Do you want to skip the read and get right to our top pick? The best blogging platforms to make money for most people is WordPress.com
Introduction to our guide on the best blogging platforms to make money.
How to start a blog and earn from it? In today’s review of the best blogging platforms to make money, we’re presenting the six platforms that are leading the pack in today’s highly competitive blogging scene.
Over the past three decades, blogging has enabled writers and small business owners to express themselves in ways that they could never have used prior to the advent of the internet.
But with the growing diversity of blog topics and the ways by which blog posts are presented, monetization is a prime point of consideration. And you can earn money with the best blogging platform to make money free of charge!
In this case, knowing which platforms offer the most in terms of profitability as well as functionality is something that is bound to go a long way.
How Do You Monetize a Blog?
Blog monetization can be done in numerous ways and blog authors/content creators have a wide array of options to choose from.
Also, keep in mind that even existing blogs that have been around for a decade or more, can still be monetized through several income models and strategies.
For the most part, though, platforms enable bloggers to earn through the following methods:
- Online advertising;
- Affiliate marketing;
- The sale of physical or digital products;
- Newsletter or service subscriptions; and
- Teaching via online lectures or workshops.
The Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money:
Our top choices for the best blogging platforms to make money from are the following:
- WordPress.com – overall best blogging platform to make money (My Choice!)
- Ghost – best platform for publishing
- Medium – solid editor and social network
- Wix – versatility and flexibility
- Substack – best for newletters and magazine publications
- Vocal Media – clear payment structure
Quick Comparison Table For The Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money:
| Rank | Platform | Key Features | Price | My View | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WordPress.com (My Choice!) | Customisable themes, SEO tools, Social sharing, Google Analytics support, Built-in commenting, Mobile and Desktop apps | Free plan available. Premium plans start from $4/month (billed annually). | Highly flexible with a robust set of tools. Ideal for both beginners and advanced users. | Try For Free |
| 2 | Ghost | Modern publishing tools, SEO features, Integrations with popular apps, Fast and secure | Starts at $9/month (billed annually). Free if self-hosted. | Good for professional bloggers and businesses. May have a steeper learning curve for beginners. | Try For Free |
| 3 | Medium | Exposure to Medium's audience, No need to design/setup a website, Partnership Program to earn money | Free to use. Medium Partner Program to earn money costs $5/month. | Great for writers who want to focus on writing and don't want to worry about website design and maintenance. | Try For Free |
| 4 | Wix | Drag-and-drop website builder, SEO tools, Large template library, App market | Free plan available. Premium plans start from $14/month. | Good for beginners who want to easily create a visually appealing blog. | Try For Free |
| 5 | Substack | Email newsletter focus, Simple to use, Monetization through subscriptions | Free to use. 10% fee on earnings if you enable paid subscriptions. | Ideal for writers who want to monetize through email newsletters. | Try For Free |
| 6 | Vocal Media | Exposure to Vocal's community, Monetization through reads and tips, Challenges to win cash prizes | Free to use. Vocal+ membership at $9.99/month offers higher earnings and more benefits. | Good for writers looking for a community-driven platform with unique monetization options. | Try For Free |
How We Chose These Platforms:
Our review is based on the following criteria:
- Customization in the sense that users can personalize the blog based on their specific needs;
- Monetization through several methods built into the user interface and user experience;
- Cost of one's subscription and the features that come with it;
- Overall ease of use;
- Blog categorization in terms of industry, interest, and information; and
- Compatibility with the user's skill level.
Presenting Our Choices for Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money:
1. WordPress.com – My Choice for best blogging platforms to make money!
Overview:
WordPress has long been the choice of anyone who wants to create a website in the easiest manner possible.
The beauty of using WordPress as a free website builder is that your site visitors will not be disturbed by ads of any sort – and that’s a plus when your site has a literary slant as there is virtually nothing to distract readers.
The downside, however, is that you don’t get your own domain – indeed, the *.wordpress.com suffix applies here – and you have no access to a number of key plugins that would go a long way into making your website more engaging.
Features:
- Content management system CMS site creator / editor;
- Integrated news and blogging function;
- Post scheduling feature;
- Responsive web design;
- Shared hosting;
- Extensive selection of functional plugins; and
- Numerous aesthetic / design options
- Google Analytics
Pricing:
Be sure to check out their service terms before you subscribe.
2. Ghost
Overview:
If you want to keep things simple yet professional, Ghost is one blogging platforms to make money you should consider.
Developed specifically for writers – the whole spectrum of poets, fictionists, special interest writers, and journalists – Ghost has numerous features and services that can open the doors into specific markets.
As one of the best blogging platforms to make money, you can consider it a stepping stone towards professional publishing. You can also let it be your primary area for publication – and you can earn a pretty penny.
Features:
- Site management suite with the unique feature of putting segment posts beneath pages to add visual appeal;
- Full-screen block editor;
- Defined publishing workflow;
- Search engine optimization toolkit;
- Membership and subscription programs for monetization;
- Numerous third-party integrations;
- Team management for multiple users; and
- Extensive range of themes.
Pricing:
Ghost is a free blogging platform, but to avail of its features, you'll pay at least $9/month. But Ghost takes zero from your revenue. In this sense, it's pretty cost-effective, making it one of the best blogging platforms to make money.
For more details, be sure to check out their service terms before you subscribe.
3. Medium
Overview:
Medium is most definitely one of the best blogging platforms to make money. Just about anyone with the writing chops can easily create and publish posts on their blogging sites. As it's a membership-driven platform, monetization is actually built into the user interface and those on it can change their settings to ensure that only paying audiences can access their material.
Also, Medium has its own partner program which pays writers for their articles – quite handy, if you ask us.
Features:
- Block-based easy to use editing suite;
- Media embedding to enable users to see the best of one’s content;
- Linked images that double as calls to action;
- Three-tag feature that makes SEO easier;
- Highlighting which enables writers to show off key passages in their work; and
- Draft sharing for collaborative work.
Pricing:
To write on Medium, you don't need to pay a single cent. To read their articles, the same applies. However, this free offering has limited options to three locked stories monthly. If you want the full experience, a Medium subscription costs $5 a month or $50 per year.
Deep dive into Medium by reading their terms of service.
4. Wix
Overview:
Having grown its customer base to over four million users worldwide in the span of nearly two decades, Wix has become the go-to solution for many people who want to build a website with minimal effort.
Wix’s two-pronged approach with regard to site building enables users – even those with absolutely no knowledge of HTML coding or prior experience to using a conventional site builder – to create an engaging website in just minutes. One can opt to just encode parameters to generate a site using artificial intelligence (AI) or go a more conventional route and drag and drop their way into the creation of a new website.
Wix prides itself on being the world’s leading freemium website builder as it does offer an exceptional range of features for free, but we have to admit the prevalence of ads on a site made with its free builder can be annoying.
Features:
- WIX Artificial Design Intelligence (WIX ADI) site builder;
- Conventional drag and drop website builder;
- SEO tool suite; and
- Ecommerce tool suite
Pricing:
Standard rates and pricing packages for this website builder musicians' pick are as follows:
Do your diligence and read their terms of use before committing.
5. Substack
Overview:
Substack touts itself as a home for both writers and podcasters that enables people to earn money from their words or their content.
It’s a platform that allows users to take ownership of their intellectual property as they have full editorial control and there are no gatekeepers to hamper their creativity.
Users also have carte blanche when it comes to creating their mailing lists, subscription packages, and premium content releases.
Features:
- Multiple categories so that users can choose their specific publishing niche;
- Easy to use post and page editor;
- Easy monetization for individual posts;
- Scheduled posting service;
- Community building features;
- Live or recorded podcasting; and
- Payment via Stripe.
Pricing:
Subscription plans are decided by writers themselves and publishing is completely free. This is one of the best free blogging platform to make money. However, if you add paid subscriptions, the platform charges 10% and additional credit card fee by Stripe.
On the positive side, writers keep 90% of all their earnings, which can reach $4,638 per month with 800 subscribers. Judging by these figures alone, it's easy why we selected Substack as one of the best blogging platforms to make money.
Do your diligence and read their terms of use before committing.
6. Vocal Media
Overview:
Now, there are writers, and then there are creatives who believe that a mix of text, images (still or moving), music, and a whole lot of bells and whistles. Vocal Media is the platform we recommend for these creatives.
Mixed media is normally a word used for visual art, but this is a platform where words and other elements are tossed in to create a magnificent presentation that creators can sell to their target audience.
Vocal Media is open to more than just writers, comic book illustrators, and graphic designers. It's a platform for everyone who has talent, a point of view, and a medium of choice: so there's room for cineastes, musicians (soloists and bands), and even choreographers who may want to use the platform to do workouts or dance tutorials.
One of the best things about Vocal Media is that it makes monetization a breeze and you can use it in its free and premium iterations.
Features:
- Easy to use story creation tools which can involve any of the following:
- Vocal Media Challenges, which are regular writing competitions where the top three compositions can win cash prizes;
- Pay per read pricing structure which allows creators or writers to charge actual money to see their work;
- Tipping feature which allows readers or audiences to give monetary contributions to authors or creators whose work they love;
- Creator bonuses or one-off payments for specific milestones hit by authors on the platform.
Pricing:
Vocal has two membership options that are paid plans. You can make recurring monthly payments of $9.99 or yearly payments of $99.
In terms of earnings, Vocal can get you $3.80 per 1000 reads and Vocal+ for $6.00 per 1000 reads. Fees also apply on tips.
Deep dive into Vocal Media by reading their terms of service.
Conclusion and Recommendations to the best blogging platforms to make money:
So what is the best blogging platform to make money?
To wrap up this best blogging platforms to make money list, we conclude that WordPress dominates the scene. It remains the best choice that aspiring writers have to express themselves and make money at the same time.
Today, aside from the platforms we presented in today’s review, there is a whole world of possibilities out there for those who have a great deal to say and need a platform through which they can express their sentiments in words and images.
When choosing a blogging platform, we recommend that you do your research. See which best blogging platforms to make money would work best for you in terms of your writing style, creative metier, and personality. Also, be sure to read the fine print in the terms and conditions section and see how you can protect your intellectual property and earn a living in the process.
FAQ:
All I need is a good platform for blogging. Which of these would be the best choice?
While WordPress has long been the gold standard when it comes to blogging, Medium and Substack show a great deal of appeal as these were specifically created for authors and journalists.
Can I use any of best blogging platform to make money to show off more than just my writing?
Vocal Media, in this case, would be the best option for you. One of the best things about this particular platform is that it is open for just about everyone from writers, to filmmakers, to animators, and even solo musicians and bands. Earning money from this platform is also much easier as people can actually set the parameters by which they can get money into their pockets.
That's all for now:
If you've read all the way through this best blogging platforms to make money guide, we are thankful. We hope you can now answer the question of what are the pros and cons of the best blog platform to make money! We have a large collection of articles, guides, and comparison reviews of eCommerce solutions, web hosting providers, website builders, and more! Feel free to check them out;
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Please share any comments below!