In 2003, WordPress was launched as a basic blogging platform, but it has since become a phenomenon all over the world. Today, it powers over 40% of websites on the internet, including some of the world’s most popular websites like The New York Times and BBC America.
If you’re a web designer who plans to use WordPress to build sites for multiple clients, it’s in your best interest to familiarize yourself with the various WordPress pricing plans.
Here, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about WordPress pricing and the key considerations you should keep in mind when making your choice. So, whether you’re making a simple blog or crafting an online store to rival Amazon, you’ll find this to be an indispensable tool.
Key Highlights
- Choose from various WordPress pricing plans with different features and benefits, from free to paid options.
- Self-hosted WordPress offers more control but requires technical expertise and additional costs like hosting and domain registration fees.
- Premium plugins, themes, and customization services enhance a WordPress site’s functionality and appearance but increase its price tag.
- Budget planning is crucial when selecting a WordPress pricing plan that meets your financial needs.
- Evaluate features and limitations of different pricing plans to select the best fit for your needs.
- WordPress pricing plans can be upgraded or downgraded as your needs change.
Free WordPress
Successful website development calls for meticulous preparation and execution but can rack up hefty bills in the process. However, with Free WordPress, you can get a taste of this popular CMS and blogging software without paying a dime.
This option allows you to explore the platform’s capabilities without the commitment of a paid plan, making it an excellent choice if you want to test the waters before committing to a plan. With free WordPress, you get a ton of extras like basic analytics, large storage, and access to thousands of plugins and themes. Let’s explore it in more detail.
Features of Free WordPress
With free WordPress comes several features that make it a beautiful option for developers. Here are some of the key features you’ll get:
- Beautiful themes and layouts – Access a wide range of beautiful themes and layouts that can help easily transform your website’s design
- Unlimited pages – Unlike some other CMS platforms, you don’t have to worry about the number of pages you can add to your site; you can create as many as you like
- Unlimited users – Invite other users to contribute to your site and assign different access permissions to them. With it, collaboration on content creation is easier
- Time machine for post edits – The built-in revision history allows you to easily roll back to an earlier edit of your posts or pages
- Built-in newsletters & RSS – Let your followers subscribe to your content as a newsletter or via RSS
- Brute-force protection – Built-in security features protect your account password from brute-force attacks, keeping your website secure
- Smart redirects – When you update your post or page’s URL, your visitors are automatically redirected to the updated URL
- Online forever – Enjoy hosting your site online for free, without any time limits or restrictions
Limitations of Free WordPress
It’s obvious that WordPress won’t give you all of the good stuff for free. While the free WordPress platform has several useful features, it has some limitations, like:
- Tiny storage capacity – With the free version, you get limited storage space, which can restrict the number of high-quality images, videos, or other multimedia you can upload
- Basic design options – Compared to the premium versions of WordPress, the free version has fewer customization options, which can limit your ability to create a unique website
- No unique domain name – With the free version, your website URL will include WordPress branding, which can give your website a less professional look
- Limited bandwidth Capacity – You also get limited bandwidth, which means that your website’s ability to handle high traffic may be restricted.
- Insufficient analytical tools – The free version does not provide in-depth analytics, which can be critical in understanding your website’s traffic, visitors’ behavior, and user experience
- Absence of e-commerce support – If you want to add an online store to your website, you’ll need to use a third-party platform or pay since the free version does not support e-commerce functionality
- Annoying ads – To sustain the free version, WordPress displays ads on your website, which can compromise the user experience and your website’s professional look
WordPress Plans
As your website grows, you may need more advanced features and functionalities to enhance your user experience. WordPress offers different pricing structures to accommodate a wide range of users, from individual bloggers to high-volume websites. Let’s take a closer look at what each plan offers:
1. Personal Plan
For only $4 a month, or $48 a year, you can get a ton more features than the free version. It comes with a free custom domain for the first year, ad-free hosting for your site visitors, 6 GB of space, lightning-fast DNS, and SSL encryption. Plus, you’ll have email support.
2. Premium Plan
The premium plan costs $8 per month or $96 per year and adds live chat support from WordPress professionals, access to premium design themes, and the ability to earn from premium networks through the WordAds program to everything included in the personal plan. You have complete control over the look of your site, can embed 4K videos using VideoPress, and can promote your newest content on social media platforms. At this price, you also get to increase your storage space to 13 GB and keep track of your site’s activity log.
3. Business Plan
You can get everything in the premium plan and more with the business plan for just $25 a month or $300 a year. High-frequency CPUs, a web application firewall (WAF), a global content delivery network (CDN) with 28+ locations, and unlimited bandwidth are just some of the features included in this plan.
You also get automated data center failover, isolated site infrastructure, managed malware protection, DDOS mitigation, and developer tools like SFTP-SSH, WP-CLI, and Git tools. Even more impressive is the fact that you can monitor your sites’ uptime and install WordPress updates automatically across multiple domains from a single dashboard.
4. eCommerce Plan
With the eCommerce plan, you’ll have all the tools necessary to run a high-traffic website. Physical product sales, shipping, store customization for a more personalized shopping experience, and simplified inventory management are all yours for just $45 a month or $540 a year. You can also accept payments in over 60 countries, view intuitive sales reports, and integrate with top shipping carriers. And if you’re not satisfied with what your site has to offer, you’ll still have access to the extensions marketplace to add even more functionality.
The nice part of this is that you can cancel your plan whenever you want, as long as it falls within the refund period for that subscription, and you’ll get your money back, no questions asked.
WordPress Pricing
When it comes to using WordPress, there’s more to its associated cost than meets the eye. Sure, you’ll have to pay for WordPress itself for several advanced options, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of self-hosting (if you want it) and additional expenses for themes, plugins, and other customizations. You should also anticipate the following costs:
Self-Hosting Costs
Hosting your WordPress website on your own server gives you more power and flexibility, but it also requires a bit more technical prowess. You need to consider the costs of hosting fees (usually between $5 and $20), domain registration fees, and possibly other expenses like SSL certificates. If your self-hosting is going to be on a VPS or dedicated server, however, it’ll cost you more.
It may sound like a daunting task, but with a bit of research and the right resources, you can easily manage your self-hosted WordPress website like a pro.
Additional Costs
Let’s talk about the icing on the cake! When using WordPress, extra costs might be incurred in addition to the usual costs of hosting and domain registration. You may need to splurge on premium themes and plugins or opt for customization services to boost the functionality and aesthetics of your website.
These costs can be well worth it to elevate your site. It’s that extra garnish to one’s meal that costs a little more but enhances the experience. But while these costs can help take your website to the next level, the expenses for each of these add-ons can add up quickly and blow your budget. So, weigh your options carefully and choose only the ones that will help your site achieve your goals while staying within your budget.
Important Factors to Consider for WordPress Pricing
When it comes to picking the right WordPress pricing plan, there are several things to consider. These factors can have a significant impact on the user experience and overall value of your website. Let’s take a closer look at some of these key considerations:
1. Budget Planning
Creating a spending plan is crucial before settling on a WordPress pricing plan. WordPress pricing plans vary in price and features, with some starting at as low as $4 per month for a basic plan, while others can cost over $20 per month for more advanced plans.
You don’t want to overspend and drain your wallet. But at the same time, you don’t want to compromise on the features you need to make your website a success. That’s why it’s crucial to evaluate your financial needs and set a budget before selecting a plan.
You should also consider using cost-saving strategies, such as opting for annual billing instead of monthly billing, which can result in significant savings in the long run.
By doing this, you can choose a plan that suits your needs without breaking the bank.
2. Features and Limitations
Different WordPress pricing plans come with various features and limitations. For instance, basic plans have limits on some features, like the number of basic customization options and the amount of storage space you can use. On the other hand, more advanced plans give you more features to play with, like advanced customization options, unlimited storage, and access to premium plugins and themes.
What you should aim for is to evaluate these factors carefully in order to choose a plan that includes features that are essential for the functionality and design of your site. To provide a smooth shopping experience for its customers, an online store, for instance, will likely require a high level of customization and the use of premium plugins and themes. While you shouldn’t pay for features that you don’t need, also affirm that you’re not compromising on essential elements that are crucial for your website’s success.
3. Avoiding Overspending
As we previously mentioned, it’s easy to overspend on WordPress pricing plans, especially if fancy features and services tempt you. If you’re operating a simple blog, you don’t need all the functionalities that an eCommerce store requires.
You should consider the long-term costs of maintaining your website. You may need to factor in the cost of domain name registration, hosting, and website maintenance. You can also save money by choosing an annual plan instead of a monthly plan, which usually comes with a discount.
Carefully evaluate what you need to make your website successful and choose a plan that offers those features. Also, keep an eye out for other promotions and discounts that can help you save even more.
4. Upgrading and Downgrading
Your website’s needs may change over time, which means you may need to upgrade or downgrade your WordPress pricing plan. Fortunately, most providers offer flexibility in this regard. You can upgrade to a higher plan to get more features and support for a growing website or downgrade your plan to save money for a website with decreased needs.
What you should do is consistently evaluate your website’s needs, the long-term costs you’re willing to incur, the functionality that you require, and the level of support that’ll keep your site going before making any changes.
Conclusion
Choosing the right WordPress pricing plan requires careful consideration of various factors, including budget, features, and upgrade options. By taking the time to evaluate your needs and comparing different plans, you can find a plan that works for you and provides the best value for your money. Remember, you don’t have to overspend to build a great WordPress site. With the right plan, you can get all the features and support you need without breaking the bank.
If you’re ready to get started, check out the different WordPress hosting options linked below and find the one that’s right for you.
Next Steps: What Now?
- Check out our recommended best WordPress Hosting Providers
- Learn more about the fastest WordPress hosting providers
- Browse WordPress Plans
- Read a comprehensive overview on WordPress
