The yearly cost of running a website (real costs)
The yearly cost of running a website: domain, hosting, licences and maintenance. A breakdown of real costs and how to avoid fees you do not need.
The price of building a website is only part of the story; the other part is the cost of running a website every year. What many businesses discover later is what it costs to keep it every year. Depending on the technology behind it, that can range from about €10 to several hundred or even thousands. Here is a breakdown so you know what you pay for and what you could save.
What running a website costs regardless
The domain
Your address (yourbusiness.com). Around €10–15 a year for a .com or most country domains. It must be in your name. More in how to choose a domain.
Running costs that depend on how the website is built
Hosting
- WordPress on shared hosting: typically around €50–150 a year.
- Managed hosting or extras: can exceed €200 a year.
- Static website: often €0.
More in what is web hosting.
Licences and plugins
Premium themes, paid plugins (forms, SEO, security, bookings) renewed every year. Easily tens or hundreds of euros.
Builder subscription
If you use Wix, Squarespace or similar, around €10–40 a month, that is €120–480 a year, with no way of taking the website with you.
Maintenance
Many agencies charge a monthly fee to update the CMS and plugins, run backups and keep watch. Fees above €20 a month are common. For WordPress it makes sense, because without updates it becomes vulnerable.
If you want mailboxes on your domain ([email protected]), your hosting may include it, or you can buy it separately. You can also forward it for free to an inbox you already have.
Running costs people forget
- Renewals pricier than the first-year offer.
- Changes charged separately (updating hours, adding a service).
- Repairs if the website is hacked or an update breaks it.
Examples of the cost of running a website
- WordPress with maintenance: domain + hosting + licences + monthly fee → easily €300–700 a year.
- Wix-type builder: domain + subscription → about €150–500 a year.
- Custom static website: domain and little else → around €10–15 a year.
These are rough ranges and every case differs, but the accumulated difference over five years is huge.
How I keep it to the minimum
A well-built static website does not need monthly security updates or paid hosting. At Nueva Página you pay for the website once (from €349 to €899 + VAT where applicable) and the only recurring cost is the domain. Full breakdown in how much does a website cost.
How to work out what your website costs to run today
If you already have a website, add up your receipts from the last twelve months. First, find the domain renewal. Then hosting, template or plugin licences and any monthly fee to an agency or a builder such as Wix. Add it all up and divide by twelve: that is what you pay each month to keep the website online.
The figure often comes as a surprise, especially when automatic renewals go unchecked. By contrast, services such as Cloudflare Pages host a static website at no cost, so the only recurring cost is the domain. That is why, before renewing anything, you should ask what each item gives you. I explain the differences in static website. Knowing what you pay is the first step to stop paying for what you do not use.
If you are comparing options, you may also find Wix or Squarespace useful.
Frequently asked questions
Is maintenance part of the cost of running a website?
Not mandatory, but if your website uses a CMS with plugins, not maintaining it is a security risk.
Can I stop paying for hosting and keep the website?
Only if you move it to other hosting first. If you stop paying without moving it, the website goes offline.
Is email expensive?
It can be free by forwarding to Gmail, or a few euros a month per mailbox for a full professional email service.
What does a Nueva Página website cost each year?
Just the domain, around €10–15 a year, because the website is a one-off payment and hosting costs nothing. See how much a website costs.