{"id":42344,"date":"2021-12-23T12:14:58","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T12:14:58","guid":{"rendered":"\/tutorials\/?p=42344"},"modified":"2026-03-10T09:29:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T09:29:27","slug":"wordpress-pricing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/ca\/tutorials\/wordpress-pricing","title":{"rendered":"WordPress pricing in 2026 \u2013 how much does a WordPress website cost?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Started as a simple blogging platform, WordPress has evolved into a flexible site-building platform and a comprehensive Content Management System (CMS). It lets you build any site, from a small blog to a robust eCommerce store.<\/p>

Since WordPress is very popular for many use cases, you might wonder how much it costs to build a WordPress site. However, calculating WordPress costs is not as straightforward as it seems. The core WordPress software is technically free, but some additional costs will occur.<\/p>

With this in mind, we’ll go over everything that goes into WordPress website pricing, such as hosting plans, domain name, themes, and other extensions. We will also quickly compare the pricing models of the two WordPress platforms, WordPress.org and WordPress.com.<\/p>

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Pricing breakdown for WordPress.org and WordPress.com<\/h2>

Nowadays, WordPress is represented by two different platforms. The key difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com<\/a> is the hosting provider.<\/p>

WordPress.org is a self-hosted version of WordPress, meaning users must host their websites with a chosen hosting provider. In contrast, all WordPress.com sites are hosted by Automattic<\/strong>.<\/p>

With this in mind, the pricing for both platforms varies. First, let’s go through WordPress.org pricing.<\/p>

WordPress.org<\/h3>

Since WordPress.org is a self-hosted platform, you must download the core software<\/a> and calculate expenses for other required resources. These include a domain name, a web hosting plan, and premium WordPress plugins and themes.<\/p>

Hostinger’s website hosting service costs CA$ 4.19–CA$ 41.89\/month <\/strong>depending on the plan. You will also need a domain name and SSL certificate, which cost $0.99-39.99\/year <\/strong>and $0-1,000\/year, <\/strong>respectively.<\/p>

Fortunately, Hostinger offers a free domain<\/a> for one year with select hosting plans and a free lifetime SSL certificate with all plans to help you keep costs down.<\/p>

The next essential components are WordPress themes and plugins to complete your website design and functionality. Although free ones are available, paid themes and plugins can cost between $2-1,000\/license<\/strong>.<\/p>

Here is a quick summary of the estimated costs of a self-hosted WordPress site.<\/p>

Website Hosting<\/td>CA$ 4.19–CA$ 41.89\/month<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Domain Name<\/td>$0.99-39.99\/year<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
SSL Certificates<\/td>$0-1,000\/year<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Premium Themes<\/td>$2-200\/year, up to $1,000 for a lifetime license<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Premium Plugins<\/td>$2-1,000\/year\/plugin<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
TOTAL<\/strong><\/td>$6.98-283\/month<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Remember that a website’s cost<\/a> will depend on its size and complexity. Running simple WordPress websites like blogs or business websites will cost less than robust WordPress sites, such as online stores or streaming sites.<\/p>

WordPress.com<\/h3>

You can set up a website with the free plan. However, you must subscribe to one of WordPress’ paid plans to run a website for commercial purposes with a custom domain name. The WordPress pricing tiers range between $5-63\/month<\/strong>.<\/p>

\"WordPress.com<\/a><\/figure><\/div>

Each premium plan includes a free domain name for a year and unlimited email support. Moreover, the Explorer<\/strong>, Creator<\/strong>, and Entrepreneur <\/strong>plans also come with Google Analytics integration, premium themes, and live chat support.<\/p>

While WordPress.com supports multiple monetization methods, they come with several downsides. For example, users can only run ads by joining their advertising program, WordAds<\/a>, in return for shared ad revenue.<\/p>

WordPress.com also regulates other monetization methods like affiliate links, memberships, and donations. In other words, WordPress.com users don’t have complete control over their monetization options.<\/p>

If you want unlimited monetization options as well as more freedom and control over your site, you are better off building a WordPress website<\/a> with WordPress.org.<\/p>

The main expenses for a WordPress site<\/h2>

Now that you have a rough idea of WordPress pricing, let’s review the main expenses of a WordPress.org website and its details.<\/p>

Web hosting – from CA$ 4.19\/month<\/h3>

Web hosting and domain name are the essential building blocks to creating a fully-functional WordPress website. The cost of a web hosting plan<\/a> differs based on its type and allocated resources. Here are several hosting types you can purchase.<\/p>

Managed WordPress hosting<\/a><\/p>

WordPress hosting is specifically designed and optimized for WordPress websites. It offers an easy setup process to create a WordPress site with pre-installed performance-optimizing plugins.<\/p>

Hostinger offers some of the best WordPress hosting plans in the market. Our managed WordPress hosting plans cost CA$ 4.19–CA$ 11.19\/month<\/strong>. They provide useful features like a staging tool and auto-updates to ensure smooth maintenance. Object caching also speeds up your WordPress site up to three times faster.<\/p>

Basic web hosting<\/a><\/p>

Basic web hosting is the most affordable option and is suitable for small businesses and personal websites. Since users share the server and its resources, it’s also known as shared hosting. It’s the most affordable option compared to other hosting types.<\/p>

Hostinger’s basic web hosting plans cost CA$ 4.19–CA$ 5.59\/month.<\/strong><\/p>

They come with an auto-installer that lets you set up WordPress or other CMS in a few clicks. Meanwhile, the built-in malware scanner and web application firewall protect your site from attackers.<\/p>

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Pro Tip<\/h4>\n

Learn the difference between shared vs managed WordPress hosting<\/a> to see which one fits your needs best.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p>

Cloud hosting<\/a><\/p>

Cloud hosting uses a cluster of servers to balance site load and minimize downtime. If one server goes down, another will keep your WordPress site running.<\/p>

Cloud hosting uses virtualization to split physical server resources into multiple virtual servers. This approach increases performance and uptime, ensuring a smooth-running website even when you get a spike of visitors.<\/p>

Due to its sophisticated infrastructure, cloud hosting is pricier than other hosting types. Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans cost between CA$ 11.19–CA$ 41.89\/month<\/strong>. However, we include powerful features to maximize your investment.<\/p>

For example, you’ll get access to our AI website generator for WordPress<\/a>, which can simplify site-building in minutes. Just describe the website you have in mind, and the tool will generate custom layouts, color schemes, and content to match your vision. Keep in mind that the AI tool is currently optimized for building business and portfolio websites.<\/p>

We recommend investing in cloud hosting if you run a high-traffic site, such as an eCommerce store or a corporate website.<\/p>

VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting<\/a><\/p>

VPS splits one physical server into multiple virtual servers, with each partition isolated from the other. Due to its private environment, VPS hosting is great for creating WordPress websites with custom server configuration.<\/p>

This hosting type provides greater control over the server, as users will have the root access and flexibility to set up the server however they want.<\/p>

However, VPS requires more technical knowledge from its user. It is more suitable for users who want to tweak their server configuration and run customized WordPress sites.<\/p>

Hostinger’s VPS web hosting plans range from CA$ 9.09 <\/strong>to CA$ 36.29\/month<\/strong>.<\/p>

To summarize, Hostinger’s web hosting plans cost<\/a> CA$ 4.19–CA$ 41.89\/month. <\/strong>Note that the starting monthly prices for each web hosting account differ from the renewal costs.<\/p>

For instance, depending on the length of your Hostinger’s Business<\/strong> hosting plan subscription, the renewal cost varies between CA$ 5.59–CA$ 26.49\/month<\/strong>.<\/p>

If you choose the 48-month plan, the monthly subscription cost will be CA$ 5.59\/month<\/strong> for four years. Once the period is over, the monthly cost of this business plan will be $8.99\/month<\/strong>.<\/p>

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Pro Tip<\/h4>\n

Find a bundled web hosting and domain name plan to reduce your WordPress cost. With Hostinger, the Premium Web Hosting plan<\/strong> or higher includes a free domain worth $9.99<\/strong>. In addition, you’ll get free unlimited Encrypt SSL certificates<\/a> on all hosting plans.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/p>

To further reduce your WordPress cost, consider these factors:<\/p>