TopTenREVIEWS

By Havalah Gholdston

Easyjournal is quite possibly the easiest, most stripped-down blog software we found on the market. Its uncomplicated interface and no-frills approach to blogging can work for anyone. It remains stylish even though it lacks features and templates.

The lack of templates and design tools have rated it low in our side-by-side comparison but there is something to be said for how easy it is to use and it does facilitate blogging, just like the other programs we've reviewed here.

There is a free account level, but you get almost no functionality – you can’t even upload a single photo unless you pay for the PRO level. But the theme of this review site is why it pays to pay for this type of service, so read on to find out more about Easyjournal PRO.

Easyjournal Screenshots

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Design Tools:

Design tools are lacking with this blog software. Even with a paid PRO account you get minimal template options. There are 34 templates from which to choose – though most only qualify as styles (different color schemes) within the same template. There are no open source options – but you can code a custom template using Easyjournal Template Markup Language (ETML). However, you will have to pay the subscription fee to use the ETML. Additionally they don’t tell you don’t have access to a function until you try to use it…

The entry post form is by far the cleanest and simplest we’ve seen – though there is no spell check and no preview-before-you-post function.

Publishing and Tracking Tools:

There is an interesting function that prompts you before each post is submitted – an email form you can fill out to “notify” your readers you have posted. Seems a bit superfluous in these days of RSS feeds - syndication modules offered include Atom and RSS.

You can view page views and comments for your Easyjournal account so there is a bit of stats action here.

Easyjournal gives you several levels of control over how comments are posted. You have the option of specifying whether (1) anyone, (2) only registered users or (3) nobody can post comments. You also control whether or not to approve comments before they appear on your journal—and you can specify even further if approval is required for everyone or just non-registered readers. Readers can also send you private messages, which will arrive in your account "inbox"—and you have the same level of control over these messages as you do with public comments.

Every entry is assigned its own permanent link so you can send the URL to friends or colleagues with an exact address.

Tech Support/Help:

Tech support for Easyjournal includes a help guide, FAQs and email.

Summary:

Easyjournal is uncomplicated and straightforward and perfect for those who are new to the blog concept and the internet. The features are very basic and unintimidating - in fact it's also easy to see how a blogger could quickly outgrow this program.