With the advent of free blogging platforms, anyone can begin blogging without any initial financial outlay. Blogging has become a fantastic method to make money. Even if these platforms have a lot of features, it’s crucial to comprehend their drawbacks, benefits, and potential revenue streams.

What to Know About Free Blogging Platforms

For those who are just starting out, free blogging platforms are great. They do have some drawbacks, though, particularly in terms of monetization. Numerous platforms limit branding choices, affiliate marketing, and ad placements. Nevertheless, when you’re ready to scale, they provide an excellent means of expanding your audience and content before switching to commercial subscriptions.

Here are some of the most popular free blogging platforms you can use to start earning money:

1. WordPress.com

• Pros: Free to use, offers customizable themes, great for beginners.
• Cons: Ads are placed by WordPress unless you upgrade to a paid plan. Limited customization.
• Monetization: You can upgrade to their paid plan to remove WordPress ads and add your own. You can also use affiliate marketing and sponsored content.
• Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $4 per month.

2. Blogger

• Pros: Simple to use, directly integrates with Google AdSense for easy monetization, owned by Google.
• Cons: Limited design features, not ideal for a professional-looking blog.
• Monetization: Blogger allows you to place Google AdSense ads once your blog meets certain traffic requirements. You can also engage in affiliate marketing and sponsorships.
• Pricing: Free to use.

3. Medium

• Pros: Built-in audience, high engagement potential, allows for partner program revenue sharing.
• Cons: Limited customization, can’t run your own ads, ownership of content is shared.
• Monetization: Medium has a partner program that pays writers based on the engagement their articles receive from Medium members.
• Pricing: Free to use; Partner program available for free, though a membership fee of $5/month exists for readers.

4. Wix

• Pros: Drag-and-drop design, user-friendly, good for beginners.
• Cons: Free plan includes Wix ads, and limited storage.
• Monetization: You’ll need to upgrade to remove Wix ads and have more control over your website. You can also monetize through affiliate marketing and paid content.
• Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $16 per month.

5. Weebly

• Pros: Easy to use, good SEO features, and an eCommerce option.
• Cons: The free plan comes with ads and limited bandwidth.
• Monetization: To fully monetize, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan to remove Weebly ads and run your own.
• Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $6 per month.

6. Ghost (Self-Hosted)

• Pros: Fast and highly customizable, excellent for professional bloggers.
• Cons: Requires technical knowledge for hosting, no free hosted version.
• Monetization: Since Ghost is a self-hosted platform, you have full control over monetization options, such as ads, affiliate links, and subscriptions.
• Pricing: Free for self-hosting; Hosting through Ghost starts at $9 per month.

7. Tumblr

• Pros: Fun and visual-centric, great for niche communities.
• Cons: Not as professional as other platforms, limited monetization options.
• Monetization: You can use affiliate marketing or post sponsored content, but direct ads aren’t allowed without using third-party services.
• Pricing: Free to use.

Pros and Cons of Free Blogging Platforms

Pros:

• Cost-Free: You can begin without making a financial commitment because there is no upfront payment.
• Ease of Use: Most platforms are beginner-friendly with intuitive design and publishing tools.
• Building an Audience: These platforms offer a great way to test out your content, build an audience, and experiment with monetization strategies before fully committing to a paid platform.

Cons:

• Limited Monetization: Many platforms restrict how you can earn money, requiring upgrades to place ads or affiliate links.
• Branding Constraints: You don’t have full control over your branding. Some platforms will display their own ads or branding on your blog unless you upgrade.
• Customization Limits: Free platforms often come with limited design and functionality, limiting your ability to create a fully tailored experience for readers.

What is Its Cost for a Beginner?

Here’s a quick look at the pricing of each platform if you want to upgrade to unlock additional features:

Platform	Free Plan	Paid Plan
WordPress.com	Yes	Starts at $4/month
Blogger	Yes	Free only
Medium	Yes	Free (Partner Program)
Wix	Yes	Starts at $16/month
Weebly	Yes	Starts at $6/month
Ghost	Free (Self-hosted)	Starts at $9/month
Tumblr	Yes	Free only

Conclusion

Free platforms provide an excellent starting point for beginners looking to earn money through blogging. While they have limitations, such as restricted monetization and customization options, they allow you to test content, build an audience, and start earning without an upfront financial commitment. As your blog grows, you can upgrade to paid plans or switch to more flexible platforms for better control over your site.

For freelancers who are serious about monetizing their blogs and need a platform that understands their needs, Wiraa offers an excellent opportunity. Wiraa provides a commission-free freelancing platform where you can also explore remote jobs, enabling you to focus on building your business or side hustle without worrying about extra fees.