Website maintenance cost calculator: what should you budget?
Pick your platform, site size, traffic, and services to get an instant monthly maintenance cost estimate.
What platform is your website built on?
Your platform determines the base maintenance overhead.
How the maintenance estimate works
Your maintenance cost is built from three layers. First a base cost, set by your platform and site size. Then add-ons for the features your site includes. Then the maintenance services you need. Traffic scales all of it, because a busier site needs stronger hosting, closer monitoring, and more performance work.
Maintenance costs by platform
| Platform | Base Monthly Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | $50 – $150 | Self-hosted: you handle security, PHP updates, plugin compatibility, backups |
| Shopify | $30 – $100 | Managed: Shopify handles hosting, security, and updates. You manage content and apps. |
| Webflow | $30 – $80 | Managed hosting with built-in CMS. Less maintenance overhead. |
| Squarespace / Wix | $20 – $60 | Fully managed. Least maintenance needed. |
| Custom-built | $100 – $300 | No automatic updates. Everything is manual: dependencies, security, infrastructure. |
The hidden cost of not maintaining
A WordPress site left alone is hacked within 2–3 years on average. Clean-up costs $500–$5,000+ and often means a full rebuild. Old plugins break in silence. You may not notice until a customer reports a broken checkout or contact form.
Security is not the only cost. A site left alone slips in search as Core Web Vitals get worse. Links to third-party APIs break when those APIs change. And you fall behind privacy law as it shifts. Regular maintenance is insurance, not a cost.
Security updates
WordPress ships security patches all the time. Bots scan for sites that skip them. Once a security hole is public, automated attacks find those sites within days.
Plugin compatibility
WordPress plugins each update on their own clock. A big PHP or WordPress core update can break the ones left behind - taking down forms, checkout, or whole pages.
Performance degradation
Databases grow, caches expire, and image libraries pile up. Skip the regular optimization and page load times creep up. That hurts both rankings and sales.
Backup failures
Many businesses assume their host backs up their site. Most shared hosts only keep 7–30 days of backups - and some don't back up at all. Verify your backup strategy.
What's included in a maintenance plan
| Service | Monthly Add-on | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Security updates & patches | $30 – $100 | Critical |
| Regular backups | $10 – $50 | Critical |
| Uptime monitoring | $10 – $30 | High |
| Plugin / dependency updates | $20 – $80 | High |
| Bug fixes | $50 – $200 | High |
| Content updates | $50 – $300 | Medium |
| Performance optimization | $30 – $100 | Medium |
| Monthly reporting | $20 – $80 | Nice to have |
Frequently asked questions
- How much does website maintenance cost per month?
- Small business sites typically cost $50–$300/month for basic maintenance. E-commerce or high-traffic sites run $200–$1,000+/month. Full-service agency retainers range from $500–$5,000+/month depending on scope.
- What does website maintenance include?
- Core maintenance includes security updates, backups, uptime monitoring, SSL management, and plugin updates. Comprehensive plans also cover content updates, bug fixes, performance optimization, SEO monitoring, and monthly reporting.
- Can I maintain my website myself?
- For Squarespace or Wix, yes - the platform handles most maintenance automatically. For WordPress or custom-built sites, self-maintenance is risky without technical expertise. WordPress requires regular PHP updates, plugin compatibility checks, and security hardening.
- Why is WordPress maintenance more expensive than Squarespace?
- WordPress is self-hosted - you're responsible for server security, PHP updates, plugin compatibility, and backups. Squarespace and Wix are fully managed platforms that handle all infrastructure automatically. The tradeoff is flexibility: WordPress offers more customization but requires more ongoing work.
- What happens if I don't maintain my website?
- Security vulnerabilities accumulate, plugins break silently, performance degrades, and search rankings decline. Recovery from a hacked or broken site typically costs $500–$5,000+ - far more than regular maintenance. For e-commerce sites, downtime directly costs sales.
Why website maintenance matters
A website left alone carries real risks. Old plugins open security holes. Expired SSL certificates set off browser warnings. A CMS that misses patches gets hacked. The average cost to clean up after a website hack is $3,000–$25,000 - far more than the maintenance that would have stopped it.
What website maintenance includes
| Task | Frequency | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Software/plugin updates | Weekly | Security patches and bug fixes |
| Backups | Daily | Recovery from hacks, errors, or data loss |
| Security monitoring | Continuous | Early detection of breaches or malware |
| Performance monitoring | Monthly | Catch speed regressions before they impact SEO |
| Content updates | As needed | Keep information current and accurate |
| SSL certificate renewal | Annual | Prevent browser security warnings |
Maintenance cost by platform
WordPress: $100–$500/month (higher due to plugin ecosystem and security surface area)
Static sites (Astro, Next.js): $50–$200/month (lower attack surface, fewer moving parts)
E-commerce (Shopify): $30–$300/month (platform handles most maintenance, but apps add cost)
For a complete maintenance checklist, read our Website Maintenance Checklist. For cost planning, see Business Website Cost Guide.
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