Can navigation websites make money?

According to statistics shared by a V2EX user, out of 16 navigation sites (with an average lifespan of around 3–8 years—some as early as 2016, others launched in 2019–2020), only 4 are still operating normally. However, none of those 4 receive any significant traffic or show signs of vitality. The most notable one is a domain purchased for 600,000 RMB—a real pity.

Original article

Monetization depends on traffic; without it, there's no real value. While there are certainly exceptions—sites that do manage to succeed—they are rare. Most navigation sites end up becoming little more than personal utilities with minimal external reach.