Some blogging sites may feel better on your wallet, but many aren’t ideal if you plan to monetize your website. The best blogging platforms to make money are going to differ greatly from the free options. A comparison and a deeper understanding of the topic will help you choose the best blogging platform for you.

As a beginner blogger, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed by the options that you have when you first start your blog.

1. WordPress

WordPress is the #1 most widely used blogging platform in the WORLD!

There are two versions of WordPress: WordPress.com (free) and WordPress.org (paid).

The free version comes with the same limitations that we described above, so the rest of this section will be about WordPress.org (the self-hosted, paid version) that comes with access to a LOT more features.

By far the best part about WordPress.org is that you get access to THOUSANDS of plugins that allow you to customize your blog in a variety of ways, including adding contact forms, email forms, social media buttons, and so much more.

Other blogging platforms are not as widely used, so they have fewer plugins, themes, and other customizations to choose from.

Let’s look at the practical side of that.

When you’re trying to install social media buttons or some other feature on your blog and you Google how to do this, the articles on the first few pages of your search will all be for WORDPRESS plugins – not relating to Wix, Squarespace, or any of the other blogging sites.

2. Wix

Wix is probably best known for its drag-and-drop software. This makes it incredibly user-friendly with a much smaller learning curve. There is a free version as well, but it is even more limited than the free version of WordPress.

There are very few customizations offered on the free version and you are stuck with Wix ads on your site. The paid version is really the only way to go if you are looking to make money.

It’s much easier to get started and design your blog on Wix, but you will ultimately hit roadblocks in your growth due to the limitations of plugins and other software integrations.

3. Squarespace

You’ve probably heard a lot more about Squarespace lately because of how much they have ramped up their advertising. I know I see it all over Facebook and YouTube.

As of right now, Keanu Reeves, aka the most likable guy ever, is their spokesperson. What a power move!

Squarespace, similar to Wix, also has drag-and-drop software, making their user interface great for beginners with no prior website design or coding knowledge.

Squarespace is ideal for small brick-and-mortar businesses looking for an online presence but not for full-time bloggers looking to run their entire business online.

4. Weebly

Weebly is yet another drag-and-drop website building, although it’s lesser-known than Wix and Squarespace and has fewer options.

Pros:

Beginner-friendly, drag-and-drop software
Cons:

Very few software integrations available
Significantly more expensive
Pricing: Starting at $6/month for a very limited plan

Bottom Line: If you are going to go the route of the drag-and-drop software, go with Wix instead. It provides more options and customizations and much more bang for your buck.

5. Blogger

Blogger is actually owned by Google, so it’s one of the only free blogging platforms that you can install Google AdSense on and earn ad revenue. You also get access to Google Analytics to track stats on your site.

Unfortunately, you will still run into the same problems of limited access to third-party software and plugins. Blogger also isn’t updated very often, so the software that is available can sometimes be outdated and less reliable.

Aside from the ability to earn ad revenue, it is still much harder to monetize your site with Blogger.

6. Tumblr

Tumblr is a great place to network with other bloggers and content is shared regularly in the form of “re-posting.”

This adds an additional way to get exposure to your content that other platforms don’t have because it is somewhat of a “social” media platform itself.

That being said, the design capabilities are extremely limited on Tumblr. You are limited to a set of themes or templates to choose from.

The design and software limitations of Tumblr make it much more difficult to monetize.

7. Medium

Medium is a much different blogging platform from the other options that we have described so far because it is actually a community of writers and bloggers.

While Medium is easy to get started and set up a basic web page, it’s not ideal for those looking to build an online business.

Medium is more of a place to write, have your thoughts heard, and connect with others. You cannot put ads on your site and you don’t own your audience.

On a traditional blogging platform, you drive traffic to your blog, own your social media accounts, and can build an email list.

Thank you for your Valuable Time 💫