After you have a good understanding of WordPress.com and WordPress.org, here is a quick rundown of 6 WordPress pricing elements you need to budget when using WordPress.org:
Approximately $12 per year (varies with your choice) | |
Starting at about $2.59 per month (ongoing expense) | |
$0 – $ 200+ (one-off charge) | |
$0 – $100+ (ongoing or one-off charge) | |
$50+ (based on requirements) | |
$0 to $1000 as a one-off cost |
Now, let’s delve deeper into WordPress’s additional costs, including domain name charges, hosting fees, themes, and plugins.
Before you focus on Google ranking or creating a WordPress theme, you have to choose your website’s name – your online identity , for example, “ mywordpresssite.com”.
To create a more outstanding online store, opting for a .com domain is recommended. Selecting a memorable domain name that helps users remember your business name.
Here is a comparison table to show the popular domain type along with price per year:
$11.99 | |
$14.99 | |
$2.99 | |
$8.99 – $49.99 | |
$6.99 |
Among various TLDs, “.com” stands out as a pricier but highly recommended choice . Here’s why:
Next, if you’ve selected your domain name, the subsequent phase of establishing your online store or website involves arranging hosting. Without hosting, a website remains nonexistent.
WordPress hosting simplifies site creation through effortless setup and includes pre-installed plugins for enhanced speed.
Hostinger’s managed WordPress hosting plans are priced at $2.95–$9.99/month. These plans offer valuable tools such as staging and auto-updates, streamlining maintenance. With object caching, your WordPress site gains a significant speed boost, up to three times faster.
When selecting a host, our top recommendation for WordPress websites is Bluehost . It ranked highest in our WordPress hosting research and comes endorsed by WordPress itself – a strong endorsement indeed!
WordPress | $2.95 – $5.45 |
WP Pro (Managed WordPress) | $19.95 – $49.95 |
WooCommerce | $3.95 – $10 |
If you are looking for budget-friendly robust hosting for your WordPress website, Bluehost’s WordPress hosting plan starts at an affordable $2.95/month – even cheaper than your morning coffee! As your traffic surges, you may want to consider the adaptable WP Pro (Managed WordPress hosting) option to handle traffic spikes. This plan begins at just $19.95/month.
If you plan to sell via WordPress, you should install the WooCommerce plugin. WooCommerce Plugin helps to streamline your experience, whereas Bluehost presents hosting plans tailored for WooCommerce, commencing at just $3.95/month.
Shared hosting is ideal for small businesses and personal websites as a budget-friendly choice. Hostinger’s shared hosting plans prices from $1.99 to $3.99/month.
Especially on the security front, built-in malware scanning and a web application firewall shield your site against potential attackers.
1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
1 | 100 | 100 | |
100 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | |
Yes | Yes | Yes | |
No | Yes | Yes | |
1X | 2X | 4X |
Cloud hosting employs a group of servers to distribute website traffic and reduce periods of inactivity. For example, if one server encounters issues, another takes over to keep your WordPress site operational.
Through virtualization, cloud hosting divides physical server resources into multiple virtual servers. This strategy helps users enhance overall performance and ensures your website remains functional even during surges in visitor traffic.
Given its advanced infrastructure, cloud hosting costs more than other hosting options, pricing at $9.99 monthly.
Every WordPress site requires a theme for its design. Premium themes offer intricate design and support compared to free ones. Alongside themes, plugins enhance website functionality, providing advanced features for optimized websites.
WordPress offers various themes that cater to businesses, ranging from free to paid ones. The prices are between $23 and $200 per year and even up to $1,000 for a lifetime license.
For a premium theme, you should purchase directly from the developer’s website, such as Astra or OceanWP. Alternatively, you can explore reliable platforms like ThemeForest, Themeisle, and Elegant Themes, which provide multiple options.
WordPress plugins represent an additional cost in the realm of WordPress pricing. While not obligatory, plugins offer a straightforward means of enhancing your current theme or website functionality.
WordPress plugin offerings fall into three categories:
By offering over 60,000 options within the WordPress plugin directory, costing from $2 to $1,000 per year. These plugins are also structured with diverse pricing models, encompassing one-time charges as well as monthly or annual subscriptions.
The overall expense of WordPress plugins for each website can significantly fluctuate based on the number of plugins integrated.
Here are some highlights of plugins we highly recommend:
Regular updates are necessary for the core WordPress software, plugins, and themes to help users avoid paying for security. It prevents vulnerabilities to hackers and viruses that outdated software can expose you to.
An SSL certificate, also known as a “ Secure Sockets Layer ” certificate, is a crucial element for ensuring website security. It’s the technology responsible for safeguarding internet connections and is indicated by the “ s ” in “ https ”.
However, if you use a CMS system , you’ll need to arrange for one yourself. These certificates usually cost around $50 per year for basic options, but they can reach up to $600 or more for advanced choices.
Moreover, certain hosting providers, such as Bluehost, offer free SSL certificates with some of their WordPress hosting plans.
While WordPress boasts reasonable built-in security, several plugins can provide an additional valuable layer of protection. Our favorite plugins include:
You might consider enlisting a developer to construct your WordPress website, driven by reasons such as:
Quantifying this expense is tricky, as it hinges on your specific requirements. For a basic setup, costs could range from $100 to $200. For more intricate projects, you might exceed $1,000.
Consider, for instance, a gym website needing user logins, membership payments, and class booking with scheduling – the accumulation of functions quickly overwhelms a DIY approach.
If you aim to transform your hobby into a lucrative side income through blogging, certain essential investments are in order.
Let’s delve into the fundamental expenses you should expect when setting up a WordPress blog.
In case you choose the most affordable domain | |
Hostinger’s Single web hosting plan presents a budget-friendly choice for beginners. | |
Free | |
Both security and search engine optimization plugins are vital components. | |
We opted for the premium edition of Astra, providing an array of pre-designed templates and advanced functionalities to elevate your blog. |
Starting a WordPress blog typically incurs an initial expense of approximately $173, covering upfront annual or monthly charges. Subsequently, the ongoing monthly cost averages around $12.
WordPress itself doesn’t have built-in tools for creating online stores, but WooCommerce can add eCommerce features and easily connects with different payment methods to your website.
We will assist you in figuring out your budget by breaking down the costs involved in building a basic eCommerce website as below:
$9.99/year (Choose .com for credibility) | |
$9.99 (Hostinger’s WordPress Cloud Startup plan for scalability) | |
$72.18/year (Consider OV or EV SSL for increased trust) | |
AIOSEO: $49.6/yearOptinMonster: $9/month | |
$59/license (Shopkeeper premium theme from our recommended eCommerce themes list) |
Starting a WordPress eCommerce website comes with an initial cost of approximately $673 per year, and there are recurring monthly expenses of about $41.
Creating a custom site empowers you with full authority over design and functionality, encompassing personalized themes and scripts. This degree of customization empowers you to address precise business and customer requirements.
However building a custom WordPress website demands a high level of technical expertise. If you lack this proficiency, it is best to hire WordPress developers or web designer at an expensive cost.
$9.99/year (Opt for a .com domain for better search engine visibility) | |
$14.99 (Choose hostinger’s Cloud Professional plan for improved performance) | |
Free (Included with the hosting plan for enhanced security) | |
Start at $2,000 (One-time fee for a unique plugin catering to specific functions) | |
Start at $1,500 (One-time fee for tailored themes designed for specific website purposes) |
Constructing a custom WordPress website involves an initial investment of approximately $3,500. Your arrangement with the web developer will determine subsequent ongoing costs. For instance, monthly maintenance might require around $500 to $1,000.
Building WordPress websites can come with various costs based on your specific needs. Here are some straightforward tips to avoid high pricing in creating your WordPress website.
Before deciding, you should take the necessary time to choose the ideal web hosting plan for your WordPress site.
Also, consider your preferred web server, desired web applications, and whether managed hosting is necessary. For instance, while you might eventually want a real-time chatbot, you could initially focus on essential features like email marketing to gather leads.
Free themes and plugins might not have all the bells and whistles, but they can still make your website look good and work well. Plus, if you know how to customize them, you can make them fit your needs perfectly.
So, the tip here is to be smart about your choices. Start with the basics – the free themes and plugins – and build your website’s foundation. As your website grows and you figure out exactly what extras you need, you can consider getting premium options.
When you’re setting up your online store on WordPress, it’s a good idea to begin with simple and trusted payment methods. Stripe and PayPal are well-known and widely used payment gateways that many customers are comfortable with. These are like safe and convenient cash registers for your website’s checkout.
Compare your options for hosting.
Before you make a decision, you need to research a few different hosting providers. Each provider specializes in a specific type of hosting. Some hosting providers are really good for small websites, while others are better for big ones with many visitors.
To make sure you’re making the right choice, you have to look into what each hosting provider offers, read what they say about their services, and see if they have good customer reviews.
When creating a sophisticated WordPress website, you can hire a developer or do it yourself with the help of step-by-step guides.
However, if your website is not too complicated, you might not need a developer. Plenty of tutorials are available that guide you through building different types of WordPress websites.
In general, WordPress.org is suitable for individuals aiming to create a website from scratch and retain full autonomy. This demands coding expertise and isn’t ideal for beginners.
In contrast, WordPress.com is more user-friendly, though advanced customization requires a higher-priced plan.
Free + hosting fee | Free to $45 per month (if billed annually) | |
Usually free for one year with hosting plan | Free for one year (if billed annually) | |
Yes | No | |
Yes | Only for Business and eCommerce plans | |
Varies by hosting company | 1GB to 200GB | |
Community forums and guides | Email support Chat support24/7 priority chat support Community forums and guides(depend on each plan) | |
Yes | Only for Business and Commerce plans |
How much does wordpress cost, do i have to pay for hosting for my wordpress website, should i use a free wordpress theme or a premium one, in conclusion.
When it comes to WordPress pricing in 2023, it’s essential to understand the various elements that contribute to the overall cost. By carefully assessing your needs and making informed choices, you can build a functional and attractive website without overpaying.