What does a website really cost?

The price of building it is only one part. With WordPress, plugin licences, hosting and maintenance come on top every year. We work through a typical example openly, over five years, with a source for every figure.

The example

A company website with online booking, cookie banner, SEO and backups. Calculated over five years, all prices net in euros.

The example	WordPress.combuilt yourself	WordPressfrom an agency	Steyer Studiocustom-built
Build	own timeyour own time	€3,000–8,000usual range according to agencies	€7,300fixed price: website with online booking
Hosting and operation	€1,350Business plan, $300 a year	€1,300managed hosting, e.g. Raidboxes Starter	€3,120€65 a month from year 2
Plugin licences	€690booking and cookie banner	€2,1906 plugins, see below	€0none, everything is programmed
Maintenance and updates	own timeyour own time	€3,000–9,000maintenance contract €50–150 a month	includedincluded in operation
Total over 5 years	€2,040 + own time	€9,480–20,480	€10,420

WordPress.com built yourself

Build: own timeyour own time
Hosting and operation: €1,350Business plan, $300 a year
Plugin licences: €690booking and cookie banner
Maintenance and updates: own timeyour own time
Total over 5 years: €2,040 + own time

WordPress from an agency

Build: €3,000–8,000usual range according to agencies
Hosting and operation: €1,300managed hosting, e.g. Raidboxes Starter
Plugin licences: €2,1906 plugins, see below
Maintenance and updates: €3,000–9,000maintenance contract €50–150 a month
Total over 5 years: €9,480–20,480

Steyer Studio custom-built

Build: €7,300fixed price: website with online booking
Hosting and operation: €3,120€65 a month from year 2
Plugin licences: €0none, everything is programmed
Maintenance and updates: includedincluded in operation
Total over 5 years: €10,420

What you get for it

What you get for it	WordPress.combuilt yourself	WordPressfrom an agency	Steyer Studiocustom-built
Design	Ready-made theme	Usually a theme or page builder	Custom for your business
Features	As far as a plugin exists	As far as a plugin exists, otherwise extra work	Programmed to your wishes
Updates and security	You do them yourself	Through the maintenance contract	Included in operation
Running costs	Licences can rise every year	Licences and maintenance every year	Only operation, fixed price
SEO and AI search	Via plugin, set up yourself	Via plugin, depends on the agency	Built in: SEO, GEO, llms.txt
Contact	Support forum	Your agency	Personal, in German or English

WordPress.com built yourself

Design: Ready-made theme
Features: As far as a plugin exists
Updates and security: You do them yourself
Running costs: Licences can rise every year
SEO and AI search: Via plugin, set up yourself
Contact: Support forum

WordPress from an agency

Design: Usually a theme or page builder
Features: As far as a plugin exists, otherwise extra work
Updates and security: Through the maintenance contract
Running costs: Licences and maintenance every year
SEO and AI search: Via plugin, depends on the agency
Contact: Your agency

Steyer Studio custom-built

Design: Custom for your business
Features: Programmed to your wishes
Updates and security: Included in operation
Running costs: Only operation, fixed price
SEO and AI search: Built in: SEO, GEO, llms.txt
Contact: Personal, in German or English

The plugin licences in detail

A typical set of premium plugins for a company website with booking. Prices for one website, annual licence.

Plugin	Purpose	Per year	In 5 years
Elementor Pro (Advanced Solo)	Page design	$84 ≈ €76	€380
Yoast SEO Premium	Search engines	$118.80 ≈ €107	€530
WP Rocket	Loading speed	$59.95 ≈ €54	€270
UpdraftPlus Premium	Backups	$70 ≈ €63	€320
Amelia Standard	Online booking	$99 ≈ €89	€450
Borlabs Cookie	Cookie banner (GDPR)	€49	€250
Total		€440	€2,190

What the calculation leaves out

Domain and mailboxes: roughly the same for all three, around €10 to €15 a year for a .de domain.
Fees of payment providers such as Stripe: the same for all three.
Your own working time when building it yourself and for updates.
Price increases: we use today's list prices. Licences and hosting tend to get more expensive.
Change requests after launch: these cost extra everywhere, with us at the hourly rate or in the service plan.

When WordPress is the better choice

If you want to build and maintain the website yourself and have the time, WordPress.com is by far the cheapest.
For a plain blog or a simple site without booking, WordPress is often entirely enough.
If you already have an agency that looks after WordPress well, there is no reason to switch just because of the technology.

When a fixed price pays off

When the website should earn money, for example with bookings or payments, and features must fit your exact process.
When you want predictable costs: the fixed price once, then only operation, with no licences that cost money again every year.
When you have no time for updates and do not want to call anyone because something stopped working after a plugin update.

Work out your project

The guided enquiry shows you your fixed price while you choose.

Calculate the price

Sources

Prices as of 6 October 2026. All prices net. US dollar prices converted at $1 = €0.9; the rate fluctuates. Ranges for building and maintenance are usual market prices according to agencies.