Given that we teach people how to start a blog and make money blogging, we often get asked a particular question very often.
And that question is, how much does it cost to start a blog in 2024?
More specifically, what’s the cheapest way to start a blog? And can you start one for free?
So, we have decided to put this page together to answer those questions once & for all & to uncover all of the costs associated with running a blog.
Let’s dive in & get to it then. 😊
Do You Have To Pay To Start a Blog?
Technically no, you don’t have to pay to start a blog. However, if you don’t pay to start a blog, there will generally be some restrictions put in place.
You see, hosting a blog costs money, so if you’re offered a blog for free, then the company that’s providing you with the blog will need to cover their costs & they’ll likely do that by adding their own advertisements to your blog.
Either that, or they’ll heavily restrict the features & regularly encourage you to upgrade.
But you’ve got to ask, why would you want to let them keep the money that your blog makes?
You see, there are many ways to make money blogging & believe it or not, blogging can actually make you a millionaire… And the costs of having your own blog (without restrictions or ads) are only very little.
So unless you truly don’t have a single penny to your name or never ever intend (or want) to make money from your blog, it’s always best to pay to have your own blog.
And that brings me nicely to the next point.
How Much Does It Cost To Start a Blog In 2024?
The price of starting a blog varies depending on which service provider or web host you choose, but realistically, to start a blog that you can scale in the long term, you should look to set aside around $50 to $100 per month.
And yes, we know that there are many cheaper services available (some priced as low as $5 per month), but here’s the deal:
Most of those companies offering cheap hosting run really slowly (annoyingly slow) & offer minimal to no technical support at all.
So if you’re serious about blogging, one thing we advise is not to cheap out.
If you do cheap out, you’re guaranteed to get frustrated & will either end up having to move your blog to another host (which can be difficult) or give up on your blog altogether.
And if you’re looking to make money blogging, you’ll need fast & reliable hosting.
But the good news is that a budget of around $100 per month will not only get you access to hosting but also all of the tools that you need to succeed with your blog.
For example, tools to carry out keyword research so that you know what to actually blog about in order to get rankings & visitors coming to your blog.
And tools to help you find profitable niche ideas so that you can generate the most amount of revenue from your blog possible.
This brings me to the next point.
What’s The Cheapest Way To Start a Blog?
Admittedly, if you’re brand new to starting a blog, it can feel daunting to spend even just $50 or $100 per month to get rolling.
Thankfully, though, there’s a better way.
You see, the good news is that there’s a company named Wealthy Affiliate that provides tools, training & community support for bloggers.
Most importantly, they provide WordPress blogs & they allow people to get started with a blog for free.
Are there restrictions? Yes. However, you get more than enough freedom to try out all of the features & decide if you actually want to pursue blogging.
And then, if you do decide you want to pursue it, you can upgrade & get full control of the blog, including the ability to earn money from it for just $49 per month.
But here’s the best part. And here’s why we recommend Wealthy Affiliate…
They offer much, much more than just a blog. As mentioned earlier, they provide you with access to additional tools, training & community support.
So unlike other companies that simply provide you with “hosting”, Wealthy Affiliate is a company that provides you with absolutely everything you need to succeed.
And if you take a look at their pricing, you’ll see that in comparison to other hosts, they actually offer some of the most competitive pricing.
So, in our opinion, that’s the best & cheapest way to start a blog:
- Start your blog for free at Wealthy Affiliate
- Decide if it’s something you want to pursue
- Upgrade & unlock access to all of the training, tools & support to succeed
As far as we’re concerned, you’ll stand a much better chance of making money blogging by leveraging a platform like Wealthy Affiliate as opposed to a typical web host.
And you’ll certainly want to stay away from web builders like Wix as they’ll end up locking you in & leaving you unable to move your site down the line when you grow.
We actually wrote a full post outlining why you should avoid Wix right here.
The Bottom Line
Whilst you can indeed start a blog for free or for a very small amount, it’s a much better idea to set aside around $50 to $100 per month & do it properly.
By spending a decent amount on a good host, you’ll not only be set for the future as your blog grows, but you’ll also get access to all-important support, which is essential at the beginning of your journey.
And as mentioned, if you choose a platform like Wealthy Affiliate, you’ll get blog hosting AND all the tools you need to succeed, as well as training & community support for just $49 per month.
So you can’t really say fairer than that. Especially since blogging has the potential to make you a millionaire, meaning that $49 is a drop in the ocean compared to the potential return.
And the good news is that to help you get started, we’ve even got a guide on launching a profitable blog.
But overall, hopefully, this post has given you a good insight into the costs associated with starting a blog & if you happen to have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.
