WordPress Website Cost in 2026: Build Prices and Yearly Running Costs
Reviewed 14 October 2026 by the Cliffex team. Prices are in USD. Third-party prices can change; check taxes, renewal rates and the final checkout total.
Short answer: separate the one-time build cost from recurring running costs. Cliffex informational websites start at $1,400; custom features and larger builds cost more. If you build it yourself, WordPress.com’s Personal plan is $48 per year when billed annually, before taxes, with domain renewal and optional paid tools adding to later years. Self-hosted WordPress costs depend on the host and tools you choose. This guide explains both budgets so you can compare quotes on the same basis.
How much does a WordPress website cost in 2026?
The WordPress software itself is free. It is open source and licensed under GPLv2 or later. What you pay for is hosting, a domain, any premium themes or plugins, and the time of whoever designs and builds the site. The total depends mostly on who does that work.
| Approach | Upfront cost | Yearly running cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com plan, built by you | $0 (your own time) | $48 to $540 for the plan, billed annually | Blogs, portfolios and simple sites where you are happy to do the setup |
| Self-hosted WordPress.org, built by you | $0 to a few hundred dollars for a premium theme or plugins | Hosting, about $11 for a .com domain, plugin renewals | People comfortable with hosting, updates and backups |
| Business website built by Cliffex | From $1,400 for an informational site. Most fall between $1,400 and $4,500 | Hosting and domain, plus maintenance at $25 to $49 an hour when you need changes | Businesses that want a designed site with SEO setup and someone to call later |
| WordPress online store using WooCommerce | Quoted for the catalog, checkout and integrations | Hosting, payment fees and extension renewals | Selling products online |
| Web design projects reviewed on Clutch (all platforms) | Most projects under $10,000; average $38,105 | Varies | Market context, not a WordPress-only benchmark |
Clutch’s September 2026 guide reports these figures for web design projects reviewed on its platform. They span different locations, platforms and scopes, so they are context rather than a WordPress quote. Shopify is a separate hosted ecommerce platform; its project and subscription prices are not WordPress costs.
What you pay every year to run a WordPress site
Running costs are where many budgets go wrong, because they arrive every year rather than once. These are the main ones, with provider prices checked on 14 October 2026. Annual billing means paying for the year upfront; promotional rates, taxes and renewal terms can change the total. Email hosting, backup tools and paid support may add costs.
| Cost | Typical price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name (.com) | $11.08 advertised standard .com price; check registration and renewal terms at checkout | Porkbun, October 2026 |
| SSL certificate | $0 certificate options are available; check whether your host includes setup and renewal | Let’s Encrypt |
| Hosting (WordPress.com example) | Personal $4, Premium $8, Business $25, Commerce $45 a month billed annually ($9, $18, $40 and $70 billed monthly) | WordPress.com pricing, October 2026 |
| Premium plugins | Many core plugins are free. Premium versions are usually annual licences, for example $118.80 a year excluding VAT for Yoast SEO Premium | Yoast, October 2026 |
| Store software | WooCommerce core is free to download; paid extensions and payment processing fees are extra | WooCommerce |
| Maintenance | Your own time, or paid support. At Cliffex the first 30 days are included, then $25 to $49 an hour with an estimate first | Cliffex website support terms |
Whatever host you choose, check that it meets WordPress’s own server recommendations: PHP 8.3 or later, MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.11 or later, and HTTPS support. Check that the host maintains supported software versions, backups and security updates; a low introductory price alone does not tell you this. For a closer look at the trade-offs, see our post on cloud hosting vs shared hosting.
What a professionally built WordPress site costs at Cliffex
Our website prices start at $1,400 for an informational business site. Larger sites can reach $4,500, while sites with custom features, integrations or large catalogs go beyond $4,500 and are priced on scope. Typical delivery is 4 to 12 weeks, depending on the number of pages, custom features and how quickly content is ready. You get a written quote before work starts, and your quote is your price unless the scope changes.
For example, appointment booking can require calendar integration and reminder emails, while restaurant ordering adds checkout and staff order handling. Describe those requirements in the website cost calculator for a planning estimate, then confirm the scope in a written quote.
Our published website service includes design for desktop and mobile, the build on the agreed platform, on-page SEO and analytics setup, redirects when we replace an existing site, training so you can edit the site yourself, and 30 days of post-launch support. Hosting, domains and paid plugins are paid by you directly, so you own the accounts. Full details are on the website design and development page.
What moves a WordPress quote up or down
- Number of page templates. Ten pages that share two layouts cost less than six pages that each need their own design.
- Custom design or a customised theme. A good theme adjusted to your brand is the cheaper route. A fully custom design takes more design and build time.
- Features beyond content. Booking, memberships, online payments, multilingual content and search filters each add work, as the two examples above show.
- Integrations. Integration work depends on API access, permissions and data quality. A documented connector may need less work than an older internal system.
- Content migration. Moving hundreds of posts or products from an old site, with redirects and checks to reduce disruption to search traffic, is a project of its own. Our website redesign service covers this.
- Content readiness. Missing text and photos can delay launch. Having approved content ready helps the team keep to the schedule.
Is WordPress still worth it in 2026?
It can be a practical choice when you need editable content, flexible integrations and control over hosting. According to W3Techs (checked 14 October 2026), WordPress runs 40.1% of all websites and 58.6% of sites whose content management system is known. That reach matters in practice: themes, plugins, hosting options and developers are easy to find, and you can choose among suppliers, although custom themes and integrations can still make a move costly. This website runs on WordPress too.
The downside is upkeep. WordPress core, themes and plugins need regular updates, and an outdated plugin is a common way into a site. Someone has to own that job, whether it is you, your host or a support team. Our post on WordPress security explains what that involves. If you mainly sell products and want the platform to handle hosting and checkout for you, Shopify is often the simpler choice, and we build on both.
How to get an accurate quote for a WordPress site
- List the pages you need and mark which ones share a layout.
- Write down every feature beyond plain content: booking, payments, member areas, forms that feed other tools.
- Decide whether you need a custom design or whether a customised theme is enough.
- Note what has to move from your current site, and which URLs get search traffic today.
- Ask each company what is included (SEO setup, redirects, training, support) and what is not (hosting, plugins, content writing).
- Compare total prices for the same scope, not hourly rates.
Our post on how we approach web design shows what happens after you sign off on a quote.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to develop a WordPress website?
Cliffex informational websites start at $1,400. The final WordPress price depends on layouts, features, content and migration. WooCommerce stores need a scope-specific quote. A DIY site still needs hosting, a domain if you want one, any paid plugins and time for setup and maintenance.
Is a WordPress website really free?
The software is free and open source. You still pay for hosting and a domain, and often for premium themes or plugins. WordPress.com also has a free plan, but it does not include a custom domain.
Which is cheaper, Wix or WordPress?
It depends on how you count. A self-hosted WordPress site can run on a low-cost hosting plan, while hosted builders such as Wix bundle hosting into a monthly plan. Compare the plan you would actually need over three years, including any apps or plugins, and the cost of moving away later. Check whether your chosen theme, plugins and integrations can move with you.
Is WordPress outdated in 2026?
No. W3Techs reports that WordPress runs 40.1% of all websites as of October 2026, and its recommended server setup calls for current PHP and database versions. Evaluate the design, usability and maintenance of the specific site rather than its platform name alone.
What is the downside of WordPress?
Maintenance. Core, theme and plugin updates need to be applied regularly and checked, and too many plugins can slow a site down. Budget for someone to own updates and backups.
How should I compare the total cost of two quotes?
Add the initial build price to three years of hosting, domain renewals, paid plugins and expected maintenance. Compare the same features and support scope, and ask about migration or exit costs. Keep payment-processing fees separate when comparing online stores.
How much does WordPress maintenance cost?
You can do updates yourself for free if you have the time. At Cliffex, the first 30 days after launch are included, and later work is billed at $25 to $49 an hour, based on an estimate you approve first.
Want a number for your own site? Describe it in our website cost calculator to get a plan, price range and timeline in about two minutes, or tell us about your project for a written quote.