Website builder or WordPress: what the first and third year cost
WordPress hosting is cheaper in the first term, but its renewal price changes the picture. This guide sets list prices side by side for year one and year three.
The short answer
On list prices, WordPress hosting is the cheaper start and the gap closes by year three. A 12-month plan at Hostinger costs $47.88 in the first year and $131.88 a year after renewal; Bluehost costs $50.88 and then $143.88. The cheapest builder plans cost the same every year: $120 for Framer Basic, $144 for Squarespace Basic, $180 for Webflow Basic. By year three, hosting alone is above Framer Basic and close to Squarespace Basic.
The figures are not like for like. The hosting prices cover hosting only, the builder prices include the editor and come with plan limits, and none of them include everything you will pay.
Year one and year three, side by side
| Option | Year 1 | Year 3 | Three years in total | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger Premium WordPress, 12-month terms | $47.88 | $131.88 | $311.64 | Hosting only; first-term price, then the renewal price |
| Bluehost Starter WordPress, 12-month terms | $50.88 | $143.88 | $338.64 | Hosting only; first-term price, then the renewal price |
| Framer Basic, yearly billing | $120 | $120 | $360 | Builder; 30 pages and 2 CMS collections |
| Squarespace Basic, annual billing | $144 | $144 | $432 | Builder; 2% fee on online-store sales |
| Webflow Basic, yearly billing | $180 | $180 | $540 | Builder; no CMS |
| Webflow Premium, yearly billing | $300 | $300 | $900 | Builder; CMS, entry bandwidth tier |
What is not in these numbers
What the vendors' own pages say about the extras:
- Domain. Squarespace lists a free custom domain and Framer lists a complimentary domain on yearly billing. Webflow Basic lists a custom domain; we did not collect any host's domain price.
- Fees on sales. Squarespace Basic charges 2% on online-store sales and 7% on digital content and memberships; Core charges 0% and 5%.
- Limits. Framer Basic includes 30 pages, 2 CMS collections and 50 GB of bandwidth. Webflow Basic includes 300 static pages and 10 GB of bandwidth and has no CMS. Squarespace Basic includes up to 2 contributors.
- WordPress. The hosting prices above exclude the theme, plugins and the time to keep the site updated; we did not collect those costs. For plan limits and renewal terms see WordPress hosting prices: promo vs renewal rates.
Elementor
Visual page builder for WordPress sold as editor plans and the Elementor One suite.
€5/mo, billed yearly
- term commitment
- varies by region
Verified — An editor checked this value against the official source on the date shown.
Which way to lean
Our reading, not vendor advice:
- Lean towards WordPress hosting when you need many pages, a large CMS or full control of plugins and you are happy to maintain the site yourself, and budget for the renewal rate rather than the first-term rate.
- Lean towards a builder when you want the editor, hosting and plan in one bill and your site fits the entry limits; check the limits in the table above before assuming the cheapest plan fits.
- Do the arithmetic on the renewal price. A hosting plan that is far cheaper in the first term can cost about the same as a builder by the third year.
- If you sell online, compare the fee on each sale as well as the plan price: e-commerce platform fees.
Builder product pages: Framer, Squarespace and Webflow; the two largest builders' limits are compared in Framer vs Webflow.
Editorial opinion
Frequently asked questions
- Do builder prices rise after the first year?
The Framer, Squarespace and Webflow pages show one price per billing option and no promotional first-term price. Whether those prices change at renewal is not stated on the pages we read.
- What does monthly billing cost instead of yearly?
Framer Basic is $15 a month against $10, Squarespace Basic $19 against $12 and Webflow Basic $25 against $15. Yearly billing is a 12-month commitment.
- Why compare the renewal price of hosting?
The hosting prices are first-term promotions: Hostinger Premium on a 12-month term is $3.99 a month at first and $10.99 on renewal, and Bluehost Starter is $4.24 and then $11.99 a month. Year three is therefore priced at the renewal rate.
Sources
Nikita Latyshev is the founder of LATYNEX Labs, an independent publication about business software and infrastructure. LATYNEX Labs is published by Latynex Trade OÜ, Estonia. How the site checks facts, handles sponsorship and earns money is described on its methodology, editorial policy and affiliate disclosure pages.