"How much will this cost?" is the first question every client asks me as a freelance WordPress developer, and the honest answer is "it depends". That's not very useful on its own, so here's what it actually depends on, real reference prices, and how to compare quotes without getting burned.
- Landing page
- from $200
- 5-page WordPress site
- from $500
- WooCommerce store
- from $900
- Fixes, per task
- from $50
- Care plan, monthly
- from $49
- Hourly rate
- from $25
What WordPress developers charge per hour
Rates vary hugely by experience, location and how the developer is hired. One useful public benchmark is Codeable, a vetted WordPress marketplace: it estimates projects at $80 to $120 an hour, plus a 17.5% service fee on top. US-based agencies often charge more. Offshore freelancers often charge less. My own rate is $25 an hour, and most projects are quoted at a fixed price.
What WordPress projects cost
Hourly rates matter less than the total. Codeable publishes starting prices for common jobs:
| Project type | Codeable starting price |
|---|---|
| Speed and security optimization | from $420 |
| Custom plugin development | from $960 |
| Custom theme development | from $980 |
| Website design and development | from $2,500 |
| Ecommerce site design and development | from $3,200 |
My own starting prices: landing page from $200 · 5-page site from $500 · WooCommerce store from $900 · fixes from $50.
What drives the price up or down
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Custom design vs a theme. A unique design takes longer than adapting a good theme.
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Number of unique templates. Ten pages that share two layouts cost less than five pages that are all different.
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Functionality. Booking, memberships, multilingual, ecommerce and integrations add time.
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Content. Writing, migrating or formatting lots of content is real work. Make sure the quote says who does it.
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Speed and quality standards. Building to pass Core Web Vitals and accessibility checks takes care.
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Deadline. Rush jobs usually cost more.
Hourly or fixed price?
Fixed price suits a clear scope: you know the pages and features. Hourly suits ongoing work and unclear problems, like "my site is slow and I don't know why". For fixed price, insist on a written scope. For hourly, ask for an estimate range and weekly updates.
How to compare WordPress quotes
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Line up what's included: pages, templates, revisions, content entry, training, support after launch.
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Ask how many plugins they plan to use, and why.
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Ask how they'll test speed before launch.
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Check who owns the site, hosting and accounts at the end (it should be you).
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Ask to see two live sites they built that are similar to yours.
Cheap quotes that end up expensive
The lowest quote often skips the work you can't see: clean structure, speed, security and training. That's why so much of my work is rebuilding sites that were cheap the first time. Pay for the right scope once.
Want a straight quote for your WordPress project? Send me the details and you'll get a fixed price in writing.