A website is not a one-time purchase. Like a car, it needs regular servicing to stay safe and reliable. This guide explains what maintenance includes, what it costs and how to tell a good plan from a bad one.
Short answer: professional maintenance for a small or medium business website usually costs $50–$200 per month. E-commerce and high-traffic sites cost more. Doing it yourself is free in money but costs time — and risk.
What website maintenance includes
- Software updates — WordPress core, plugins and themes (or Shopify theme and app updates)
- Backups — automatic, stored off-site and tested so they can actually be restored
- Security — malware scanning, firewall rules, login protection
- Uptime monitoring — alerts the moment the site goes down
- Performance — checking speed and Core Web Vitals so the site doesn’t slow down over time
- Content changes — updating text, images, prices and team details
- Reporting — a monthly summary of what was done
Typical maintenance costs
| Option | Typical monthly cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | $0 + your time | Only what you remember to do |
| Hosting “managed” add-ons | $5–$30 | Automatic backups and updates, rarely testing or edits |
| Freelancer | $30–$150 | Varies widely; reliability is the main risk |
| Professional care plan | $50–$200 | Tested updates, backups, security, edits, reports |
| Agency retainer | $500+ | Includes ongoing development and marketing support |
What skipping maintenance really costs
The cost of maintenance is easy to see. The cost of not maintaining a site shows up all at once:
- Hack cleanup: often $100–$500+, plus lost trust if customers see a warning
- Downtime: every hour offline means missed enquiries or sales
- Lost rankings: hacked or slow sites can drop in Google
- Emergency rebuilds: when a site is too outdated to update safely
How to choose a maintenance plan
- Are updates tested? Blind auto-updates are how sites break.
- Where are backups stored? Backups on the same server disappear with the server.
- What happens if you get hacked? Is cleanup included?
- How do content edits work? Clear allowance, or vague promises?
- Is there a contract? Good providers don’t need to lock you in.
Our maintenance plans
Our plans are $49/month (Basic Care), $99/month (Growth Care) and $199/month (Business Care) — ₹1,999, ₹3,999 and ₹7,999 in India. No contract, cancel anytime. See what each plan includes.
Website design, development and maintenance for businesses worldwide. Our founder has built websites for 53 brands across manufacturing, finance, healthcare and retail.