What Tistory does

Tistory is a South Korea-based blogging platform founded in 2006 that provides free blog hosting to individual content creators and small teams. Following a December 1, 2025 service transfer, it is operated by AXZ Corp. (주식회사 에이엑스지) under the Tistory brand, having previously been run under Kakao (Daum). The platform is built on a web-based CMS architecture with a customizable skin/theme system, an extensible plugin architecture, widgets, and a Team Blog feature supporting four-tier role-based access (Owner, Manager, Editor, Writer). Users authenticate via Kakao accounts, access the service through browsers and mobile apps, and can embed YouTube content; the service is distributed as a self-serve, product-led growth offering targeting individual creators and organizations within Korea only.

Tistory monetizes through three primary streams: (1) in-platform advertising where AXZ controls format, placement, frequency, and revenue attribution; (2) blogger-controlled ad integrations with Kakao AdFit (new sign-ups ceased June 2026, legacy integrations active) and Google AdSense as a recommended alternative; and (3) the '응원하기' creator-support feature that enables voluntary payments from readers to selected creators via a separate settlement center, functioning as a transaction-fee revenue stream. The basic service is free; no paid tiers or premium features are publicly disclosed.

Operationally, the platform has been undergoing managed consolidation since the Kakao-to-AXZ transfer: native video upload was discontinued in February 2026 with users redirected to YouTube, the Place ('장소') feature replaced the legacy map function, and compliance measures under Article 22-5 of the Telecommunications Business Act were expanded to image files in July 2026. Customer support is delivered through a Daum-operated customer center, an active user forum, a skin-guide and API documentation portal, and a notice board — indicating a community-driven, low-touch operating model.

Name

Tistory

Legal name

주식회사 에이엑스지(AXZ Corp.)

Website

https://tistory.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tistory is a free, self-serve Korean blogging platform operated by AXZ Corp., serving individual creators and small teams with customizable skins, plugins, team blogs, and ad-based plus donation-based monetization within South Korea.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blog Publishing Platform

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Creator Monetization Tools (Subscriptions, Tips, Merch) (BPAMALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creator Tipping, Donations & Micro-Payments (MPACAFAB)

Keywords

• Blog publishing platform
• Content hosting service
• Creator monetization tools
• Customizable blog themes
• Team blog collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeju

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Tistory serves advertisements within the service platform. The company determines ad format, placement, frequency, and revenue attribution.
2. Kakao AdFit: Kakao AdFit advertising platform integration for blog monetization. New integrations ceased as of June 29, 2026, but existing integrations continue.
3. 응원하기 (Support/Encouragement): Creator support feature allowing users to send voluntary payments to creators. Selected creators can receive support payments through the Creator Settlement Center.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tistory operates a free, web-based blog publishing platform that enables individual creators and teams to create, customize, and manage blogs with personalized skins, plugin extensions, and collaborative authoring tools. The platform supports multimedia content including embedded YouTube videos, offers a creator monetization feature (Support/응원하기) for voluntary reader-to-creator payments, and generates revenue through in-platform advertising and ad integrations such as Kakao AdFit and Google AdSense.

Product overview

Tistory is a unified blogging platform operated by AXZ Corp. (주식회사 에이엑스지). The core offering is the Tistory blogging service, which supports individual and collaborative (Team Blog) content creation. Users can enhance their blogs through optional modules including Skins (themes), Plugins (extensions), Widgets, and the Place feature for location display. Monetization is available through the Support (응원하기) feature for donations and ad integrations. Tistory also offers a marketplace for skins and plugins. The platform transitioned from Kakao to AXZ Corp. in December 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tistory (티스토리) Tistory is a comprehensive free blogging platform that enables individual users and teams to create and manage blogs, publish content, embed multimedia including YouTube videos, customize appearance via skins and plugins, and monetize through advertising integration. It is accessible via web browser and mobile app using Kakao account authentication.
• Team Blog (팀블로그) Team Blog is a collaborative blogging service within the Tistory platform that allows multiple users to contribute to a single blog with role-based permissions across four tiers: Owner (full rights and member management), Manager (member management plus editor/writer oversight), Editor (post editing rights), and Writer (post creation and editing of own content). Team members are invited via email and can freely leave the team blog.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AXZ Corp. (주식회사 에이엑스지)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Service transfer from Kakao to AXZ Corp. effective December 1, 2025. AXZ Corp. took over Tistory service operations, including all contracts, personal information, rights and obligations related to the service.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Medium: Online publishing platform with built-in audience and partner monetization programs. Competes with Tistory for writer mindshare and offers an alternative long-form publishing destination.
• Tumblr: Blogging and micro-publishing platform with strong customization and community features. Comparable to Tistory in format (personal blogs, themes, multimedia posts) and ad-supported monetization.
• Ghost: Open-source publishing platform with built-in subscription and membership monetization for creators. Comparable to Tistory on blogging infrastructure and increasingly on the tipping/membership side.
• Naver Blog: Korea's dominant blog platform, tightly integrated with Naver Search. Direct competitor to Tistory in the Korean long-form blogging market with materially larger user base and organic traffic.
• Brunch: Korean storytelling/blogging platform focused on individual writers and curated content. Competes directly with Tistory for Korean creators and readers in the personal publishing segment.
• WordPress.com: Hosted blog publishing platform with themes, plugins, and monetization options. Closest international analog to Tistory's product offering including customizable skins, plugins, and team features.
• Blogger: Google's free blog hosting service. Directly comparable as a free, ad-monetized blog platform with template customization serving individual creators.

Regional players

• KakaoStory: Kakao's own lightweight social/storytelling platform. Adjacent to Tistory in the Kakao ecosystem; not a direct long-form blog competitor but a competing surface for Korean creator attention.

Broad incumbents

• Squarespace: Website builder with strong blogging capabilities and creator-focused design templates. Comparable to Tistory's premium publishing ambitions though operating at a different (paid) price point.

Emerging players

• Substack: Subscription newsletter/blogging platform with built-in paid creator monetization. Represents the strategic direction Tistory could pursue with its Support feature — direct creator-to-fan monetization on top of long-form content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tistory

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tistory