If you’re looking to start a website or blog with WordPress, the first question on your mind is probably: how much does it cost to build a WordPress website?
Although websites and blogs built on WordPress can create their sites at a very low cost, it is challenging to know exactly how much the WordPress site costs.
WordPress’s self-hosting software is free, but you should consider a few other costs when considering your website budget. We want to take a look at the price components of WordPress, which require a budget to get a more fair idea of how much the WordPress site costs. This includes domain name, hosting fees, themes, plugins, and other add-ons.
In this article, you can sort out the costs related to the website and make more accurate budget plans.
What do we need to build a WordPress website?
WordPress can be downloaded and used by anyone for free. Because it is an open-source program, it can be freely installed on any website.
So, if WordPress is free, where does that cost come from?
The costs of a WordPress site can be divided into the following categories:
To create a self-hosted WordPress website, you require Web hosting to store your files. All Web sites on the Internet require hosting. This is the home of your website on the Internet.
There are many different hosting plans available for all types of websites. You must choose what suits your requirements and make it fit your budget.
Next, you will need a domain name. This will be the address of your website on the Internet, and this is what your users enter into their browser to reach your website (e.g., wpblogsetup.com or google.com).
WordPress provides a large number of free homepage templates. But if you want something more advanced/custom, you can buy a premium template or have one custom-made, which will increase the cost.
There are 59,000+ free WordPress plugins. These are applications and extensions for your website. Think about the features of contact forms, galleries, etc.
So, you can build a website with hosting and domain costs, but based on your condition, you may spend on extra tools and services. Therefore, knowing the real cost of WordPress’s website often confuses people.
Let’s take a deep look.
1. Domain name: Cost $0.99 to $15
The domain name is the URL (or site address) visitors enter into their browser to reach your website (e.g., wpblogsetup.com). Every website on the Internet has a unique domain name, and registering a domain name is expensive.
The price of a domain name relies on factors such as the name length, uniqueness, and domain extension (e.g., .com, .net, .org, .co, etc.). The estimated cost of a domain is between $9 and $15 per year.
However, some hosting services bundle domain names and hosting, so you can get your domain name free without any charges for the first year. This reduces your initial cost so that you can start with less.
If you want to go with the best price domain name, check here our recommendation:
2. Web hosting – from $1.99/month
Building a site with the website builder usually comes with a hosting and domain name bundle. Contrariwise, to create a self-hosted WordPress, you need to spend money on a web hosting plan to keep and run your site.
The domain name and Web hosting work hand in hand in building a fully functional WordPress website.
While the domain name serves as the website’s address, the web hosting service provides the necessary server space and resources. Whenever a visitor accesses your domain name, the hosting provider retrieves its content and displays it to the visitor.
The cost of a web hosting plan varies based on its type. In summary, web hosting costs range from $1.99 to $77.99 per month, depending on the type and hosting provider. Please note that the starting monthly fee for each web hosting account is different from the cost of those updates.
Several hosting companies offer plans specifically designed for the WordPress website. They offer a variety of managed WordPress hosting plans to meet a variety of needs. Check our recommendation here:
3. Design (Themes)
When building a website with WordPress, remember to remember the theme. Without a visually appealing theme, the website cannot attract attention. With an engaging theme, you can organize your content and display it engagingly. Select the theme that nicely fits your business and goals while considering branding. Of course, you can also customize your chosen theme with your brand’s colors and logos.
There is a comprehensive choice of free themes for WordPress, but if none of them fit your aesthetic, you can also buy professionally designed themes for a fee. The price range for paid themes varies, and highly customized options can reach thousands of dollars. However, it is recommended that you estimate an initial cost or annual cost of about $50 to $200 for the theme introduced here.
So, if you want to design a responsive website with the best theme at the best price then you can check our recommendations here:
You can always go for Free themes like Kadence in WordPress and you can upgrade it later for more features. Read the Kadence theme review here.
4. Plugins
Plugins are the most variable for websites you create in WordPress. This is because there is no upper limit to the number of plugins available. Depending on what you want to do on your site, from contact forms to search engine optimization (SEO) plugins, you may need a premium WordPress plugin from 0 to 20+.
Also, premium plugins do not have a “standard” price like the theme. Some plugins are only $10; others are more than $100.
It’s difficult to express more than “relying on the situation” here.
Many WordPress owners will look for at least some premium enhancements, so the budget for plugins should be around $100 to $200.
If you’re creating a very responsive website more than a blog or brochure website, it’s easy to go beyond that. Click here to get started with our recommended plugin for the WordPress website.
- RankMath
- Updraft Plus
- ShortPixel
- Kadence Blocks
- Pretty Links
- WordFence
- Perfmatters
- Wp-Rocket
- Scriptless Social Sharing
5. Developer fee
The WordPress developer’s fee will rise due to several factors. If the developer has a specialty, it is expected to pay more. And while some developers offer ongoing support, this also comes at a cost. The scope of the project, the experience, and the location of the developer also affect the cost.
If you are not technically knowledgeable about the site or want to customize the site to a high degree, you can work with WordPress developers. WordPress developers are experts in the ecosystem and infrastructure of the WordPress site.
While WordPress developers can usually assist you in developing front-ends and back-ends, you may have a specialized area of expertise, such as creating new products (such as themes and plugins) or improving core software. Be sure to communicate your needs before you start working with potential developers to find the right developers.
As mentioned earlier, WordPress developers living in high-priced areas may be charged accordingly. For U.S. freelance WordPress developers, this is estimated to be around $70-$90 per hour. But globally, freelancers usually charge $15 to $70 per hour.
6. Security and SSL
Security is so important that it is usually standard with WordPress subscriptions. However, if you think you need to increase your site’s protection, you can consider several options.
On the other hand, SSL is essential. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) acts as a lock on your website to ensure that the relevant data is properly protected.
The SSL is also normally equally standard equipped, but if not, you can expect to pay between $50 for basic ones up to $600. But, In most Hosting company provides SSL for Free. So, You don’t need to pay for the SSL unless you go for a Premium SSL certificate.
In Conclusion, how much does WordPress Website cost?
Factors such as the size and function of your WordPress site, your maintenance strategy, and your marketing approach affect your costs. Therefore, you may end up spending a different amount than these estimates.
For example, a blog can start at a low price of $7.99 per month. Conversely, a custom-built website with many pages might cost $3,500.
Finally, we’ve summarized what you need for the WordPress website and how much it costs.
Domain name: Generally, it costs about $0.99-$20/year.
Web hosting: This is the basic component of building a website. Hosting plans range from $1.99 to hundreds of dollars per month.
WordPress theme: Choose a free, out-of-the-box theme from your WordPress directory, or purchase a premium theme for $2-$200 per license.
WordPress plugins: Some are free to download, while others cost between $50 and $500 per license. Don’t forget to check the pricing model to see if you have to pay in advance or regularly.
The cost of the developer: If you’re hiring a freelancer or full-time developer, you might be spending $10-$70/hour.
When building a website, we strongly recommend starting small and using as many free components as possible. You might consider adding premium features and templates with more traffic and customers.
FAQs
Conclusion
Some of the most responsive websites in the world use WordPress. If they are using it, you can use it too. The journey to building an online presence with WordPress is exciting but feels a bit overwhelming. We hope that what needs to be considered when creating the budget and, ultimately, the cost of maintaining an ideal WordPress site is clear.
