Are you toying with the idea of starting your own WordPress website? Great idea! But before you get started, you're probably wondering: How much will it actually cost me? Don't worry, in this article we'll take a look at the various expenses you might incur - from WordPress hosting costs to themes and plugins. This will give you an overview right from the start and help you plan better.
Is a WordPress website free of charge?
A WordPress website can be operated both free of charge and for a fee. To answer this question, you should first ask yourself how much customization you need - for example, in terms of design or functions. And how much control you want to have over the technical infrastructure of your site. Depending on your requirements, either the hosted solution from WordPress (WordPress.com) or the self-hosted version (WordPress.org) may be more suitable for you. First of all: With the hosted solution from WordPress.com - especially in the free plan - you have to reckon with considerable restrictions. For example, you can't have your own domain. This means that the URL of your website would be [wunschname].wordpress.com.
Digression: What is the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
The difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org lies in the hosting of the website and significantly influences how you can create, customize and manage your website. This has a corresponding effect on the costs you incur.
WordPress.com (hosted)
WordPress.com is ideal for beginners who are looking for a simple, low-administration solution and don't need any complex customizations. This is a ready-made WordPress website including hosting on the WordPress.com servers.
With the free plan , you can run your site on a subdomain such as "mypage.wordpress.com". However, there are significant restrictions such as third-party advertising on your site, limited customization options and a limited selection of themes and plugins. This option is therefore not suitable for companies, but rather for private individuals with small blogs or websites.
WordPress.com also offers paid plans, ranging from €4 per month for a personal plan to €45 for an e-commerce plan (as of August 2024). These plans include an ad-free custom domain (e.g. "mypage.com"), more storage space, advanced customization options and a larger selection of plugins and themes.


Advantages and disadvantages of WordPress.com
- Website management (updates, security, backups) is outsourced
- Advertising on your own website (in the free tariff)
- No control over the source code
- No control over the technical infrastructure (e.g. server management, security, backups)
- Limited customization options for free and low-cost plans (e.g. scaling/connection of a store)
WordPress.org (self-hosted)
If you want to run a professional website, blog or store, we recommend WordPress.org. Here you can download the "WordPress" software for free , but you are responsible for hosting and domain registration yourself, both of which are usually subject to a fee .
Advantages and disadvantages of WordPress.org
- Full control over the technical infrastructure (e.g. server management, security, backups)
- Full control over the source code and extensive customization options
- Great flexibility in the customization and installation of themes and plugins
- Personal responsibility for security, updates, backups and site maintenance
In the following, we will take a closer look at the costs for WordPress.org.
How much does Raidboxes hosting cost?
Get an overview on our prices page. Here you are sure to find the right solution for you, from mini to high-traffic tariffs. You can also use our domain check to find out directly whether your desired domain is still available and at what price.
The cost components: What does a WordPress website cost?
If you choose WordPress.org, you can download WordPress for free, but you host your website yourself or with a hosting provider and have to register a domain. You also have optional costs for premium themes, plugins and other services (e.g. security, maintenance, development, design, text, etc.).
Mandatory costs
What does Managed WordPress Hosting cost?
Managed WordPress hosting prices can vary greatly depending on the provider and scope of services.
Entry-level tariffs usually start at between €10 and €30 per month and are well suited to small blogs and websites. These tariffs offer basic functions such as automatic updates, daily backups, an SSL certificate, caching and simple support.
For medium-sized websites and stores, there are mid-range tariffs in the €30 to €70 per month range. These usually include additional resources such as more storage space and a higher bandwidth, enhanced security functions, better caching options and staging environments for testing.
Premium tariffs, which are well suited to large websites, stores or websites with high traffic, can cost between €70 and €1,000 per month. These offer maximum performance, advanced security features, CDN integration, advanced staging environments and optimized server environments.
The industry overview - this is how much managed WordPress hosting costs
In our blog article "WordPress hosting comparison 2024: What do our 250+ website speed tests show?" we compare the categories of price, performance, time savings, security and support for choosing the right host. Read it now!
How expensive is a domain?
The costs for a WordPress domain are between 10 and 20 euros per year for common endings such as .com, .net or .de. However, specialized or new TLDs such as .blog, .online or .store can be more expensive. Particularly sought-after premium domains can cost considerably more. It may also be the case that your desired domain is already taken and you have to buy it from the current domain holder. In addition to the domain itself, there may be costs for registration or renewal.
Optional costs
What does a professional WordPress theme cost?
A theme determines the general design of your website and offers functions and elements with which you can customize the appearance according to your wishes. In the WordPress library, you will find a variety of free themes that you can install and try out with just one click. In addition to these free options, there are also paid themes that often cost between €20 and €200, depending on their complexity. For individually developed themes, you can expect to pay significantly more.
How much do WordPress plugins cost?
Many WordPress themes already include a number of basic functions as standard. However, plugins are often required for additional functions such as contact forms, SEO optimization or cookie banners. Plugins are available both free of charge and for a fee. In the case of paid offers, either one-off costs or ongoing subscription fees may apply.
What are the prices for external service providers (e.g. development, design, text, marketing)?
Depending on which additional services you would like to use, further costs may arise. For example, many website owners need support with topics such as WordPress setup including plugins and themes, GDPR, SEO and marketing or maintenance. My research shows that hourly rates for freelancers in the field of software development are often around €100-150. For areas such as design, copywriting and marketing, you can expect slightly lower costs.
Conclusion
To calculate WordPress costs per year, you first need to decide whether you want to use WordPress.com (hosted) or WordPress.org (self-hosted). WordPress.com is the preferred choice for beginners who are looking for a simple, low-administration solution and don't have any major customization requirements. For professional websites, blogs or stores, however, we recommend WordPress.org (self-hosted).
Here are the expected WordPress costs:
- WordPress Download: 0 €
- Hosting15-1,000 € per month
- 15-35 € per month for entry-level tariffs
- 60-200 € per month for mid-range tariffs
- 250-1,000 per month for high-class tariffs
- Theme: 0-100 € one-time
- Plugin(s): 0-200 € one-off or ongoing
- Domain: 1-2 € per month
- Costs for themes, plugins, other services, if applicable
For example, if you choose our cheapest hosting plan at €15 net per month and register a domain for €1 per month, your annual basic costs for WordPress will be €192.
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