WordPress website price: budgeting guide
WordPress powers over 40% of all websites on the internet. It's flexible, scalable, and has an ecosystem of themes and plugins that can do almost anything. But what does it actually cost to have a WordPress site built — and what should you include in the budget?
Here I walk through all the costs, give you concrete budget examples, and tell you where you can save money — without cutting corners.
Why WordPress?
Before we talk pricing, a quick note on why WordPress is still the preferred choice:
- 43%+ market share — by far the most popular platform
- Full control — you own everything: code, content, data
- Unlimited flexibility — from simple blog to complex webshop
- Huge selection of themes and plugins
- Great SEO foundation — WordPress is built to be found
Cost breakdown
Here are the individual parts and what you can expect to pay:
Hosting
| Type | Price per year | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | 500-1,000 DKK | Small sites with low traffic |
| Managed WordPress | 1,200-3,000 DKK | Most business sites |
| VPS/dedicated | 3,000-8,000 DKK | Webshops and high-traffic sites |
My recommendation: pay for managed WordPress hosting. It typically includes automatic backups, SSL, security updates, and support. It's worth the money.
Domain
- .dk domain: 100-150 DKK/year
- .com domain: 100-200 DKK/year
Buy the domain separately from your hosting — it gives you full control and the ability to switch providers.
Theme
| Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Free theme | 0 DKK |
| Premium theme (one-time purchase) | 500-1,500 DKK |
| Premium theme (subscription) | 800-2,500 DKK/year |
| Custom-built theme | 10,000-30,000 DKK |
Free themes work fine for simple sites. But a premium theme gives you better design, more features, and typically faster support.
Plugins
Most WordPress sites use 10-20 plugins. Many are free, but the important ones cost:
| Plugin type | Price per year |
|---|---|
| SEO (SEOPress/Rank Math Pro) | 0-800 DKK |
| Security (PatchStack) | 0-1,500 DKK |
| Backup (WPvivid Pro) | 0-500 DKK |
| Forms (Bit Form) | 500-2,000 DKK |
| Page builder (Bricks, Breakdance) | 500-1,500 DKK |
| Webshop (WooCommerce + extensions) | 0-5,000 DKK |
Total plugin budget: typically 0-5,000 DKK/year depending on needs.
Development
This is the biggest variable. What does it cost to have a professional build your WordPress site?
- Simple site (5 pages, customized theme): 8,000-15,000 DKK
- Professional business site (10-15 pages, custom design, SEO): 15,000-30,000 DKK
- Advanced site/webshop (custom functionality, integrations): 30,000-60,000+ DKK
Three budget examples
1. Basic business site (~12,000 DKK in year 1)
- Managed hosting: 1,500 DKK/year
- Domain: 150 DKK/year
- Premium theme: 1,000 DKK
- Plugins (free + 1-2 premium): 1,000 DKK/year
- Development (customized theme, 5 pages): 8,000 DKK
- Total year 1: ~11,650 DKK
- Ongoing from year 2: ~2,650 DKK/year
2. Professional site with SEO (~28,000 DKK in year 1)
- Managed hosting: 2,000 DKK/year
- Domain: 150 DKK/year
- Custom design + development (10 pages): 22,000 DKK
- Premium plugins: 2,500 DKK/year
- SEO setup: 3,000 DKK
- Total year 1: ~29,650 DKK
- Ongoing from year 2: ~4,650 DKK/year
3. WooCommerce webshop (~50,000 DKK in year 1)
- Managed WooCommerce hosting: 3,000 DKK/year
- Domain: 150 DKK/year
- Custom design + shop development: 38,000 DKK
- WooCommerce plugins + payment gateway: 4,000 DKK/year
- SEO + speed optimization: 5,000 DKK
- Total year 1: ~50,150 DKK
- Ongoing from year 2: ~7,150 DKK/year
Hidden costs people forget
- Maintenance: WordPress, themes, and plugins need regular updates. Budget 300-1,000 DKK/month for professional maintenance — or spend the time yourself.
- SSL certificate: Included in most hosting plans today, but verify it.
- Email hosting: Not included in WordPress. Use Google Workspace (60 DKK/month) or Microsoft 365.
- Stock photos: Good images cost money. Budget 500-2,000 DKK for a basic image package.
- GDPR compliance: Cookie consent, privacy policy, data processing agreements. Often overlooked but necessary.
How to save money without cutting corners
- Start with what matters — Launch with 5-8 core pages and add more later.
- Choose a good premium theme instead of paying for custom design from scratch — it saves 10,000-20,000 DKK.
- Provide content yourself — Text and images ready before development starts reduces billable hours.
- Avoid unnecessary plugins — Each plugin is a potential security risk and slows the site down.
- Invest in maintenance — It's cheaper to maintain than to repair a hacked or broken site.
Need help planning the budget?
Contact me with your needs and requirements. I'll help you find the right solution for your budget — with no surprises.
