As an open source solution, the WordPress content management system code is free and can be freely adapted. Other options are also available free of charge, but with certain limitations. Discover here the costs that can potentially be added around a WordPress site.
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Why is WordPress inherently free?
The original WordPress code is distributed under a open source license and can be downloaded for free from WordPress.orgthen modified and used freely. The licensing model, based on GPLv2, authorizes agencies, for example, to use the code for client projects and to market a complete WordPress solution. Creating a WordPress site with this code is therefore largely free, as certain elements such as hosting necessarily incur costs.
Create a free WordPress site: with the WordPress.com editor
On WordPress.commanaged by the Automattic team, different packages for WordPress are offered. With the offer Freeyou can create a free WordPress site, but with significant restrictions : you cannot choose a custom domain, nor modify the code or design. Support remains limited and WordPress ads appear on your site. This free plan is mainly suitable for a personal WordPress blog.
If you want to remove advertising, use a custom domain and access more features, plugins and themes, you must opt for a paid plan. Prices start at €4 per monthwhile the E-commerce formula reaches €45 per month. However, to fully exploit all features, it is recommended to use open source code directly.
The table below presents the WordPress.com offer with the current package prices and the typical minimum costs related to the use of the original code. You will see from which level certain functions are available, as well as the mandatory and optional costs which we will detail further.
| WordPress.com | WordPress.org | |
|---|---|---|
| Domain | 0 to 45 €/month | Domains .fr from €0.90/month
|
| Web Hosting | free up to 3 GB, then from €4/month | from €2/month for 50 GB |
| Themes | from €8/month | free and paid |
| Extensions | from 25 €/month | free and paid |
| WordPress Advertising | deletion from €4/month | none |
| E-commerce | from 45 €/month | free and paid |
WordPress: overview of free elements
Create a WordPress site with open source code and get the following for free:
- Themes
- Plugins
- Support
- Updates
Free themes
In the official directory of WordPress themesyou will find over 8,000 free templates to customize the appearance of your project. Volunteers and professional developers regularly create new themes, subject to strict quality controls. quality and safety before they are put online. Besides these free WordPress themes, there are also paid templates.
Free plugins
The same goes for plugins: more than 50,000 extensions are available for free in the official WordPress plugin directoryall tested for quality and safety. The offer continues to grow thanks to developers and agencies who share their solutions. Depending on their complexity and the maintenance team, some WordPress plugins require payment.
Free updates
WordPress and its themes and plugins are regularly updated. These appear directly in the administration interface of your WordPress project and can be installed for free. For some paid themes and plugins, updates may require a subscription.
Free WordPress Community Support
WordPress is based on a strong community spirit: thousands of developers around the world contribute code, create plugins and themes, and exchange via forums. There you will find help on almost any WordPress related question at no cost.
When do charges arise with WordPress?
Now that you know the possibilities of using WordPress for free, let's see what the main costs associated with WordPress are. On the one hand, we distinguish the functions Or services to buy, and on the other hand the working hours necessary for the implementation, such as certain optimizations. You can do this yourself or outsource these tasks to developers or an agency. The main expenditure items are:
- Hosting and domain
- Installation and configuration
- Themes and plugins
- Performance and SEO optimization
- Maintenance
Hosting and domain of your WordPress site
If you use the free WordPress code, you will need a web server to host it. Hosts generally offer different packages allowing you to manage one or more sites, with variable storage spaces and sometimes services included such as a free domain or an SSL/TLS certificate. If they are not included, you will need or be able to purchase them separately. Many suppliers also offer discounts via bundled packs. Hosting deals start at just a few dollars per month, while most domains cost just a few cents or a few euros per month.
Install and configure WordPress
If you handle the installation and configuration yourself, WordPress is basically free at this point unless you put a monetary value on your time. Experienced people need approximately half a day for the initial setup, depending on the number of plugins to integrate and the type of website. A simple WordPress blog is obviously quicker to set up than an online store. For this first step, freelancers and agencies generally charge between 500 and 1,000 €according to their hourly rate.
It is also recommended to devote time to aspects related to the security and the GDPR. Plugins and text templates are available for these needs. Additionally, WordPress offers many advanced settings that merit a few hours of configuration.
Themes and plugins
Thousands of free themes and plugins exist for WordPress, but investing in paid plugins can be helpful, especially for advanced designs or features. Many plugins adopt a freemium model: free in the basic version and paid in the Premium version, with more functions or better performance. Payment can be made in one go or via a annual subscription. Prices range from a few euros to several hundred, the latter cases remaining rare.
Performance and SEO optimization
Improve the loading time and other performance indicators, or hiring a professional to do it, requires a lot of time or money. There are free plugins to optimize performance, but configuring them can also be time-consuming. Search engine optimization (SEO) is also something to consider. THE Yoast SEO plugin is available for free, but other optimizations often have to be done manually and are therefore time-consuming.
Maintaining your WordPress site
If you do not want to maintain WordPress, your themes and plugins yourself, you can entrust it to freelancers or agencies. Depending on the scope of the service, the maintenance packages vary between €200 per year and around €50 per month. Ideally, these services also include regular backups and cleaning caches or databases.
In summary, expect a double-digit cost per year for hosting and domainand a few hundred euros more if you outsource the maintenance. For the creation and implementation of a simple WordPress site by professionals, prices generally start between 1,000 and 2,000 €with a wide margin of variation according to needs.
