While several website-building platforms offer free versions, your business website needs more than just the basics to succeed. You'll want a unique domain name, professional design, and reliable hosting to create an experience that resonates with visitors.

WordPress website plans offer some of these features, but you’ll need to purchase additional add-ons, plugins, or subscriptions to get them all. That means calculating the true cost of a WordPress website can quickly become complex — and there may be a better option for you.

Let's break down the real costs of WordPress and compare them with Webflow's all-in-one approach so you can make an informed decision for your business.

Selecting a paid plan

When choosing a website platform, you'll want core features included in your plan, like plugin capabilities, design flexibility, and room to grow. Here are two comparable plans from Webflow and WordPress, along with how their features differ.

The cost of hosting

Hosting is one of those hidden costs that can significantly impact both your budget and your website's performance.

WordPress hosting

While WordPress includes hosting with paid plans, many users report issues with speed and reliability in G2 reviews. For better performance, you'll likely need to sign up with a separate hosting provider like Hostinger, adding about $14 per month for basic shared hosting.

You could also opt for managed WordPress hosting at a premium price, which handles maintenance and updates for you but further increases your overall costs.

Webflow hosting

Webflow web hosting comes built into every plan with no additional cost or configuration needed. We've designed it to be fast and reliable from day one, and it protects your site with distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection, vulnerability scanning, and automatic spam filtering. You won't need to spend extra time or money piecing together security solutions or troubleshooting performance issues.

Plugin costs

Plugins add essential capabilities to your website — such as personalization and analytics. But not all plugin experiences are created equal.

WordPress plugins

While WordPress has many free options, the most robust tools like Yoast SEO and WooCommerce often come with premium versions and add-on costs. You'll need a Business plan to access some premium WordPress plugins without additional charges. Beyond the direct costs, there's also the time investment — installing, configuring, updating, and constantly checking compatibility to prevent site breakages or security issues.

Webflow Apps

Webflow offers 300 apps on the Apps Marketplace to help extend your site’s functionality. Webflow apps help you seamlessly integrate third-party tools into your workflow. While the apps are free to install, some connect to premium services like HubSpot or Adobe that might require their own subscriptions. The Webflow team carefully vets every app for compatibility and security, so you don't have to worry about one update breaking your entire site.

Website theme and template costs

Themes and templates give you a head start in designing consistent webpages, reducing your overall development cost.

WordPress themes and templates

The WordPress ecosystem includes thousands of themes, but there's a significant quality gap between free and premium options. Free themes typically offer limited layouts and UI options, while more advanced WordPress themes require either a Premium plan upgrade or individual purchase.

Webflow templates

Webflow offers numerous free templates in the Templates Marketplace. There are also premium templates from third-party web developers who use the platform to publish and sell their incredible work. Additionally, there are entire site designs listed in the marketplace that you can clone to help you design a similar site.

What to expect in your first year on WordPress vs. Webflow

Your first year running a WordPress website is often the least expensive, thanks to free domains and promotional offers. Many hosting providers offer steep discounts for your first year, often bundling in a domain name, SSL certificate, and one-click WordPress installation. The overall WordPress monthly cost will climb a bit in your second year as renewal rates for hosting, domains, and premium plugins kick in.

Webflow, on the other hand, tends to have a higher upfront cost but a more streamlined experience. There’s no need to manage plugins or hosting separately — everything is included in Webflow’s site plans. In your first year, you’ll spend more time learning how to use the platform’s visual builder, which has a somewhat steeper learning curve than basic WordPress themes but offers much more control over your site’s design and layout. Once you get past that learning curve, Webflow’s all-in-one setup means fewer moving parts, more predictable pricing, and less time spent on technical maintenance. 

Hidden costs of WordPress

Designing a WordPress site involves certain costs you can’t measure in dollars and cents. These involve time, engagement, and usability — and are equally critical to your experience working in WordPress.

Security

Security concerns continue to plague WordPress sites despite ongoing improvements. A SolidWP study from 2025 identified 228 vulnerabilities in the website builder’s core software, which create opportunities for bad actors to use SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) to access site data or shut down your site.

While patches exist for some of these vulnerabilities, staying on top of these updates becomes yet another ongoing task. Each security patch requires testing to ensure it doesn't break site functionality.

User experience

Slow loading times and simplistic themes and templates can make WordPress websites have a slower user experience. You’ll need several plugins to optimize control over page layouts and UI elements, but every plugin has the potential to slow your website load times further.

Platform and plugin updates

WordPress requires constant maintenance. Each core update and plugin refresh needs attention and testing. Skipping these updates risks security vulnerabilities. Installing them without testing risks breaking the site. This ongoing maintenance cycle consumes valuable time that could be spent on growing your business or creating content.

Site and platform performance

Performance issues don't just affect visitors — they impact team productivity too. A sluggish admin interface means simple content updates could take longer than necessary. This operational inefficiency compounds over time, turning routine updates into time-consuming tasks and making website management feel like a burden rather than an asset.

Enjoy all-in-one website platform with Webflow

Webflow’s website experience platform gives you professional-grade design tools, built-in SEO capabilities, and complete creative control without the maintenance headaches. Your site runs on our globally distributed CDN with enterprise-level security included in every plan. 

For larger organizations with more complex needs, Webflow Enterprise offers enhanced security, advanced team collaboration tools, guaranteed uptime SLAs, and dedicated support. To learn more, contact our team to schedule a demo.