Everyone knows that hosting your blog can become a costly affair, and the question of cost arises in every new blogger’s mind.
How much is it going to cost to create a self-hosted WordPress blog?
There is no upper limit when it comes to blog investment, and in this guide, I will share the minimum amount you need to spend to create a professional blog that you can proudly share with the world.
How much does it cost to start a WordPress Blog?
With WordPress, you can start a blog with very little money.
The WordPress software is free. You can download it from the WordPress.org page.
Still, there are some other necessary elements that you will have to pay for (such as a domain name and a hosting space). These extra costs will depend on your specific requirements.
You may also choose to invest in customization, SEO, or other factors along the way. These things may also cost money.
If your intent is simply to start a blog on WordPress, you can start with a minimal cost of $60 for unlimited hosting and a free domain with Bluehost hosting. The best part, Bluehost will auto-install WordPress software for you.
Domain Cost for running a WordPress site: $8 every year
The first element you need to shop for is a domain. Having a domain name is like buying property and giving an address for your new website.
You need to ensure that your domain name is brandable or, at least, keyword rich.
You should choose a domain with either .com, .org, or .net. If you purchase through Bluehost, you will get a free domain, which saves you a decent amount.
In case you need to buy additional domains, Namesilo is one of the better cheap domain registrars.
- Namesilo: Buy cheap domain names
- Cloudflare domain registrar: $7.85 for a .com domain
- NameCheap: Another popular website like GoDaddy to buy a domain name
Here are some guides which will help you in selecting your domain name:
WordPress Web-Hosting Cost: $56-$100
This is one major investment that you will be making in the process of starting your own WordPress blog.
I would suggest that you do not compromise on the quality of your hosting service. You should try to get reliable (yet affordable) web hosting. For a new blog, shared hosting is best.
Here are some recommended WordPress hosting services along with prices for one year:
WordPress Set-up cost: Mostly free
There are many tutorials and resources available on the internet that will let you learn how to install WordPress.
Here are some of the tutorials I’ve written which you can use to guide you through the process of installing WordPress and setting up your blog:
- 8 Essential Settings After Installing WordPress
- Must have WordPress Plugins (Our exclusive list)
You can easily follow our DIY guides above to get everything done.
However, if you find that this requires too much technical knowledge for you at this point, or you don’t have the time, you can take advantage of ShoutMeLoud’s WordPress services.
You can also refer to our WordPress guide page for more WordPress resources.
WordPress Theme Cost: (Free to $400)
From my experience, the toughest task is to choose the right theme for your site in terms of speed, price, and functionalities. There are many free WordPress themes, but they are missing some of the important aspects of premium WordPress themes.
If you are looking for a low-cost solution, I suggest Genesis Theme or Astra theme.
WordPress Premium Plugins: ($47-$200)
One of the major benefits of WordPress is its great list of free plugins, many of which can be found at the WordPress plugin repo.
There are also many premium plugins that are available at varying costs.
Technically, as a new blogger wanting to start your blog with minimal investment, you may not need any premium services or plugins. But if you don’t have an investment issue, you can grab some of the premium plugins to help you increase your site’s functionality (like boosting your on-page SEO optimization).
- Here’s a list of plugins I use at ShoutMeLoud
Now let’s figure out how much WordPress blog costs (where you will be doing everything on your own):
- Basic setup with the free theme: $70
- Basic setup with the premium WordPress theme: $110
- Professional setup with Astra theme: $399
- Professional setup with various premium elements: $499-$1499
As a new blogger, you can consider using a basic setup with a premium WordPress theme.
Here is a FAQ related to WordPress costs:
WordPress is the cheapest way to put your website or blog up. Especially for anyone looking to build a business online, WordPress’s cost is minuscule compared to other platforms.
Yes, there are many monthly hosting where you can pay monthly. However, pre-payment for a year or more helps you save a significant portion of the money. I discussed this in-depth in my earlier guide on saving money on WordPress hosting.
Yes, there are many ways you can accept payments on WordPress. Be it PayPal or Stripe, there are many WordPress plugins out there.
Apart from WordPress hosting cost, you should consider paying between $100-$500 for building a website on WordPress.
Once your website is up and running, the only cost you would pay is:
Hosting Renewal
Domain name renewal
And if you are using any Premium plugins, renewal for that.
Let me know if you have any other questions regarding the setting up of your new self-hosted WordPress blog!
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Do we need to purchase theme and plugins ? (they are not free on WordPress)
@Satish
There are many free WordPress plugin and themes. You can find them here:
https://wordpress.org/plugins/
https://wordpress.org/themes/
Hi Harsh,
Thanks for the inspiring words. I am planning to open a technical blog by using a WordPress Automatic Plugin. (using RSS feed from renowned sites.) will it feasible or is it legal to use that plugin? Please let me know. thanks.
@Debajit
Such auto-blogging doesnot work anymore in 2020, and IMO, is a waste of time. You should rather create original content, that will help you achieve your goal with blogging.
As always a valuable post! Yes, cost is definitely a key factor for new bloggers, when it comes to picking up the right host or theme. Rather than selecting an inexpensive option in a hurry, I feel thorough research should be done about each aspect of self-hosting. And I am sure your post will help show the right direction!
Well it was great relief to know difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org
I have a question-
Should i start a blog with the help of WordPress.com and see how people respond to it and then can i move to WordPress.org
Because currently i don’t have enough money for WordPress.org but i wanted to start a blog
@Jagrat
Yes, you can always start a blog with WordPress.com, and move to self-hosted WordPress in the near future.
However, if you know you can make money from blogging, why not invest a little (as low as $100), and do it seriously. It is worth it!
I am not a programmer, I can not install a website myself. So, I rented a company that set me up a WordPress website, and it cost me almost $ 200 (not including the cost of hosting and domain hosting) – I’m in Vietnam.
Hi Dear sir, Thanks for a great post and a list of seriously useful resources. I particularly like the way you have shown how we can start with free ones and then upgrade to paid as “things” scale up.
I daren’t think how much I have spent to get started although it’s very much on the low end compared to the list for a blog pre Eur.
I was “taken in” by the blogging is free hype initially, but I’m now on a mission to warn people they need to have a budget. In fact, I think trying to do everything “free” cost me more in wasted time, lost profits and re-starts.
Harsh, I am planning to get bluehost hosting to start a tech news related blog but it will be my first time in WordPress. My budget is max $150 including all cost like theme, SEO plugin and if there is any others.
If I choose basic then should I include “Search Engine Jumpstart”, site backup & lock?
@Rifat
Don’t include ““Search Engine Jumpstart”, site backup & SiteLock Security. There are WordPress plugins that will help you use all of these for free.
What is the difference between blur like bluehost and hostgator. Do you have any article written about how to install WordPress on hostgator , I would like to go for the hostgator as it is cheaper than blue host. And in what hosting platform does shoutmeloud running?
Hey Sumit,
Bluehost is better than HostGator in terms of customer service and uptime. You can read this article for installing WordPress on hostgator:https://www.shoutmeloud.com/how-to-install-wordpress-on-hostgator.html
Also, ShoutMeloud is hosted on a managed hosting called Kinsta
@Priti
How much you paid in total? Have you got email from GoDaddy for your hosting account?
GoDaddy customer support is your best bet to help you on this.
Hey
i bought a domain name @ godaddy 128rs. and am unable to find to proceed through hostgator and WordPress. I somehow made it into WordPress free and it consists of priyankapicks.WordPress.com now. and upgrading it into priyankapicks. com is costing around7000rs. plus I am unable to understand hostgator thing. what am I expected to to at hostgator. please if someone can help, reply soooooon.
Hi harsh agrawal,
Nice article buddy, i started to follow you and wants good tricks on blogging. I wanna start blogging on wordpress. I wanna ask you that which is the best plugins in WordPress for seo. And tell me one tging how can i make SEO proof article, have you a demo article, so i follow that demo and make good articke with proper seo.
@Dhaval
Start from here: https://www.shoutmeloud.com/best-recommended-seo-wordpress-plugins.html