As the world’s most extensive open-source content management system (CMS), Wordpress hosts over 455 million websites worldwide. The platform itself is free, but that doesn’t mean that creating a WordPress site is free. In fact, there are several costs you will encounter when building your site. For instance, you will need to purchase a domain name, and you will have to pay to have your site hosted. These are the standard costs everyone who wants a WordPress website has to pay. However, there are also optional costs. These include things like premium themes, plugins, and extensions. Furthermore, depending on your design abilities, you may have to hire a professional designer.

The cost for the required and optional elements of a WordPress site varies. A significant determinant in what you’ll spend has to do with your website goals. For instance, a small blog site will cost less than a larger eCommerce site.

To help you figure out your budget, let’s examine the cost components that go into a WordPress site:

WordPress Hosting

For your website to be available on the internet, it needs to be hosted on a server. Several providers offer Hosting services with costs ranging from $3 to $25 per month, depending on the features you require.

Six primary variables will affect how much a web host package costs:

? Type of web hosting (shared, VPS, dedicated, cloud, etc.)
? Length of contract (monthly, annually)
? Datacenter locations (i.e., the best web hosting in Canada is from providers with data
centers in this country.)
? Storage and bandwidth limits
? Customer support
? Features (free domain, free SSL, email accounts, etc.)

The type of website you are designing and the performance goals you have in mind will determine the hosting package you need. For instance, if you’re planning an eCommerce website with a large amount of traffic, you will need a hosting package with a larger amount of storage and bandwidth.

Domain Name

Every website needs a domain name. As mentioned previously, some web hosting providers offer domain names with their hosting packages. However, if you don’t have this option, you’ll have to buy one from a domain name registrar. Domain names average around $12 per year.

Design

WordPress is very user-friendly, allowing most people to set up a basic website regardless of their technical expertise level. However, if you want something a bit more professional looking and don’t have the skills, you will need to hire a designer. Depending on the site functionality and your design needs, designers can cost anywhere from $300 to $10,000.

Themes

WordPress offers several templates, known as themes, that you can use to build your website. Users have a choice between free or premium themes. Free themes are entirely customizable, and there are thousands of options to choose from. Premium themes, however, tend to have a more professional look, with increased functionality, and require less customization, cutting down on your workload. Premium themes range in price from $10 to $90.

Plugins and Extensions

Plugins and extensions provide additional functionality and protection for your WordPress site. Many plugins and extensions are free to use, while premium plugins can cost between $5 and $100. Additionally, many plugins come in both free and premium versions. In most cases, you can get away with using the free version if you have a small, simple site. Complex sites, on the other hand, usually require the premium version.

Conclusion

The cost of a WordPress website depends mainly on your vision for the site. Larger, more complex sites will require better design, functionality, and performance. As a result, your costs will be higher. Smaller, more straightforward sites, by contrast, can get away with only spending a few dollars as there are a lot of free themes, plugins, and extensions available. Furthermore, they wouldn’t require a host with large storage or bandwidth capacity. Either way, all WordPress sites, no matter the size, need a domain name. This is one cost that is fixed; everything else depends on what you need your site to do and how you want it to look.