How Much Does a WordPress Website Cost?

WordPress is often promoted as a free website-building platform, but the reality is more nuanced. While you can technically start building a website for free, creating a fully functional, professional-grade WordPress website involves several additional expenses.

Whether you’re starting a personal blog or launching a business site, understanding the full cost of a WordPress website is essential for proper budgeting.

In this guide, we’ll break down the actual costs of building and maintaining a WordPress website—so you know exactly what to expect.

• WordPress itself is free, but running a site is not.
• Hosting and domain names are recurring yearly or monthly costs.
• Premium themes and plugins offer better functionality but come at a price.
• eCommerce websites require more development time and budget.
• Ongoing maintenance and content creation should be factored in.

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• Is WordPress Really Free?
• Key Costs of Running a WordPress Website
  1. Domain Name Registration
  2. Web Hosting Plans
  3. WordPress Themes
  4. Website Design & Development
  5. Hourly vs Flat-Rate Pricing
  6. Plugin Costs
• Ongoing Maintenance & Manpower
• Frequently Asked Questions

Yes—and no. WordPress.org software is free and open-source, meaning you can download and use it at no cost. However, to make your website live, you’ll need to pay for:

• A domain name
• Hosting
• Themes and plugins
• Potential developer and design services

So, while the platform itself doesn’t come with a price tag, building a complete website certainly does.

Your domain name is your website’s digital address—essential for establishing your brand online. Most domains cost between $10 to $20 per year, depending on the registrar and the extension (.com, .org, .net, etc.).

Pro Tip: Avoid registering domains through your hosting provider. Instead, use trusted registrars like Google Domains or Namecheap to maintain full ownership.

Hosting is what keeps your site online and accessible 24/7. WordPress hosting typically falls under two categories:

Shared Hosting (Budget-Friendly)

• Ideal for beginners and small websites
• Costs: $3 to $10/month
• Shared resources can impact speed and uptime

Managed Hosting (Performance-Focused)

• Optimised specifically for WordPress
• Enhanced speed, security, and updates
• Costs: $25 to $50+/month

Note: Managed hosting is worth the investment if you run a high-traffic or business-critical website.

Themes control your site’s appearance and layout. WordPress offers both free and premium themes:

• Free Themes: Good for basic websites with minimal needs
• Premium Themes: Cost Summary & Key Takeaways, often with extended functionality and support

If you want full control or custom features, you might need to invest in custom development as well.

The cost of designing and building your site can vary significantly depending on your requirements and who you hire.

• Freelancer rates: $25–$100/hour
• Agencies: Project-based pricing starting from $1,000 to $10,000+

Factors affecting pricing include complexity, number of pages, custom functionality, and whether eCommerce is involved.

Depending on the developer or agency, you might encounter:

• Hourly Rates: Great for small tasks or ongoing tweaks
• Flat Rates: Ideal for full projects with clearly defined scopes

eCommerce Note: If you’re building an online store, expect prices to double due to the need for secure payments, product pages, inventory systems, and testing.

Plugins extend the functionality of your website, and every WordPress site needs at least a few:

Essential Plugin Types:

• Backup Plugins (e.g. UpdraftPlus): Free–$70/year
• Caching Plugins (e.g. WP Rocket): ~$59/year
• SEO Plugins (e.g. Yoast SEO or Rank Math): Free–$100/year
• eCommerce Plugins (WooCommerce is free, but extensions can cost $30–$300 each)

Your plugin costs will depend heavily on the features your website needs. Many start with free or freemium options, then upgrade as required.

Running a WordPress website also means investing time and/or money into:

• Security updates
• Regular backups
• Plugin/theme updates
• Performance optimisation
• Content creation and SEO

You can either manage it yourself or hire a specialist or agency to handle it for you. DIY is cost-effective but time-consuming. Professional support can range from $50 to $300/month, depending on the scope of maintenance.

How much does a basic WordPress website cost?

A basic website using a free theme and minimal plugins can cost around $100 to $300 annually, covering just hosting and domain.

Is it cheaper to build a WordPress site yourself?

Yes, if you have the time and technical knowledge. DIY websites save on development costs but may sacrifice design quality or performance.

Do I need to pay for plugins?

Not always. Many plugins are free or freemium. However, premium plugins offer enhanced features and better support, often worth the investment.

What are hidden costs of WordPress?

Common hidden costs include premium plugins, third-party services (like email marketing), ongoing support, and time spent on maintenance.

Can I run a WordPress site for free?

Technically, yes—using WordPress.com with a subdomain (e.g. yoursite.wordpress.com). But for a professional appearance, you’ll need to invest in a domain and hosting.

Ready to Build Your WordPress Website?

You now have an idea of how much it truly costs to build a WordPress website, regardless of the sort you want to build. Just taking a look at the WordPress pricing, you may realise that it may not suffice in meeting your organisation’s specific needs. If you want to get the most value for the money you’re investing, working with a web design business is your best bet.

Are you still on the fence in search of a Melbourne web design company that can meet all of your requirements? Digital Rescue has acquired more than a decade’s worth of experience in the field and understands which web design trends would be most beneficial to your company. If you want a WordPress website that is SEO-compliant and functional, just give us a call.