WordPress website cost in the UK
WordPress the software is free. Running it is not. There are two versions with very different costs, WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress, and the bills come from hosting, plugins and keeping it all updated. Here they are, added up.
Self-hosted WordPress costs nothing to download, then roughly:
- Hosting: from about £7 a month at Krystal, or SiteGround's £1.99 a month introductory rate rising to £13.99.
- Plugins and themes: £50 to £300 a year, and maintenance £300 to £1,200 a year (Whito).
- A build by a freelancer: £500 to £3,000 in published UK ranges.
WordPress.com instead charges from US$4 a month (Personal, annual billing), priced in dollars and excluding taxes.
Prices checked 18 October 2026. Sources at the end of the page.
WordPress.com vs WordPress.org
WordPress.com
A hosted service, like a builder. You pay a plan and they run it. Plans are priced in US dollars, excluding taxes.
Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org)
The free software, installed on hosting you pay for. Total freedom, and total responsibility for updates, security and backups.
WordPress.com plans
| Plan | Paid monthly | Paid annually (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | US$9 | US$4 |
| Premium | US$18 | US$8 |
| Business | US$40 | US$25 |
| Commerce | US$70 | US$45 |
Annual plans include a free domain for one year. Prices exclude taxes, so expect VAT on top.
What self-hosted WordPress costs to run
| Cost | Published price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | £7 a month at Krystal, or £1.99 a month then £13.99 at SiteGround (ex VAT) | Krystal, SiteGround |
| Domain renewal (.co.uk) | £7.40 to £12.99 a year | 123 Reg |
| Plugin and theme licences | £50 to £300 a year | Whito |
| Maintenance and updates | £300 to £1,200 a year | Whito |
| All running costs together | £500 to £2,000+ a year | Whito |
The hosting is the smallest part. The real cost of WordPress is keeping the core software, theme and plugins updated, because they update often and occasionally break each other. If nobody does it, the site gets slower and becomes a target. More in website maintenance.
WordPress design costs
Most UK freelancers and many agencies build on WordPress, so the general ranges apply: published prices for a five-page site run from about £500 to about £5,000, with freelancers at £500 to £3,000 and small agencies at £2,000 to £10,000 (Brilliant Digital). A WordPress shop on WooCommerce costs more, because of the products, payments and extensions. See ecommerce website costs.
When WordPress is worth it
- You publish a lot of content and want full control over it.
- You need features or integrations a builder cannot offer.
- You have someone, in house or paid, who will keep it updated.
- It is not the cheap option for a simple five-page site that nobody will maintain. A builder or a done-for-you package costs less to keep running.
Comparing platforms? Read Squarespace vs WordPress and Wix vs WordPress.
WordPress or a managed website
Our published packages are done for you on our own fast setup, with hosting, updates and edits in the monthly fee, so there are no plugins for you to update.
| Our tier | What it is | Setup | Monthly | First year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | A five-page site plus the Google groundwork, so local customers can find you. | £449 | £39 | £917 |
| Grow | 10+ pages and the local SEO foundations, for a business that wants to rank, not just exist. | £949 | £59 | £1,657 |
| Scale | 20+ pages for a business with a team or more than one site, so every service and location can be found. | £1,950 | £129 | £3,498 |
If you want a WordPress site you own and edit yourself, we build those too. They take more hours, so they are scoped and priced on a call.
Prices checked 18 October 2026. Sources: WordPress.org download; WordPress.com pricing; Krystal hosting; SiteGround UK web hosting; 123 Reg on domain prices; Whito website cost research; Brilliant Digital. Platforms change prices and run offers, so check before you buy. Some prices exclude VAT.
Questions people ask
Is WordPress free?
The WordPress software is free to download. You still pay for hosting and a domain, and usually for some plugins, a theme and maintenance. WordPress.com is a separate paid service, from US$4 a month on annual billing.
How much is WordPress hosting in the UK?
Shared hosting starts at about £7 a month at Krystal. SiteGround's StartUp plan is £1.99 a month for the first year, then £13.99 a month, ex VAT.
How much does a WordPress website cost per year?
Whito puts the running costs of a business WordPress site at £500 to £2,000 or more a year, once hosting, licences and maintenance are added together.
Do I need maintenance for a WordPress site?
Yes. WordPress, its theme and plugins need regular updates for security, and updates occasionally break things. Someone has to check.
Keep reading
Want a fixed price instead of a range?
Tell us what your business does and what the site needs to do. We'll come back with the tier that fits and the exact price, including when the answer is the cheapest one.
- Fixed price, published
- No long-term contract
- You own your domain
- Edits included