What Does WordPress Maintenance Cost?
By CodexierPublished 5 min read
Maintenance plans for WordPress are hard to compare because they sell different things under the same name. One plan runs automatic updates and sends a monthly report. Another tests updates on a staging copy, restores the site if it is hacked and includes hours for changes. The price difference makes sense once you see what is and is not included. This guide breaks the cost down by site type and by task.
Brochure site vs webshop
The biggest cost driver is risk. A brochure site with a handful of plugins that goes down for a day loses a few enquiries. A WooCommerce shop that breaks after an update loses orders every hour and may corrupt order data. The shop needs updates tested before they go live, a restore that includes the database, and someone who responds the same day. That is why shop maintenance costs more for the same number of pages.
| Site type | What it needs | What drives cost |
|---|---|---|
| Simple brochure site | Monthly updates, backups, uptime monitoring | Number of plugins and how old the theme is |
| Lead-generating business site | Weekly updates, form checks, security scanning | Forms and integrations to CRM or email |
| Webshop on WooCommerce | Tested updates, database backups, fast response | Payment, shipping and ERP integrations |
| Membership or booking site | Tested updates, user data protection, monitoring of critical flows | Custom functionality and personal data |
Updates, backups and monitoring
These three are the core of every plan, but the quality varies. Updates can be automatic and blind, or tested on a staging copy first. Backups can be stored on the same server (useless if the server fails) or off-site, and restores can be tested or just assumed to work. Monitoring can be a ping every few minutes or a check that the checkout actually completes.
- Are updates tested before they reach the live site?
- Are backups stored off-site, and how many days back can you restore?
- When was a restore last tested?
- What is monitored: uptime only, or also forms and checkout?
- Who is alerted, and how fast do they act?
Hours for changes and fixes
Many owners assume maintenance includes small changes — a new staff photo, an updated price list, a new landing page. Some plans include a set number of hours per month; others bill every change separately. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you have. Also ask what happens when an update breaks something: is fixing it part of maintenance, or billed as extra work? The honest answer tells you a lot about the supplier.
What cheap plans exclude
Hack clean-up
Restoring and cleaning a hacked site is often billed separately, and it is exactly when you need help fastest.
Broken updates
Automatic updates without testing, and fixes billed by the hour when they break the site.
Premium plugin licences
Paid plugins need active licences to get updates. Some plans assume you pay them yourself.
PHP and server upgrades
Moving to a newer PHP version can break old plugins. Cheap plans often skip it until the host forces it.
Our guide to what a maintenance plan should include gives a full checklist to compare offers against, and updating plugins without breaking the site explains why tested updates matter.
Doing part of it yourself
If your site is simple, you can handle much of this yourself: turn on automatic minor updates, use your host's daily off-site backups, set up a free uptime monitor and log in monthly to update plugins. What you should not skip is two-factor login for every admin and a tested restore. When not to buy a plan from us: a small brochure site with few plugins and an owner who is comfortable with a monthly routine does not need a paid plan. Our guide to maintaining the site yourself or outsourcing helps you decide.
Next step
Count your plugins, note whether your site takes payments or bookings, and check when your last backup was actually restored. With that, you can compare plans on substance. For our plan, see the monthly maintenance package, or book a short call to go through your site.
Frequently asked questions
Is automatic updating enough?
For core security releases on a simple site, mostly yes. For plugins on a webshop or a site with custom functionality, untested automatic updates can break things silently.
Does my host's backup count?
It helps, but check that it is stored off-site, covers the database and that you know how to restore it. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption.
What happens if my site gets hacked?
Ask your supplier before it happens. A good plan includes clean-up and restore; a cheap one may bill it as extra work at the worst possible moment.
Can I cancel a maintenance plan?
Check the notice period and make sure you have admin access, hosting access and backups in your own name, so you can move to another supplier.
Not sure what your WordPress site needs?
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