How Much Should a WordPress Site Cost Me?

Despite the fact that setting up a self-hosted WordPress website or blog is one of the most inexpensive ways to create your very own site, it can be hard to know exactly how much a WordPress site should cost.

That’s because WordPress isn’t an “all-in-one” solution where you just sign up and everything is right there. This isn’t a bad thing though! It’s actually quite good because it puts you in control.

Instead of being stuck with whatever the default options are, you get to choose all of the various components that will go into making your live website. And in this post we’re going to break down the cost of those components so that you have an approximate idea of how much you’ll need to spend to get your WordPress site up and running.

Oh, and in case you’re in a hurry and don’t have time to read everything, we’ve also provided a handy table below that summarizes everything.

WordPress website pricing in detail

Going by the table above, you should already have a pretty good overview of how much WordPress costs. In the following sections we’ll be taking a closer look at each of the WordPress pricing factors from that table to give you an even deeper understanding. These include domain name registration, hosting fees, themes, plugins, and other add-ons.

1. How much does WordPress cost?

As you saw earlier, the WordPress software, available for download from WordPress.org, is completely free to use. So you don’t have to worry about WordPress pricing.

On its own, WordPress is powerful, but it is also incredibly customizable, allowing you to change almost anything about its appearance and the way it operates, through the use of themes and plugins. A large number of these are available for free, but many cost either a one-time or a subscription-based fee, which we will get to later.

However, when it comes down to it, the backbone of your WordPress website or blog is free. This is great news for small businesses, individuals, or bloggers hoping to make their mark on the web.

Cost: Always $0

2. How much does a  domain name  cost?

One of the very first costs you’ll incur when launching a new WordPress site is a domain name. A domain name is used as the address of your website. For example our domain name is themeisle.com, which consists of our website name (themeisle) and our domain extension (.com), which is also referred to as the TLD (short for top-level domain).

Technically, it is possible to skip this step (as well as the next one) by setting your website up as a free blog on WordPress.com, but virtually every professional website on the internet has its own domain name and self-hosted website. Simply put, you and your blog or business will be taken far more seriously, and be easier for visitors to find if you purchase a domain name.

Domain names are available for registration from a domain name registrar. While there are numberous options for where to purchase a domain name, the company I use and recommend is Namecheap.

Though .com is the most-recognized domain extension on the web, it is getting harder and harder to find available domains to register. However, there are now more than a thousand other interesting TLD options. In many instances a TLD other than .com can work even better. For example if you have a brick-and-mortar business that operates in a specific geographical location then you could opt for a TLD that represents it (e.g., .nyc, .miami, .tokyo).

Cost: Between $10 to $15 per year

3. How much does WordPress  hosting  cost?

If you are trying to keep your WordPress website costs minimal, hosting will most likely be the priciest part of your shopping list.

Although there are a ton of options for the type of hosting you can use, entry-level shared hosting is generally adequate for bloggers and businesses creating their first website. This type of hosting means that your website will live on a server shared by many other websites like your own. If you are expecting huge bursts of traffic or need advanced security features, you may instead opt for dedicated hosting, where your website is the only one on the server.

Hosting prices range widely from service to service. You can generally expect to pay between $6 and $15 a month to host a beginner-level WordPress website on a shared server. Almost all hosts will offer you cheaper pricing for the first year (starting from around $2 – $3 per month) if you pay for the whole year in advance. If you can afford to do this, I would recommend it since it results in a cheaper bill overall.

Cost: Between $6 – $15 per month (budget), or $30 – $100+ per month (premium) – initial contract prices for both are even lower

4. How much does a WordPress  theme  cost?

Your theme is ultimately what controls the look and feel of your site, so be sure to invest the time into finding something that’s just right.

These days, probably the most important decision you’ll need to make with regards to choosing a theme, is whether to go for a classic theme or a newer block theme.

Classic WordPress themes represent the legacy approach to theme design. They rely on the theme interface and the WordPress Customizer to adjust things like color schemes, typography, and other elements. In contrast to block themes, they don’t offer as much granular control (unless you know how to code). With that said, there are some really good, highly developed classic themes available. In other words, don’t discount them just because they are “old school.”

Block themes are the modern way to build your WordPress site. They work seamlessly with the WordPress Block Editor through a mechanism called full site editing (or FSE). With FSE, you can visually adjust every part of your site using simple building blocks. Plus there are lots of pre-made templates that you can simply insert into your pages or posts. This saves a lot of time from a design perspective because all you need to do is substitute your content for the placeholder content and you’re done. You can even create and save your own reusable blocks for elements that you frequently use (e.g., call to action banners).

Both classic themes and block themes come in free and premium versions.

Below are a few recommendations for themes to keep your WordPress pricing budget to a minimum:

• Give the default WordPress theme a try. It’s called Twenty Twenty-Four and you can find it in your wp-admin right out the gate.
• If you’re launching a blog, consider our Neve theme which you can use with one of our pre-built starter sites that’s tailor-made for blogs.
• For a modern block theme that will give you access to full site editing, try either Raft or the block version of Neve – Neve FSE.

Cost: Between $0 – $249+, either one-time or annual fee

5. What  other costs  might a WordPress site have?

Depending on the exact functionality you need, that can be a very difficult question to answer. There are 59,000+ plugins available to alter the way the core WordPress software works. Most are free, but to unlock additional features or to get ones that do something truly unique can cost anywhere from a few dollars to hundreds.

Although every WordPress site is going to have its own specific needs, there are a few commonalities that all sites have. These are things like security and speed. As such, a few plugins that I would recommend to install on your site – regardless of what kind of site you plan on launching – are:

• Optimole: Image optimization and lazy loading for faster page speeds
  Cost: $0 or premium from $19.08+ per month.
• WP Fastest Cache: A caching plugin to improve website performance
  Cost: $0 or premium from $49+ one-time fee.
• Wordfence: Security plugin to protect your site from hacks and malware
  Cost: $0 or premium from $119+ per year.
• Otter Blocks: Adds extra Gutenberg blocks and templates for site building
  Cost: $0 or premium from $49+ per year.
• Yoast SEO: Tool for optimizing your site’s SEO to improve search engine visibility
  Cost: $0 or premium for $99 per year.

If you plan on launching an ecommerce store where you’re going to sell things, then you’ll also want to get WooCommerce, which is free, but also comes with its own ecosystem of additional extensions (many of which are premium/paid options).

Cost: Between $0 – $400, some one-time fees and some annual

Final thoughts on WordPress pricing

Answering the question of how much should a WordPress site cost can be challenging. Every website has its own needs.

Sometimes low cost, entry level hosting will suffice. Other times high-end managed WordPress hosting is the best option. Sometimes free themes and plugins will fit the bill. Other times only the best premium themes or even a custom built design will do. You get the idea.

Here is a final recap of what you can expect to pay if you opt for a basic setup versus if you opt for more premium WordPress solutions:

👉 For a budget setup, the monthly range is about $7 to $15, translating annually to between approximately $82 and $180.

At the lower end of this spectrum, an annual budget of around $82 includes opting for a .com domain at $9.77 per year from Cloudflare Domains and consistent, low-cost shared hosting with DreamHost at about $72 annually (after the promo period), along with the use of only free themes and plugins.

👉 For a premium setup, the monthly cost range is $45 to $450, which annually amounts to between $540 and $5,400.

This higher cost range accommodates advanced hosting solutions like managed WordPress hosting from providers such as Kinsta or WP Engine, premium themes such as Divi or Neve PRO, and paid plugins that offer extensive functionality.

 Total Cost:  Between $82 – $5,400 annually

How much did your WordPress site cost to set up? Were there any other hidden costs along the way? Share your experiences in the comments below!