Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money in 2024
Whether you’re looking for a great place to write short posts, upload gigabytes of content, or even run an eCommerce business, there’s a platform out there that fits exactly what you need.
It’s important to note that blogs offer on of the highest return on investment compared to other marketing channels.
From WordPress to Write.as, we’ve rounded up some of the best options available so you can easily find the best blogging platform to launch your successful blogging career in 2024.
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no additional cost to you.
WordPress
Used by hobby bloggers, small business owners, and some of the biggest names out there – WordPress powers 43% of all websites on the internet.
It’s also clearly one of the best blogging platform choices for your blog.
WordPress offers self-hosted and hosted versions.
It’s a content management system that offers a variety of blogging features, plugins, and community forums.
To successfully run a self-hosted blog, you’ll not only need to install WordPress but also find a web hosting provider.
Pros:
- Fully customizable.
- Thousands of free templates, themes, and plug-ins.
- Support guides, webinars, and courses.
Cons:
- Requires some technical knowledge.
- Hosting, domain, professional theme, and plug-in costs.
- Pricing
Free – not including hosting and domain expenses.
Quick Tip Box
Try Namecheap for reliable and affordable hosting options. Plans start at $1.58 per month, billed every two years.
It’s a website builder that covers the essential technical aspects of running a blogging site, including backup storage, security, and software updates.
Going for a WordPress blog frees you up to focus on what matters most – creating and publishing valuable content.
Pros:
Cons:
- Unique domain names are only for paid plans.
- 10% commission fee and a standard processing fee for payments.
- Less flexibility and control of your site.
- Other advanced features are behind paywalls.
- Pricing
Check out WordPress pricing and plans for a detailed breakdown of each one’s features and advantages.
| Free plan | $0 |
|---|---|
| Starter plan | $9 per month or $4 billed annually |
| Explorer plan | $18 per month or $8 billed annually |
| Creator plan | $40 per month or $25 billed annually |
| Entrepreneur plan | $70 per month or $45 billed annually |
| Enterprise plan | Starts at $25,000 per year |
This blogging platform relies heavily on the value of your writing and prides itself in being ad-free. The site’s design is minimalistic and offers limited formatting options, which places your writing at the center of attention.
Your readers can highlight parts of your blog and comment on your writing directly. You’ll find yourself among many well-spoken people sharing their thoughts on Medium, including the former president of the United States – Barack Obama.
Pros:
Cons:
- Don't own your domain name.
- Limited customization options, although the clutter-free design can serve as a selling point.
- Limited monetization opportunities.
- Pricing
This is a free platform, but monetization features are only available through a membership.
| Free account | $0 |
|---|---|
| Member plan | $5 per month or $60 annually |
| Friend plan | $15 per month or $150 annually |
Blogger is a free blogging platform owned by Google. Use it to create and publish blog posts and earn money from Google AdSense.
Choose a theme, customize its layout, and easily adjust font colors and sizes.
It’s a popular choice among those who want to start blogging quickly and easily.
Pros:
Cons:
- Limited customization options.
- Custom domain costs money.
- Limited count of templates and third-party apps.
- Published content owned by Google.
- Pricing
Free.
With Squarespace, you can easily create a website with a blog and store. It’s customizable and modern with sleek design templates.
This website builder is an excellent choice if you want a professional-looking website but need to gain the technical skills to build your own.
Pros:
Cons:
- Limited customization options.
- Limited third-party extensions.
- No control over your blog's loading speed.
- Pricing
Check out the complete list of plans and all the features they offer on Squarespace.
| Personal plan | $23 per month or $16 billed annually |
|---|---|
| Business plan | $33 per month or $23 billed annually |
| Commerce Basic plan | $36 per month or $27 billed annually |
| Commerce Advanced plan | $65 per month or $49 billed annually |
Wix is a freemium website builder that provides the tools you need to create professional-looking blogs without prior coding knowledge.
Use the Wix Editor to your advantage, choose from thousands of templates, and seamlessly generate website content with AI.
Pros:
Cons:
- Can't change the template after the site is created.
- Limited control over the back end of your website.
- Wix ads on the free plan don't pay you.
- Free version has limited storage.
- Pricing
Take a look at Wix Premium plans for a comprehensive comparison.
| Free plan | $0 |
|---|---|
| Light plan | $17 per month |
| Core plan | $29 per month |
| Business plan | $36 per month |
| Business Elite plan | $159 per month |
| Enterprise plan | Cost depends on the project |
Make It Happen Today!
Ghost is a relatively simple platform for bloggers who want a streamlined experience with a clean, professional, and minimalistic look.
Like WordPress, Ghost offers a hosted and self-hosted blogging platform for your online business.
Self-Hosted Ghost
Run a self-hosted blog with Ghost – it’s free and open-source. Keep in mind that you’ll need to find a hosting platform, as your blog won’t be on their servers.
Pros:
- Fully customizable.
- Wide range of products and services, including free themes.
- No member count limitations.
- Weekly software updates.
Cons:
- Requires technical knowledge.
- Paid hosting.
- No Android or iOS apps.
- Pricing
Free, but you will need to pay for hosting.
Quick Tip Box
Check DigitalOcean, with plans starting at $4 monthly or any other recommendation from Ghost's list of supported hosting providers.
Ghost(Pro)
Ghost Pro is the official hosted version of this blogging platform, which stores your content and keeps your blog online.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Themes and built-in integrations.
- Server maintenance and backup.
- Weekly software updates.
Cons:
- No Android or iOS apps.
- Limited count of themes and customization options on the starter plan.
- Other advanced features are behind a paywall.
- Pricing
Compare the Ghost(Pro) blogging platform pricing plans to see if they work for your blog.
| Starter plan | $11 per month or $9 billed annually |
|---|---|
| Creator plan | $31 per month or $25 billed annually |
| Team plan | $63 per month or $50 billed annually |
| Business plan | $249 per month or $199 billed annually |
Tumblr is the best blogging platform for enthusiasts of all types of media. So, if you have a variety of content you’d like to share, such as videos, GIFs, music, and images, this is a good choice.
It’s similar to a content-heavy social media platform, so there’s a lot to compete with.
Tumblr is one of the best free blogging platforms to choose from if you’re looking for a hosted blog.
Pros:
Cons:
- Limited customization options.
- Crowded platform.
- Additional cost for a custom domain and premium themes.
- Pricing
Free.
Weebly is a website builder that specifically caters to business websites and eCommerce stores, making it a great place to monetize your blog.
It provides various services and customization options for building a professional-looking online store without coding knowledge.
Pros:
Cons:
- Square ads are only removed with the professional plan.
- Unique domain name only with paid plans.
- Other advanced features are behind a paywall.
- Pricing
Check out Weebly’s pricing plans to see if this is the best platform to host your blog.
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Personal | $13 per month or $10 billed annually |
| Professional | $16 per month or $12 billed annually |
| Performance | $29 per month or $26 billed annually |
HubPages prides itself on its community of passionate people, with a site filled with interesting articles on a wide range of topics, from arts to politics.
This platform lets you publish content and earn money depending on your article view count. It offers a variety of tools and features to help you create and promote your content.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Built-in monetization system.
- Access to a closed audience.
- Community support.
Cons:
- HubPages controls and can delete content.
- No control over ad placement.
- No Android or iOS apps.
- Pricing
Free.
Write.as is a beginner-friendly blogging platform that provides a clean and distraction-free writing environment. This site focuses on written blog content and serves as an alternative to social media.
There are additional features with the paid plan in case you feel like adding some photos to a blog post.
Pros:
Cons:
- Limited site monetization.
- Advanced theme and text editing features are behind a paywall.
- Photo hosting is behind a paywall.
- Pricing
Take a look at Write.as pricing plans for the full list of costs and features each plan offers.
| Free | $0 |
|---|---|
| Pro plan | $9 per month or $6 billed annually |
| Team plan | $30 per month or $25 billed annually |
Make It Happen Today!
Key Points to Consider When Choosing a Blog Platform
Cost
If you’re looking for a free blogging platform, WordPress.com, Medium, Blogger, Wix, Tumblr, Weebly, HubPages, and Write.as provide free plans to kickstart your own blog without any financial investment.
However, if you’re interested in running your own platform with complete control over all aspects of your blog, consider WordPress.org – which has hosting at $4.48 per month (or $1.58 billed every two years).
Or, go with the self-hosted Ghost with hosting plans starting from $4 per month.
You can also consider sites that offer additional features and publishing tools like Ghost(Pro) starting at $11 per month (or $9 paid yearly), Wix from $17 per month, or Squarespace starting at $23 per month (or $16 paid yearly).
Go over these plans and select the right blogging platform that aligns with your budget and goals.
User-Friendliness
Many blogging platforms make it a breeze to write, format, and publish a blog post with little to no experience.
Go with a platform that has a website builder if you want to avoid searching for hosting providers.
Additionally, look for a blogging platform that has an active user community to come to your aid whenever you encounter a question or problem.
Monetization
Hosted blogs offer built-in options to make money online, while self-hosted blogs will need you to configure the platform to make money.
There are several ways to monetize your content. Try advertising, posting sponsored content, affiliate marketing, setting up memberships, or asking for donations.
You can also open an online store to sell branded merchandise.
Customization
Hosted blogs usually have free or paid pre-designed themes and limited control over your site’s layout. In contrast, self-hosted blogs offer more customization flexibility.
Go to Fiverr or the Printify Experts Program to hire professionals to assist with the customization of your blog.
Monetize Your Blog With Printify
Printify provides the tools you need to start making money online by selling personalized products directly to the audience of your amazing blog.
Advertise your print-on-demand store in your blog posts, directing readers to purchase custom merchandise on sales channels like Etsy or Shopify, or add a store to your blogging site directly.
From t-shirts to mugs and notepads, there’s a wide range of customizable products to sell on blogging sites.
Check out our integrations:
| WordPress | Connect through WooCommerce (free for WordPress.com Creator plan users). |
|---|---|
| Squarespace | Integrates with Printify directly. |
| Wix | Integrates with Printify directly. |
| Ghost and Ghost(Pro) | Connect through BigCommerce. |
1. Sign Up
Take a minute to register a free account on Printify to gain access to all of our services, from products to design support.
2. Create Products
Browse our Catalog with over 850 products to find the best items to bring to your blogging platform.
Choose from our Catalog → Pick a Print Provider → Click Start designing.
3. Add Designs
Use our Product Creator to upload your designs or make new ones with our free graphics, fonts, and professional design tools.
Adjust your design to perfection and generate high-quality product mockups.
4. Connect Your Store
We have set up automated integrations with multiple popular platforms and some of the leading eCommerce sites and marketplaces.
Go to your Printify Dashboard → Add a new store → Choose your sales channel.
Final Thoughts
Whether it’s a WordPress site or a page on Tumblr, explore all the platforms we’ve listed to find the best blogging platform and start earning from your writing in no time.
Consider your budget, technical skills, and the features you need. Opt for a hosted or self-hosted platform, a free blog, or a service that offers additional features through a paid subscription.
Start making money blogging your heart out, and boost your income even further by signing up with Printify to sell custom merch online!
Make It Happen Today!
Written by
Vita Stevens
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