, and more.

Download Microsoft Word