How much does website maintenance cost?
The minimum is a domain: US$11.08 a year.1 Paid upkeep runs US$50–500 a month.28
- Running costs: hosting free to US$10.99 a month3,9
- WordPress extras: US$49–549 a year per tool13,15,19
- Paid help: US$50–500 a month28
We read 32 sources on 30/10/2026; every price comes from the vendor’s own page, in US dollars unless marked A$, before tax. Risk figures come from Patchstack, Sucuri, the HTTP Archive, Google and CISA, and prices from firms that sell maintenance are marked as such.
01
Website maintenance cost, line by line
Every site pays for a domain, hosting, a certificate, email and edits. What it is built on sets the rest.
- Domain name: a .com costs US$11.08 a year to register and renew.1
- The extension matters more: the same registrar lists a .ai at US$82.70 a year.1
- No registrar markup: Cloudflare sells domains at cost.2
- The certificate: the https is free from Let’s Encrypt and most hosts.11,12
- Business email: US$7 per user a month on Google Workspace Business Starter.20
The detail
A website has two kinds of running cost. One keeps it online; the other keeps it current. Both depend mostly on what the site is built on.
A static site is finished pages served as plain files. There is no content management system underneath.
Porkbun charges US$11.08 a year for a .com, to register or renew.1 Cloudflare prices domains “at or below what registries and ICANN charge us”.2 The extension moves the price more than the registrar does.
Let’s Encrypt gives “a trusted certificate at zero cost” to anyone who owns a domain.11 Cloudflare’s free plan, Netlify and every Squarespace plan include one.12,10,7 Paid certificates add checks on the organisation; Expert Market lists A$36 to A$275 a year.31
02
Why hosting costs more after the first term
The first price on a hosting page is usually introductory. Renewal, or paying month by month, costs more.
| Plan | First price | Later price |
|---|---|---|
| Hostinger Premium | US$2.49 | US$10.99 at renewal |
| Bluehost Starter | US$3.99 | US$9.99 at renewal |
| WordPress.com Business | US$25, billed yearly | US$40, billed monthly |
| Squarespace Core | US$29, billed yearly | US$39, billed monthly |
| Netlify Free | US$0 | US$0 |
- The free domain: Bluehost’s is free for the first year only.4
- Site builders: the low price needs a year upfront; monthly billing costs more.6,7
- Static hosts: Cloudflare Pages and Netlify both have free plans.9,10
The detail
Hostinger’s US$2.49 rate is paid upfront for 48 months, US$119.52 in one go.3 After that the plan renews at US$10.99 a month.
Site builders work the other way round. WordPress.com Personal is US$4 a month billed annually, or US$9 monthly.6 Squarespace Basic is US$19 billed annually, or US$25 monthly.7
Static hosting is cheap because there is less to host. Cloudflare says requests to static assets are “free and unlimited”.9 Its free plan allows 500 builds a month.8
Netlify’s free plan is US$0 “forever”, with custom domains and SSL included; Personal is US$9 a month.10 Managed WordPress costs more: WP Engine Essential is US$28 a month billed annually, US$336 upfront.5
03
What plugin licences add to WordPress
Paid plugins are yearly licences, usually for one site each. The renewal is what keeps the fixes coming.
- One bill each: every paid plugin renews yearly, usually for a single site.13,14,15
- A lapse stops fixes: an expired licence keeps running but stops getting updates.13,17
- Hidden renewals: WP Rocket’s page does not list its renewal price.16
- Paid plans only: WordPress.com allows plugins on paid plans, not the free one.6
- Plugins pile up: each new one is a bill, an update and a clash risk.
The detail
| Plugin | Job | A year |
|---|---|---|
| ACF PRO | Custom fields | US$49, 1 site |
| Gravity Forms | Forms | US$59–259 |
| Yoast SEO Premium | Search settings | US$118.80, 1 site |
| WP Rocket | Speed | Renewal not listed |
On WordPress most features arrive as plugins. The paid ones are sold as yearly licences, usually one site at a time.
Gravity Forms runs from US$59 a year for 1 site to US$259 for unlimited sites.14 Yoast SEO Premium is US$118.80 for one site, excluding VAT.15 WP Rocket discounts the first purchase, then renews “at the regular renewal price”.16
ACF says renewals give “continued access to premium features and plugin updates”.13 UpdraftPlus says after 12 months you keep Premium but lose support, new features and fixes.17 So a lapse switches nothing off; it stops the fixes.
On WordPress.com, “Plugin installation is available on every paid WordPress.com plan”, and not on the free one.6
04
Why security and updates cost money
Most new WordPress flaws sit in plugins, and attacks can start within hours. Applying updates is the line you pay for.
- 7,966 new flaws: in the WordPress ecosystem in 2024, up 34% on 2023.21
- 96% in plugins: 4% in themes and only seven in WordPress core.21
- 33% unfixed: when they were publicly disclosed.21
- Out of date: 39.1% of the hacked CMS sites Sucuri cleaned in 2023 ran old software.22
- The official advice: Google says stay current; CISA says install updates as soon as possible.26,27
The detail
| Tool | Covers | Price |
|---|---|---|
| UpdraftPlus Premium | Backups, 2 sites | US$70 a year |
| Jetpack Security | Backups and scanning | US$9.95–19.95 a month |
| Sucuri Basic | Cleanup in 30 hours | US$229 a year |
| Sucuri Business | Cleanup in 6 hours | US$549 a year |
Patchstack, which sells WordPress security, counted 7,966 new vulnerabilities in 2024.21 It notes “it’s common for vulnerabilities to become exploited in a matter of hours after public disclosure”.
Sucuri, which sells cleanup, cleaned 39,594 hacked sites in 2023.22 WordPress was 95.5% of the infections it found. WordPress also runs 39.5% of all websites, so part of that share is simply where the sites are.23
The weak point the data keeps finding is the plugins, not WordPress itself. Google advises site owners to “stay up-to-date with the latest software updates and patches”.26 It also says to list every plug-in and track its version numbers.
CISA says patches “address security vulnerabilities” and to “install updates as soon as possible”.27 Jetpack Security’s US$9.95 a month is a first-year price; the regular price is US$19.95.18
05
What firms charge for maintenance
Firms quote US$50 to US$500 a month, or about US$100 to US$149 an hour. Nearly every figure comes from a seller.
- Asking prices: almost every published figure comes from a firm selling the service.28,29,30,31
- The spread is scope: updates-only plans differ from ones adding content, design and reports.
- Compare the work: check what each plan does, line by line, before the price.
The detail
cmsMinds says maintenance “normally costs somewhere between $50 and $500 per month”.28 That splits into US$50 to US$150 for a small site and more than US$400 for complex builds.
Clutch’s rate comes from first-party client reviews; it lists over 79,260 agencies.25 It is a design-firm rate, not a maintenance survey. SPINX Digital quotes US$100 to US$250 an hour or more for basic maintenance.29
Expert Market lists A$139 an hour plus GST, or A$123.20 to A$154 depending on hours booked.31 It earns referral commissions, so read it as an asking price. Its packages run A$200 to A$900 a month.
Amply quotes US$500 to US$5,000 a month for B2B sites.30 Technical upkeep alone is US$50 to US$300; the rest is content, design and development.
06
What a static site takes off the bill
With no database, login or plugins on the server, most WordPress lines drop away. Edits are the trade.
| Line | WordPress site | Static site |
|---|---|---|
| Plugin licences | US$49–118.80 each, yearly | None |
| Backups | US$70 a year | Files in version control |
| Security | US$229–549 a year | No server software |
| Updates | Every plugin, ongoing | None on the server |
- Common: about a third of sites (32.1%) run no CMS that W3Techs tracks.23
- The trade: edits need a developer, unless an editing panel is set up.
- Not for every site: a shop with daily stock or a members’ area needs a system.
The detail
A static site is a set of finished pages served as files. It has no database, no admin login on the server and no plugins.
Speed upkeep drops too, because nothing runs on the server for each visit. The HTTP Archive found 40% of WordPress sites passed mobile Core Web Vitals in 2024, against 51% of all sites.24
What stays is the domain, the email and the edits. On WordPress the owner edits in a built-in editor; on a static site, changes go through a developer or a panel. So the content line can cost the same or more.
That suits a site whose pages change a few times a month, such as a service business, a portfolio or a practice. Our own site is built this way, and so are the websites we build.
07
What I’d do
- List the bill: every line, today’s price and the renewal.
- Question each plugin: one removed is a licence, an update and a risk gone.
- Mostly pages and a form? Ask whether it needs WordPress at all.
- If it does, judge the care plan by what it does each month.
- Keep the domain in your own name.
Juan Pablo Tagliaferro, founder, HagoDigital
08
Questions people ask next
Do I have to pay for website maintenance?
You pay for the domain, hosting and any licences while the site is online. Paid help is optional; you can update and edit yourself. On WordPress the updating can’t be skipped: 96% of new WordPress vulnerabilities in 2024 were in plugins.21
How much does WordPress maintenance cost a year?
Add the lines: hosting (US$2.49 a month introductory, US$10.99 at renewal),3 a .com (US$11.08 a year),1 each premium plugin (US$49 to US$118.80) and backups or security (US$70 to US$549). Paid help sits on top: sellers quote US$50 to US$500 a month.28
Do I need a paid SSL certificate?
Usually not. Let’s Encrypt issues trusted certificates “at zero cost”,11 and most hosts and builders include one. Paid organisation-validated certificates, A$36 to A$275 a year, add checks on who runs the site.31
What happens if I stop paying for maintenance?
It depends which line stops. A lapsed domain stops the site answering at that address. A lapsed plugin licence keeps running without fixes. Skipped updates break nothing on the day, but exploitation often starts within hours of disclosure.21
Sources
Domains (the registrars' own price pages)
- Porkbun, Domain name pricing: a .com costs US$11.08 a year to register and the same to renew; .net US$12.52 a year; .ai US$82.70 a year. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Cloudflare, Cloudflare Registrar: registration, transfer and renewal prices "at or below what registries and ICANN charge us"; "does not mark up domain prices at all". Link (read 30/10/2026)
Hosting and site builders (their own price pages and docs)
- Hostinger, Web hosting plans: Premium US$2.49 a month on a 48-month term paid upfront (US$119.52); renews at US$10.99 a month. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Bluehost, Shared hosting plans: Starter US$3.99 a month for 36 months; renews at US$9.99 a month; the free domain is for the first year only, then renews "at the then current rate". Link (read 30/10/2026)
- WP Engine, Managed WordPress plans: Essential US$28 a month billed annually (US$336 due upfront); Business US$400 a month billed annually. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- WordPress.com, Pricing: Personal US$4 a month billed annually or US$9 monthly; Business US$25 a month billed annually or US$40 monthly; "Plugin installation is available on every paid WordPress.com plan"; not on the free plan. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Squarespace, Pricing: Basic US$19 a month billed annually or US$25 monthly; Core US$29 a month billed annually or US$39 monthly; hosting and SSL included on every plan. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Cloudflare Docs, Pages limits: Free plan: 500 builds a month; up to 20,000 files per site; 100 custom domains per project. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Cloudflare Docs, Pages Functions pricing: "requests to static assets are free and unlimited", on free and paid plans. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Netlify, Pricing: Free plan US$0 "forever", custom domains with SSL included; Personal plan US$9 a month. Link (read 30/10/2026)
Certificates
- Let's Encrypt, About Let's Encrypt: "Anyone who owns a domain name can use Let's Encrypt to obtain a trusted certificate at zero cost". Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Cloudflare, Free plan: "The Free Plan provides free SSL, CDN, DDoS protection and more". Link (read 30/10/2026)
Plugin, backup, security and email licences (the vendors' own price pages)
- Advanced Custom Fields (WP Engine), ACF PRO: Personal US$49 a year for 1 website; licences are "renewed automatically each year to give you continued access to premium features and plugin updates". Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Gravity Forms, Pricing: Basic US$59 a year for 1 site; Elite US$259 a year, unlimited sites. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Yoast, Yoast SEO Premium: US$118.80 a year for one site, excluding VAT. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- WP Rocket, Pricing: discount on the first purchase only; then the licence "will renew annually at the regular renewal price", which the page does not list. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Team Updraft, UpdraftPlus Premium pricing: Personal US$70 a year for up to 2 sites; after the 12-month term you keep Premium but lose support, new features and fixes. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Jetpack (Automattic), Pricing: Jetpack Security US$9.95 a month for the first year, billed yearly; regular price US$19.95 a month. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Sucuri, Website Security Platform plans: Basic US$229 a year with a 30-hour malware cleanup response; Business US$549 a year with a 6-hour response. Link (read 30/10/2026)
- Google Workspace, Pricing: Business Starter US$7 per user a month, excluding tax. Link (read 30/10/2026)
Data: vulnerabilities, infections, usage and rates
- Patchstack (sells WordPress security), State of WordPress Security in 2025: 7,966 new vulnerabilities in the WordPress ecosystem in 2024, up 34% on 2023; 96% in plugins and 4% in themes; seven in WordPress core; 33% not fixed in time for public disclosure; 1,614 plugins and themes removed from WordPress.org for unpatched security issues; "it's common for vulnerabilities to become exploited in a matter of hours after public disclosure". Link (covers 2024, read 30/10/2026)
- Sucuri (sells cleanup and security), 2023 Hacked Website and Malware Threat Report: 39,594 websites cleaned by its incident response team; WordPress was 95.5% of detected infections; 39.1% of CMS applications were outdated at the time of infection. Link (covers 2023, read 30/10/2026)
- W3Techs, Usage statistics of content management systems: WordPress is used by 39.5% of all websites; 32.1% use none of the content management systems it monitors. Link (data dated 30/10/2026)
- HTTP Archive, Web Almanac 2024, CMS chapter: 51% of sites in the dataset run on a CMS; WordPress on about 36% of sites; WordPress mobile Core Web Vitals pass rate 40% in 2024, against 51% for all origins. Link (June 2024 dataset, read 30/10/2026)
- Clutch, Web design company pricing guide: web design companies charge around US$100 to US$149 an hour; based on first-party client reviews; Clutch lists over 79,260 agencies. Link (updated 21/09/2026, read 30/10/2026)
Primary authorities
- Google Search Central, How to prevent malware infection on your site: "Stay up-to-date with the latest software updates and patches"; "Make a list of all the software and plug-ins used for your website, and keep track of the version numbers and updates". Link (updated 10/12/2025, read 30/10/2026)
- CISA (US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), Understanding patches and software updates: patches "address security vulnerabilities within a program or product"; "Install updates as soon as possible". Link (released 23/02/2023, read 30/10/2026)
Published maintenance prices (each firm sells maintenance or earns from referrals)
- cmsMinds, How much does website maintenance cost in 2026?: "normally costs somewhere between $50 and $500 per month" (US$50 to US$500); small site US$50 to US$150 a month; typical business site US$150 to US$400; complex sites more than US$400. Link (updated 06/08/2026, read 30/10/2026)
- SPINX Digital, How much does website maintenance cost?: basic maintenance US$100 to US$250 an hour or more. Link (published 05/12/2024, read 30/10/2026)
- Amply, How much does website maintenance cost? (2026 B2B guide): B2B websites US$500 to US$5,000 a month; technical upkeep alone US$50 to US$300 a month. Link (26/08/2026, read 30/10/2026)
- Expert Market (earns referral commissions), How much does website maintenance cost?: maintenance packages A$200 to A$900 a month; hourly A$139 plus GST; A$123.20 to A$154 an hour depending on hours booked; organisation-validated SSL A$36 to A$275 a year; extended validation A$90 to A$400. Link (updated 27/03/2023, read 30/10/2026)
Our own data
- HagoDigital, our read of Google’s first page (OpenSEO, United States, desktop) on 30/10/2026: “website maintenance cost” 480 searches a month, difficulty 5; “how much does it cost to maintain a website” 210 a month, difficulty 16. Both pages were led by firms that sell maintenance, with an AI Overview above them. (30/10/2026)
HagoDigital builds static websites and offers a care plan, so we have an interest in this question; that is why every figure here is sourced.
Our prices live on the pricing page, not here. If you’d rather hand the upkeep over, this is what we do.