How Much Does it Cost to Start a Blog
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The question ‘how much does it cost to start a blog?’ is a common one, but luckily for you, it’s one we’re well-equipped to answer. After all, Website Builder Expert started as a small blog many moons ago! Things have changed since then, but the process of starting a blog with the best blog platform remains pretty much the same.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to pinpoint one concrete cost when it comes to creating your very own blog. On average, you can expect to spend anywhere between $50 and $200 getting your blog set up. After that, your monthly costs should sit at around $20 to $60. However, it all depends on what kind of blog you want to run, as well your long-term goals.
How Much Does Building a Blog Typically Cost?
| Website Feature | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Platform Subscription | $0 - $49 |
| Website Hosting | $0 - $5.45 |
| SSL Certificate | $0 |
| Website Template or Theme | $0 - $200 |
| Domain Name | $12 - $60 |
| Apps and Integrations | $0 - $250 |
| SEO and Marketing | $8.99 - $150 |
| Hardware Costs | $0 - $2,500 |
As with any new project, doing your research and getting a general sense of how much starting a blog might cost is a good idea.
Your overall outgoings depend on how you choose to create your blog. If you’re planning to do it yourself, you have two main options: a website builder such as Wix or Squarespace, or a Content Management System (CMS), such as WordPress.
Alternatively, you can hire a designer to do it for you, but that could cost $5,000-plus depending on your requirements. If you’re looking to keep costs down, we’d recommend avoiding this route when starting out.
Using a website builder is the cheapest way of getting your blog up and running. This is because the costs will remain consistent thanks to the pay-monthly plans on offer.
If you don’t want to use a website builder, WordPress is a popular platform for blogging that’s technically free – but you’ll have to pay for hosting, themes, and plugins, all of which can ramp up your overall outgoings.
| Website Builder | WordPress | Website Designer |
|---|---|---|
| • A fixed price • Easy to use • Harder to scale • Less creative control | • Easy to grow and scale • Option to code the site yourself, if you have the knowledge • Offers total creative control • Time consuming • Steeper learning curve • Deceptive pricing | • No hassle • Everything’s done for you • Very expensive |
Choosing the right platform comes down to personal preference. In this article, we’ll talk you through the costs associated with each method, so that you can choose the one that’s right for you.
What Type of Blog Are You Going to Build?
Unsurprisingly, the costs for beginning a casual hobby blog are wildly different to those attached to starting a blog that you hope to monetize, or turn into a business.
For example, if you want to make money from your blog, you’re more likely to need better hosting and additional app support, and may even need to hire writers to produce content for you. All of these things cost money.
As a hobby blogger, running a blogging site is more about sharing your passion than boosting traffic and conversions, so you’re less likely to invest in these added extras, which will ultimately make your costs much lower.
“If you are creating a blog without a specific business plan or without the intent to gain financially from it, then starting a blog can be quite cheap. However, if you plan on earning, you’re going to have to invest quite a bit of money into blogging.”Mike Nicosia is the founder of Conquerwild, a blog that focuses on camping and hiking. He’s been hiking for around seven years, but writing for his entire life. Conquerwild is a combination of his two greatest passions.
As the old saying goes, you need to spend money to make money. If you aren’t willing to invest some of your own cash into your blog, the likelihood is that it’ll never graduate beyond the hobby stage.
If you’re happy with this, that’s great! Your spending will be minimal and you can focus on running your blog as a space to nurture and share your interests.
However, if your long-term plan is to turn this into a business, we recommend taking some time to think about how much you’re willing to spend to get there.
Can I Build a Blog for Free?
The short answer is yes. There are plenty of ways to build a free blog, especially if you’re using a website builder. Wix and WordPress.com offer free plans to help you get started without spending a cent.
However, the more important question is, should you build a blog for free? In general, we don’t recommend using a free plan if you want your blog to be taken seriously. You’ll often find that your site will be peppered with unwanted ads, and the website builder you’re using will add its own domain name to your website address.
The same can be said of other costs, such as email marketing and apps or plugins. Usually, you can sign up for a free plan with these platforms, but the features you get will be limited, meaning you won’t feel their full benefit. We recommend opting for the first paid tier at least, if you truly want to build your blog’s success.
“Many people think blogging is free. But if you want to be serious about it, there are numerous costs for both maintaining your content and improving it. For example, domain registrations are typically relatively cheap, but hosting fees can vary depending on how much space or how many tools you need – for example, if you want to integrate a note-taking app like Evernote into your blog, it will take up more space. There’s also the cost of buying high-quality stock photos – nothing says amateur like using grainy royalty-free images from the internet! If you want to be taken seriously, once you have a little experience, you may consider investing in an ad campaign or affiliate program to make some extra money.”Jamie Hickey is an SCA-certified barista, and the founder of Coffee Semantics, a blog run by a team of coffee lovers who perform product reviews, teach brewing techniques, and review coffee gear.
How Much Does a Blog Cost Using a Website Builder?
| Website Builder Cost Breakdown | Price | Hobby Blog | Monetized Blog | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription | $6 - $49 | ✔️ | ✔️ | This cost covers all the basics, such as hosting, security, themes, and more. You can pay for your platform monthly or in one upfront annual cost. You’re likely to get a discount if you opt for the yearly option. |
| Apps | $0 - $20 (per month) | ❌ | ✔️ | Investing in additional apps will help more ambitious bloggers monetize their site. |
| Themes | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | Your website builder will provide a range of free themes for you to choose from. |
| Hosting | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | Hosting is taken care of by your website builder. |
| Domain Name | $10 - $20 | ✔️ | ✔️ | If you want your blog to be taken seriously, we recommend buying your own domain name. Usually these come free with your website builder for the first year. |
| Security | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | All of your security features come included in your website builder package. |
| Email Marketing | $0 - $50 | ❌ | ✔️ | Hobby bloggers won’t need this, but email marketing will help you monetize your blog and build traffic. Email marketing packages can cost up to $2,000, but you won’t need this kind of plan to start with. |
| Professional Help | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | The whole point of website builders is that they’re easy DIY solutions – no external help necessary! |
Who Should Use a Website Builder?
Website builders are so versatile that we believe pretty much anyone can use them. However, they’re particularly well suited to people who:
- Have no or limited technical skills or experience
- Don’t want to spend a ton of money getting their blog up and running
- Want to get their blog started quickly
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Easy to Use They’re specifically designed to get anyone and everyone online. | Templates Can Be Restrictive It can be difficult to put your own spin on the options available. |
| They Don’t Require any Coding Knowledge or Tech Skills Website builders normally use a ‘drag-and-drop’ builder or a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor, so there’s no need for coding knowledge. | Can Get Expensive Overall, website builders are the cheapest way to get online, but it depends on the plan you need. Some of the advanced ones are pricey. However, this shouldn’t be too much of an issue when you’re first starting out. |
| Good Customer Support If you find yourself stuck, website builders come with a team of people ready to help you find a solution. | Less Overall Creative Freedom Than WordPress It can be tricky to make your website stand out from the crowd when using a website builder. Unless you know code, you’re limited to the boundaries the builder sets. |
| Apps and Plugins Are Usually Included You might have to pay for some of them, but generally, apps and plugins come included in the price of your plan. |
Which Website Builders Do We Recommend?
Selecting a website builder can be a tricky choice because there are so many out there to pick from. Each has its pros and cons, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed! Luckily, most of them come with either a free plan or a free trial, so you can take a builder for a test drive before committing.
To help you make your final decision, we’ve done the hard work for you and narrowed it down to three options. These are our top website builders for starting a blog:
Wix runs a very close second to Squarespace, and it excels in its ease of use. In fact, our users rated this as the easiest platform to get to grips with. On top of that, Wix has really stepped up its game in terms of its SEO and overall blogging features.
Plus, Wix also offers a diverse range of templates to choose from, and its app library is one of the best on the market. No matter what you want to add to your blog, there’s probably an app that can do it for you!
As much as this is a positive, Wix’s reliance on apps can also be counted as a downside. It could be argued that Wix is overly dependent on apps – you’ll even need one to add a search bar to your blog! Plus, it doesn’t offer as good value for money as Squarespace does. In fact, it has the most expensive introductory price out of the three builders we recommend.
Read our full Wix Review for more details on what this website builder has to offer.
Given Squarespace’s reputation for offering stunning templates that support high-resolution, quality images, it’s no wonder that it’s the best platform to support visually rich blogs. There are a huge range of template options to choose from, but we recommend Brine, Farro, or Skye, because they each include a search feature that will be useful as your blog grows.
Squarespace offers strong blogging functionality, and although it may look daunting at first, the editor is simple to use. You’ll be able to design and build a blog in just a few hours! It also boasts powerful SEO tools to help you work your way up the search engine rankings for increased traffic.
The only downside to this platform is its lack of blog analytics, however, you can integrate your site with Google Analytics to enable a more hands-on approach to blog management.
Read our full Squarespace Review for more information on why it’s the best option for bloggers.
Like its more technical sibling, WordPress.org, WordPress.com is practically built for bloggers – blog-specific features are something that this builder does really well. It’s jam-packed with fantastic tools that allow you to set up writer profiles, access blog-specific analytics, and get on top of your posts with advanced scheduling. Like Squarespace and Wix, WordPress.com doesn’t come with an inbuilt search function, but adding a plugin will solve this issue.
The main drawback of WordPress.com is how complicated it is to use. The editor comes with a steep learning curve, and, because you can’t edit the code, you’ll only be able to access limited customizations unless you upgrade to a more expensive plan.
What’s the Difference Between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy – there really are two different WordPress options in this post! It’s important that you know which is which when deciding how to start your blog.WordPress.com is WordPress’s version of a website builder. That just means that it’s a hosted platform, so you won’t have to worry about organizing hosting for your WordPress.com blog.
WordPress.org, however, is a Content Management System (CMS), and you’ll need to sign up for a hosting plan separate from your WordPress account to start creating your blog.
If you want to find out more, we’ve written a guide specifically to explain the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
How Much Do Website Builders Cost?
Website builders are the cheapest way to get a blog up and running quickly, but their starting prices vary. Wix and WordPress.com both offer a limited free plan, whereas you’ll need to pay to use Squarespace – although it does have a 14-day free trial to get you started.
Because we don’t recommend using free plans for your blog, here are the starting prices for each builder’s paid packages:
- Wix: $16 per month
- Squarespace: $16 per month
- WordPress.com: $4 per month
When starting your blog, we don’t recommend choosing anything too advanced. The basic plans are the cheapest available, and they usually do exactly what you need them to, especially when your blog is in the early stages of growth.
However, there are a few exceptions to this. Firstly, although WordPress.com’s cheapest plan is only $3, this excellent starting price comes with a caveat. The plan is designed specifically for bloggers (perfect!) but if you want to take advantage of the free domain name offer, be aware that it’ll come with a “.blog” subdomain attached. If you don’t want this, you’ll need to plump for the premium package, which costs $8 per month.
Secondly, if you want to sell products on your blog, you’ll need to pay a bit extra to access your builder’s full suite of ecommerce tools. Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress.com all come with dedicated ecommerce plans that range from $29 to $45 per month.
Further Reading
Squarespace Pricing – We’ll help you find out if Squarespace is worth keeping beyond its 14-day free trial.Wix Pricing – Should you invest in a Wix plan, or choose the free package? We’ll dig into Wix’s pricing to help you decide.
Costs to Factor In When Using a Website Builder
It is worth noting, however, that if you opt for the free WordPress.com plan, you’ll need to buy your domain name right off the bat. They don’t offer a free branded subdomain, either.
Whilst many of these apps are free, you’ll still have to pay for some. Prices range from $5 to $60 per month, depending on whether you decide to plump for the more advanced add-ons. Fortunately, though, apps aren’t a ‘must-have’ item, so it’s completely up to you how many, if any at all, you decide to invest in.
There are plenty of email marketing services out there to choose from, and, unsurprisingly, their prices vary. However, you shouldn’t need to pay more than $50 per month, especially when you’re first starting out. Mailchimp even offers a free plan, so you can begin building your email list without spending a penny.
You can connect Wix and WordPress.com to email marketing services via an app or plugin. Squarespace, however, has its very own email marketing software, which is available from $5 per month. Squarespace Email Campaigns has been designed to fit seamlessly alongside Squarespace’s website builder, so you can keep everything under one roof.
Starting a Blog With a Website Builder: Overall Cost
What Are You Paying For?
Website builder subscription:
Between $3 and $13 per month
Domain name: From $12 per year
Apps and plugins (optional): $5 – $60
Premium email marketing (optional): $0 – $50
Total Cost Estimate
Average monthly cost: $10 – $140
How Much Does a Blog Cost Using WordPress?
The cost for building a blog with WordPress can vary, but you can expect to pay an upfront price of $150 – $200. After this, your monthly costs will depend on the optional extras you decide to invest in. On average, you can expect to pay anywhere between $5 – $200 per month.
| WordPress Cost Breakdown | Price | Hobby Blog | Monetized Blog | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Subscription | $0 | ❌ | ❌ | It’s free to use WordPress. |
| Apps/Plugins | $0 - $250 (per month) | ❌ | ✔️ | WordPress offers a range of free and paid plugins to help increase your blog’s functionality. |
| Themes | $0 - $200 | ❌ | ✔️ | You can choose from a limited number of free WordPress themes, or splurge on a paid one. |
| Hosting | $2.95 - $50 per month | ✔️ | ✔️ | Every WordPress site needs hosting, so you’ll have to pay for this. Usually, you’ll need to pay hosting costs upfront, rather than monthly. |
| Domain Name | $10 - $20 per year | ✔️ | ✔️ | You’ll need to purchase a domain name for your WordPress site. Unfortunately, there’s no free alternative. |
| Security | $0 - $200 per year | ✔️ | ✔️ | You’re responsible for your security costs. Some will come with your hosting plan, but you may have to pay extra for beefier protection. |
| Email Marketing | $0 - $50 | ❌ | ✔️ | Hobby bloggers won’t need this, but email marketing will help you monetize your blog and build traffic. Email marketing packages can cost up to $2,000, but you won’t need this kind of plan to start with. |
| Professional Help | $80 - $180 per hour | ❌ | ❌ | You don’t need to pay for professional help – it’s possible to build your WordPress blog yourself – however, it’s a more complex platform, so you might want some extra support, particularly if things go wrong. |
Who Should Use WordPress?
Compared to website builders, WordPress offers a much more hands-on experience for you as a user. It is one of the most popular blogging platforms out there, and it’s best suited for those who:
- Want complete creative control over their blog
- Don’t mind overseeing all aspects of website management, including hosting, security, design, and construction
- Are willing to invest money in additional plugins and nicer themes to increase functionality and professionalism
- Have some technical or coding experience
Pros and Cons of Using WordPress
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Complete Creative Control You can build a blog that looks exactly how you want it to, with no limitations or compromises. | Can Get Technical There’s no hand-holding here – WordPress has a steep learning curve, so it’s best if you have some technical experience. |
| Extensive Plugin Library There are over 54,000 WordPress plugins to choose from, all of which will increase the functionality of your blog. | Hard to Pin Down an Exact Price It can be hard to pin down an overall price for WordPress due to hosting, security, and plugin costs. |
| Excellent SEO WordPress has been designed with SEO in mind, so it’s a great option if you want to rank in the search engine results faster. | No Dedicated Customer Support WordPress doesn’t have a specific customer support team for when things get complicated. |
| Popular and Reliable There are around 60 million WordPress blogs on the internet – and all those people haven’t chosen it for nothing! |
Because there aren’t any set subscription plans that come with WordPress, it can be tricky to pin down exactly how much you can expect to spend each month. It will vary from blog to blog, and ultimately comes down to what you choose to invest in, and what you don’t.
One cost that is pretty consistent, though, is hosting. Hosting companies offer a pricing structure that’s similar to those used by website builders, so it’s an easy element to budget for. There’s a whole range of hosting providers out there, but we personally recommend Bluehost as the best for WordPress websites.
Choosing a Hosting Provider
Bluehost ranks as the best WordPress hosting provider in our research. It tops the chart thanks to its unmetered bandwidth, generous storage, frequent backups, automated software updates, free SSL certificate, and one-click installs. Bluehost will even throw in a free domain name for your first year!
How Much Does Bluehost Cost?
Bluehost offers a number of different plans based on the type of hosting you require. Here’s a breakdown of its main three WordPress plans, along with their starting prices:
| Hosting Plan | Starting Price | Total Upfront Starting Cost (without the optional extras) | Term Length | Renewal Price | Total Upfront Cost (without the optional extras) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared WordPress Hosting | $2.95 per month | $106.20 | 36 Months | $8.99 per month | $323.64 |
| WooCommerce Hosting | $6.95 per month | $250.20 | 36 Months | $13.99 per month | $503.64 |
| Managed WordPress Hosting | $19.95 per month | $718.20 | 36 Months | $29.99 per month | $1079.64 |
In the long run, Bluehost’s plans are quite expensive, but its $2.95 introductory price is pretty hard to beat, making it one of the cheapest hosting providers to get started with.
Most bloggers usually start with a shared hosting plan, as this is the cheapest. However, you might find that an advanced plan will eventually be needed as your blog starts to mature. Upgrading will offer a more comprehensive package, but it’ll also come with a steeper upfront cost.
Hosting – Introductory Prices
Introductory prices are a common feature of the hosting world. On the surface, they look like a great deal (and, often, they are), but that starting price is usually only valid for the first year, or term. Take Bluehost, for example. You can sign up for its shared hosting for as little as $2.95, which is an upfront cost of $106.20. However, when it comes to renewing for your second term, the price more than doubles.This isn’t something that can be avoided, but it is something to be aware of. Make sure to budget accordingly, or you could find yourself feeling a little short-changed.
Bluehost Alternatives
Although we recommend Bluehost as the best hosting provider for WordPress, there’s a whole range of other options to choose from. Below, you can compare our top three WordPress hosting providers to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your budget.
| Money Back Guarantee | Cheapest Shared WordPress Hosting | Cheapest Managed WordPress Hosting | Cheapest WooCommerce Hosting | Total Number of WordPress Plans | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BlueHost | 30 days | $2.95 per month | $19.95 | $6.95 | 9 |
| HostGator | 45 days | $5.95 per month | ❌ | ❌ | 7 |
| GreenGeeks | 30 days | $2.49 per month | ❌ | ❌ | 3 |
Additional WordPress Costs
Domain names vary in price depending on a few factors. For example, domain names ending in .com can be pricey because they’re more popular. Typically, though, you shouldn’t need to pay more than between $10 and $20 per year.
If you’re looking to save a bit of cash, we recommend looking for a hosting service that provides a free domain name for your first year, like Bluehost. You’ll need to pay for the domain name eventually, but it helps to spread your costs out a little.
Paid themes often look more professional, and usually come with a more extensive set of features. That said, they’re really more of a ‘Nice to Have,’ rather than a ‘Must Have.’ Although the free themes are more basic, they also won’t cost you a single cent, which is why starting off with one of these can help you keep your costs down initially.
Like themes, there are a number of paid and free plugins on offer. Some of them require a one-off payment, whereas others work on a subscription basis. You can pay anywhere between $5 and $100 for plugins, so if you end up selecting a choice few, the overall costs can quickly rack up to over $250.
Here are a few plugins that we particularly recommend for blogs:
- Yoast SEO
This plugin is a must if you want your site to rank well in search engine results. It does offer a free plan, but the more robust premium plan costs $89 per year.
- WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the best WordPress plugin to help you sell products on your blog. It doesn’t cost you anything to use, unless your sales volumes are off the charts, or you want to access some of its more advanced features.
- Everest Forms
This useful plugin is completely free to use, and allows you to create different types of forms for your blog, including contact forms.
- WP Rocket
No one is going to stick around for a blog that’s slow to load, and lags when moving from page to page. WP Rocket maintains your website speed so that it can keep up with lots of traffic. It’s not free, though – it’ll cost you $49 per year.
Luckily, most hosting providers offer some security measures as part of their plans, or for a small extra cost. However, we think it’s worth investing in some additional security plugins just to be on the safe side.
There are a number to choose from, and most of them come with a free plan if you don’t want to splurge the big bucks just yet. Here are some of the most popular options:
- Sucuri – $0 – $199.99 per year
- iThemes Security – $80 – $200 per year
- JetPack Security – $0 – $299 per year
- Cloudflare – $0 – $200 per month
- All In One WP Security & Firewall – $0
There are free email marketing tools out there that you can take advantage of whilst you’re getting started, but you’ll find that it’s very easy to hit the limitations of what they have to offer. Mailchimp, for instance, provides a free plan, but you won’t be able to automate any of your sends, and you also won’t be able to access A/B testing without upgrading to a paid plan.
Email marketing can cost you anywhere between $8 and $50 depending on how many emails you want to send per month, and the size of your contact list. Of course, there are some plans that can cost over $1,000, but you’re unlikely to need this type of cover when you’re first starting out.
However, WordPress is a more complicated platform than website builders like Wix and Squarespace, so if you want to save yourself some time and energy, you might consider getting someone more qualified to do the hard work for you.
This can be costly though, and hourly rates for WordPress developers average anywhere between $80 and $180+. This kind of expenditure is more applicable to those of you hoping to eventually monetize your blog, but it’s worth bearing in mind in case you want to hire a specialist in the future as your blog grows.
Starting a Blog With a Website Builder: Overall Cost
What Are You Paying For?
Hosting subscription:
From $2.95 per month (with Bluehost)
From $106.20 (upfront cost)
Domain name: From $12 per year
Premium security: $0 – $299
Premium themes (optional): $50 – $200
Premium plugins (optional): $5 – $250
Premium email marketing (optional): $0 – $50
Total Cost Estimate
Average upfront cost: $150 – $200
Average monthly cost: $5 – $200 (depending on optional extras)
How Much Does a Blog Cost Using a Web Designer?
If you don’t have the time or inclination to build your blog yourself using either a website builder or WordPress, hiring a web designer is a third option you could consider. Plenty of blog owners opt for this route, but there are a few things to consider before you make a final decision.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Takes the Pressure off of You You don’t need to worry about anything – your designer will handle it all for you. | Limited Creative Control You can tell your designer what you want, but they’ll have a different vision than you do, so you’ll have to give up some creative control. |
| Quality Website Design The end product will boast a high-quality finish. | Expensive Fees Hiring a professional is not a cheap way of getting your blog up and running. |
| Faster Than Doing It Yourself If your website design is particularly complex, a web designer will be able to have it up and running faster than you could. | Harder to Fix if You Don’t Like It If you don’t like your new design, it’s a lot harder to resolve the issue, because you might not have the technical knowledge to change it. |
We recommend using a website designer if:
- You have a big budget to spend
- You want to build a very complex blog
- You don’t have the time or technical skills to design things yourself
Although there are some big advantages to hiring a web designer, it’s not something we recommend when you’re first starting out. If you’re daunted by the technical complexity of doing things yourself, don’t worry – website builders make the job fairly painless. Plus, we think that the templates offered by Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.org allow you to tick that all-important aesthetic box without having to part with a large chunk of cash.
Prices for hiring a web designer start at a not-so-modest $5,000, and that’s only the minimum. Depending on your requirements and the experience of the designer you choose, you could end up spending closer to $30,000.
We’re not saying that you should never hire a designer. In fact, we believe that sometimes this is the best option. However, it’s not necessary when you’re at the start of your blogging journey. If you’ve got your heart set on it, we recommend waiting until you’ve gathered a large following, and have successfully managed to monetize your blog.
Additional Costs
Whether you choose to use a website builder, WordPress, or a web designer to create your blog, there are a few extra costs that you might not have considered. We’ll take you through these below so that you can factor them into your budget, too.
Hiring Content Creators
‘Hang on,’ you might be thinking, ‘Aren’t I the one that’s going to be doing the writing?’
Usually, if you start a blog, it’s because you like to write, and you want to use this skill to share your passions. It might sound counterintuitive to pay someone else to do it for you, but remember – maintaining a blog is about more than just creating posts. There are a dozen and one other little jobs that will prey on your time, and distract you from content creation.
Sure, you can try to do it all yourself, but if you want to increase your traffic and inch your way towards monetization, you’ll need a pretty constant flow of new and engaging content. It’s going to take a lot of time and hard work. Realistically, you aren’t going to be able to achieve it on your own.
Luckily, there are tons of excellent freelance writers out there to help with this. Like website designers, though, their rates will vary depending on their experience. You can expect to pay anywhere between $10 – $75 for a single blog post.
While there’s no concrete rule as to when you should start hiring external writers, it’s not something you’ll need to worry about until your traffic starts to grow. As a beginner blogger, or a hobbyist, you can ignore this cost for now.
Blogging Courses
Blogging courses aren’t a necessity, but if you’re the kind of person that likes a little guidance, you might want to invest in a workshop or crash course to get you on track. There are hundreds of blogging courses out there, where you’ll be able to pick up some gems of knowledge to help make your blog a success.
These courses usually cost between $100 and $500, depending on which one you choose. However, there are also plenty of free options out there that will introduce you to the basics of blogging and help you get started. We recommend opting for one of these first.
If, after this, you still want to invest in one of the more expensive options, make sure you do your research and find one that’s going to be most valuable for you and your blog. You don’t want to pay for knowledge you already have!
Hardware Costs
This one might sound a bit obvious, but you’ll struggle to start a blog if you don’t have regular access to a laptop and a Wi-Fi connection. These should be your first port of call when calculating overall costs for your blog.
These aren’t the only pieces of hardware you might have to invest in though, particularly if you’re looking to grow and monetize your blog quickly. Take a look at the table for a quick breakdown of other items you might have to purchase.
| Hardware Breakdown | Price | Hobby Blog | Monetized Blog | More Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laptop | $200 - $2500 | ✔️ | ✔️ | A laptop is a must to get your blog up and running |
| Reliable Wi-Fi connection | $35 - $60 per month | ✔️ | ✔️ | Unless you’re planning to use public wifi to maintain your blog (not advised!), you’ll need a robust internet connection. |
| Camera | $40 per month or $450+ upfront | ✔️ | ✔️ | Even beginner blogs need high-quality images, and search engines will penalize you if you only use stock images. You can opt to use a smartphone for your photos, or invest in a pricier, premium camera. |
| Microphone | $50 - $150 | ❌ | ✔️ | Monetized blogs often offer podcasts or vlogs to complement their posts. |
| Webcam | $40 - $100 | ❌ | ✔️ | A must-have if you’re planning to release vlogs as part of your blog. |
| Headphones | $50 - $150 | ❌ | ✔️ | These are optional, but they’re good if you’re working in a public place, or need to edit vlogs. |
Expert Insights
“Starting a blog in itself I would consider cheap, but running a blog as a business will cost some money. I believe that smart investments in your blog are critical for long-term success. The more your blog grows, the more money you’ll need to pay for things like a larger email service and more expensive plugins.“When you make more money blogging, you might also pay employees for certain things like writing content, managing socials, or sending emails. More experienced bloggers are going to pay for things that make their blog better, and as a result, grow their blog even larger.”
Gabby James is a lifestyle blogger, who started blogging around a year and a half ago. She runs her blog, Gabby James, but also helps others get started on their own journeys.
Our Top Tips for Starting a Blog
When trying to work out how much it’s going to cost to start your blog, there are a lot of things to consider. Ultimately, it depends on the type of blog you want to run, and how you choose to build it.
Whether you’re going to stick to hobby blogging, or venture out into the big bad world of digital monetization, we all start from the same point – so take a look at some of our top tips for starting a blog below.
- Start Small
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your blog isn’t going to be topping the search engine rankings within an hour of being published, either. These things take time and patience, so we recommend starting small. Monetization can come a bit later, but it’ll ultimately fall flat if you haven’t built a sturdy set of foundations first.
- Invest in ‘Must-Haves’ Over ‘Nice-to-Haves’
You might think that having the most expensive apps and themes is the key to unlocking blogging success, but when you’re just starting out, these aren’t a necessity. Make sure you take some time to reflect on what’s important to you, so you can invest your money in a few crucial purchases, rather than blowing your budget on things you don’t need yet.
- Stick to Your Budget
Speaking of budget, make sure you have one and then stick to it. Budgets are there for a reason, and will stop you from getting carried away and spending all of your money in one go. Be strict with your spending, and make sure you plan it all out so you know where every cent is going.
- Plan For the Future
It’s okay to have an ambitious vision for your blog – it gives you something to work towards. It’s also helpful to know where you want your blog to go when making decisions now. For example, if you know that you’re going to need more intensive SEO support further down the line, choose an app or plugin that has an upgrade option and good advanced features for when you need it later on.
Further Reading
If you want more help on blogging best practices, we’ve got a post for that! Take a look at our helpful guide on how to start a blog, where we’ll go through everything you need to know to get started.How to Reduce the Costs of Starting a Blog
Ideally, you want to keep prices as low as possible when starting a blog. Fortunately, there are ways to lower those costs, so let’s take a look at some savvy strategies to save a dollar or two when launching your shiny new blog.
Savvy Savings: The Art of Economical Blogging
Starting on your blogging journey? Great! But remember, it’s not about splashing the cash. Take advantage of those deals and discounts offered by website builders and hosting services to save some money. Whether you’re a student, running a non-profit, or just a savvy saver, these savings help you cut costs when starting a blog.
Long-term Hosting: Your Budget’s Best Friend
It might seem like you’re saving money short-term with pay-monthly hosting deals, but it all adds up in the long run as these initial offers usually end up being more expensive over the long term. Instead, think about the bigger picture with your hosting. Locking in a longer plan often means more bang for your buck because the monthly prices work out cheaper.
Freebies and Open-Source Wonders
Dive into the world of free and open-source tools that can enhance the blogging experience. These gems, from nifty design tools like Canva to robust content management systems, let you craft a blog without busting your budget on expensive extras that tally up quickly.
Setting a Smart Budget
Before you leap into the blogosphere, pause and plan your budget. It’s your roadmap to a financially sound blog, keeping over-expenditures at bay. For example, only use what you need in the beginning rather than going all out with a bells and whistles blog that’s rich in features but also heavy on your wallet. As your blog grows, you can implement other tools when needed.
Track, Tweak, Triumph
Got your budget? That’s great, but now keep a keen eye on it. Tracking your spend means you’re far less likely to go over budget. Plus, it keeps you focused on maintaining a cost-effective blog that doesn’t break the bank.
With these tips, launching a blog becomes a blend of smart spending and strategic saving. Remember that blogging brilliance doesn’t always come from a big budget, but from clever, cost-effective choices.
Return on Investment Starting a Blog
Knowing the return on investment (ROI) is Fundamentals 101 for any aspiring blogger. After all, the aim for most people is to turn their passion into profit with a stellar blog that captures the audience. And, if you want to make money, you’ll need to know the ROI, which measures the profitability of your efforts. It compares any money made against the cost involved with running your blog.
Monetization Strategies for Blogs
There’s more than one way to monetize your blog, which is great news. It means that you can explore several avenues for making money, including:
- Displaying ads
- Engaging in affiliate marketing
- Writing sponsored content
- Selling digital products
Just remember that each method poses its own set of advantages and challenges. For instance, ads are pretty straightforward and involve someone placing their advert on your blog. While that’s all well and good, they typically offer lower earnings compared to, say, affiliate marketing, which has higher income potential but generally requires more effort, like writing about and reviewing products.
Earnings Potential in Blogging
The money you can make from blogging can be a lot or a little. Ultimately, it depends on factors like the blog’s niche, as well as the audience size and monetization methods that you implement. It’s not impossible to earn a substantial income from blogging and make a living from it. But it takes a lot of work and commitment — some people earn enough for a full-time job while others make a bit here and there and treat it more like a hobby.
Time Frame for Generating Profit
You might get lucky and start earning from your blog moments after launching it. But as with most good things, you’ll need patience and consistency. Again, much of this will come down to the competitiveness of the blog’s niche and, most importantly, the quality of your content. One way you can help is through promotion. Be active on social media, consider spending a little on paid ads, and do keyword research to make sure your blog ranks for its chosen key terms. It’s best to give yourself six months to a year before you start seeing any real traction.
Calculating Blogging ROI
To calculate the ROI of a blog, consider the initial investments (such as costs for domain registration and hosting) and ongoing expenses (like content creation and marketing). The ROI is determined by subtracting total expenses from total earnings and then dividing that number by total expenses. This calculation provides a clear picture of the financial effectiveness of your blogging efforts.
Here’s an example:
- Initial Investment: $100 on domain registration and hosting
- Ongoing Expenses: $300 spent throughout the year on content creation and marketing
- Total Earnings: Your blog generates $1,000 by the end of the year
Now, calculate the ROI:
- Total Expenses: $100 (initial) + $300 (ongoing) = $400
- Subtract Total Expenses from Total Earnings: $1,000 (earnings) – $400 (expenses) = $600
- Divide the Result by Total Expenses: $600 ÷ $400 = 1.5
In this case, the ROI is 1.5 or 150%, indicating a profitable return where the blog’s earnings exceeded the total expenses by 150%.
How Much Does It Cost to Start a Blog: Summary
We’ve covered all of the potential costs that come with starting a blog, and given you a breakdown of the various ways you can go about getting your site up and running. You now have everything you need to make your blogging dream a reality without obliterating your life savings.
To give you a recap, here are the three ways of starting a blog, along with how much each will cost you:
Using a Website Builder
Estimated Cost:
$10 – $140 per month
Use a website builder if:
- You have no or limited technical skills or experience
- You don’t want to spend a ton of money getting your blog up and running
- You want to get your blog started quickly
Using WordPress
Estimated Cost:
Upfront cost: $150 – $200
Monthly cost: $5 – $200 per month
Use WordPress if:
- You want complete creative control of your blog
- You don’t mind overseeing all aspects of website management, including hosting, security, design, and construction
- You’re willing to invest money in additional plugins and nicer themes to increase functionality and professionalism
- You have some technical or coding experience
Using a Website Designer
Estimated Cost:
$5,000 – $30,000 per month
Use a website designer if:
- You have a big budget to spend
- You want to build a very complex blog
- You don’t have the time or technical skills to do it yourself
It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact cost for starting a blog because it ultimately depends on the kind of blog you want to create. It also depends on whether you want to monetize your blog or keep it as a hobby, as well as on your technical skills and confidence.
However, it’s important to remember that starting a blog doesn’t need to be expensive. Make sure you have a good idea of your budget, and don’t forget that where you start is not always where you’re going to end up. Your blog will grow in new directions, but it’s important that you build a solid (and affordable!) foundation first.
FAQs
We recommend opting for the cheapest paid plan if you want your blog to be taken seriously. This way, you won’t have to deal with a branded subdomain, and you’ll be ad-free.
WordPress as a platform is technically free, but you can’t use it without hosting. Because of this, it’s impossible to build a free WordPress blog, because there aren’t any free hosting plans available.
We only recommend using a website designer if you want to build a particularly complex blog, you have a big budget to play with, or you have absolutely no time or technical confidence. Otherwise, we’d advise that you save yourself a chunk of money and do it yourself!
If you want some more pointers, take a look at our guide on how to choose what to blog about. We’ve compiled six great tips to help you narrow down your options and find your starting point.
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