Top 5 Blog Hosting Sites for Making Money

It’s estimated that there are more than 500 million blogs on the web today. With so many blogs out there, you can bet there are many platforms to host them. 

Some blogging platforms are better than others, though. Tumblr, for example, is the largest blogging platform. It’s definitely not a great choice if you want to turn a profit on your blog. 

So what are the best blog hosting sites for making money? We’ve picked our top five to help you maximize your blogging profits. 

1. WordPress.org Is the Best of the Best 

The millions of people using WordPress for their blog can’t be wrong. Most people would say WordPress offers you the best blogging platform. 

WordPress is both a content management system and a blogging platform. Be sure you’re using the .org extension, not the .com site. WordPress.com is the free platform, which doesn’t offer you as much customization. 

The WordPress.org site also offers you more options for monetizing your site. You can easily add an online shop or sign up for their ad network. Adding the JetPack plugin lets you start monetizing your site right away. 

WordPress is also trusted and well-known, which helps drive traffic. The customization features make it easy to improve your SEO, which can help you draw in more visitors. Whether you’re relying on ad revenue or affiliate marketing, this is a huge advantage. 

If you’re not familiar with WordPress, it may feel a bit overwhelming at first. This WordPress service and other resources can help you learn your way around. 

2. Wix Is Among the Best Blog Hosting Sites for Making Money 

If you’re looking for a blog hosting platform, then you might want to check out Wix. Wix is built around user-friendliness, which allows you to drag and drop to create your site. The paid version of the platform allows you to run custom ads. 

Unfortunately, the paid version is a little pricey, which may turn some bloggers off. The platform is also more limited in terms of the design you can use, as well as plugins. 

While Wix is an easy platform for beginners to set up, it does have its drawbacks. Blogs with a large following will do best here since they can both afford the cost and drive ad revenue. 

3. Squarespace Is a Great Choice for Bloggers With Stores 

Among the best blog hosting sites for beginners is Squarespace. Like Wix, Squarespace uses drag and drop to let users build beautiful custom blogs. 

Squarespace is often a good choice for small businesses as well. The platform advertises itself as a good choice for eCommerce, thanks to plugins and software. 

Squarespace suffers from the same limitations as Wix. While it’s easy to use, there are not nearly as many third-party plugins. This limits your design options, as well as money-making avenues. 

Bloggers who have merchandise to sell may find Squarespace is the right fit for them. Small business owners who are blogging to promote their store may also find Squarespace serves their needs. 

Larger businesses and full-time bloggers might want to explore other options. If you want to build a custom site or you need more third-party plugins, then another platform might fit. 

4. Weebly Is the Affordable Choice 

When it comes to blog platforms, Weebly isn’t as popular as Squarespace or WordPress. 

Like Squarespace and Wix, Weebly makes use of drag-and-drop software. New bloggers may find it easy to set their blog up and get started. Weebly also offers options to build an online store. 

Weebly’s greatest strength is its pricing. Of all the platforms on our top five, it’s the most affordable. 

The downside is that it offers much less than WordPress. The features available are limited. As a result, Weebly is a good platform to use when you’re just starting out. 

5. Joomla Gives You Choice 

Last, but not least among blogging platforms is Joomla. Joomla is not as popular as WordPress, but those who use it love it. Like WordPress, Joomla offers a complete content management system. 

Joomla also gives WordPress a run for its money in terms of options. If you’re looking for third-party plugins and customizability, you’ll want to check out Joomla. 

There are also plenty of ways to monetize a blog running Joomla. You can run ads or leverage affiliate marketing to make money with your blog. 

As with everything in life, though, there are some drawbacks. The first is that Joomla is fairly technical. If you don’t know much coding, you may have some trouble getting your blog up and running. 

It might be a good idea to hire someone to help with your Joomla blog. If you’re running on a limited budget, you may not want to invest in the technical support. 

Joomla itself is also on the expensive side. It can cost much more than a platform like Weebly or even Squarespace. If you haven’t yet made money from your site, then Joomla might eat all your profits before you get started. 

What About Free Platforms? 

These certainly aren’t the only blogging platforms out there. You might be wondering about many of the free options, like Google’s Blogger, Tumblr, or even Medium. 

The problem with free platforms is they’re difficult to monetize. Even the free versions of Wix and WordPress are difficult to make money on. 

A free platform like Blogger or Medium may work if you’re blogging for fun or you want to build a following. If you’re trying to make money from your blog, though, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid platform option. 

Platforming Your Profits 

Now that you know the best blog hosting sites for making money, it should be easier to pick the right one for your blog. 

Looking for other ways to build a business on the Internet? We have plenty of tips and tricks to get you started on the road to success.