I don't know if self hosting is the competitor to a paid blogging platform, rather it is social media that is the competitor. Most bloggers don't have a domain,

I don't know if self hosting is the competitor to a paid blogging platform, rather it is social media that is the competitor. Most bloggers don't have a domain, they're publishing on Facebook and other social media, who are making a killing of these people without giving them a good damned dime back.