Is WordPress free? A deep look into WordPress cost factors

It’s not a secret that WordPress is completely free to download and use. However, you might not be sure what WordPress components aren’t free and how much money you need to build and maintain a site.

In this article, we’ll explore the costs of creating a WordPress website and clarify common misconceptions about its pricing. You’ll also learn how WordPress makes money through its pricing model and what you can access for free.

Is WordPress free to use?

The answer depends on the type of WordPress you use – WordPress.com or WordPress.org. Let’s break down the differences between these platforms to help you choose the right one.

WordPress.com

WordPress.com is a service run by Automattic, which hosts your WordPress website for you. This means you don’t need to find or manage your own web hosting.

Like other hosting services with WordPress plans, this web development solution provides various features through a tiered subscription model. To start, you just need to create an account and purchase a plan – convenient for beginners.

WordPress.com offers a free plan, which technically allows you to create a free WordPress website. However, it has many limitations that can affect your website’s growth.

For example, the free plan only gives you 1 GB of storage and limited customization options. You can’t make money from ads or affiliate marketing, but WordPress.com will still display ads on your site.

Free users are also stuck with the wordpress.com subdomain, which isn’t ideal for building professional branding. 

Getting a paid plan is necessary if you want to grow your brand with a custom domain name or earn money from your WordPress site. Prices range from $4-45/month.

WordPress.org

WordPress.org is the free, open-source version of WordPress. It operates under the General Public License (GPL), enabling users to use, modify, and distribute the software freely. 

Unlike WordPress.com, this WordPress version is self-hosted, meaning you’ll need to buy web hosting and a domain name to build and run your site. You’ll also be responsible for managing everything yourself, including updating the software and backing up your website’s content.

In return, WordPress.org gives you full control over your website’s design and features without restrictions. You can fully customize it, add any plugins, and monetize it as you want.

Since most people use WordPress.org, this article will focus on this version.

How does WordPress make money?

WordPress is open-source software created by a community of skilled developers. While a core team leads the project, anyone can contribute by fixing bugs, adding features, suggesting improvements, and more.

The WordPress Foundation, a non-profit organization, owns the domain WordPress.org. Since the foundation doesn’t make any money, the platform’s development and maintenance mostly rely on donations from the WordPress community.

In addition to community donations, many contributions come from companies and individuals who build and profit from WordPress-related services, like theme and plugin developers. These contributors offer their time, resources, and financial support to keep WordPress free and open-source for everyone.

What can you get for free on WordPress?

WordPress gives you three main items with future updates for free – the core open-source software, themes, and plugins. Let’s take a closer look at each.

Core WordPress software

You can download the core software for free on the WordPress official site. Then, install WordPress manually on your hosting account.

If you opt for one of Hostinger’s WordPress hosting plans, we’ll install WordPress automatically. To make the process even easier, our onboarding tool will walk you through making a fully functioning WordPress site hassle-free in minutes.

Free themes

A WordPress theme is a collection of files that controls your website’s appearance and layout. It usually includes page templates, typography, color options, and various customizable website elements and widgets.

There are 12,000+ free WordPress themes in the official theme directory, and more are available on third-party websites and marketplaces. However, we recommend only downloading from reputable sources to make sure the theme meets WordPress security standards.

The best free WordPress themes can rival premium ones in features and design, making them ideal for new users on a budget. We also offer an in-house design, Hostinger Blog Theme, which you can select when choosing the blog type during onboarding.

There are also WordPress themes with free and premium versions. If you aren’t ready to spend money, test the water with free themes and later switch to premium themes as your website grows. This way, you can reduce the costs needed to get a new WordPress site up and running.

Free plugins

A WordPress plugin adds features and tools to expand your website’s functionality. Like free themes, thousands of free plugins are available for download in the WordPress plugin directory and various third-party marketplaces.

Download from the official repository or credible platforms to make sure you don’t install malicious plugins.

Each plugin offers a set of features to perform a specific task. Check out our top WordPress plugin picks to see how they can benefit your website.

Like WordPress themes, many premium plugins offer free versions to let new users test their features. While they often lack support and advanced features, you can start with them and gradually scale up as needed.

Updates

WordPress updates fix bugs, patch security vulnerabilities, and optimize software to run smoothly. Regularly updating the core WordPress software, themes, and plugins helps protect your site from potential threats and keeps it running efficiently.

Free updates apply to the core WordPress software, as well as plugins and themes from the official WordPress repository. Not all third-party themes and plugins offer them, so make sure to use the ones that are updated regularly.

Navigate to Updates from your WordPress dashboard to check for the latest releases. Hostinger users on WordPress Business and Cloud hosting plans can enable WordPress automatic updates from their hPanel dashboard to install new versions as soon as they’re released.

What do you have to pay for when using WordPress?

To have a live WordPress website, you must pay for hosting and a domain name. You may also want to invest in premium themes and plugins for advanced functionality and unique looks.

Here’s a breakdown of WordPress pricing so you know what to expect when making a new website.

Hosting service

A hosting service gives you the server resources and storage space needed to keep your website online and accessible to visitors. It also includes support, security, and sometimes backups to help your site run smoothly.

Companies like Hostinger provide hosting through subscription plans. Each plan offers a specific set of resources and features, so you only need to upgrade to a higher plan if your site grows and needs more capacity.

For WordPress beginners or busy professionals who want a hands-off experience, we offer Managed WordPress hosting plans starting at ₱109.00. They optimize the server for the content management system.

In other words, we’ll take care of all the technical tasks related to WordPress, such as updates, security, backups, and performance optimization. You will get consistent performance and strong security without worrying about the technical aspects of managing a server.

All plans include a free one-click WordPress installer, SSL certificates, automatic website migration, WordPress auto-updates, vulnerability scanner, and compatibility checker to simplify maintenance and keep your site running on the latest versions.

As a hosting provider recommended by WordPress.org, Hostinger makes sure your WordPress website meets industry standards regarding performance and security.

Domain name

A domain name is your website’s address, which can consist of letters, numbers, or characters. To get a custom domain, you should find an available name representing your business and register it on a domain registrar. Ideally, your hosting provider should also be a domain registrar to keep everything on one platform.

The price of a domain depends on the chosen top-level domain (TLD). For example, the popular .com extension costs $4.99 for the first year on Hostinger. You can also get a free domain name for the first year by purchasing any of our annual hosting plans.

When choosing a domain name registrar, consider their renewal rates, perks, and promos, as these factors can affect the overall cost. Make sure to compare registrars before deciding to get the best value.

Premium themes

While free themes are an affordable way to start, their limited customizability and functionality can hinder your website’s growth. That’s why investing in paid themes can be necessary to profit from your website or establish a strong brand.

There are two pricing models for premium themes – one-time fee and subscription-based. Many premium themes offer both options to fit different budgets.

Let’s take Astra, a freemium theme, as an example. Besides offering way more design and customization options, the Pro version lets you rename the theme and present it as a product from your brand via the white-label feature and integrate the theme with popular plugins like WooCommerce and LearnDash.

Astra Pro’s pricing consists of three paid plans, each available as either a lifetime license or an annual subscription. Compare each plan’s features to make sure you pick the right one.

With Kalium, you can either buy the regular license or the extended license – the latter is necessary if you want to sell a website with this theme. This pricing model is common with ThemeForest themes, so where you get your theme can affect your cost.

WordPress doesn’t have an official repository for premium themes. You usually buy their license from commercial marketplaces like ThemeForest and Template Monster and upload the assets to your site for manual installation.

To get the best value, consider these aspects when shopping for premium themes:

• Credibility. Pick a theme built by a reputable developer to make sure it’s well-coded. You can evaluate a theme’s quality through the ratings and reviews on its listing page or forums.
• Compatibility. Your chosen theme must be compatible with the latest WordPress version and the plugins you use to minimize compatibility issues.
• Pricing. Prioritize buying professionally designed themes that offer updates and support in their paid plans. Once you’ve found the right theme, consider getting a lifetime license to save money in the long run.
• Functionality. Look for specific features your website needs, such as eCommerce and SEO tools. Avoid themes with excessive features, as they can impact your page load times.
• Ease of use. Installing a third-party theme is different from using one from the WordPress repository. Check our guide on installing WordPress plugins to see whether you can set up your new theme. If you’re not tech-savvy, choose a theme with a drag-and-drop editor.

If you plan to build a business website, browse our picks for the best business WordPress themes to get a sense of the market’s current price range.

Premium plugins

Like premium themes, paid plugins offer more features and customer support channels than their free counterparts.

SeedProd, for example, offers a drag-and-drop page builder, basic widgets, and basic page templates. By upgrading to SeedProd Pro, you unlock additional features like advanced blocks, access controls, WooCommerce integration, and priority support.

You can find reliable paid plugins on marketplaces like CodeCanyon. Their pricing models are similar to premium themes, allowing you to pay through a subscription or a one-time fee for lifetime access.

Pricing varies depending on the plugin’s complexity and support level. Here are the costs of five popular plugins to give you an idea:

• Yoast SEO ‒ freemium, with paid plans starting at €99/year.
• MonsterInsights ‒ freemium, with paid plans starting at $99.60/year.
• Elementor ‒ freemium, with paid plans starting at $4.92/month.
• Slider Revolution ‒ $109/license.
• HubSpot CRM ‒ freemium, with paid plans starting at $15/month.

When choosing a plugin, consider its reputation, compatibility with the latest WordPress version, price, features, and ease of use. To maintain fast load times, avoid installing too many plugins. Instead, look for all-in-one solutions that can handle multiple tasks.

Web development

You can design a WordPress site on your own, even without coding skills. However, for more advanced customizations, like adding custom code to plugins and themes, you might need help from a developer.

The cost of hiring a WordPress developer depends on the complexity of the work and their experience. For example, customizing an existing site is generally more affordable than building a custom WordPress site from scratch.

To stay within budget, you can hire a freelance developer on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork, where rates usually range between $15-28/hour. Alternatively, you can work with a web development agency or a WordPress design company, which offers service packages tailored to your project needs.

Support and maintenance

Managing a WordPress website comes with some responsibilities, like handling updates, keeping your site secure, optimizing it for search engines, and reducing load times. That’s why it is crucial to choose a reliable hosting provider that will help you take care of your website.

For example, Hostinger users on any hosting plan get industry-standard security features like DDoS protection and Cloudflare-protected nameservers to filter out harmful traffic, a firewall, a malware scanner, and a secure access manager to control website access privileges.

We also include our in-house content delivery network (CDN) on Managed WordPress Business and Cloud hosting plans to improve website speed and hosting experience.

Other ways to simplify your maintenance tasks are to install WordPress maintenance plugins like WPBuffs or MalCare or hire a web developer or a website maintenance service.

The cost of maintaining your WordPress website depends on its size, complexity, traffic volume, and custom features and integrations.

Basic maintenance services, starting at $30/month, usually include software updates, security monitoring, website backups, and performance checks. Advanced maintenance services can charge over $500/month for detailed analytics, update testing, and enhanced security.

If you choose to use WordPress security plugins, allocate $30-200/year to purchase premium plugin plans like Sucuri and Wordfence.

Download WordPress security checklist

What are the benefits of using WordPress?

WordPress is a highly versatile tool for creating a website. There are many themes and plugins to make your site look and function exactly how you want. Plus, WordPress has a large community, so finding help online is easy.

Let’s take a deeper look at the benefits of WordPress.

WordPress community

As free and open-source software, WordPress has a large community contributing to its development. They also help fellow users through WordPress documentation and forums.

The documentation and forums are divided into several categories, making it easy to find the topic you need. Some of the documentation categories cover installation, basic usage, and customization.

There are dedicated forums for bug reports, WordPress development, and feedback. Each theme and plugin also has its own support forum, where users can ask questions and get help with issues specific to those tools.

Built-in blog features

WordPress is a blogging platform at its core, providing all the features you need to build various blogs. Even if you don’t want to create a blog, this functionality is readily available to help drive organic traffic to your website through content marketing and social sharing.

Nohma is a great example of a business website that embeds a blog to establish its brand as an expert in campervan electrical systems. Their articles also serve as a marketing medium for their products, potentially increasing sales.

Freelancers and bloggers can also earn money by blogging through various monetization options, such as selling ad space and writing sponsored content.

Using effective search engine optimization (SEO) practices in your blog posts can improve your website’s search rankings and attract more visitors.

Highly versatile

With a massive library of plugins, you can expand your WordPress website’s functionality to meet different needs. 

Let’s say you want to create an online store. Since the backbone of WordPress is a blogging platform, there’s no default way of creating a product listing and accepting online payment.

The WooCommerce plugin embeds these features into your website. Once you’ve installed it, there will be an additional WooCommerce section on your WordPress admin panel to configure the product listing, checkouts, and payment gateway.

WordPress themes help you achieve versatility in web design. Each theme may include multiple pre-made template options, with customizable elements and animation effects that make your website stand out.

For developers, the open-source nature allows for advanced customization and integration with other software. In other words, you can make it work or look exactly the way you want.

For example, a developer could customize an eCommerce site by integrating WooCommerce with a third-party payment gateway that isn’t supported by default. They could also modify the theme’s code to create a unique design that perfectly matches the brand.

Scalable performance

As an open environment, WordPress is highly scalable in terms of design, functionality, and performance. You can start with a basic site and add new features as your needs change by installing plugins or switching themes.

When it comes to performance, WordPress can handle websites of any size – from small blogs to large online stores.

If your current hosting plan isn’t enough to support your growing site, you can easily switch to a plan with more resources or even migrate to a new hosting provider. This flexibility makes sure your WordPress site can grow as your business does.

Robust SEO features

WordPress is already SEO-friendly right off the bat.

For example, it allows you to customize URL slugs for posts and pages, making them easier for search engines to understand. Standardizing your URL naming conventions also helps prevent duplicate content issues and improves user experience, which can boost your rankings.

You can increase your ranking potential even more with various WordPress SEO plugins.

One of the options is Yoast SEO, which simplifies the process of adding meta descriptions, meta titles, and image alt texts to optimize your pages. It also helps improve on-page SEO by analyzing your content based on target keywords and offering suggestions to boost your visibility in search results.

Plus, being able to switch hosting, plugins, and themes is great for your site’s technical SEO. Since user experience and page speed are important for SEO, improving these areas can help you stand out from competitors.

Conclusion

The self-hosted WordPress version is free and open-source, meaning you can create your website using free plugins and themes. That said, you’ll need to pay for hosting and a domain name to get your website online. These are:

• Hosting. Starts at ₱109.00/month for managed WordPress hosting
• Domain name. The .com domain starts at $4.99 or is free for the first year with any annual Hostinger hosting plan purchase.

If you have the budget, these additional investments can take your website’s look and performance to another level:

• Premium theme. Pricing starts at $2/license, depending on the styles, features, and the platform that hosts the theme.
• Premium plugin. Pricing starts at $2/month, depending on the features and the type of tasks the plugin can handle.
• Web developer. Freelancers typically charge between $15-28/hour, with the total cost depending on the website’s size and complexity.
• Support and maintenance. Freelancers or agencies generally offer basic maintenance starting at $30/month.

Can’t decide on the right web hosting plan to kick-start your online journey with WordPress? Check out our handy guide, or leave a comment below!

Is WordPress free? FAQ