WordPress maintenance: what it takes, and what it costs
WordPress maintenance is weekly work: updates, backups, PHP versions and the odd repair. Here is what it involves, what drives the cost, and why we take a different route.
We don’t offer ongoing WordPress maintenance. We rebuild sites as static sites without WordPress and maintain those. If you want to keep WordPress, this page still sets out what good maintenance should cover.
What WordPress maintenance involves
A WordPress site is software running on a server, built from code by many different authors. Keeping it safe means a list of recurring jobs:
| Task | How often | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Plugin and theme updates | Weekly, or as soon as a security fix comes out | Most new WordPress vulnerabilities are in plugins |
| WordPress core updates | Minor releases automatically, major ones after testing | Security fixes, and compatibility with newer PHP |
| PHP version | Every year or two, when a branch reaches end of life | Old PHP gets no security fixes at all |
| Backups | Daily, stored off the server, restore tested now and then | Your way back after a hack or a broken update |
| Uptime and security monitoring | Continuous | You hear about problems before your customers do |
| Fixing what an update breaks | When it happens | Plugins do not always agree with each other |
| Clean-up after a hack | Hopefully never | Often billed separately, so ask about it |
Patchstack, which tracks WordPress vulnerabilities, counted 11,334 new ones in 2025; 91% were in plugins. The PHP side matters too: PHP 8.1 and older no longer get security fixes, and the PHP2Shell vulnerabilities of October 2026 were in PHP itself, so it made no difference which plugins a site ran.
Source: Patchstack, State of WordPress Security in 2026
WordPress maintenance cost: what drives the price
Prices for maintenance plans vary widely, and the cheapest monthly plan does not always work out cheapest over a year. These are the things that decide what you pay:
- Number of plugins. Every plugin is another thing to update, test and pay a licence for.
- Update speed. Updating within hours of a security fix costs more than a monthly round.
- Testing. Are updates tried on a staging copy first, or straight on the live site?
- Repairs. Is fixing a broken update included, or billed by the hour?
- Hack clean-up. Is it covered, or a separate (often expensive) job?
- Hosting and licences. Often not in the maintenance fee at all.
Ask any provider to answer those six points in writing, then compare the total cost per year.
The alternative: no WordPress to maintain
Most small business sites use WordPress for a few fixed pages: who you are, what you do, how to reach you. That needs no database, plugins or PHP. We build those sites as static pages: no code runs on the server for an attacker to exploit, and there is no weekly update routine.
For €39 a month (excl. VAT) we handle hosting, backups and security, and you get an hour of changes every month: you send the change on WhatsApp and we make it. Read how the move from WordPress works.
Do you edit pages yourself every day, or rely on plugins for bookings, memberships or a large blog? Then WordPress with good maintenance may suit you better, and we will say so.
Our prices
One-off, for the new site
- Small site1 to 3 pages
- €399
- Medium siteMore pages, a blog or several services
- €750
- Large site or web shopAfter a short call
- Custom
Then per month
- BasicHosting, backups, security and one hour of changes every month
- €39
- SEOBasic, plus ongoing work on your Google rankings
- €179
- SEO ProBasic, plus an extensive SEO programme
- €399
All prices exclude VAT. You only pay once you have seen the preview and want to go ahead.
Questions
What does WordPress maintenance cost?
It varies a lot between providers. The price depends on how many plugins you run, how quickly updates are applied, whether fixes after a broken update are included, and whether a hack clean-up is covered. Compare plans on those points, not on the monthly fee alone.
Can I do WordPress maintenance myself?
Yes, if you set aside time every week. Turn on automatic updates for plugins you trust, keep a backup off the server, remove plugins you don’t use and keep PHP on a supported version. The hard part is repairing the site when an update breaks it.
What happens if I stop maintaining my WordPress site?
Usually nothing at first, which is why it gets left. Over months the plugins fall behind on security fixes and the PHP version reaches end of life. Automated attacks scan for exactly those sites.
Will I lose my Google rankings if I leave WordPress?
Not if the move is done properly. Every old address gets a 301 redirect to the matching new page, and your copy, titles and images come along.
Not sure how your current site is doing? Run the free website security check first.
Done with the update routine?
Send us your WordPress site. You get a free preview of the rebuilt version before you pay anything.