How much does a website cost per year (and per month)?
After it's built, a small-business website typically costs about $100 – $600 a year to run: a domain (around $10 – $25 a year for a .com), hosting (from free to a few hundred dollars a year), with SSL usually included free. Paid plugins, business email and a maintenance plan add to that. The build itself is a one-time cost: US$800 – 1,800 for a small-business site at this studio.
- Typical running cost
- $100 – $600/yr
- Domain (.com)
- ~$10 – $25/yr
- SSL certificate
- Usually free
4.9
patient rating displayed on the live site
What you pay for every year
- Domain name: around $10 – $25 a year for a .com; some extensions cost more
- Hosting: static or modern hosting can be free to $20 a month for a small site; managed WordPress hosting usually costs more
- SSL certificate (the padlock): free with most hosts through Let's Encrypt
- Business email: a per-user monthly fee (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365)
- Paid plugins, themes or apps: common on WordPress and Shopify, often yearly
- Maintenance: updates, backups, monitoring and small changes, either per request or as a monthly plan
Why some websites cost much more per month
Website builders and e-commerce platforms charge a monthly subscription that covers hosting and software, plus transaction or app fees. WordPress sites often need paid plugins and a security/maintenance plan. A custom site on modern hosting can be the cheapest to run, because there's no platform subscription and fewer moving parts to update.
How to keep running costs low
- Register the domain and hosting in your own name, with auto-renew on
- Avoid plugins you don't need; each one is cost and risk
- Pay yearly where you can; monthly billing usually costs more
- Ask what changes you can make yourself without paying a developer
- Check the SSL and domain renewal dates once a year
Yearly running costs for a small-business website
| Item | Typical cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain (.com) | ~$10 – $25/yr | Renew in your own name |
| Hosting | $0 – $300+/yr | Depends on platform and traffic |
| SSL certificate | Usually $0 | Included by most hosts |
| Business email | Per user, per month | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
| Maintenance | Per request or monthly plan | Updates, backups, small changes |
Typical ranges for a small site; your exact costs depend on the platform. Studio builds are a one-time fixed price, with hosting and domain billed at cost to accounts you own.
Questions about yearly website costs
For a small custom site, often under $50 a month all-in for hosting and domain; platform subscriptions and maintenance plans raise that. The one-time build cost is separate.
Usually not. Most hosts include a free certificate that renews automatically. A "Not secure" warning normally means it's missing or misconfigured, not that you need to buy one.
WordPress itself is free, but hosting, premium plugins, themes and security updates add up. It's cheap to start and can be costly to keep safe.
If your site takes payments, bookings or has many plugins, yes. A simple custom site may only need occasional updates.