Since I started WPBeginner (almost 11 years ago), one of the most asked questions I get from readers is how much money does WPBeginner make? Some of you might think that I’m making this up, but I’m not. If you were to search WPBeginner in Google, you’ll notice that one of the top related search keyword is “wpbeginner income”.
Now I know that several popular bloggers share detailed income reports, and some of them have even built their brand around that. I have had several readers tell me that I would be more popular if I shared the WPBeginner income report, but honestly I am not interested in having readers like me because of how much money WPBeginner make.
I want our readers to like and follow WPBeginner for the quality of content that we publish.
But since the question about WPBeginner income keeps coming up, I want to take some time and answer it in the best way possible without compromising my personal core values.
I believe that success and failure are both temporary conditions, and it’s important to stay humble at all times. This is why I have never shared any WPBeginner income reports.
I feel bloggers that share income reports are “showing off”, but that’s just my opinion.
I definitely understand that a lot of users who’re just starting a blog find these blogging income reports inspirational.
However I feel that sharing WPBeginner’s income would not be helpful to our readers because it’s hard to relate to it.
Why?
Because WPBeginner is not a typical blogging business. We don’t just make money by selling ads or affiliate links. As a matter of fact, you can’t even buy an ad on WPBeginner. Majority of the affiliate products that we recommend are the ones that we use ourselves.
So how does WPBeginner really make money?
We make money by selling our suite of software and WordPress plugins including: OptinMonster, MonsterInsights, WPForms, SeedProd, WP Mail SMTP, RafflePress, All in One SEO, Smash Balloon, etc.
Our plugins are currently running on over 15 million websites.
And a big reason for the popularity of our plugins is the marketing power of WPBeginner. Although, we don’t sell any plugins directly on WPBeginner website, the longstanding goodwill that we have earned in the community has helped us build independent brands for each of our plugins.
Aside from that, we also have investment stakes in various other WordPress-focused companies through our WPBeginner Growth Accelerator fund which includes MemberPress, Pretty Links, Formidable Forms, Affiliate Royale, Advanced Coupons, ThirstyAffiliates, and WooCommerce Wholesale Suite.
So What is WPBeginner’s Income?
The best way to think about WPBeginner income is to look at everything this blog has helped me build. With everything combined, WPBeginner blog has helped build a strong 8-figure annual business.
If I were to use the “blogging industry lingo”, then I would be an eight-figure blogger, but I don’t like this label (more on this below).
Since “eight-figure blogger” is not a commonly used term, some of you might be wondering what does that really mean?
You may have seen bloggers labeling themselves as “six-figure bloggers” or “seven-figure bloggers”.
In a true sense, these labels are defined as:
- Six-figure – annual income over $100,000 USD
- Seven-figure – annual income over $1,000,000 USD
- Eight-figure – annual income over $10,000,000 USD
When I first started blogging, it was my dream to join what I thought was a “cool-kids” club. But as I progressed in my blogging journey, I began to really dislike this label.
Why?
Because I saw so many spammers and “wanna-be online experts” misusing the label to trick new users into buying their bulls**t make money online / get-rich-quick courses or mentorship programs.
Below are some examples of people misusing the label to trick beginners:
- I have seen bloggers use the label six-figure blogger because their blog got over 100,000 visitors that year (not revenue).
- I have seen “wanna-be experts” use the label seven-figure blogger because they worked for a larger company that made over million dollars online, and they’re taking credit for that (basically lying).
- I have seen folks combine their earnings over 8 – 10 years to call themselves six or seven-figure bloggers. This is a commonly used technique in MLM / pyramid scheme programs.
- I have seen some bloggers who make six figures, but it’s in a different currency (so not entirely accurate if you’re looking for USD).
Basically if you’re just starting out, please be very cautious when you notice someone labeling themselves six-figure or seven-figure bloggers.
If this person is selling you a course that will supposedly help you replicate their success, then 99.9% of the time it’s a scam. Don’t waste your time or money.
There are no shortcuts to making money online.
It takes a lot of work, and you have to treat your website like an actual business. Yes, it is a REAL job.
As long as you’re willing to do the leg work, I think you can make money blogging. Here are some articles that can help:
- 25 “proven” ways to make money blogging with WordPress
- 19 actionable tips to drive traffic to your new WordPress site
- 24 Must Have WordPress plugins for every WordPress Site
- 18 Most Important Things You Need to Do After Installing WordPress
- Ultimate WordPress SEO Guide for Beginners
- 30 “Expert Tips” that I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Blog
- 27 “Proven” Online Business Ideas that Actually Make Money
Final Thoughts on WPBeginner Income Report
If you came here looking for the exact WPBeginner income amount, then I am sorry to disappoint you.
The truth is questions like “how much money WPBeginner makes right now” or “how much did WPBeginner make two years ago” are meaningless.
Knowing how much money another blogger / entrepreneur makes is NOT going to help you succeed.
Think about it, we all know the net worth of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, etc. Knowing their income does not help us become billionaires.
However understanding and focusing on the right metrics will definitely help you set smarter goals which as a result will help you succeed in your online venture.
If you’re just starting your blog / online business, then do not obsess over other blogger’s income. It will make you anxious and unhappy. Focus on your work and keep on moving forward.
The most important part is to really love what you do.
When I first started WPBeginner (almost a decade ago), it didn’t make much money. I simply enjoyed helping people do more with WordPress.
Our goal at WPBeginner is to provide cutting-edge helpful WordPress tutorials that are easy to understand for small businesses, bloggers, and non-techy WordPress website owners.
And to this day, that has been our #1 priority. I think staying true to our values has helped us grow WPBeginner into the largest unofficial WordPress resource site in the world.
I want to thank you for your continued support of WPBeginner, and I look forward to providing even more helpful WordPress tutorials and products to help you grow your business.
If you liked this article and want to follow my entrepreneurial journey, then please consider following me on Twitter (for business insights) and Instagram (for fun travel photos).
Also please consider subscribing to the WPBeginner YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
Your journey was awsome. Keep inspiring us.
Thanks for the report. I like your wordings “Sharing the exact number is not going to help anyone”. Thats really true.
By shiju m
Dear,
This is very helpful post for new bloggers who wants to create their blog for their passion, not for only earn money om the front of internet,
Thanks.
Thank you for the kind words, glad our article could be helpful
My question was not how much money does WP Beginner make, but in what way does it make money. Google search brought up your post, which perfectly answered my question and gave me a ton of good information.
Incidentally, I already subscribe.
Thanks for a very informative post.
Fred Ticer
Glad our article could answer your question
You are creating awesome contents and that’s very important for us for sure. Thanks for the post!
I Am A 14 Year Old Newbie Blogger, Who’s Just Exploring New Things To Learn, And When It Come To WordPress, I Thinks WpBeginner Is Best Blog To Learn WordPress!
hello syed, I think your thinking is really genius, showing income is not a good thing for users.
I like your style
Thank you for being opening and sharing like you have, but please know that there are plenty of us out here in internet land that feel that it is certainly nobody’s business unless you and your company want it to be there business.
Your company deserves every penny of the money that you have successfully earned. Like you said, your work isn’t a get rich quick scheme, and that in itself is one of the reasons why you continually have success (one of the many reasons).
Thank you for being an inspiration.
It was great meeting you last year at WordCamp US! I can definitely see why you’ve been so successful after listening to you for only an hour at the WP products meetup.
It’s also awesome to see John Turner and you have joined forces!
Thanks Tyler
That’s great syed, i follow your blog last four month and content is very nice. I am trying to build blog like you.
Thanks Amit – much appreciated and all the best
You provide a wonderful resource, great plugins, and deserve every dime you make! Thank you for all you do!
Thanks Ann. It means a lot to have your support
-Syed
I couldn’t care less how much you earn. Lots of people gets lots of views and followers generating low kevel content and appealing to the lowest common denominator. But if your content doesn’t justify my time then I won’t be a visitor. That has never been the case with WP Beginner
Thanks John. We do our best to provide the highest quality of content, and I’m glad to have your support.
-Syed
Thanks for this post. Many bloggers and website owners compare their stats with others’ (revenue, followers) and I realized that that’s not the end-all and be-all of having a website. It’s about giving help/giving back to others. To be honest, I turned to WPBeginner when I migrated from free WordPress to a self-hosted blog. Your generosity in giving tips and tricks helped me a lot. So super-thanks and keep on doing what you love.
Thanks Michelle for your kind words. Glad that you found WPBeginner helpful, it means we’re serving our purpose for existence.
I truly appreciate your support
-Syed
Do you know,
Whenever it comes to WordPress, I suggest WPBeginner for my customers, because this is awesome blog to learn wordpress with A to Z guide.
Thanks Jumedeen
-Syed
Hi Syed.
Love your candidness. I’ve never liked those monthly income reports. Unsubscribed from a well known female marketer for spamming me with her income reports. No substance, just showing off trying to impress me.
Anyhow, looks like these 4 domain names are taken:-
8FigureBlog.com
EightFigureBlog.com
EightFigureBlogger.com
8FigureBlogger.com
Probably worth quite a bit to someone who earns $10M a year considering there won’t be that many who ever get to achieve those figures from blogging alone.
Thanks for leaving a comment Steve, and I appreciate your support.
Those are neat domains, and I hope those who own it don’t use it to scam others.
Hi Syed, This is Carolyn Garcia, I wanted to leave a comment because I truly believe in what you mentioned above, It should not matter what a person makes from their business 100% true, I am still a newbee blogger I have had my website since Dec 2017 Jan 2018 and still I haven’t made up any blog pages or content. Why because I have tons of notes, but still not understanding yet enough to launch jaydeandjewelsbaking.com I feel I need more to my site including above. Besides the point of my site, I have been offered many times to buy from different sites. Being a newbee I don’t have that kind of money to buy this one or that one, but yes I agree you have to watch for scams. I agree with you all the way, Thanks Sincerely Carolyn Garcia
Hey Carolyn,
I too sometimes get caught up with the curse of perfection. In my opinion, it’s best to just launch the blog and improve as you go along with reader’s feedback.
All the best in your journey
-Syed
Great article! I have always wondered about those income reports and why I can’t do that either. Thanks for the helpful advice you offer on your website and the success you have received through hard work!
Thanks Jeff for the kind words and your continued support.
-Syed
You say you do not like to brag.. On your instagram is a picture of your new Porsche..
I’m sorry if that came off to you as bragging. That’s not my intention. I shared that with my friends and family on Instagram, and it was the only picture since I got that car.
In my opinion, I’d be bragging if I was taking a vain picture of myself in that car every day.
Cheers
– Syed
Hi,
I have a bit different question. How much costs to keep wpbeginners onlie? Let’s say annually.
Regards
Good for you – stick to your principles. Nobody’s business actually. Keep the good work coming!
Thanks Martyn. I appreciate you
-Syed
Totally agree! No fault for asking, but also no fault for not disclosing exact figures. It’s enough to know that you’re producing phenomenal content, and that this is being successfully monetized.
Thanks a bunch!
Thanks for the kind words Eric and I truly appreciate your support.
-Syed
Hello Mr. Syed, I totally get the discomfort in discussing money with others, as I share that same view. I think you’re doing an awesome job with your website as it helps me and I’m a semi-newbie with WP. Keep up the great work, you’re doing fantastic!
Thanks for your support Gin. I really appreciate you
-Syed
Right way to put it. I am 2 months old in to blogging, aspires to be a publisher. Acquired couple of blogs and just starting. But there is very less genuinity in what I have seen till now whether it is flippa, or other platforms. Many so called bloggers are not actually bloggers but gold diggers, some are even con artists trying to manipulate beginners and sell them stuff of little value. On the other side, it is Good to know couple.of good people people like syed working for the over all betterment. I am sure that the more I know, the more I will find people helping others.
Thanks Srinivasa for your kind words. I wish you all the best in your blogging journey
-Syed
Hi Syed —
I see no reason why anybody would need to know your income. I have found your posts to be enormously helpful, especially when I first starting blogging almost 10 years ago.
Thanks for your help all this time.
Jeannette
I totally agree. Income comparison in this context is no-one else’s business. While Syed and WPBeginner continue to supply this free service, what purpose would it serve to talk money.
Keep up the good work.
dj
Thanks Jeannette for your continued support of us. I have definitely enjoyed following your journey over the years
-Syed
You can’t put a price on the amount of value you deliver! I love this blog, it’s my go to!
Also what you make is none of my bloody business!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the kind words and support Matt. I truly appreciate it
You’re the man! I like the idea…
Thanks Maukis for your support
I like your way of thinking!
Thanks Marie-France
I am quite intrigued
This inspired the shii outta me
Thanks Ken – I’m happy to be the source of inspiration. All the best.
-Syed
Great article. Thank You for sharing this!
I don’t know why so many people are concerned with your income. I just love that you are a fabulous resource that I have desperately needed and constantly used – and still use and will continue to use. Thank you for what you provide to the community, and I hope you make enough income to keep doing it for a long time.
Thank you so much for your continued support Marcy. I really appreciate it
-Syed
Hey come on now, not need for this bait-click level title and post.
If you do not want to tell your income (which IS valuable because it gives an idea of whether blogging, etc is WORTH IT financially) then re title the post as “Why I will not state my income publicly”.
Hi Sean,
Thanks for leaving a comment. I did give a pretty clear idea of the WPBeginner income by sharing the range, and I hope that leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind that blogging can be a very successful venture.
– Syed
Those bloggers that are doing exceptionally well like you guys do not normally publish income reports. I understand why now. Dayum.
The content you publish is always excellent- jargon-free for non-nerds, relevant. Thank you!
Thanks for your support Sam
-Syed
Thank you so much for your integrity and support for all who want to know about WordPress and use it. You make it so easy. I am 71 and just starting to build my site. I am excited and scared but I know I can turn to wpbeginner for informatio and support.
Hi Barbara,
Thank you for kind words and support. It means a lot and we truly appreciate it.
Though I am not ready to really “go at it” re: Center4Joy, needing to focus on my initial business and 2 sick family members, I truly appreciate and enjoy your pieces. Thank you.
Thanks Joy for leaving a comment. My well wishes to your family members, and I hope they get well soon. All the best.
-Syed
Thanks. Very true .. focus should be on what should be done, honestly. Everything else follows.
Regards.
The next time someone asks you what you make, tell them, “Not enough for all the work I do.” and then ask then to send you their W2 and 1099 forms.
What difference does it make to your users what you make? You provide a service that the market has found valuable. When they don’t find it valuable anymore they don’t have to purchase from you.
Of all the questions you have to deal with to provide excellent service on your products, asking what you make is nuts!
Keep doing the great work you do!
Ahmed
Thanks Ahmed for your support. Yes that’s always been my philosophy too. Do good work and in the long run you’ll be successful.
– Syed
I’m not interested in the amount of revenue, but it is important to know what generates your revenue. As it comes, in part at least, from your plug-ins etc. then that flavours the value of some of your recommendations. As long as the plugins do what’s on the label, and satisfy essential security and integrity then there isn’t a major concern there for me. From your post, It does sound as if you might be a little embarrassed by your revenues though.
Whatever you do, please don’t stop enjoying what you and your team do.
Hi Richard,
I’m definitely not embarrassed by my revenues, and definitely love what we do here at WPBeginner. We have an amazing team and we love serving our awesome community of users.
I would say though that I do not like to bring attention to my revenues and finances for a variety of reasons including security for my family.
Thanks for your support and leaving a comment
-Syed
Excellent article! I’ve recommended WPBeginner to many budding bloggers, and this article solidifies my reasoning. I appreciate your commitment to your values.
It is so easy in the blogging space to get discouraged when numbers are the bottom line. I’ve found myself there many times as a very small-time blogger. But my purpose behind blogging becomes so much clearer when I recalibrate my focus on what I love — inspiring and helping people.
If we can all keep our focus where it belongs, the business part of blogging will grow so much more naturally. But I confess, it’s hard not to get distracted in the comparison game.
Thank you so much for the gentle reminder to stay in my lane, do what I love, and work hard toward my goal.
Keep up the great work!!
Thanks Katie. Every word you just said is so true. I’ve found the exact same in my journey as well.
All the best with your blog.
– Syed
Wish you all the best and keep up the good work. Most of the time I search Wpbeginner to have solution to any problem related to WordPress and I do get it.
Hey Amit,
Thank you for your support and well wishes. We are glad that you find WPBeginner helpful.
Nice article, indeed i learned a new trick
An inspiring article, keep it up
indeed their is a lesson to learn
Am I missing something??? Where is the income report? I don’t see any actual figures or a breakdown by dollar amount. Can you point me to the actual income report?
Hi Sasha,
You’re correct. This not an actual income report. It does give you a glimpse on how much WPBeginner make by sharing the range (8-figures), and yes that’s a big range.
-Syed
I am a Nigerian and I follow wpbeginner regularly. Some few days ago, the question crossed my mind, “How much does Wpbeginner earn? “, given the fact that I am struggling to monetize my own blog. I must say your closing statement has encapsulated everything. How much you earn in value doesn’t matter. It will only cause unhappiness, worry and maybe jealousy if I find out. What matters most, is me utilising the resources you have provided to grow my own blog.
Thanks for the good work. Keep it up. I love the Wpbeginner team and I hopeto meet u guys someday.
Thanks for leaving a comment. I know the struggles of monetizing a blog in the early days. It can be quite demotivating at times. But you have to keep pushing forward and add valuable content for your community.
-Syed
Thank you for this. As a new blogger, I realised I had to quickly learn how to filter out the hype and lies that seem to be so prevalent about making money blogging. Remaining true to my core values and knowing that I’m in this for the long run have helped me keep focus on my journey.
Thanks for the comment Nickesha. Focusing on the long game and your readers are the best way to get the results that you want.
All the best in your journey.
-Syed
Talk about “meaningless” click-bait. I’ll never get that 2 minutes of my life back. Shame on you for wasting the reader’s time.
I would have much more respected a lead para of: “I make $127,000 USD per year, and you may be able to do it to” than the weasel-words and obfuscation.
Hey Brad,
I’m sorry that you feel that way. But honestly, do you think that it’d really help if I said I make $XXX per year, and you can do it too??
Does me saying that really make that much of a difference in someone’s motivation?
If it’s about seeing a number and shooting for stars, then I’m too small fish for that. Maybe we should all look at the net worth of Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc for motivational purposes
-Syed
Great post and honest message, glad to see you stick to your values and not set unrealistic bars to success.
Blogging is difficult to maintain and growing a brand is even more difficult and takes a lot of work combined with actually producing quality engaging content that makes a reader WANT to subscribe and become loyal followers.
Honestly can’t believe that people even ask you for this info given the great free resource you provide without ever asking for donations or charging for. I have one “news” source (that is really opinion) that occasionally has interesting content out of a dozen daily articles. It is so heavily ad supported that the site is slow to load and very cumbersome and they still ask for donations every single day!
Been a subscriber here for a couple of years even though I haven’t actively blogged in almost as long but still keep every single notification email so that I can quickly search them for any content I want to follow up on if I decide to start blogging again in the future.
Thank you for providing valuable content and keep up the good work!
Thanks Bill for your continued support and being a reader.
I try really hard to make sure that we keep WPBeginner fast and the design clean for our readers to find the solution they’re looking for
-Syed
So basically this post about how much money WPBeginner makes is really a post about how income reports are bad, and doesn’t actually tell readers how much money WPBeginner makes other than “8-figures”. Based on your provided definition, it could $10,000,000 or it could be $99,999,999. So what is it?
Yup, that’s exactly the purpose of the article to share my stance on income reports and make it easy to answer this question every time someone asks for it.
And yes you’re correct in the range that WPBeginner earns. Sharing the exact number is not going to help anyone as stated in my article. My goal at WPBeginner is to share items that are helpful to users
– Syed
Truly inspiring, love the focus on what’s needed to improve YOUR business rather than worrying about others.
Congrats on the hard work and efforts paying off Syed!
Thanks James