Website maintenance cost: what to expect

Website maintenance cost splits into two models: hourly billing and flat monthly plans. Hourly rates start around $25 and run past $100 depending on the provider; monthly plans range from about $35 to $500. The gap comes from what is included.

Hourly rates: $25 to $100+

Freelancers and small agencies commonly charge $25 to $75 an hour for ad-hoc website work. Larger agencies charge $100 and up. The risk with hourly billing is surprise invoices when a security update takes longer than expected or a plugin breaks something.

Monthly plans: $35 to $500

Monthly maintenance plans bundle updates, backups, security monitoring and a set number of edits into one recurring fee. Basic plans start around $35 a month and typically cover WordPress core updates and daily backups. Fuller plans at $200 to $500 add speed optimization, security hardening and a larger edit allowance.

A flat managed plan at $69.99

Social Prizm includes maintenance in the $69.99 website plan: 4 edits a month with a 2-business-day turnaround, security monitoring, backups and hosting care. For sites built elsewhere, a flat monthly figure is quoted after a free review.

Website maintenance covers the full service.