When it comes to building a website, WordPress is one of the most popular and versatile platforms available. Its flexibility allows for a range of development projects, from full-site builds to custom plugins and specific feature implementations. But how much does WordPress development cost?
The answer to this question varies significantly based on the scope and complexity of the project, as well as the expertise of the developer. For example, you might pay anywhere between $500 and $15,000 for a full WordPress website. Additionally, developers can charge more for ecommerce sites, as these require more advanced features like user registration and management.
In this guide, we’ll look at the typical costs associated with different types of WordPress development projects. We’ll pull data from popular freelance sites and highlight the factors that can influence these costs. After that, we’ll discuss whether you should opt for a WordPress development agency rather than a freelancer. Let’s get started!
Costs of different development projects
WordPress development encompasses many different projects and tasks. In this section, we’ll cover the most common services. For each one, we’ll look at what’s included and provide a ballpark cost estimate.
Note that the prices are based on industry standards, with data pulled from popular freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr. Later on, we’ll take a closer look at these costs by showing examples from these platforms.
Full-site development
As the name suggests, full-site development is a comprehensive service that handles the creation and launch of a website. The cost for this service depends on the size and type of site you want. So, let’s look at the cost differences for basic and custom websites, as well as prices for an ecommerce site.
Basic website development
A basic WordPress website is perfect for small businesses, bloggers, and individuals looking to establish an online presence. This type of project usually involves setting up a pre-designed theme, configuring essential plugins, and adding basic content.
What’s included in the service:
- Installation of WordPress
- Web hosting and domain name registration
- Theme setup and customization
- Essential plugins and features (like security tools and contact forms)
- Basic search engine optimization (SEO)
- Around 10 – 15 content pages
Cost range: $500 – $3,000
Custom website development
For businesses and professionals that need a more branded online presence, a custom website is the way to go. This involves creating a unique design from scratch and developing functionality that’s tailored to your needs. Therefore, this is usually more expensive.
What’s included in the service:
- Custom design tailored to your brand identity
- Advanced plugins and integrations
- Custom functionality (like membership areas or e-commerce features)
- SEO optimization on a more advanced level
- Mobile responsiveness and web accessibility
Cost range: $3,000 – $15,000
Ecommerce website development
Setting up an online store with WordPress typically involves using WooCommerce. That said, your business may require more advanced settings than what’s available in the base version of the plugin.
For example, you might want better inventory management tools, more interactive product pages, or additional payment options.
What’s included in the service:
- WooCommerce setup and configuration
- Custom product pages
- Payment gateway integration
- Shipping and tax setup
- Inventory management
- Custom functionalities (like product filters and advanced searches)
- Security enhancements
Cost range: $2,000 – $20,000+
Custom functionality
You might already have a website but need additional features or custom functionality. In this case, you wouldn’t look for full-site development services.
Instead, it’s best to find a professional who can work on a singular aspect of your website. So, let’s look at two main services: plugin development and feature implementation.
Plugin development
If your website requires specific functionality that isn’t available through existing plugins, you might need a developer to build you a custom plugin. This can range from simple tweaks to completely new features.
For instance, a developer might be able to add code to an existing plugin to tailor its functionality to your needs. Of course, this will be a lot cheaper than if they have to create a custom plugin from scratch.
What’s included in the service:
- Assessment and planning of requirements
- Plugin development and testing
- Integration with the existing site
- Ongoing support and updates
Cost range: $500 – $10,000+
Feature implementation
Sometimes, you don’t need a full-site overhaul or a custom plugin, but rather a specific feature added to your existing site. This could be anything from a new contact form to custom search functionality.
Examples of popular features you can integrate into your website:
- Custom contact forms
- Advanced search and filtering features
- A booking system that’s tailored to the exact nature of your business
- Custom post types and taxonomies
Cost range: $200 – $5,000
Cost breakdown from popular freelance sites
To give you a more concrete idea of WordPress development costs, let’s look at data from popular freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr. Note that some freelancers charge per hour, while others have a fixed price per project.
Once again, these are just standard prices in the freelance development industry. Some professionals may charge more if they’ve worked with high-profile clients, have more experience, or specialize in certain areas.
Upwork
This platform helps businesses find the right experts for their projects. It has a large pool of development professionals with expertise in WordPress and ecommerce:
Most WordPress developers on this platform charge a fixed price of $80-100 for a basic website that contains one page and three or five plugins. But for slightly larger websites (between five and ten pages), prices can go up to $600:
Surprisingly, ecommerce development is in the same price range. Rates start at around $100 – $200 for a basic WooCommerce site and go up to $500 – $600 for larger websites:
However, many freelancers only handle a maximum of 20 to 50 products. If you have a very large store, you might struggle to find ecommerce developers on freelancer platforms that can take on bigger projects.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another popular platform for freelancers. If you’re looking for custom WordPress plugin development, you’ll notice that prices vary significantly, usually falling in the range of $100 – $3,000:
Costs for a WooCommerce website vary as well. Although high-quality professionals on Fiverr charge at least $1,000 for this service:
Some developers even start rates at $3,500. Prices on the lower end of the scale ($100 – $900) may only include a few pages and products for your website.
Factors that influence web development costs
As you have seen, it’s difficult to determine an exact price for your project. Different professionals charge different prices, and there are several factors that can affect the final cost:
- Your requirements. The more complex your requirements, the higher the cost. Custom functionalities, integrations with third-party services, and advanced features make projects more expensive.
- The developer’s experience. Experienced professionals with a strong portfolio typically charge more. However, these experts can also deliver higher quality work, which might save you money in the long run by avoiding costly mistakes and revisions.
- Project timeline. If you need your project completed quickly, you might have to pay a premium. You’ll often find that developers charge extra if they’re required to meet tight deadlines.
It’s important to remember that websites – especially those that are frequently updated – require ongoing maintenance and support. Some developers offer these services as part of a package, while others set hourly or monthly rates.
Therefore, when considering the cost of WordPress development, it’s crucial to balance cost with quality. Cheaper options might save you money upfront but could lead to problems down the road if the work is not up to standard.
Should you opt for a WordPress development agency instead?
As you may have noticed, this WordPress development pricing guide was based on the costs of hiring a freelancer. This is because such data is readily available on freelancer platforms.
But, if your WordPress project is for a large online store or a highly custom site, you might consider opting for a WordPress development agency instead.
Typically, WordPress development agencies do not publish their fees, as most of them offer custom quotes based on your needs. While agencies may charge more than freelancers, you’ll likely get a more reliable and better quality service.
At Freshy, we offer a comprehensive WordPress development service that’s fully tailored to your needs:
You’ll get your own project manager who’ll carefully evaluate your requirements and goals. Plus, our in-house team is made up of WordPress experts who specialize in areas like SEO, speed optimization, ecommerce, and more.
If you already have a website but it’s built on another platform, that’s not a problem. We can help you migrate your content to WordPress and add new functionality or features to suit your requirements.
We cater to both small businesses and enterprises, and the cost will reflect the scope of your project. However, you’ll also be able to get ongoing support, secure hosting and backups, regular updates, and more.
This means that, even after your site has been created and launched, we hang about to ensure that it runs smoothly. This way, you don’t have to worry about maintaining your site or paying extra for support.
Conclusion
WordPress development costs vary widely depending on the scope of the project, the complexity of your requirements, and the expertise of the developer. Plus, some development services (like custom functionality) may cost more than basic tasks like WordPress setups.
Investing in quality WordPress development can pay off in the long run. Therefore, you might want to opt for an agency like Freshy, rather than hire a freelancer. This way, you can ensure that your website is tailored to your specific needs and receives ongoing support.
At Freshy, we offer custom WordPress development plans for small and large businesses. Get a quote today!
Featured image: Pexels
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