WordPress powers about 40 percent of the internet. It is also responsible for a significant portion of slow, bloated, hacked, and abandoned websites. That is not a coincidence.
If you are trying to decide between a platform like WordPress or Wix and a custom-built site, the monthly price is not the right number to compare. Here is what the full picture actually looks like.
The WordPress cost stack
WordPress itself is free. Everything that makes it functional is not.
| Cost item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | $10 – $100/mo | Cheap shared hosting is slow and unreliable. Managed WordPress (Kinsta, WP Engine) is better but expensive. |
| Premium theme | $50 – $200 one-time | Free themes are limited. Most businesses end up paying for one. |
| Plugins | $100 – $500+/yr | SEO, forms, page builder, security, backups, performance. Most have paid tiers you will eventually need. |
| Developer maintenance | $50 – $200/mo | Core, theme, and plugin updates need regular attention. Skipping them is how sites get compromised. |
| Security and backups | $50 – $150/yr | Often bundled in maintenance plans or added as separate plugins. |
| Estimated annual total | $1,500 – $4,000+ | Before any developer time for changes or fixes. |
What about Wix and Squarespace?
All-in-one platforms bundle hosting and software into a single subscription. That simplicity is real. So are the walls.
| Platform | Entry price | What changes as you grow |
|---|---|---|
| Wix | $17/mo | Storage limits, transaction fees, removing Wix branding requires higher tier |
| Squarespace | $23/mo | E-commerce requires $36–65/mo, transaction fees on lower tiers |
| Webflow | $23/mo | CMS item limits, staging, and team features locked behind higher plans |
| Shopify | $39/mo | Transaction fees (0.5–2%) unless using Shopify Payments, app costs compound quickly |
The entry price gets you through the door. The platform makes money when your business grows and you need the next tier to keep up.
What a custom build actually costs to run
A custom-built static site deployed on Netlify or Vercel has a very different cost profile once it is live.
| Cost item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting (Netlify / Vercel) | $0 – $19/mo | Free tier covers most small business sites. SSL, CDN, and custom domain included. |
| Domain | $10 – $20/yr | Same as any other site. |
| Email (Google Workspace) | $6 – $18/user/mo | Separate from the site. Same cost regardless of platform. |
| Plugins or platform fees | $0 | No plugin stack. No platform transaction fees. No tier upgrades. |
| Maintenance | As needed | No mandatory update cycle. Changes are billable work, not a recurring subscription. |
| Estimated annual total | $150 – $400 | For a standard small business site with no e-commerce. |
The real comparison
| WordPress | DIY platform | Custom build | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly hosting cost | $20 – $100 | $23 – $65 | $0 – $19 |
| Platform transaction fees | Sometimes | Often | None |
| Forced tier upgrades | Yes (plugins) | Yes | No |
| Ongoing update maintenance | Required | Handled by platform | Minimal |
| You own the codebase | Partially | No | Yes |
| Performance out of the box | Slow without work | Varies | Fast by default |
| Designed for your business | Template-based | Template-based | Purpose-built |
What this means in practice
A WordPress site that costs $200 a month to host and maintain, plus $500 a year in plugin licenses, costs roughly $2,900 per year to keep running. Over three years that is nearly $9,000, not counting any developer time for updates or fixes.
A custom-built static site on Netlify might cost $150 to $400 per year in ongoing costs. The higher upfront build cost pays for itself quickly when you run the math across a three-year horizon.
More importantly, you are not locked in. You own what was built. You are not subject to a platform raising prices, deprecating features, or forcing you to upgrade to keep basic functionality.
When WordPress or a platform still makes sense
Not every business needs a custom build. If you have a very limited budget, need to launch quickly, or plan to manage the site entirely yourself without a developer, a platform can be the right call.
The mistake is assuming the cheaper upfront option is the cheaper long-term option. It is often not.
If you want to understand what the right approach looks like for your specific situation, that is exactly the kind of conversation I have before quoting anything.