The Best Free Blog Sites to Make Money

These days, it's possible to make money online by creating a website for your business or passion. However, it can be difficult to differentiate your blog from all the other blogging sites out there.

According to 2o2o statistics from Statista, there are 31.7 million bloggers in the United States alone. Among these companies and individuals, some highly successful blog sites like the Huffington Post can generate up to $14 million per month, while other bloggers can earn much less.

Luckily, there are plenty of free blogging platforms that you can choose from that are easy to use, including WordPress, Medium, Tumblr, Wix, and Weebly. To get started on your new venture, here are some of the best blogging platforms that can help you create a free blog.

Free Blog Sites You Can Monetize

WordPress

WordPress.com is one of the best blog hosting sites for aspiring writers who want to make money blogging for free. It should be noted that WordPress.org is a different blogging site, functioning as an open-source content management system. In contrast, WordPress.com is a more basic version that functions as a website builder.  

Pros

  • WordPress.com offers a free plan that comes with up to 3GB of space, which is quite extensive compared to other similar websites.
  • The website design is customizable, with plenty of free themes and color palettes for websites, business sites, or online stores
  • WordPress is relatively easy to use for writers and functions like a Microsoft Word type of processor, which is perfect for bloggers who want to earn money or write a guide
  • There is no need to worry about updates or backups on WordPress, as the company will take care of that
  • Plugins can add things like data analytics, contact forms, membership subscriptions on WordPress.org, and more
  • There is no need to learn how to code, and a beginner can learn how to navigate through this platform quite easily
  • You can use affiliate links to monetize your WordPress blog in addition to Google Adsense

Cons

  • Free WordPress websites have ads that you need to pay to remove, and users do not make money from these
  • There are limited customization options for free themes and premium WordPress themes are paid. You cannot upload your own themes
  • You cannot upload your own plugins on WordPress. You need to choose from a preset selection when it comes to your WordPress blog
  • You don't own your own website and all its data on WordPress.com unless your blog is self-hosted on WordPress.org

Pricing

WordPress.com has various levels of pricing, including free and paid plans. However, only the paid version comes with a free domain, so the free version may be best for a hobby blog or personal use. In contrast, WordPress.org is free to use but will cost around $11 per month to maintain including domain name, hosting, and more.

Blogger

Blogger, also known as Blogspot is a free blogging service created by Google. It's one of the oldest blogging platforms out there, and hosts totally free blogs without If you are okay without having your own unique domain name. Otherwise, your website address will look something like "www.yournamehere.blogspot.com." unless you're willing to pay for a custom domain name through a third party.

Pros

  • Blogger is designed to be easy to use with a typical writing editor since the interface is very minimal and uncluttered
  • You can add additional images and video to your text, and you can even embed YouTube videos to make your blog content more attractive
  • Google Security is top-notch and helps keep your blog secure and creates backups
  • Even though it's free, it's one of the few free blogging platforms that have built-in features like advertising, a contact form, and subscription links
  • There are no setup fees or upgrade costs
  • There is no need to create an account if you already have a Google account
  • Google Adsense can display targeted ads and help you earn money on your blogging platform

Cons

  • You do not own your own blog and you can lose access to it if Google bans or suspends your account
  • They lack customer service and you are limited to forums
  • The format is limited to blogs only and you don't have access to things like a landing page or portfolio
  • Unless you have coding knowledge, it can be difficult to customize your website further
  • It lacks advanced features found on other blogging platforms

Pricing

Blogger is an entirely free blogging platform. Their free plan includes free blog hosting, which is great for a business on a budget looking to start a blog. This means that their themes, gadgets, and the other bells and whistles are completely free as well, helping you to stay focused on blogging. There are, however, third-party themes and plugins that you can pay for.

Tumblr

Tumblr was founded in 2007, and it's one of the best and completely free blogging platforms that can help individuals and businesses make money. It has a simple layout that can help you get started on earning, especially when it comes to publishing different types of media like photos and stories on their platform.

Pros

  • It enables beginners to create a blog very easily through their platform that has different visual icons for creating new posts, inserting pictures, videos, quotes, audio files, links, and more
  • It is great for making money as it is one of the best blogging platforms to reach a younger audience, especially when it comes to visuals
  • It is easier to build a social following through Tumblr as opposed to other forms of social media as they have many communities
  • it has a selection of free themes to suit a variety of businesses
  • You can create multiple blog sites under one account, which is great if you have different products
  • They have a great mobile app for on-the-go publishing in case inspiration strikes
  • If you want to monetize your blog, you can integrate ads from Google Adsense and more

Cons

  • Like other free sites, you do not own your own content
  • Many people repost instead of reblogging, making it difficult for artists and writers to be credited for their own work
  • The platform isn't suited for every demographic as it is more geared towards younger generations
  • It may not provide the most reputable brand identity for your business, due to its more casual atmosphere
  • There are limited plugins and customization options, meaning it isn't well suited for e-commerce

Pricing

Tumblr's greatest strength is that it is a free blogging platform, meaning that there are no hosting or subscription fees if you don't want to pay for blogging. However, you may choose to pay a small amount for custom domain names or premium themes if you would like a more unique website on the Tumblr platform.

Medium

Another blogging platform that can help you make money is Medium. It enables bloggers to earn money through the Medium Partner Program, depending on how long someone reads your article. It is fundamentally a writers' platform that tackles a huge range of topics with millions of readers, and anyone who creates a free plan can get started right away.

Pros

  • It has a republishing tool that can help you transfer existing articles over to their blogging platform
  • It can analyze the number of viewers who have read your article and how many people have finished it entirely
  • Their algorithm can help match your blog with interested readers and grow your audience
  • The high readership is great for making money online if people are interested in your blog
  • They care about SEO, which can help showcase your blog on platforms like Google
  • The user interface is clean and simple to use for many beginners

Cons

  • You don't own your content, meaning that they may delete your articles or ban your blog
  • Custom contact forms, share buttons, and additional features aren't allowed on your blog
  • The Medium format is limited in terms of customization and may not be the best platform to suit all businesses
  • There is a lot of competition due to a large number of blogs on the Medium platform, so you need to make your blog stand out

Pricing

In terms of writing, Medium might be the best blogging platform that can help boost visibility for your business. While it is free to create an account and publish your work, a reader can't view more than a certain number of free articles per month unless they pay for their membership, which costs $5 per month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a free blog make money?

If you're trying to use a blogging platform to make money, it is possible to do so with a free blog and affiliate marketing. However, the vast majority of blog sites come with subscription fees and added costs for greater functionality in terms of selling products and more.

Which blog site is best for earning money?

The best platform for earning money is WordPress.org, due to its ability to create a custom domain name and increase your professionalism. You can drive traffic to your blog posts through free marketing and paid advertising. The free alternative that is WordPress.com is also a great option.

What is the best site to start a blog for free?

The best blogging platforms that can help you start your site for free include Blogger and Medium, due to their ease of use. However, if your intended audience is of a younger generation, Tumblr is a great option when it comes to creating a trendier site.

How do beginner blogs make money?

Typically, individuals and businesses can use blogging platforms to make money online by choosing a niche market, attracting readers, and generating clicks through ads on Amazon Associates, Google AdSense, or getting started with affiliate marketing. Selling an e-book, informational guide, and other related products on a blogging platform is another great way to generate income.

Choose the Best Free Blog Site Builder with PageKits

If you're having trouble choosing a platform to get started with your blog, feel free to read up on our WordPress review for more in-depth information on whether this is the right platform for you. However, depending on your brand, content, target audience, and overall budget, you may prefer a different platform.

For more help on choosing the best platform for your needs, let PageKits help you! Contact PageKits today for a personalized comparison of blogging platforms.

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