# Is there anybody being able to profit from a website based on discourse
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487
**Category:** Community Building
**Created:** [January 19, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487 "2018-01-19T15:31:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Ja008](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Ja008)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/1 "2018-01-19T15:31:23Z")
Has everybody profit from a sole website just based on discourse? Is it possible to run a forum using discourse and then profit from it?
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### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/2 "2018-01-19T16:02:15Z")
I suspect that not many people have started communities with the sole intention to profit, but people certainly make enough to cover some hosting fees and perhaps generate some supplemental income.
A couple of places you might want to start…
There’s an earlier discussion:
> [@How much money can you make from discourse forum?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-much-money-can-you-make-from-discourse-forum/22315):
>
> Hi Can you make a good income from a discourse forum? I know it depends on your niche but I like to know if it is possible? Many thanks
and there’s also an official advertising plugin
> [@Discourse Advertising Plugin (Ads)](https://meta.discourse.org/t/advertising-plugin-for-discourse-serve-ads-on-your-discourse-forum-official-endorsed/33734):
>
> discourse2Summary Discourse Advertising allows the set up of advertisements on Discourseopen_bookInstall Guide This plugin is bundled with Discourse core. There is no need to install the plugin separately.warning AD-BLOCKERS If you are running an ad-blocker in your browser or through a vpn, the contents of your /admin/plugins page may be blanked out. Disabling your adblocker, using an incognito tab, or whitelisting your site should prevent this issue. Features …
As well as a Patreon plugin
> [@Discourse Patreon](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-patreon-integration/44366):
>
> discourse2Summary Discourse Patreon enables Patreon Social Login, and synchronization between Discourse Groups and Patreon rewards.open_bookInstall Guide This plugin is bundled with Discourse core. There is no need to install the plugin separately. Featureswarning Please note: Only members who have pledged to a tier membership will be synced to Discourse groups. [Free users](https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/16433886029325-How-free-memberships-can-help-grow-your-community#h_01HBCDSFXEGMFMV8JSEY89JNYD) and users under the [Free trial](https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-us/articles/11044183172493-Free-Trials-FAQ) will not be synced to your Discourse groups. …
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### Author:  [@Ja008](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Ja008)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/3 "2018-01-19T17:04:47Z")
Thanks a lot! Very helpful and informative.
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### Author:  [@8BIT](https://meta.discourse.org/u/8BIT)
#### Post date: [January 19, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/4 "2018-01-19T18:26:18Z")
I think the answer to your question is a loud YES as there are many that have been able to make this transition. It’s hard, but, it can be done (speaking from experience).
Do you have a more specific question…?
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### Author:  [@Ja008](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Ja008)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 4:35pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/5 "2018-01-20T16:35:22Z")
Thanks. How to generate huge pageviews?
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### Author:  [@8BIT](https://meta.discourse.org/u/8BIT)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/6 "2018-01-20T16:47:50Z")
A forum must be shared (i.e. marketing) as most do not grow organically… this requires a lot of energy and clear channels of growth and opportunity. There’s a lot of wisdom in this thread (and more around here):
> [@General Marketing Strategies?](https://meta.discourse.org/t/general-marketing-strategies/69295):
>
> Unsure if this fits perfectly in this category, but, it is relevant to community-building insofar as without folks showing up you won’t really have an effective forum! I’m not a fan of marketing, in general, but I have lived long enough to know that the Kevin Costner if you build it they will come strategy isn’t a good one… ever. Consequently, I’ve been thinking about how best to market, especially the things that we can do that cost zero dollars. Love to start a large thr…
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### Author:  [@Stranik](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stranik)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/7 "2018-01-20T17:48:08Z")
Any site that is visited by many users can potentially earn money. It does not matter the “engine” of the site. Therefore, forums with high attendance can do this. And Discourse is no exception.
The software is an important point, but IMHO, it is not decisive. I think the correct strategy lies at the junction of many moments and implies the correct direction of movement in different areas. But also in the software.
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### Author:  [@8BIT](https://meta.discourse.org/u/8BIT)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 10:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/8 "2018-01-20T22:06:43Z")
If you’re interested… we’re doing some light tests right now with Google Adsense:
We shared our initial tests with the community and even the revenue figures.
We’ll continue to see how this plays out over the week and then the first month.
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### Author:  [@Ja008](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Ja008)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2018, 10:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/9 "2018-01-20T22:27:49Z")
That’s great. Seems it does not earn too much from google adsense .
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### Author:  [@8BIT](https://meta.discourse.org/u/8BIT)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2018, 12:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/10 "2018-01-21T00:48:15Z")
i think as we continue these experiments we’ll consider other forms of advertising and sponsorships.
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### Author:  [@DiscourseMetrics](https://meta.discourse.org/u/DiscourseMetrics)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2018, 12:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/11 "2018-01-22T12:27:30Z")
I run a forum in a financial niche with about 5000 total members where roughly 6% pay a monthly fee for extra features as well as access to a specific subcategory. Monthly revenues are around $5000. I started the forum 7 years ago in a very small niche that made it the best place to find content about that niche. I’ve since widened the scope of the site, but having that initial, highly active userbase was also crucial to build a revenue generating forum. Subscriptions started at $5/month but are now $20/month. So yes, it is possible 😄
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### Author:  [@DiscourseMetrics](https://meta.discourse.org/u/DiscourseMetrics)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2018, 7:44pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/12 "2018-01-22T19:44:26Z")
I also tried adsense years ago, but my members were so keen to help me out that they clicked on all the ads constantly, and my adsense account was shut down by google 🙂 If you can get members to pay, even a small amount per month, you’re beholden to no one and can keep your forum ad-free. Try a premium membership. It’s so crazy [it just might work](https://signalvnoise.com/posts/1366-a-radical-idea-charge-people-for-your-product) 🙂
Caveats: If your forum doesn’t solve a problem in a unique way for your members, they might not be willing to pay. If they don’t have any money, they can’t pay. In my case, investors are by definition people with money to spend, which makes things easier.
Here’s my Annual Run Rate over the past two years, divide the numbers by 8 to get USD:
(ARR is how much you will earn over the next 12 months if everyone keeps paying)
Notice that it took about a year to get real traction 🙂
I’m happy to answer any questions about running a profitable Discourse site 🙂
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2018, 8:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/13 "2018-01-22T20:46:35Z")
> [@DiscourseMetrics.com](#):
>
> I also tried adsense years ago, but my members were so keen to help me out that they clicked on all the ads constantly, and my adsense account was shut down by google
That happened to me once in a former life, when I [lived in a Van Down by the River](https://iliveinmyvan.com/best/). I spoke to a school and told them that when people clicked on ads, I got money. And just like you, they did, and Google banned me from AdSense for life, best as I can tell.
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### Author:  [@Ja008](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Ja008)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2018, 9:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/14 "2018-01-22T21:11:34Z")
Very informative and helpful. May I ask what kind of plugin are you using for the payable membership?
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### Author:  [@DiscourseMetrics](https://meta.discourse.org/u/DiscourseMetrics)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/15 "2018-01-22T21:27:15Z")
I’m using Chargebee to handle checkouts, subscriptions and e-mails. Chargebee sends events to a custom plugin I’ve written that gives paying users access to a special group, badges etc. Another custom plugin locks down topics in certain categories that only members of that group should have access to 😄
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### Author:  [@Slind](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Slind)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 6:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/16 "2018-01-28T18:56:46Z")
I saw you implemented buysellads (good choice for cryptocurrency related topics) with the Purch s2s bidder. If you don’t mind you I would love to see some comparison to your adsense test.
(I guess its quite new since you aren’t listed on the buysellads marketplace, yet)
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### Author:  [@8BIT](https://meta.discourse.org/u/8BIT)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/17 "2018-01-28T18:57:53Z")
we’re in the process of implementing this actually and removing adsense. i’ll update this when it’s done…
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### Author:  [@Slind](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Slind)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2018, 4:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/18 "2018-02-22T16:16:44Z")
Hi @8BIT is there anything to show so far? I would be very interested in some insight 🙂
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### Author:  [@8BIT](https://meta.discourse.org/u/8BIT)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2018, 4:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/19 "2018-02-22T16:42:59Z")
actually, yes. we’ve implemented a custom solution that took the official plugin, forked it, and using it to serve up BuySellAds inventory.
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### Author:  [@Slind](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Slind)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487/20 "2018-02-22T16:56:29Z")
I meant in terms of monetization performance, especially compared to your prev. run 😉
[Next page](https://meta.discourse.org/t/is-there-anybody-being-able-to-profit-from-a-website-based-on-discourse/78487.md?page=2)