Guide · Updated October 2026

How Much Does It Cost to Maintain a Website Each Year?

What does website maintenance cost? The yearly costs of domains, hosting, updates, security and edits, and how to keep maintenance affordable.

How Much Does It Cost to Maintain a Website Each Year?

Short answer: maintaining a small business website usually means paying for a domain, hosting, security and occasional updates every year. The total depends mostly on whether you do the work yourself or pay for a plan that handles it.

What website maintenance includes

  • Domain renewal every year.
  • Hosting to keep the site online.
  • Security updates for the platform, themes and plugins.
  • Backups so you can recover from problems.
  • Content edits such as prices, photos, staff and opening hours.
  • Monitoring for downtime, broken forms and speed.

DIY maintenance versus a plan

Doing it yourself costs less cash but takes time every month, and a missed update can lead to a hacked or broken site. A maintenance plan costs more in fees but removes the risk and frees your time. For most owners the right choice depends on how much an hour of their time is worth.

Maintenance included in one monthly fee.

SiteDrum builds fast, mobile-first websites from $99 setup and $15 a month, with hosting, security, Google setup and support included. Already have a site that is slow or broken? Try Website Rescue or run our free speed test.

Costs people forget

  • Plugin and theme licence renewals.
  • Emergency fixes after a hack or failed update.
  • Price rises when introductory hosting deals end.
  • Business email subscriptions.

How to keep maintenance affordable

  1. Use fewer plugins and apps.
  2. Choose a fast, secure platform, such as a static site, that needs less patching.
  3. Pick a plan with edits and security included.
  4. Avoid long contracts.

The bottom line

Every website needs some maintenance. Simple, well built sites cost far less to look after, and an all-inclusive plan turns unpredictable bills into one fixed fee.

Frequently asked questions

Can I skip website maintenance?

Skipping updates and backups risks security problems, broken features and lost data.

How often should a website be updated?

Security updates as soon as they are released, and content whenever your business changes.

Is maintenance included in hosting?

Usually not. Basic hosting just stores your files. Updates and edits are often extra.

Do static websites need less maintenance?

Yes. With no database or plugins to patch, there is much less to maintain.

Want a website that brings you customers?

Tell us what you do on WhatsApp and we will send a fixed quote and a free mockup.

Get my free mockup

Related guides

How Much Do Web Designers Charge? Hourly, Project and Monthly PricingRead guide →How Much Does an Ecommerce Website Cost for a Small Shop?Read guide →How Much Does a One-Page Website Cost? Is It Enough?Read guide →WordPress vs Website Builders: Which Is Better for a Small Business?Read guide →

Our products

Starter website$99 setup, $15 a monthBusiness website$249 setup, $29 a monthPremium website$499 setup, $59 a monthWebsite RescueFix a slow, broken or hacked siteFree speed testCheck your site in secondsSample websitesSee designs for your industry

Website design near you

Website design in LondonWebsite design in New YorkWebsite design in TorontoWebsite design in OsloWebsite design in EindhovenWebsite design in ManchesterWebsite design in OxfordWebsite design in ChristchurchWebsite design in BristolWebsite design in DubaiAll cities →

SiteDrum home · All guides · Sitemap · Contact us

All guides

Contact us

Tell us about your business

Send a message and we reply within one working day with a fixed quote. Prefer to chat? WhatsApp us or book a free 15-minute call.

We only use your details to reply to you. See our privacy policy.
Chat on WhatsAppBook a free call