WordPress maintenance cost in Spain usually falls between €15 and €60 a month for a blog or a simple business site, between €60 and €150 for a site with many plugins, forms or several languages, and between €150 and €400 for a WooCommerce store. That fee pays for four things: updates, backups, security and someone checking that everything still works after updating.
These are indicative ranges. What moves them is not the size of the company but how many parts the installation has and what an hour of downtime costs you.
Why WordPress needs its own maintenance
A WordPress site is not a single program. It is three layers made by different authors, each with its own update calendar: the WordPress core, the theme that gives it its look and the plugins that add features. Underneath is the server's PHP version, which also reaches end of life.
This has two consequences. First, updates come very often, and many of them close security holes. Second, updating one part can break another. By default WordPress installs minor core security releases automatically; the rest depends on how each installation is configured. That is why maintenance is not pressing the update button, but doing so with a safety net.
The tasks common to any website (renewals, downtime monitoring, fixed fee or block of hours) are in the general article on website maintenance cost. Here I focus on what is specific to WordPress. If your site does not use WordPress or any other content management system, maintenance is simpler: at posicionament-web the website maintenance plan for static sites costs €250 a year (VAT not included).
What WordPress maintenance includes
Updates in the right order
The correct procedure is always the same: full backup, update (on a staging copy if the site is a store or has heavy traffic), check of the key pages and, if something fails, roll back. What you pay for is the check, not the click.
Backups
A WordPress backup has two parts: the database (text, orders, users) and the files (images, theme, plugins). Backups must include both, be stored off the server and have been restored at least once so you know they work. A store needs a daily database backup; a site that changes once a month is fine with a weekly one.
Security
- Review which users have administrator rights and remove the ones not needed.
- Strong passwords and two-step verification at login.
- Limit login attempts.
- Detect plugins abandoned by their authors and replace them.
- Check for modified files and, if there is an infection, clean it.
Plugins and theme
What I find most often when reviewing an old installation is plugins nobody remembers installing. Every plugin is code that has to be maintained: good maintenance takes an inventory, deactivates and deletes the unused ones and makes sure paid licences are current, because without a licence they stop receiving updates.
Server, forms and speed
A compatible PHP version, database clean-up, checking that forms send and emails arrive, and a speed review, since WordPress slows down easily as plugins are added. If that part interests you, there is the guide to web speed and SEO.
WordPress maintenance cost by plan
| Plan | What it covers | Price per month | Price per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Monthly updates, weekly backup, downtime monitoring | €15 – €60 | €200 – €700 |
| Standard | Updates with checks, daily backup, active security, forms, one or two hours of changes | €60 – €150 | €700 – €1,800 |
| Advanced (WooCommerce) | Staging environment, test purchase after every update, fast response, more support hours | €150 – €400 | €1,800 – €4,800 |
On top of the fee, allow for these items if they are not included:
- Licences for paid theme and plugins: together, often between €50 and €300 a year.
- Hosting: €60-300 a year on a good shared plan.
- Hours outside the plan: €35-70 an hour.
- Cleaning an infected site: €150-500 per job.
Which plan to choose by type of site
- Blog or business site with few pages and fewer than ten plugins: basic plan. Think of an architect in Girona with a presentation site.
- Site with a visual page builder, lead forms, bookings or several languages: standard plan. There are more parts that can clash, and a broken form shows up in the takings.
- WooCommerce store: advanced plan. An update that breaks checkout is a closed shop, and that has to be tested before, not after. Think of a cured-meat shop in Vic that sells mostly in December.
- Site with registered users or courses: advanced too, because of the personal data it holds.
If you do it yourself: monthly routine
On a simple site it is perfectly doable. Set aside an hour a month and always follow the same order:
- Make a full backup and download it.
- Update plugins first, then the theme and finally the core.
- Open the home page, an inner page and the form; send yourself a test.
- Delete inactive plugins and themes.
- Review the list of administrator users.
- Check Search Console for security warnings or new errors.
Mistakes that turn out expensive
- Updating without a backup. The day it fails, there is no way back.
- Keeping backups only on the same server. If the server goes down, they go with it.
- Switching on every automatic update on a store with nobody looking at the result.
- Using paid plugins downloaded from unofficial sites. It is a common route for infections.
- Leaving an old PHP version for years because it works.
- Never testing the form.
Frequently asked questions
How much does WordPress maintenance cost per month?
Between €15 and €60 on a basic plan, €60-150 on a standard one and €150-400 for a WooCommerce store. These are indicative ranges.
How often should WordPress be updated?
Security updates, as soon as they are released. Everything else, at least once a month, always with a backup first.
Are automatic updates enough?
They help with core security, but they do not make backups, do not check that the site still works and do not review abandoned plugins.
Does maintenance include plugin licences?
It depends on the supplier. Ask: together they can add up to between €50 and €300 a year, and without a licence the plugin stops updating.
If you do not know how many plugins your site has or when the last backup was made, that is the first thing to clear up. Ask for a free initial analysis and we will tell you what state it is in before you decide which plan you need.
