Best Blogging Platforms to Make Money in 2026: Compared

Choosing the best blogging platforms make money 2026 offers isn’t about finding the perfect feature set.

It’s about understanding which trade-offs you can actually live with for 6–12 months while you build an audience and start earning.

Most new bloggers choose platforms based on features they’ll never use, then quit before monetization even matters. The smart approach flips this: start with your revenue model, then match the platform to how you’ll actually make money.

This guide compares the six platforms new bloggers consider most often, focusing exclusively on monetization capability, cost structure, and realistic timelines for earning your first dollar.

No platform guarantees income. But some make it structurally easier to turn attention into revenue—and others actively limit what you can earn.

Understanding Blog Monetization: How Money Actually Flows

Before comparing platforms, you need to know exactly how blogs generate revenue.

Most beginners assume “get traffic, add ads” is the complete model. That approach typically earns $3–$15 per 1,000 visitors—not enough to cover hosting costs until you’re well past 50,000 monthly readers.

The four primary blog revenue models work like this:

Display advertising pays based on impressions or clicks. Google AdSense and similar networks place ads automatically, paying you when readers view or click them. Earnings range from $0.50 to $15 per 1,000 pageviews depending on niche and audience quality.

Most bloggers need 25,000+ monthly visitors before ad revenue exceeds $50/month.

Affiliate marketing pays commissions when readers purchase products you recommend. You place trackable links in your content, earn 3%–50% per sale depending on the program and product category.

One strategic affiliate post can earn more than 10,000 pageviews of ad-supported content—but only if your platform allows unrestricted link placement.

Digital products (courses, templates, ebooks) generate direct sales revenue. You keep 85%–95% after payment processing fees, but you must handle creation, delivery, and support yourself.

Platform restrictions on checkout integration or file delivery can kill this model entirely.

Sponsored content involves brands paying you to write articles featuring their products or services. Rates range from $100 to $5,000+ per post based on your traffic, niche authority, and audience engagement.

Most sponsors require direct contact—meaning your platform must allow professional email addresses and author pages.

The critical insight most beginners miss:

Your platform choice determines which revenue models you can actually execute.

Some platforms block affiliate links in certain niches. Others prohibit third-party ad networks. A few restrict checkout integrations or charge transaction fees on digital product sales.

Choosing the wrong platform early can cost you thousands in lost revenue or force an expensive migration later.

Platform Selection Framework: What Actually Matters

Ignore feature checklists and “best for beginners” rankings.

Platform selection comes down to three financial factors: revenue ceiling, revenue restrictions, and breakeven timeline.

Revenue ceiling measures maximum earning potential before platform limitations force you to migrate. A free platform with a $500/month revenue cap might work fine initially but becomes a costly bottleneck once you gain traction.

Revenue restrictions are rules that prohibit or limit specific monetization methods. Some platforms ban affiliate links to competitors, restrict ad network choices, or take transaction fees on product sales.

These restrictions aren’t negotiable. You either accept them or choose a different platform.

Breakeven timeline calculates how long until your blog income exceeds platform costs. A $300/year platform needs to generate $25/month just to break even—doable through monetization, but only if you’re realistic about traffic timelines.

Additional decision factors include:

Content ownership matters more than most beginners realize. Some platforms retain rights to delete your content or restrict export options. If you plan to build a long-term asset, full content ownership is non-negotiable.

Migration difficulty affects your ability to switch platforms later. Some platforms make export simple (WordPress). Others create vendor lock-in through proprietary formats or restricted content access.

Technical requirements determine whether you can actually manage the platform long-term. Self-hosted solutions require basic technical competence—not advanced coding, but comfort with settings, plugins, and occasional troubleshooting.

The framework that works:

Start with your primary revenue model. Eliminate platforms that restrict or tax that model. Compare remaining options on cost, ownership, and migration flexibility.

Most bloggers do this backward—choosing platforms first, then discovering monetization restrictions later.

WordPress.org (Self-Hosted): The Revenue Maximizer

WordPress.org is free software you install on paid hosting.

This distinction confuses new bloggers but matters enormously for monetization: you own everything, control all revenue, and face zero platform restrictions on how you make money.

How the economics work:

Hosting costs $3–$25/month depending on your traffic level and hosting provider. Domain registration adds $10–$15/year. Optional premium themes or plugins cost $0–$200/year total.

Your all-in cost typically runs $50–$350/year for the first 12 months.

In exchange, you get complete monetization freedom: unlimited affiliate links, any ad network, direct product sales with zero transaction fees, and full control over payment processors.

The revenue advantage is structural:

If you earn $500/month through affiliate marketing, WordPress.org lets you keep the entire amount (minus payment processor fees of ~3%). A platform with transaction fees might take an additional 2%–15%, costing you $10–$75 monthly.

Over 12 months, that’s $120–$900 in pure profit difference from the same exact traffic and content.

Where self-hosted WordPress excels:

You can install any monetization plugin without approval or revenue sharing. Affiliate link management, sales funnel tools, email marketing integration, and advanced analytics all work seamlessly.

Content ownership is absolute—you can export everything, sell your blog, or move hosts anytime without permission.

SEO flexibility is unmatched. You control every technical element from URL structure to schema markup, site speed optimization to mobile experience.

The realistic downsides:

Initial setup requires basic technical competence. Most hosting companies offer one-click WordPress installation, but you still need to configure settings, choose themes, and manage updates.

Expect 2–4 hours of learning curve if you’ve never used WordPress before.

Security and backups become your responsibility. Quality hosting handles most security basics, but you should still install a security plugin and configure automatic backups.

This takes 30–60 minutes to set up properly but requires ongoing attention.

Cost can scale unexpectedly if you’re not careful with premium plugins or hosting upgrades. The platform itself is free, but useful tools often aren’t.

Budget-conscious bloggers can stay under $100/year total. Others spend $500+ on tools that add minimal revenue value.

Bottom Line

Self-hosted WordPress maximizes revenue potential but requires technical confidence and active management. Best for bloggers treating this as a real business asset, not a casual experiment.

WordPress.com: Simplified Setup, Monetization Restrictions

WordPress.com is a hosted service that runs WordPress software for you.

This isn’t a different platform—it’s the same WordPress core, but managed by a company that handles hosting, security, and updates automatically.

The trade-off: convenience in exchange for significant monetization limitations.

The pricing structure works in tiers:

Free plan allows blogging but prohibits all monetization. You cannot add ads, affiliate links to external products, or sell anything directly.

Personal plan ($4/month) removes WordPress.com ads but still blocks your monetization efforts.

Premium plan ($8/month) enables Google AdSense integration but restricts other ad networks and affiliate programs.

Business plan ($25/month) unlocks plugin installation, which finally enables most monetization methods—but costs $300/year before you earn a dollar.

Creator plan ($25/month) focuses on subscription content and paid newsletters but charges 2% transaction fees on revenue.

The revenue math rarely works for beginners:

To break even on the Business plan, you need to generate $300/year profit from your blog. At typical beginner affiliate commission rates, that requires roughly:

• 50+ product sales at $40 average commission, or
• 30,000+ monthly pageviews with display ads, or
• 15–20 sponsored posts at $100+ each

Most new bloggers take 8–12 months to reach these thresholds—meaning you’re paying $200–$300 before seeing positive returns.

Where WordPress.com makes sense:

Writers who value simplicity over maximum revenue find the managed experience appealing. Zero technical management, automatic security, and included backups eliminate common frustrations.

Hobby bloggers who don’t expect significant income avoid the complexity of self-hosting while still using WordPress’s excellent writing interface.

Subscription-focused creators who plan to monetize through paid newsletters or membership content can use the Creator plan effectively—though transaction fees eat into margins.

The critical limitations:

Lower-tier plans severely restrict monetization options. The free and personal tiers aren’t viable for earning income, making them starter platforms only.

Plugin restrictions on non-Business plans prevent advanced monetization tools. You can’t install affiliate link managers, sales funnel builders, or marketing automation until you upgrade.

Custom domain costs extra ($18/year) even on paid plans, and some plans inject WordPress.com branding that reduces professional credibility.

In Short

WordPress.com trades monetization flexibility for managed convenience. The Business plan eliminates most restrictions but costs more than self-hosted WordPress while offering less control.

Blogger: Zero Cost, Limited Ceiling

Blogger is Google’s free blogging platform.

It costs nothing to use, requires minimal technical knowledge, and integrates seamlessly with Google AdSense for advertising revenue.

The catch: monetization options end with AdSense, and the platform itself signals “hobby blog” to most professional audiences.

How the economics work:

Blogger costs $0 for hosting and includes a free subdomain (yourblog.blogspot.com). Custom domains cost $12/year through Google Domains or third-party registrars.

You can start monetizing immediately through Google AdSense once you meet minimum content requirements (typically 10+ posts with original content).

The revenue reality for most Blogger users:

AdSense revenue on Blogger typically generates $2–$8 per 1,000 pageviews for general topics, slightly higher for finance or technology niches.

To earn $100/month, you need roughly 15,000–50,000 monthly pageviews depending on your niche and audience engagement.

Most Blogger users never reach this traffic threshold—not because Blogger prevents it, but because the platform’s SEO limitations and dated design make growth harder.

Where Blogger still works:

Absolute beginners testing whether they enjoy blogging benefit from zero financial risk. You can publish, learn the basics, and validate your interest without spending money.

AdSense-only monetizers who don’t plan to sell products or pursue affiliate marketing aggressively can operate profitably within Blogger’s constraints.

Simple content sites without complex functionality requirements run fine on Blogger’s basic feature set.

The structural limitations:

Affiliate marketing flexibility is limited. While Blogger allows affiliate links, the platform lacks sophisticated link management, and many affiliate networks view Blogger domains as less authoritative.

Template customization requires HTML/CSS knowledge for anything beyond basic changes. The built-in themes look dated, and making them modern takes technical skill.

SEO capabilities lag behind self-hosted solutions. You can’t optimize URL structures, install advanced SEO plugins, or control technical elements that affect search rankings.

Migration difficulty is high. Exporting content from Blogger works, but preserving SEO value, fixing image links, and maintaining URL structure requires significant technical work.

The practical ceiling:

Blogger works until you want to do anything beyond basic blogging with AdSense monetization.

The platform creates vendor lock-in through its proprietary template system and limited export tools. Moving to another platform later means rebuilding much of your blog from scratch.

Key Takeaways

Blogger eliminates financial risk but caps earning potential around AdSense-only revenue. Ideal for testing blogging interest, problematic for building a serious income asset.

Medium: Built-In Audience, Revenue Sharing Model

Medium operates as a social publishing platform with an unusual monetization approach.

Instead of placing your own ads or affiliate links, you earn based on how much time Medium’s paying subscribers spend reading your articles.

This model removes monetization complexity but caps your earning potential at Medium’s revenue-sharing rates.

How Medium’s Partner Program works:

You write and publish articles on Medium at no cost.

Paying Medium members ($5/month or $50/year) get unlimited access to all content. When they read your articles, Medium tracks their reading time.

Each month, Medium distributes a portion of member subscription revenue to writers based on reading time from members.

The revenue math works like this:

Typical earnings range from $0.01 to $0.15 per member reading minute, varying based on total subscriber pool and reading activity.

A well-performing article generating 500 member reading minutes might earn $5–$75 depending on current rates.

Most Medium writers earn $0–$50/month. Top performers in popular niches can reach $500–$2,000/month, but this requires consistent publishing and significant audience building.

Where Medium excels:

Built-in distribution helps new writers reach readers immediately. Medium’s algorithm surfaces quality content to its existing user base, reducing the “blog in the void” problem.

Zero technical requirements mean you focus entirely on writing. No hosting setup, theme selection, plugin management, or security concerns.

No upfront costs or ongoing platform fees make Medium risk-free financially.

The significant limitations:

You cannot add external monetization. Affiliate links are prohibited. Display ads aren’t allowed. Product sales must happen off-platform with no integration support.

Your entire revenue depends on Medium’s model and rates, which change over time and aren’t disclosed in advance.

Content ownership is limited. While you retain copyright, Medium’s terms allow them broad usage rights. More importantly, Medium readers stay on Medium—you’re building their platform, not your own asset.

Migration difficulty is moderate. You can export content, but you lose all distribution, follower connections, and reading history. Starting fresh elsewhere means rebuilding your audience from zero.

The practical reality:

Medium works as a pure writing platform for authors focused on craft over business. If you write for the satisfaction of reaching readers and welcome supplemental income without monetization complexity, Medium’s model fits.

But if you’re building a business asset with diversified revenue streams, Medium’s restrictions and revenue sharing structure work against you.

The platform also creates algorithmic dependency—your earnings rise or fall based on Medium’s content distribution decisions, not your SEO efforts or audience ownership.

Who should choose Medium:

Writers who prioritize writing over business operations and value immediate audience access over long-term asset building find Medium appealing.

Authors testing market demand for specific topics can use Medium to validate ideas before investing in their own platform.

Content creators who want supplemental income without monetization management accept Medium’s revenue ceiling in exchange for simplicity.

In Short

Medium removes monetization complexity but caps revenue potential and prevents asset ownership. Strong for writers, weak for business builders.

Wix: Drag-and-Drop Design, Transaction Fees on Sales

Wix uses visual site building to eliminate technical barriers.

You design your blog by dragging elements on screen—no coding knowledge required—and can start monetizing through built-in tools on paid plans.

The trade-off: higher ongoing costs and transaction fees that reduce profit margins on direct sales.

The pricing structure for monetization:

Free plan includes Wix ads and subdomain (username.wixsite.com) but prohibits all monetization.

Combo plan ($16/month) removes Wix ads and adds a custom domain but still restricts monetization features.

Unlimited plan ($22/month) allows Google AdSense integration and affiliate links.

Business Basic plan ($27/month) enables product sales but charges 1.9% transaction fees on top of payment processor fees.

Business Unlimited and Business VIP ($32–$59/month) reduce transaction fees slightly and add marketing tools.

Annual costs run $192–$708 before earning revenue.

That’s 3–10x higher than self-hosted WordPress and double WordPress.com’s Business plan pricing.

The revenue implications:

If you sell digital products or courses, Wix’s transaction fees compound with payment processing fees (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction).

On a $100 product sale, you pay roughly $2.90 in payment processing plus $1.90 to Wix—$4.80 total, or 4.8% of your revenue.

Self-hosted WordPress would charge only the payment processing fee ($2.90), letting you keep an extra $1.90 per sale.

Selling 100 products monthly means giving Wix $190 that could be profit.

Where Wix works well:

Visual learners who struggle with traditional platform interfaces find Wix’s drag-and-drop editor intuitive and confidence-building.

Design-focused bloggers who want precise visual control without learning CSS can create custom layouts easily.

All-in-one preference matters to some users who value having hosting, domain, and tools in a single dashboard with unified support.

The monetization constraints:

Higher base costs mean longer breakeven timelines. You need significant revenue to justify $192–$708 annual platform costs.

Transaction fees reduce margins on every sale. These fees apply indefinitely—even after you’ve built a profitable blog.

App marketplace extensions often cost extra. Many advanced monetization features require third-party apps with separate subscription fees.

SEO capabilities are improving but still lag behind WordPress. Wix made significant SEO progress in recent years, but it offers less granular control than self-hosted alternatives.

Bottom Line

Wix excels at visual site building but charges premium prices and takes transaction fees on sales. Best for design-oriented bloggers willing to pay for simplicity.

Squarespace: Premium Design, Premium Pricing

Squarespace targets creators who prioritize aesthetic excellence.

The platform offers professionally designed templates, integrated e-commerce, and polished user experience—all at higher price points than most alternatives.

The pricing structure works like this:

Personal plan ($16/month) allows blogging with custom domain but prohibits monetization entirely.

Business plan ($23/month) enables Google AdSense, affiliate links, and professional customization.

Basic Commerce ($27/month) allows product sales with 0% transaction fees.

Advanced Commerce ($49/month) adds advanced e-commerce features and marketing tools.

Annual costs range from $192 to $588.

The monetization framework:

Squarespace enables all standard revenue models on appropriate plans: display advertising through AdSense, unlimited affiliate links without restrictions, digital product sales with integrated checkout (0% transaction fees on Commerce plans), and subscription-based content through member areas.

The platform includes professional email addresses and portfolio features that support sponsored content outreach.

Where Squarespace justifies its premium pricing:

Template quality exceeds most alternatives by a significant margin. Every design looks professionally crafted—important for niches where visual credibility matters.

Integrated e-commerce works seamlessly for bloggers selling digital products or courses. The checkout experience is polished, mobile-optimized, and conversion-focused.

Customer support is consistently rated higher than budget alternatives. Phone, email, and chat support help non-technical users resolve issues quickly.

The cost-benefit analysis:

At $276/year (Business plan), Squarespace costs 4–6x more than basic self-hosted WordPress setups.

To justify this premium, you need either:

• Significant time savings from avoiding technical management (value this at your hourly rate), or
• Revenue that benefits from Squarespace’s design quality and integrated commerce, or
• Strong preference for polished user experience and unified support

Who should choose Squarespace:

Bloggers in visually competitive niches (photography, design, fashion, food) benefit from template quality that builds immediate credibility.

Product sellers who want seamless checkout integration without managing plugins find Squarespace’s built-in commerce valuable.

Non-technical creators willing to pay for hands-off platform management prefer Squarespace’s simplified approach.

The practical limitations:

Higher costs require higher revenue to break even. Budget-conscious beginners often struggle to justify the expense before seeing income.

Customization beyond templates requires CSS knowledge. The templates are beautiful, but making significant structural changes still needs technical skill.

App integrations are more limited than WordPress. The ecosystem is smaller, meaning specialized tools may not be available.

Quick Summary

Squarespace delivers premium design and integrated commerce at premium prices. Best for visual creators and product sellers who value design quality and seamless user experience.

Best Blogging Platforms Make Money 2026: Revenue Capability Comparison

Understanding platform features matters less than knowing how each platform affects your revenue ceiling.

Here’s how monetization potential differs across platforms based on restrictions, fees, and technical capabilities.

Display advertising revenue:

All platforms except Medium allow Google AdSense. WordPress.org and self-hosted solutions let you use higher-paying alternatives like Ezoic or Mediavine once you qualify.

Blogger, WordPress.com (Premium+), Wix, and Squarespace restrict you to AdSense or approved networks—which typically pay less per 1,000 impressions.

For a blog earning $500/month from ads, network flexibility can mean $100–$150 additional monthly revenue.

Affiliate marketing revenue:

WordPress.org has zero restrictions on affiliate networks or product categories.

Most platforms allow affiliate links but some (Medium) prohibit them entirely.

Blogger and free WordPress.com plans don’t support advanced affiliate link management, making tracking and optimization difficult.

For bloggers earning $1,000/month from affiliates, proper link management and split testing can improve this by 15%–30%—$150–$300 monthly.

Digital product revenue:

WordPress.org charges 0% platform fees on product sales (only payment processor fees of ~3%).

Wix charges 1.9%–2.9% transaction fees plus payment processing.

WordPress.com Creator plan takes 2% of revenue.

On $2,000/month in product sales:

• WordPress.org keeps you at ~$1,940 after processor fees
• Wix reduces this to ~$1,862 (costs you $78/month)
• WordPress.com Creator brings you to ~$1,920 (costs you $20/month)

Over 12 months, fee differences cost you $240–$936 in otherwise-pure profit.

Sponsored content revenue:

All platforms allow sponsored posts, but professional presentation affects rates sponsors will pay.

Custom domain, professional email, and portfolio features signal credibility and command higher rates ($150–$500 vs. $50–$150 for the same traffic).

Free subdomains (blogspot.com, wixsite.com) typically receive 30%–50% lower offers for equivalent reach.

The compounding effect:

Revenue differences seem small initially but compound as your blog grows.

A blog generating $2,000/month through mixed monetization might earn:

• $1,940/month on WordPress.org after fees
• $1,820/month on Wix after platform and transaction fees
• $1,720/month on WordPress.com Business after limitations
• $600–$800/month on Medium through revenue sharing
• $400–$600/month on Blogger limited to AdSense only

Over 12 months, platform choice creates $1,440–$16,080 in revenue differences from identical content and traffic.

Cost-Benefit Breakdown: True First-Year Economics

Most platform comparisons ignore opportunity costs and migration expenses.

Here’s what each platform actually costs when you include setup time, learning curve, and realistic revenue timelines.

WordPress.org (self-hosted):

First-year costs: $50–$350 (hosting + domain + optional tools)

Setup time investment: 3–6 hours initial, 2–4 hours monthly maintenance

Revenue timeline: Can monetize immediately; realistic earnings in 4–8 months

Migration cost: $0 (you already own everything)

Breakeven analysis: At $100/month revenue, you break even in 1–4 months. Platform restrictions cost you $0.

WordPress.com Business:

First-year costs: $300 (annual subscription)

Setup time investment: 1–2 hours initial, 0–1 hour monthly maintenance

Revenue timeline: Can monetize immediately on Business plan; realistic earnings in 4–8 months

Migration cost: Moderate—content exports easily, but losing custom domain and rebuilding plugins adds 4–8 hours work

Breakeven analysis: At $100/month revenue, you break even in 3 months. Transaction and network restrictions may cost you $10–$30 monthly in comparison to self-hosted.

Blogger:

First-year costs: $0–$12 (optional custom domain)

Setup time investment: 1 hour initial, 0 hours monthly maintenance

Revenue timeline: Can monetize immediately; realistic earnings in 6–12 months due to SEO limitations

Migration cost: High—content migration is complex, URL structure breaks, and SEO value rarely transfers fully

Breakeven analysis: Immediate breakeven on costs, but AdSense-only restrictions reduce potential revenue by 40%–70% compared to diversified monetization.

Medium:

First-year costs: $0

Setup time investment: 15 minutes initial, 0 hours maintenance

Revenue timeline: Can join Partner Program immediately; realistic earnings in 2–6 months

Migration cost: Moderate to high—you keep content copyright but lose all distribution and follower connections

Breakeven analysis: No cost to break even, but revenue ceiling sits at $50–$200/month for most writers vs. $500–$2,000 potential on owned platforms.

Wix Unlimited:

First-year costs: $264 (annual subscription)

Setup time investment: 2–4 hours initial, 0–1 hour monthly maintenance

Revenue timeline: Can monetize on Unlimited plan; realistic earnings in 5–9 months

Migration cost: High—Wix’s proprietary builder doesn’t export cleanly, requiring site rebuild on new platform

Breakeven analysis: At $100/month revenue, you break even in 3 months. Transaction fees on sales cost you $1.90 per $100 in product revenue indefinitely.

Squarespace Business:

First-year costs: $276 (annual subscription)

Setup time investment: 2–4 hours initial, 0–1 hour monthly maintenance

Revenue timeline: Can monetize immediately; realistic earnings in 5–9 months

Migration cost: Moderate to high—content exports but design doesn’t transfer; rebuilding takes 6–12 hours

Breakeven analysis: At $100/month revenue, you break even in 3 months. Premium pricing requires justification through time savings or design-dependent revenue increases.

The hidden costs most beginners miss:

Platform switching typically costs 8–20 hours of work plus potential SEO ranking losses worth 3–6 months of traffic growth.

Starting on the wrong platform often means choosing between accepting long-term limitations or paying the migration cost.

This makes upfront platform selection more valuable than most beginners realize—choosing correctly once beats choosing cheaply then migrating.

Common Mistakes That Cost Beginners Money

Most new bloggers lose money through preventable platform decisions.

Here are the expensive errors worth avoiding.

Choosing based on initial cost alone.

Free or cheap platforms often have hidden costs: transaction fees on sales, restricted monetization options, expensive migration later.

A $10/month platform that charges 2% transaction fees costs you more than a $25/month platform with no fees once you’re earning $750/month in product sales.

Ignoring migration costs when starting out.

Platform switching seems cheap initially but costs real money: 10–20 hours of your time, 3–6 months of SEO recovery, potential loss of email subscribers if you can’t redirect properly.

Starting on the right platform—even if more expensive initially—saves these costs.

Overbuying features you don’t need yet.

Premium plans with advanced marketing automation, multilingual support, or enterprise analytics waste money before you have traffic or revenue.

Start with the minimum plan that allows your primary monetization method, upgrade only when current limitations cost you money.

Underestimating the value of ownership.

Building on platforms you don’t own (Medium, free WordPress.com, Blogger) means building someone else’s asset.

Platform policy changes, account suspensions, or service shutdowns can eliminate your entire blog without recourse.

Defaulting to the most popular option.

WordPress.org is the most popular platform for professional bloggers—but that doesn’t make it best for everyone.

Non-technical beginners often spend months frustrated with WordPress when a managed solution would let them focus on writing and monetization.

Neglecting SEO implications of platform choice.

Some platforms (Blogger, Wix historically, Medium) have structural SEO limitations that make ranking harder.

Choosing a weaker SEO platform can cost you 30%–50% of potential organic traffic—which translates directly to lower revenue.

Decision Framework: Which Platform Fits Your Situation

Stop choosing platforms by features. Match platforms to your specific situation instead.

Choose WordPress.org (self-hosted) if:

You’re treating blogging as a real business asset worth building long-term.

You want maximum revenue potential and have no interest in platform restrictions or transaction fees.

You’re comfortable learning basic technical concepts or willing to hire occasional help for complex issues.

You plan to monetize through multiple methods (ads, affiliates, products, sponsorships).

Choose WordPress.com Business if:

You want WordPress’s power without managing hosting or security.

You’re willing to pay $300/year to eliminate technical management.

You value automatic updates, backups, and security over maximum cost efficiency.

You plan to scale eventually but want simplified operations today.

Choose Blogger if:

You’re testing whether you even enjoy blogging before spending money.

Your only monetization plan is Google AdSense for the foreseeable future.

You want zero financial risk during the learning phase.

You understand you may need to migrate later if blogging becomes serious.

Choose Medium if:

You care more about writing and getting read than building a business asset.

You’re comfortable with $50–$200/month revenue ceiling in exchange for zero technical management.

You want immediate audience access without SEO learning curve.

You value simplicity over ownership and long-term asset value.

Choose Wix if:

You’re highly visual and want precise design control without coding.

You’re willing to pay premium prices ($264+/year) for user-friendly visual editing.

Your monetization plan emphasizes appearance and design quality.

You value all-in-one convenience over cost optimization.

Choose Squarespace if:

You’re in a visually competitive niche where design quality affects credibility.

You plan to sell digital products and want polished, integrated checkout.

You’re willing to pay $276+/year for premium design and seamless commerce.

You prefer professional support and hands-off technical management.

The most common path for successful bloggers:

Many profitable bloggers start on free or low-cost platforms to validate their interest, then migrate to self-hosted WordPress once they’re earning $100–$500/month.

This path minimizes financial risk while maintaining clear upgrade potential.

The key is choosing an initial platform with reasonable migration costs—WordPress.com and Blogger export content cleanly; Medium and Wix create more complex migrations.

Final Recommendations: Platform by Revenue Model

Your intended revenue model should determine your platform choice.

For primarily AdSense monetization:

Blogger or WordPress.com Premium provide sufficient capabilities at lowest cost.

Self-hosted WordPress adds unnecessary complexity unless you plan to diversify revenue later.

For affiliate-focused blogs:

Self-hosted WordPress.org maximizes link management, tracking, and optimization capabilities.

WordPress.com Business works if you value simplicity but costs more while limiting some networks.

Avoid Medium (prohibits affiliates) and Blogger (limited tracking).

For digital product sales:

Self-hosted WordPress.org with WooCommerce or Easy Digital Downloads eliminates transaction fees.

Squarespace Commerce plans offer polished checkout if you value design quality over fee savings.

Avoid platforms charging transaction fees (Wix, WordPress.com Creator) unless premium features justify the ongoing costs.

For subscription or membership content:

WordPress.org with MemberPress or similar plugins provides maximum flexibility.

WordPress.com Creator plan works for basic subscriptions but charges 2% transaction fees.

Medium’s Partner Program suits writers accepting revenue sharing in exchange for built-in audience.

For sponsored content:

Any platform works once you have traffic and authority.

Custom domain and professional email (required on most paid plans) increase credibility and rates.

Portfolio features on Squarespace or WordPress help showcase past work to potential sponsors.

For diversified monetization (ads + affiliates + products):

Self-hosted WordPress.org provides unrestricted access to all revenue models without platform fees.

WordPress.com Business enables diversity but costs more and has minor restrictions.

All other platforms create friction through transaction fees, network limitations, or model restrictions.

What Happens After You Choose

Platform selection is the first decision, not the last one.

Most beginners overestimate the importance of platform features and underestimate the importance of consistent content creation and audience building.

Your actual success factors look like this:

Publishing consistency matters more than platform capabilities. A well-written blog on Blogger beats an abandoned blog on premium WordPress hosting.

Monetization timing requires patience regardless of platform. Most successful blogs take 6–12 months to generate meaningful revenue—that timeline applies equally to all platforms.

Content quality and strategic targeting determine traffic growth, not technical features. Platform SEO capabilities matter, but only after you’ve created content worth ranking.

The practical next steps:

If you chose self-hosted WordPress, start with basic shared hosting and simple free themes. Complexity kills momentum—you can upgrade tools later when you actually need them.

If you chose a managed platform, focus immediately on content creation. The platform handles technical details, so use that time advantage to publish more consistently.

Set realistic revenue expectations based on typical timelines: $0 for months 1–3, $10–$50 for months 4–6, $50–$200 for months 7–12 for well-executed strategies.

Build email lists from day one regardless of platform. Email ownership matters more than any platform feature—subscribers move with you during migrations.

Track your time investment honestly. If platform management consumes hours weekly, that’s real cost even on free platforms. Time spent on technical issues is time not spent creating revenue-generating content.

The platform matters, but not as much as you think.

Choosing the wrong platform costs you money through fees, restrictions, or eventual migration—but choosing any platform and starting beats analysis paralysis.

This guide gave you the framework to choose wisely. Now your job is to execute consistently and let compound effort build the asset that actually generates income.