The Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money Online

So you want to make money online while doing what you enjoy, am I right? And you are reading this because you likely want to start and make money blogging, and you are curious about the benefits of blogging. So if you want to know how to start a blog, then we would first need to talk about the popular blogging platforms you must check. 

With that said, if you want to choose the best blogging platform, I make a collection of platforms you can choose from so you can start to earn money online! 

10 Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money Online

If you are looking for the best blog hosting platforms that offer free and paid plans, this is the right article for you! We’ll take into account your blogging needs and resources, and I will help you choose the best and right blogging platform for you. 

1. WordPress.org

WordPress is the #1 most used platform when it comes to blogging or making websites. There is WordPress.com and then there is WordPress.org. But to give you a quick comparison of the two, WordPress.com is a free platform which means you can blog for free but the downside is you will have very little control over your blog, and monetizing it may take quite some time. 

In WordPress.com, you can only place your site under a subdomain (yoursitename.wordpress.com), so by that itself, users can already see and question your legitimacy or credibility. Aside from this, you will have limited disk space, and you won’t be able to place your own ads.

Sure, you will see a few ads on your blog posts but they are placed by WordPress themselves and you will earn nothing from them. 

On the other hand, WordPress.org is a self-hosted blogging platform where you will have full control over everything in your blog and even make money with it in just a few months! Let me talk more about WordPress.org because I also personally use WordPress.org and highly recommend it. 

With WordPress.org, you can create a fully working website for a reasonable price. You will have full control over everything in your blog from the customizations to installing the necessary tools and extensions you need like analytics, social media feed, mailing list, online store page, and more! 

WordPress.org has tons of ready-made themes for your blog which makes customization easier for you and they also have a drag-and-drop builder for beginners or those who do not have experience in web development. 

But most importantly, you can have your own domain (yoururl.com) with a WordPress blog, and put up your own ads which you can earn passive income from! 

To started working on WordPress.org, you will have to buy your own domain name and choose a web hosting platform like BlueHost (which I also personally use).

Get started with WordPress.org here.

2. Blogger

Blogger is one of the oldest blogging platforms out there which has gained millions of users and maintained its focus on helping people build a blog. Blogger is free to use though you may find that personalization can be limited and it does not come with a custom free domain name just like the other blogging platforms.

However, Blogger is definitely perfect for beginners as you can choose from their selection of easy to use free templates – all with flexible layouts and hundreds of background images – or you can design something new with their drag and drop builder.

As a default, you will get a blogspot.com domain once you create a Blogger account but you can always buy a custom domain with just a few clicks. You can choose to buy your own domain if you want your blog to look a little bit more trustworthy or “legit”.

Another good thing about Blogger is that the platform is partnered with Google AdSense so you can automatically display relevant ads on your blog that will give you passive income once users click on them! 

More features of Blogger.com:

• Built-in analytics to see your audience demographics
• Easily connect to Google Analytics
• Lets you store thousands of posts and photos
• Sign in to multiple accounts
• Back up or import your blog
• Blogger mobile app
• and more! 

Get started with Blogger here.

3. Wix

Wix is another well-known blogging platform that’s highly trusted by more than 200 million users worldwide. Wix gives you the freedom to create, design, manage and develop your web presence exactly the way you want. 

This blogging platform allows you to start your blogging journey with more than 900 free and customizable website templates. They are great for beginners. You can also start from scratch with their smart drag-and-drop website builder. 

Wix also claims that their website is designed for performance so you can be assured that your website will load faster. The platform is also built with SEO in mind should you need to optimize your site for search visibility.

And aside from a blog, you can add an online store, booking system, members area, and other pages you need within your website. When you create a free website with Wix, you get reliable, scalable, and free web hosting to jumpstart your blogging career. 

More features that Wix offers:

• Smart drag-and-drop editor
• 1000’s of advanced design capabilities
•  Custom domain, logo, and more brand tools
• Full-stack web dev tools for custom functionality
• Scheduling software
• Email campaigns
• AI technology that creates a site for you
• And more!

Get started with Wix here.

4. Medium

Is your goal to really just publish a blog post and hope for people to read it?
I guess you aren’t looking forward to building a site and setting it up?
In that case, Medium could be the right platform for your needs. Medium is a 100% free hosting blogging platform and is definitely the easiest and cheapest way to start blogging.

All you need to do is to create an account for free, choose a topic, and publish your post. But if you want to take the next step and make a blog with Medium, then you can create a blog for free where you can brand your space and share your writing with readers on any device.

When you visit Medium, you will see there featured articles from fellow bloggers like yourself so there is always a chance for you to get featured and get thousands to millions of reads on your post.

Medium also has a Partner Program that helps writers earn money for the articles and blog posts they publish on the platform. The way writers get paid in the platform is the more time Medium members spend reading your content, the more money you earn. Learn more about how Meidum calculates reading time.

More of Medium’s features include: 

• Audience Insights
• Social connectivity – Find people you’re already connected with on Twitter and easily share your stories across platforms.
•  Email subscriptions
• Interactive discussions
• Customizable page 
• And more! 

Get started with Medium here.

5. Squarespace

Squarespace is a paid subscription blogging platform that allows you to customize your blog with aesthetically pleasing layouts and themes and is well-known for building blogging and e-commerce websites. 

Squarespace’s editor uses a beginner-friendly drag-and-drop builder that is easy to use. You will also be offered industry-leading website templates, designer fonts, and color palettes that best fit your personal style and professional needs.

Squarespace is not only perfect for bloggers but it’s also perfect for content creators or business owners who also want to have an e-commerce store in the future—whether it’s setting up an online store, booking services, or adding your favorite third-party extensions.

More of Squarespace’s features include: 

• Schedule appointments and sell classes
• Gate your community with membership sites
• Email campaigns 
• Mobile app
• SEO Tools
• Creator Tools
• And more!

Squarespace doesn’t offer a free plan, but it does offer a 14-day free trial. Start with Squarespace here. 

6. Weebly

Weebly is another best platform if you are looking for a free blog hosting platform. The personalization and functionality features can be a little limited but these can also help you from being overwhelmed in making your blog.

With Weebly, you will be getting access to customizable webpage designs and useful tools to build your website and grow your ideal business. If you are new to blogging, Weebly will give you step-by-step guidance. You will learn how to build and launch a website with expert starter guides and planning tools. 

And if you are planning to integrate or add a store to your website in the future, then Weebly has an all-in-one powerful eCommerce tool to simplify order management, shipping, and payments.

More of Weebly’s features include:

• App Center with various themes and templates 
• Integrated marketing tools 
• Free SSL security
• Create your own galleries and custom background
• SEO tools
• And more! 

You can start using Weebly here. 

7. Web.com

Web.com is another blogging platform that gives small businesses and bloggers a platform to share their content and products to. The platform gives you the opportunity to create a self-hosted blog where you can purchase your domain name and web hosting right on the website. 

You can build your own website with their user-friendly tools. But if you need help building or designing your blog or you simply do not have the time, they have a solution for you too. You can hire one of their in-house designers.

Another unique service that the platform offers is that you can have your business or website listed in the top online directories so it’s easier for customers to find you. Aside from this, their in-house experts will create an SEO strategy to boost search engine rankings and get your business found online.

More of Web.com’s features include: 

• Customized website design & copy
• Convenient website support
• Optimized for search engines
• DIY website building tools
• Business email
• SSL security
• And more! 

You can start using Web.com here. 

8. Tumblr

You might get a misconception that Tumblr is just another social media platform for pretty photos and videos but Tumblr is actually a good blogging site for new writers who are just starting out their blogging journey (for free). 

A good thing about Tumblr is that you do not have to try that hard if you want your content to be seen as they have a feed where you can see the most recent posts, trending posts, and more. 

The platform is very beginner friendly. You can create an account for free, set up your page with customizable themes and templates, and you are good to go! You can also choose to follow fellow Tumblr users and have them follow you as well. This is a great place to build your own community faster and easier.

More of Tumblr’s features include:

• Shareable content
• Big, interactive community
• Media Gallery
• Trending blogs section
• And more! 

You can start using Tumblr here. 

9. Ghost

Ghost is an open-source platform where you can write and publish your articles. It is a powerful app for new-media creators to publish, share, and grow a business around their content.

The platform comes with modern tools to build a blog site including the ability to send newsletters and offer paid subscriptions to your members. Aside from this, you can launch your website with a selection of beautiful free themes and tweak the design settings to perfectly match your brand and style.

More of Ghost’s features include: 

• Native analytics
• Offers & promotions to your subscribers or members
• Email campaign
• Rich media & dynamic cards
• Creator platform
• Theme marketplace
• And more! 

Start using Ghost here. 

10. HubPages

HubPages is another blogging platform that offers every writer a chance to become established and known. Just like Medium, you will already see a ton of recommended articles by writers on HubPages’ homepage. 

And if you are looking for a side hustle to help you make money during your free time, then writing for HubPages could be a good idea because the platform does pay its writers a decent amount of money.  You do not need to try that hard in having your articles read and seen because over 35,000,000 people explore Hubpages’ Network Sites every month!

Writing for HubPages is completely free and you do not need to go through the hassle of thinking about how to set up your website and add some necessary add-ons and all that technicalities. 

You can start with Hubpages here.

Factors to consider before choosing a blogging platform

Now you have a list of the top blogging platforms available out there. What you need to figure out next is which blogging platform is perfect for you in terms of your needs.

And what does a blogger need to consider before choosing a platform for their blog?

I have here a list of factors that you could consider:

Monetization opportunities

If your main goal for having a blog is to earn money on the side and eventually make it your main source of income (because it can!), then you should definitely look for a blogging platform that offers monetization opportunities. 

Before you look for a platform, you have to ask yourself: Can I put up ads and fully own the revenue I earn?

This means that you should usually go for a self-hosted blog since you can have the freedom to put up ads and earn money through it. Unlike the free version of WordPress, you can’t really earn that much on the site especially if you want to rely on ads.

Your budget 

Blogging platforms that offer self-hosting are usually paid and have a subscription plan. And each of the blogging platforms I mentioned all have different subscription plans – from free blogging service to paid service. 

Now, maybe you are tempted to go for the most expensive plan because you want to have all the features accessible already, but you have to ask yourself if it is within your budget first. Because to be honest, the most important thing you must first have is your domain name, a self-hosted blog, and quality content.

So usually, the first tier in a subscription plan would be enough for you – but again, it will depend on your needs and your budget. The good thing about paid blogging platforms is that you can opt for the free version or try their free trial for a few days. 

Customization

If you are a business owner or a content creator who wants to establish branding – maybe a logo, branding colors, and such – then you should definitely pick the best platform that will let you customize your website page, fonts, logos, and more. 

Most of these blogging platforms offer pre-made templates that you can easily customize so you will not have to start from scratch which could be a challenge especially if you do not have any experience in web development or design. 

Ease of use

What is your skill level in designing a site? Are you a complete beginner? If so, you would want to use a platform that is beginner friendly and with a UX and UI that is straightforward and easy to navigate in.

I bet you don’t want to waste hours upon hours trying to figure out how to design your blog website. You can do it in minutes with the right blogging platform.

Purpose

What is your purpose with your blog? What other future plans do you have in mind? Some blogging platforms are geared towards longer or shorter posts and others have the capacity to accommodate videos, images, infographics, and other media. 

And if you want to include different pages in your blog including a store page or services page, then you would want to choose a platform that has an e-commerce feature or the option to customize different pages. 

Are blogs still profitable?

There is no better time to start a blog and establish your online presence than now especially since almost everything and every business is going online. According to this article,  bloggers make around $45,000 on average—with most bloggers earning somewhere between $38,440 to $51,906. With this, you can definitely say that you can make a living through blogging! 

You have to remember that people will always search for something online for answers. So if you write about something that answers a question or you are targeting a specific niche, then you will always have readers that will visit your blog. 

Conclusion: Which Is the Best Blogging Platform to Make Money?

If you would ask me, WordPress is the best blogging platform that helps bloggers make money easily and quickly. And I personally use WordPress for my blog. Just as I have said before, WordPress.org can help you put up ads wherein you can make revenue and claim it as your own. 

Aside from this, WordPress has tons of plug-ins and extensions available that could make your blog even more functional and successful. Another thing you would want to consider is that most blogging monetization platforms prefer WordPress blogs to include in their program. 

WordPress customization is also very easy with a drag-and-drop builder and their dashboard is pretty straightforward. 

If you find this post useful or want to get back to it later, just save this PIN to your Pinterest blogging board.

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