shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Hatena Blog?

はてなブログは、無料でしっかり書けるブログサービスです。日々の生活から感じたこと、考えたことを書き残しましょう。 - hatenablog.com

Depends. Buy it if you write in Japanese and want a free, low-fuss blog — it's the default choice for Japan-focused writers. Skip it for global audiences or if you need full CMS control and vendor longevity guarantees.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~20 public sources; pricing details and support-quality evidence are scarce.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityNo support evidence in sources
  • Security posture

Pricing

¥0

Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
ProPaid (price not stated in sources)

Best for

  • Japanese-language personal bloggers
  • Dev/engineering team blogs
  • Hobby and niche reviewers
  • Japan-market brand content on a budget

Not for

  • Global or English-first brands chasing mass reach
  • Teams needing full CMS control or headless flexibility
  • Businesses needing vendor longevity guarantees or SLAs
  • Design-heavy marketing sites

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Hatena Group was shut down entirely in 2020 — platform sunset risk is real

medium

Pro pricing not disclosed in reviewed sources — check current rates before committing

medium

Misconfigured custom domains on Hatena can trigger subdomain takeover warnings

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free to start; paid Pro tier optional
  • 7,135+ websites actively use it — large installed base
  • Named a top-3 platform for brand growth in Japan
  • Developer-friendly: AtomPub API, themes, GitHub Actions boilerplate
  • Native Android/iOS apps for on-the-go posting

Cons

  • Japan-centric; weak fit for global audiences
  • No public security page found at
  • Subdomain takeover risk flagged by security researchers
  • Track record of sunsetting services — Hatena Group closed 2020
  • Custom domains and extras require Pro upgrade

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/25/2026 - 10 sources - One takeover-risk finding flagged by researchers; no security page; no known CVEs.

official x3review x5security x1news x1
  • Subdomain takeover risk, Beagle Security published a takeover-detection writeup for subdomains — typically affects misconfigured or abandoned custom setups.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • ¥0

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free core; optional Pro upgrade only
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Simple writing focus; mobile apps included
  • Feature depth: 3/5. API, themes, CI hooks; not a full CMS
  • Support quality. No support evidence in sources
  • Security posture: 2/5. Takeover risk flagged; no public security page
  • 7,135+ Sites using it websites detected, Tomba 2026
  • Yes Free tier "free blog service" — core writing is free
  • Pro plan Paid tier exists; price not stated in reviewed sources
  • TSE:3930 Operator Hatena Co., Ltd., publicly listed in Japan

Pricing

Free

¥0

  • Core blogging and publishing
  • Hatena subdomain

Pro

Paid (price not stated in sources)

  • Custom domain and extras beyond free
  • Independent review: worth it for serious bloggers

Security

One takeover-risk finding flagged by researchers; no security page; no known CVEs.

  • Subdomain takeover riskBeagle Security published a takeover-detection writeup for subdomains — typically affects misconfigured or abandoned custom setups.⁵

Alternatives

Compare Hatena Blog with each alternative.

  • note

    Better built-in discovery and monetization in Japan

  • WordPress

    Full control, plugins, global reach; more upkeep

  • Medium

    English/global audience; less Japan-local community

    Hatena Blog vs Medium

Companies that use it

  • Fujitsu (fltech tech blog)

Companies that could

  • Canva (Japan) Uses note instead
Full analysis

Based on ~20 public sources; pricing details and support-quality evidence are scarce.

Free, solid Japanese blog platform. Great for Japan-focused writers; weak for global brands or custom CMS needs.

Methodology

Based on ~20 public sources; pricing details and support-quality evidence are scarce.

Sources

  1. Hatena Blog official sitehatena.blog
    official
  2. List of Websites That Use Hatena Blog (Tomba)tomba.io
    review
  3. Top 3 Blogging Platforms to Grow Your Brand in Japanwpic.co
    review
  4. Is there any point in upgrading to Hatena Blog Pro?note.com
    review
  5. Hatenablog takeover detection (Beagle Security)beaglesecurity.com
    security
  6. Hatena Group shutting down Jan 31, 2020 (Reddit)reddit.com
    news
  7. Hatena Co., Ltd. (3930.T) profilefinance.yahoo.com
    official
  8. Hatena Blog Workflows Boilerplate (GitHub)github.com
    official
  9. Hatena Blog vs note comparisonnote.com
    review
  10. Does Japan have something similar to Medium? (Reddit)reddit.com
    review

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