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Want to know how much it really costs to keep a website running?
You built your website, but now you’re asking yourself, “How much will it cost me every month or every year to keep this thing alive?”
Maybe you’ve asked:
- Do I need to spend a lot if my website is small?
- Why do some businesses pay just a few dollars while others spend thousands on website maintenance cost?
The truth is, maintaining a website is a lot like owning a car or a shop. You don’t just buy it once… you also need to fuel it, service it, and fix problems when they come up.
Without regular care, your website can become slow, unsafe, or even crash completely.
In this blog post, we’ll break down everything you need to know about website maintenance cost.
You’ll see the difference between monthly and yearly costs, what small, medium, and large businesses usually pay, and whether it’s smarter to do it yourself or outsource.
By the end, you’ll know exactly how much to budget for your own website… without guesswork or hidden surprises.
Average website maintenance cost
How much does it really cost to maintain a website?
Let’s break it down in the simplest way possible.
1. Monthly vs annual website maintenance cost
Think about your phone bill. Some people pay it monthly, while others pay yearly to save money. Website maintenance works the same way.
Monthly website maintenance cost
On average, a website may cost anywhere from $50 to $5,000 per month to maintain. What does this cover?
Things like:
- Paying for hosting (the “house” where your website lives online)
- Domain renewal (your website’s “address”)
- Security updates to keep hackers out
- Backups in case something goes wrong
- Small content or design updates
Annual website maintenance cost
Instead of paying month by month, some businesses pay yearly.
This can sometimes save money, just like paying your rent upfront often gets you a discount.
For example:
- A small website might cost $400–$3,000 per year.
- A medium-sized website might cost $3,000–$10,000 per year.
- Large websites or online stores might cost $10,000–$50,000+ per year.
Paying yearly is good if you want to plan ahead and avoid surprise bills.
2. Cost ranges for small, medium, and large businesses
Let’s break it down further by business size.
Small businesses
Think of small shops, personal blogs, or local restaurants. These websites are usually simple and don’t have too many pages.
Average cost: $50 to $300 per month, or $400 to $3,000 per year.
It covers: hosting, domain, security updates, occasional content changes.
If you just need a basic website with a few updates, you’ll be on the lower end of this range.
Medium businesses
These are companies that get more visitors, need professional design, and want to keep adding content regularly.
Average cost: $300 to $1,000 per month, or $3,000 to $10,000 per year.
It covers: Everything small businesses get, plus stronger security, more storage, faster servers, and regular updates.
For example, a small law firm or a school might fall into this category.
Large businesses
Now we’re talking about online stores, large media websites, or platforms that handle thousands of visitors daily.
Average cost: $1,000 to $5,000+ per month, or $10,000 to $50,000+ per year.
It covers: Advanced hosting, full-time monitoring, constant updates, round-the-clock support, and custom features.
Think about websites like Amazon, or Netflix. They spend huge amounts to make sure their websites never crash.
3. In-house vs outsourcing costs
Should you maintain your website yourself, hire someone inside your company, or pay an outside expert?
Let’s compare.
In-house (doing It yourself or hiring staff)
If you or your employee handles website maintenance, here’s what it means:
- You’ll save money on outside fees, but you’ll spend more time.
- You need technical knowledge (or must hire someone with it).
Hiring a full-time staff member could cost $40,000 to $80,000 per year depending on skill level.
For small businesses, this is usually too expensive.
Outsourcing (hiring an agency or freelancer)
This is when you pay an outside website design agency or website design freelancer to handle everything.
Monthly packages usually cost $100 to $1,000+ depending on your website’s needs.
You don’t have to worry about technical stuff… they handle it all.
It’s more flexible, since you can scale up or down depending on your budget.
For most small and medium businesses, outsourcing is cheaper and less stressful than hiring staff.
6 key factors that affect website maintenance cost
When people hear the word “website maintenance,” they often think it’s just about paying for internet data or keeping the website online.
But in reality, there are several things that add up to the cost of running a website month after month.
Think of it like owning a house. Buying the house is one thing, but you also need to pay for electricity, water, security, repairs, and cleaning.
A website works the same way. Once it’s built, it needs care in different areas. And each area affects how much money you’ll spend.
Let’s look at the 6 main factors that affect website maintenance cost…
1. Website type (blog, e-commerce, or corporate site)
Not all websites are the same.
The type of website you own plays a big role in how much it costs to maintain.
- Blog: A personal blog or hobby website is usually the cheapest to maintain. You don’t need heavy security or advanced features. Most blogs cost $50 to $300 per month to keep running.
- Corporate site: A company website with many pages, service details, and customer forms will cost more. Why? Because you’ll need stronger hosting, regular updates, and customer support. These can cost $300 to $1,000+ per month.
- E-commerce website: This is the most expensive type. Online stores need strong security (because of payments), regular updates, fast speed, and extra storage for products and images. They can easily cost $1,000 to $5,000 per month, depending on size.
In short: the more complex your website is, the higher the maintenance cost.
2. Hosting and domain fees
Every website needs two basic things:
- A domain (your web address, like www.yoursite.com)
- A hosting service (the “house” where your website lives online)
Domain fees:
Domains are usually cheap. You pay once per year.
Average domain cost: $10 to $50 per year.
If you want a premium domain (like besthotels.com), it can cost hundreds or even thousands.
Hosting fees:
Hosting is where the real cost comes in. The price depends on the size and traffic of your website.
Small websites: $5 to $30/month (shared hosting).
Medium websites: $30 to $100/month (VPS or managed hosting).
Large websites/e-commerce: $100 to $1,000+/month (dedicated servers, cloud hosting).
Hosting is like rent. The bigger your “house” (website) and the more guests you expect, the higher the rent.
3. Security and SSL certificates
Security is a must. Without it, your website can be hacked, spammed, or even shut down.
- SSL certificate: This is the padlock you see in the browser bar (https://). It tells visitors your website is safe. Some hosting providers give it free, but advanced SSL can cost $50 to $300 per year.
- Extra security tools: If you want firewalls, malware protection, and 24/7 monitoring, it can add $10 to $100 per month.
For e-commerce websites, strong security is non-negotiable because people are entering their credit card details.
Skipping security is like leaving your house doors open all night. Cheap now, but costly later.
4. Software updates and plugins
Most websites today are built on platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or Wix.
These platforms use software and plugins (add-ons that give your website extra functions).
Software updates: The software and plugins need regular updates to fix bugs and add new features. Updates are usually free, but you’ll pay for the time or service of someone who installs them.
Premium plugins: Many useful plugins aren’t free. For example:
- SEO tools: $150–$500 per year
- Advanced forms: $30–$200 per year
- E-commerce features: $100–$500 per year
If you have 5–10 paid plugins, the cost adds up quickly.
Think of plugins like apps on your phone. Some are free, some are paid, and the more you install, the higher your monthly bill.
5. Design and content updates
Websites can’t stay the same forever.
You’ll always need small changes, like adding new blog posts, updating your product catalog, or changing the design to look fresh.
- Content updates: Adding blog posts, uploading photos, or editing text. Average cost is $50–$200+ per update if you hire someone.
- Design updates: Redesigning a page, creating new graphics, or refreshing the look. Small tweaks cost $100–$500
- Full redesign: $2,000–$10,000+ (but not needed every month)
Just like repainting your living room or fixing the tiles in your house, websites also need updates to stay modern.
6. Tech support and troubleshooting
What happens if your website suddenly crashes?
Or the contact form stops working?
That’s where tech support comes in.
- Freelancers: Some charge $50–$150/hour to fix problems.
- Agencies: Maintenance packages often include support in the monthly fee.
- 24/7 support: This costs more but gives you peace of mind.
It’s like having a mechanic for your car. You don’t always need them, but when something breaks, you’re glad they’re there.
Wrapping up
Keeping a website running is just like keeping a shop open.
You don’t just build it once and leave it. You pay rent, clean the space, fix broken things, and keep it safe for customers.
A website works the same way. From hosting and domain fees to updates, security, and support, website maintenance cost is really about making sure your website is always open, safe, and welcoming.
The truth is, the cost can feel confusing, and it’s easy to get stuck trying to figure out what’s worth paying for. That’s where we come in.
At Block Agency, we make it simple. We help digital agencies (SEO agency, PPC agency, email marketing agency, etc) build and manage websites that stay fresh, secure, and ready to impress clients.
Instead of worrying about updates or surprise bills, let us handle the work for you… so you can focus on growing your business.
Talk to us here: hey@blockagency.co
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average website maintenance cost per year?
The average website maintenance cost per year can be anywhere from $400 to $50,000. A small blog may spend $400–$1,000 yearly, while medium business websites spend $3,000–$10,000. Large e-commerce websites may spend $10,000–$50,000 depending on features, traffic, and security needs.
How much should a small business budget for website maintenance?
A small business should budget between $50 and $300 each month, or $400 to $3,000 yearly, for website maintenance. This covers hosting, domain renewal, security, backups, and occasional updates. The cost may be higher if the website has many pages, e-commerce features, or custom designs.
