How Much Does It Really Cost to Build a WordPress Website?

A WordPress website can be a great way to showcase your online presence, sell your products or services, or create a community around your passion. But how much does it cost to build one? The answer depends on your goals, budget, and preferences. In this guide, we will help you estimate the real cost of building a WordPress website and show you how to save money along the way. Here are the main topics we will cover:

• What Do You Need to Build a WordPress Website?
• How to Estimate the Real Cost of Building a WordPress Website
• How to Build a WordPress Website on a Low Budget
• How to Build a WordPress Website with More Features
• How to Build a Small Business Website with WordPress
• How to Build a WordPress Ecommerce Website
• How to Build a Custom WordPress Website
• How to Avoid Overpaying and Cut Down Spending

What Do You Need to Build a WordPress Website?

WordPress is an open source software that you can download and use for free on any kind of website. It gives you the freedom and flexibility to create any type of website you want. But if WordPress is free, then where does the cost come from? The cost of a WordPress website can be divided into the following categories:

• WordPress hosting
• Domain name
• Design
• Plugins and extensions (apps)

To create a self-hosted WordPress website, you need web hosting to store your files and serve them to your visitors. Every website on the internet needs hosting. This is your website’s home on the internet. There are different hosting plans available for different kinds of websites. You need to choose one that suits your needs and fits your budget.

Next, you need a domain name. This is your website’s address on the internet, and this is what your users will type in their browsers to reach your website (for example, wpbeginner.com or google.com).

With WordPress, you have access to thousands of free website templates that you can use. However, if you want something more advanced or custom, then you can buy a premium template or have one custom made which will increase the cost.

There are also over 60,000 free plugins for WordPress. These are apps and extensions that add more features and functionality to your website. Think of things like contact forms, galleries, etc. But again, if you want something more specific or complex, then you may need to pay for premium plugins or custom development.

So while you can build a website with just the hosting and domain cost, depending on your situation, you may end up paying for additional tools and services. That’s why it can be confusing for people to find out the real cost of a WordPress website.

Let us walk you through the real cost of building a WordPress website.

How to Estimate the Real Cost of Building a WordPress Website

The cost of building a WordPress website can vary from $100 to $500 to $3000, to even as high as $30,000 or more. It all depends on what kind of website you want to build and what features you need.

To help you estimate the cost of your WordPress website, we will break it down into four main expenses:

• Hosting + Setup Costs for a WordPress Website
• Payment Processing Costs for a WordPress Website (if applicable)
• Design Costs for a WordPress Website
• Essential Addons and Extensions Costs for a WordPress Website
• Premium Tools and Addons Costs for a Growth WordPress Website (optional)

We will also give you some tips on how to keep the costs down and avoid overspending.

How to Build a WordPress Website on a Low Budget

You can build a fully functional WordPress website for yourself and keep your costs under $100. Here is how:

First, you need a domain name and web hosting. A domain name typically costs $14.99 / year, and web hosting normally costs $7.99 / month.

However, WPBeginner users can get a free domain name and 60% off web hosting from Bluehost which means you can start a website for as low as $2.75 / month.

Bluehost is one of the largest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

Once you have signed up for web hosting, you can install WordPress with just one click from your hosting dashboard.

Next, you need to choose a design for your website. You can browse through thousands of free themes in the WordPress theme directory or buy a premium theme from sites like ThemeForest or Elegant Themes.

You can also customize your theme using the built-in WordPress customizer or use drag-and-drop page builders like Elementor or Beaver Builder.

Finally, you need to add some plugins and extensions to your website. Plugins are like apps that add more features and functionality to your website. You can find over 60,000 free plugins in the WordPress plugin directory or buy premium plugins from sites like CodeCanyon or WPForms.

Some of the essential plugins that we recommend for every WordPress website are:

• WPForms Lite – for creating contact forms, surveys, polls, etc.
• MonsterInsights Lite – for connecting your website to Google Analytics and tracking your traffic and conversions.
• Yoast SEO – for optimizing your website for search engines and improving your rankings.
• UpdraftPlus – for backing up your website and restoring it in case of any issues.
• WP Rocket – for improving your website speed and performance.

These plugins are either free or have a free version that you can use. However, if you want more advanced features or support, then you may need to upgrade to their premium versions.

That’s it! You have successfully built a WordPress website on a low budget. Your total cost should be around $100 / year.

However, if you want to add more features or grow your website, then you may need to spend more money. Let’s see how.

How to Build a WordPress Website with More Features

If you want to build a WordPress website with more features or functionality, then you may need to invest in some premium tools and services. These can include:

• A premium theme that offers more design options, customization, and support.
• A premium plugin that adds more functionality, features, or integrations to your website.
• A premium hosting plan that offers more resources, security, or performance for your website.
• A premium domain name that is more memorable, brandable, or niche-specific.

The cost of these tools and services can vary depending on your needs and preferences. For example:

• A premium theme can cost anywhere from $30 to $200 or more.
• A premium plugin can cost anywhere from $20 to $200 or more.
• A premium hosting plan can cost anywhere from $10 to $100 or more per month.
• A premium domain name can cost anywhere from $10 to $1000 or more per year.

As you can see, the cost of building a WordPress website with more features can range from $200 to $2000 or more per year.

However, you don’t have to buy all these tools and services at once. You can start with the basics and upgrade as your website grows and needs more features.

How to Build a Small Business Website with WordPress

If you want to build a small business website with WordPress, then you may need some additional tools and services that are specific to your business goals and needs. These can include:

• A business email address that matches your domain name and looks professional.
• A logo design that represents your brand identity and makes you stand out.
• A lead generation tool that helps you capture leads and grow your email list.
• A marketing tool that helps you promote your products or services and increase your sales.

The cost of these tools and services can also vary depending on your needs and preferences. For example:

• A business email address can cost anywhere from $5 to $20 or more per month per user.
• A logo design can cost anywhere from $5 to $500 or more depending on the quality and complexity.
• A lead generation tool can cost anywhere from $0 to $300 or more per month depending on the features and integrations.
• A marketing tool can cost anywhere from $0 to $500 or more per month depending on the features and integrations.

As you can see, the cost of building a small business website with WordPress can range from $300 to $3000 or more per year.

However, you don’t have to buy all these tools and services at once. You can start with the essentials and upgrade as your business grows and needs more tools.

How to Build a WordPress Ecommerce Website

If you want to build a WordPress ecommerce website, then you may need some additional tools and services that are specific to selling online. These can include:

• An ecommerce platform that allows you to create an online store and sell your products or services.
• A payment gateway that allows you to accept payments from your customers securely and easily.
• An inventory management tool that helps you track your stock levels and orders.
• A shipping management tool that helps you calculate shipping costs and print labels.

The cost of these tools and services can also vary depending on your needs and preferences. For example:

• An ecommerce platform can cost anywhere from $0 to $300 or more per month depending on the features and integrations.
• A payment gateway can charge anywhere from 2.9% + 30¢ to 5% or more per transaction depending on the provider and plan.
• An inventory management tool can cost anywhere from $0 to $200 or more per month depending on the features and integrations.
• A shipping management tool can cost anywhere from $0 to $100 or more per month depending on the features and integrations.

As you can see, the cost of building a WordPress ecommerce website can range from $500 to $5000 or more per year.

However, you don’t have to buy all these tools and services at once. You can start with the essentials and upgrade as your online store grows and needs more tools.

How to Build a Custom WordPress Website

If you want to build a custom WordPress website that is unique and tailored to your specific needs and preferences, then you may need some additional tools and services that are not available in the market. These can include:

• A custom theme development that creates a custom design and layout for your website.
• A custom plugin development that adds custom functionality and features to your website.
• A custom hosting solution that provides custom resources, security, or performance for your website.

The cost of these tools and services can vary depending on the complexity and scope of your project. For example:

• A custom theme development can cost anywhere from $500 to $5000 or more depending on the quality and complexity.
• A custom plugin development can cost anywhere from $500 to $5000 or more depending on the quality and complexity.
• A custom hosting solution can cost anywhere from $100 to $1000 or more per month depending on the resources and performance.

As you can see, the cost of building a custom WordPress website can range from $2000 to $20000 or more per year.

However, you don’t have to buy all these tools and services at once. You can start with a basic WordPress website and hire a professional developer or agency to create a custom WordPress website for you.

How to Avoid Overpaying and Cut Down Spending

As you can see, the cost of building a WordPress website can vary a lot depending on your needs, goals, and preferences. However, there are some ways to avoid overpaying and cut down spending when building a WordPress website. Here are some tips:

• Start with a clear plan and budget for your website. Define your goals, audience, features, and design before you start building your website. This will help you avoid unnecessary expenses and focus on what matters most.
• Choose a reliable and affordable web hosting provider. Web hosting is one of the most important factors that affect your website’s performance, security, and scalability. Choose a web hosting provider that offers good value for money and meets your website’s needs.
• Use free or low-cost themes and plugins. There are thousands of free or low-cost themes and plugins available for WordPress that can help you create a beautiful and functional website. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on premium themes and plugins unless you need something very specific or complex.
• Use online tools and resources. There are many online tools and resources that can help you create a WordPress website without spending a lot of money. For example, you can use WPBeginner’s free WordPress tutorials, guides, videos, coupons, deals, etc. to learn how to build a WordPress website from scratch.
• Hire a professional developer or agency only when necessary. If you need something very custom or complex for your website, then you may need to hire a professional developer or agency to create it for you. However, make sure you do your research and compare different options before you hire someone. Also, make sure you have a clear contract and agreement that outlines the scope, timeline, deliverables, and payment terms of the project.

By following these tips, you can avoid overpaying and cut down spending when building a WordPress website.

Conclusion

We hope this guide helped you estimate the real cost of building a WordPress website. As you can see, there is no definitive answer to how much does it cost to build a WordPress website. It all depends on your needs, goals, preferences, and budget.

However, we hope this guide gave you some insights into the different factors that affect the cost of a WordPress website and how to save money along the way.

If you have any questions or feedback about this guide, please let us know in the comments below.