How much does it cost to host a WordPress website?
Running a WordPress website may seem simple, but what does it really involve – and how much does it cost? Whether you’ve just launched a website for your business or a personal project, the ongoing costs can often come as a surprise. Hidden expenses and required services can quickly eat into your budget. Let’s take a closer look at what you should know to avoid unexpected costs.
Okay, you already know that you need hosting for your WordPress website to exist. But you also know that if you want to rank higher in search engines, this hosting needs to be fast, reliable with stable uptime, secure, and you need to make sure that your WordPress core, plugins, and theme are updated regularly. Then you read somewhere that to achieve the best SEO results, your website needs to be secured with an SSL certificate, which Google considers mandatory. And with hosting, we’re just getting started.
This article is intended to help you create a bigger and better picture of what you need to be aware of when it comes to maintaining a WordPress website and the total monthly costs associated with it. In this article, we will also take a closer look at what affects the costs of running a website, and what tools we use to give our customers the best experience.
Let's start with a list of things you need to be aware of that are mandatory if you want your website to be a tool/platform for increasing your business, sales, or number of visitors – regardless of your goals, the list for maintaining a WordPress website is the same:
1. Hosting
2. Updates and maintenance
3. Security
4. Performance optimization
5. SEO tools
6. Technical and user support
1. Hosting
One of the first costs is web hosting. We will only compare dedicated WordPress web hosting.
Why dedicated WordPress hosting?
Dedicated WordPress hosting offers many benefits, especially for those who want a simple solution without technical skills. These hosting services are optimized for WordPress, ensuring faster loading times, better security, and automatic updates that keep your website in top shape. With dedicated support teams who know WordPress well, you get quick help if something goes wrong. Backups are often included, so you don't have to worry about losing your content. In addition, you get user-friendly tools that allow you to manage your website easily, even without coding knowledge. At the same time, you have full control over accessing your files via a file manager and your database through phpMyAdmin, giving you flexibility and control over your website.
| TEAMV | WP Engine | GoDaddy | FlyWheel | SiteGround | Kinsta | Bluehost | HostGator | Cloudways | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data centers | 30 | 15 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 33 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| Dedicated Server Resources | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom SSL Certificates | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Ekstra kostnad | ✅ |
| Dedicated IP Address | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| WordPress Multisite Support | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Site Backups | Unlimited 30 days | Max 40 backups (60 with support ticket) | Daily for 90 days | Daily for 90 days | Daily, 30 recovery points | 14 days | ❌ | Weekly for 7 days | Hourly/daily, 4 weeks storage |
| Expert Migrations | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | No, this service costs $30 per page. | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Staging Sites | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.90% | 99.99% | 99.90% | 99.90% | 99.90% | 99.90% | 99.95% | 99.90% | 99.99% |
| SSH Access | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Email Accounts | ✅ | ❌ | Kun første året | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| File Manager | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Pris per Mnd | 9 € | 32 € | 16 € | 16 € | 19 € | 37 € | 16 € | 16 € | 11 € |
Prices shown are for monthly plans. Many hosting providers offer deeper discounts on annual plans.
We partner with leading hosting providers who ensure your website has high uptime, protection from security threats, and is optimized for performance and security. Our hosting packages includes the following toolkit for automated and efficient operation of your WordPress website:
– Daily backups
– Ukentlig oppdatering av WordPress
– Weekly plugin updates
– 24/7 security monitoring
– 24/7 uptime monitoring
– Performance monitoring and optimization
– Track and optimize your SEO
– Broken Link Checker
– Monthly reporting
– Google Analytics integration
– Google Search Console integrasjon
From TEAMV's Hub, you can easily control all components and have a complete overview of all monitoring statuses.
2. Updates and maintenance
For many, keeping your WordPress website up to date can seem time-consuming, especially when it comes to updating core files, themes, and plugins. Maintenance goes far beyond simply hitting the update button; it requires ensuring compatibility between plugins and that updates don’t break the functionality of your website. Manually managing this can be both time-consuming and expensive, especially if you have to bring in external consultants when something goes wrong.
Dedicated hosting solutions and cost savings for website maintenance
Many dedicated WordPress hosting providers offer automated maintenance services as part of their packages, reducing the need for manual updates and maintenance. This can make website operation more cost-effective in the long run. When you compare these services, you’ll find that there can be a big difference in what’s included in each package. Some providers only offer basic services like daily backups and automated updates, while others may include advanced security tools, performance optimization, and extensive customer support.
At TEAMV, we include everyone important maintenance items in our hosting packages at no extra cost. This means you don't have to pay extra for tools, premium plugins, and services that can often come with a high price tag. Our maintenance packages include automated operation of your website:
– Safe and automatic WordPress core updates: Keeps the website up to date with the latest features and security patches.
– Automatisk oppdatering av temaer og plugins: Ensures that all components work seamlessly together.
– Security monitoring and malware removal: Protects the website from malicious attacks and removes any threats.
– Complete Pro plugin suite: Optimize performance, secure your website, and get the pro version of the top-rated form plugin for WordPress. Included among other things: Smush Pro, Forminator Pro, Defender Pro, Humingbird Pro, SmartCrawl Pro, Beehive Pro, Broken Link Checker.
– Reporting: Weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly reporting. Rapporter henter data fra dine aktive plugins og tjenester og lager rapporter som dekker oppdateringer, sikkerhet, sikkerhetskopier, ytelse, SEO, Analytics og oppetid, og vil levere disse rapportene direkte til e-posten din.
When comparing prices and services, there can be a big difference between what is included in each package and what you have to pay extra for.
| TEAMV | Main WP | WP Umbrealla | ManageWP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-click site logins | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Plugin management | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Automated updates & backups | ✅ | Updates only | ✅ | ✅ |
| Uptime monitoring | ✅ | Requires third-party tools | ❌ | ❌ |
| Security & performance | ✅ | Requires third-party tools | ✅ | ❌ |
| Client reports | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| SEO optimization | ✅ | Requires third-party tools | ❌ | ❌ |
| Client billing | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Link checker | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Team & client collaboration | ✅ | ✅ | Kun kunde | ✅ |
| Domain purchase & transfer | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| File Manager | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Monthly Cost | Free | Free | 2 € | Free |
Pricing and feature comparisons are based on entry-level plans for each provider.
Popular WordPress Plugins for Maintenance (Free and Pro Versions)
There are a number of popular WordPress plugins that can help you keep your website up to date and secure. Many of these come in both free and pro versions, depending on your needs.
– UpdraftPlus (Gratis/Pro starter fra 600 NOK per år opp til to nettsider): En av de mest populære backup-løsningene for WordPress. Gratisversjonen lar deg ta manuelle sikkerhetskopier og lagre dem i skyen, mens pro-versjonen gir automatiske sikkerhetskopier, flere lagringsalternativer og planlegging av backup-tidspunkt.
– Wordfence (Gratis/Pro starter fra 1500 NOK per år): Et kraftig sikkerhetsplugin som tilbyr brannmur, malware-skanning og beskyttelse mot brute force-angrep. Gratisversjonen gir grunnleggende sikkerhetsfunksjoner, mens pro-versjonen tilbyr sanntids brannmurregler og malware-oppdateringer.
– Snapshot Pro (Pro only) Another important component of maintaining a WordPress website is ensuring regular and automated backups. At TEAMV we use Snapshot Pro which is included free for all our customers, a reliable and powerful tool for backing up and restoring WordPress websites. This tool makes it easy to schedule automated daily, weekly, or custom backups, and it stores the copies in remote locations like Google Drive, Dropbox, or Amazon S3 for added peace of mind.
Snapshot Pro ensures that your website is protected from data loss in the event of unforeseen events such as crashes, hacking, or other technical failures. The user-friendly interface makes it easy for even non-technical users to set up and manage backups, saving time and reducing the risk of errors. This solution is perfect for businesses that want both security and efficiency, without the need for manual backups or complex settings.
When choosing dedicated WordPress hosting, it's important to consider both the base price and the cost of maintenance services. With TEAMV, you get a comprehensive solution where all important maintenance elements are included at no extra cost, making it a very competitive choice.
3. Security
Security is essential to protect your website from hacker attacks and malware. There are several tools and plugins that can help secure your website, both free and paid solutions.
Recommended tools/plugins:
– Wordfence (Pro): Et kraftig brannmur- og malwareskanningsverktøy som gir omfattende beskyttelse. Pro-versjonen koster ca. 1500 kr per år.
– Sucuri: En premium sikkerhetsløsning som tilbyr alt fra brannmur til malwareskanning og fjerning. Kostnaden ligger på ca. 2100 kr per år.
– WP Defender (Pro): This security plugin from WPMU DEV offers a firewall, malware scanning, and two-factor authentication (2FA). It's one of the best solutions for WordPress security. The free version covers a lot, but the Pro version gives you extra features and costs about 70 € per year, but it's free if you have one of TEAM's web hosting packages.
Costs:
Security solutions can range from free versions to premium plans that can cost up to 200 € per year, depending on your needs.
4. Performance optimization
To ensure fast loading times and optimal performance for your WordPress website, there are several effective tools available. Some of them are free, while the best performance tools require an investment.
Recommended tools/plugins:
– WP Rocket: En av de mest populære ytelsespluginene, kjent for hurtigbufring og hastighetsoptimalisering. Denne pluginen er kun tilgjengelig i betalt versjon og koster ca. 600 kr per år for en nettside.
– Autoptimize: Et gratis plugin som hjelper med minifisering av CSS, JS og HTML. Dette er et godt alternativ for de som ønsker en gratis løsning. Pro versjonen ligger på 700 kr per år for en nettside.
– WP Hummingbird (Pro): A powerful performance optimization tool from WPMU DEV that offers caching, minification, and lazy loading. The free version provides good results, but the Pro version gives access to advanced features. The Pro version costs around €70 per year but again is free with all TEAMV web hosting packages.
Costs:
Total costs for performance optimization can range from free tools like Autoptimize to premium solutions like WP Hummingbird and WP Rocket, which can cost around €70 per year.
5. SEO tools
To improve your visibility in search engines like Google, SEO tools are a must. There are several great plugins that can help you with this, both free and paid.
Recommended tools/plugins:
– SmartCrawl (Pro): An SEO plugin from WPMU DEV that offers tools for metatagging, automatic link optimization, and sitemap generation. The free version gives you most of the features, but the Pro version offers more advanced SEO features and costs about 70 € per year - free with all TEAMV web hosting packages.
– Yoast SEO: One of the most well-known SEO plugins, available in both free and premium versions. The premium version costs around 100 € per year.
– Rank Math SEO: A free alternative to Yoast with many features included.
Costs:
SEO tools can be free or cost up to €100 per year, depending on what features you need.
6. Support og brukerstøtte
When it comes to support, many of the best hosting providers offer specialized WordPress help as part of their premium packages. This can be a huge advantage when you need help with technical issues, optimization, or security.
Recommended hosting providers with expert WordPress support:
– SiteGround: They offer dedicated WordPress experts who are available 24/7, including help with updates, performance optimization, and security configuration. Premium packages from SiteGround start at around €38 per month.
– Kinsta: Known for its dedicated WordPress support, with a highly responsive customer service team that helps with everything from troubleshooting to optimization. Plans start at around €70 per month.
– WP Engine: En annen topp-leverandør som tilbyr dedikert WordPress-støtte, inkludert avanserte hastighets- og sikkerhetsoptimaliseringer. Startpriser fra rundt 300 kr per måned.
– TEAMV: Du får førsteklasses support med alle webhotellpakker som starter fra 99 kr per måned.
Costs:
Support may be included in your hosting plan, or it may be a separate cost. Hosting providers that offer expert help for WordPress can cost between €30 and €70 per month, depending on the plan you choose.
7. Cost Summary
Total running costs for a WordPress website can vary depending on the solutions you choose. A basic website with free tools can cost from €250 to €500 per year, while more advanced solutions with premium plugins and professional support can cost upwards of €1000 or more annually.
With TEAMV's fully dedicated web hosting and automated maintenance of the WordPress platform får du en komplett verktøykasse for alle behov, uansett nettsidens størrelse. Fra hoveddashbordet, TEAMV Hub, har du full oversikt over alle statuser: hostingverktøy, overvåking av nettstedets ytelse, SEO-status, sikkerhet, automatisering og status på oppdateringer, oppetidsovervåking, sikkerhetskopier, og status for regelmessig sikkerhetsskanning av nettstedet ditt. Alt dette fra kun 99 kr/måned.
