If you’ve been Googling how much does it cost to build a WordPress website, you’ve probably seen everything from “start for free” to “$10,000+.” No wonder it feels confusing. WordPress itself is free, but turning it into a real, working website comes with a mix of one-time and ongoing costs that depend heavily on what you’re building and how hands-on you want to be.
In this guide, I’ll break down real-world price ranges, using numbers from current hosting providers, WordPress experts, and agencies, so you can budget without guessing.
What Factors Decide How Much It Costs to Build a WordPress Website?
The first thing to know: the WordPress software (WordPress.org) is free. You only start paying when you want a live site: domain, hosting, design, and extra features.
Here are the core pieces that drive cost:
- Domain name – Usually $10–$20 per year for a .com or similar extension. Many hosts give you the first year free with a plan, but you’ll pay to renew after that.
- Web hosting – Shared hosting typically runs $3–$30/month, while managed WordPress hosting often sits around $20–$60/month, depending on performance, traffic, and support level.
- Themes and design – You can use free themes, or pay $30–$100+ per year (or one-time) for a premium theme with better design, support, and customization options.
- Plugins and add-ons – Many plugins are free, but premium ones (SEO, forms, page builders, membership, booking, etc.) can bring total plugin costs anywhere from $0 to $200+ per year, and even up to $1,000+ for heavy setups.
- Professional help – Hiring a developer or agency is where costs really spread out. A custom WordPress site can start around $3,500 and scale to tens of thousands for complex projects, especially in business and enterprise contexts.
- Maintenance and support – Ongoing care (updates, security checks, backups, small fixes) often runs $30–$75/month for basic plans, and more for mission-critical or ecommerce sites.
All of these choices combine to answer the question, “What will my specific WordPress site cost?”
How Much Does a DIY WordPress Website Really Cost?
If you’re willing to set things up yourself, you can start a solid WordPress site pretty cheaply.
Most current pricing guides agree that a basic DIY WordPress website can start around $100–$200 for the first year, covering domain, shared hosting, and possibly a low-cost premium theme or builder.
For a simple blog, portfolio, or personal site, a realistic annual budget looks like this:
- Domain: $10–$20/year
- Shared hosting: ~$5–$15/month ($60–$180/year)
- Optional premium theme/plugins: $0–$150/year
That puts you in the $70–$350 per year range for a clean, professional site you built yourself, assuming you’re not buying lots of premium tools.
For a small business site you still build yourself (think service pages, blog, contact forms, maybe bookings), many WordPress experts estimate $300–$1,000 per year once you add higher-quality hosting, a premium theme, and a few essential paid plugins.
What Does a Small Business or Ecommerce WordPress Site Cost?
This is where the “it depends” really kicks in.
Template-based business website (with pro help)
If you hire a freelancer or small agency to configure a theme, build key pages, and handle technical setup using existing tools, budgets often fall in the $1,000–$5,000 range for the build itself, plus ongoing hosting and maintenance.
Custom or advanced WordPress website
For fully custom designs, advanced integrations (CRMs, membership, learning platforms, complex directories), or large content sites, agencies often quote $5,000–$30,000+ for design and development. Enterprise-level builds can go well beyond that when performance, security, and scale are critical.
Ecommerce / WooCommerce store
Even a relatively small online store adds costs:
- More powerful hosting (to handle traffic and transactions)
- Premium ecommerce themes or WooCommerce extensions
- Integrated payment, shipping, and tax tools
Many current pricing guides place basic WooCommerce builds in the $1,000–$10,000+ range depending on product count, complexity, and whether you use templates or custom development.
What Ongoing WordPress Costs Should You Plan For?
One big mistake is only budgeting for setup and forgetting ongoing costs. WordPress sites need regular care to stay fast and secure.
Typical yearly/ongoing expenses include:
- Hosting renewals – Your second-year hosting will renew at regular pricing (sometimes higher than promo rates).
- Domain renewals – Your domain will renew every year (or multi-year) at around $10–$20/year.
- Maintenance plans – If you don’t want to manage updates, backups, and security yourself, basic WordPress maintenance plans start around $30–$75/month.
- Premium plugin/theme renewals – Many premium tools use yearly subscriptions for updates and support.
When you add everything up, a typical small business site often costs $300–$1,500 per year to run after launch, depending on how many premium tools and services you use.
Quick WordPress Cost Cheat Sheet
Here’s a simplified view of what you’re likely to spend in 2025:
- Hobby blog / personal site (DIY): $70–$350/year
- Freelancer / portfolio site (DIY or minimal help): $150–$800/year
- Local business site (with some pro help): $1,000–$5,000 to build, $300–$1,500/year to run
- Full ecommerce or custom business site: $3,500–$30,000+ to build, higher yearly costs for hosting, maintenance, and tools
These aren’t hard rules, but they’re realistic ranges based on current market data.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is WordPress cheaper than website builders like Wix or Squarespace?
It can be. With WordPress, your base costs are domain + hosting + any paid tools you choose. That means a simple site can be very affordable, especially on shared hosting. Website builders usually bundle hosting, templates, and some features into one subscription, which can be easier but sometimes more expensive long-term for growing sites. Whether WordPress is cheaper depends on your needs, traffic, and how many premium tools you add.
2. How much does it cost to run a WordPress website each month?
For a basic site on shared hosting, you might pay $5–$25/month when you average out domain, hosting, and maybe one or two low-cost tools. Business and ecommerce sites often spend more—both on better hosting and on premium plugins or maintenance. A realistic range for most small business sites is $30–$150/month in ongoing costs once everything is up and running.
3. Do I have to hire a developer to build my WordPress site?
No. Many people build their own sites using page builders, tutorials, and premium themes. But if you value time over tinkering, hiring a freelancer or agency can be worth the investment, especially for brand-critical sites. Developers typically charge based on scope and complexity—small brochure sites may be a few thousand dollars, while fully custom builds can go far higher.
4. Why do some WordPress websites cost $100 and others $10,000+?
It comes down to complexity, customization, and support. A simple DIY site using a free theme and cheap hosting will be inexpensive. A high-traffic ecommerce store or custom web app with unique design, integrations, performance tuning, and ongoing support is a completely different project. You’re not just paying for software—you’re paying for expertise, reliability, and long-term stability.
So, How Much Does It Cost to Build a WordPress Website Overall?
If you’re still wondering how much does it cost to build a WordPress website, the honest answer is: it can be as low as around $100–$200 for a DIY starter site, and well into the tens of thousands for a custom, business-critical build. The good news is that WordPress scales with you. You can start lean with basic hosting and a good theme, then upgrade your hosting, tools, and professional help as your traffic, revenue, and goals grow.
If you decide what type of site you need (blog, portfolio, local business, ecommerce) and how hands-on you want to be, you can easily fit WordPress into almost any realistic budget.