We know it can be confusing, and maybe overwhelming, with the sheer number of options out there. Domains, hosting, storage, themes, features, customization, design, coding — it's a lot of jargon that can be hard to understand for the less nerdy of us.
But really, what does it take? And are you getting the best bang for your buck?
The backend for the backend
Most likely, if you want to avoid learning a lot of coding languages, you're going to use a website platform — our own SimpleUpdates, Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, WordPress, or one of a host of others. Or you hire a professional programmer or web designer.
Programmers generally start at around $100/hour. They're usually hired by a web designer, who charges from $2,000 to $10,000 per site depending on complexity — on top of the cost of whatever platform you or they choose to host the site on.
- By using a prebuilt theme or website builder, you can save a lot of money. Sometimes you'll pay something for a theme, usually no more than $100.
- WordPress is by far the most popular and diverse option, but there are also niche platforms such as Shopify or Square Online, which offer a robust eCommerce platform.
- eCommerce sites generally cost more — sometimes thousands more — though with Square you can practically get started for free.
Hosting
Hosting is like renting a space for your site on the internet, rather than building your own server room.
It might appear that you could host your own site more cheaply than letting a platform do it for you, but then you'd have to build it mostly from scratch. Most platforms combine hosting with a content management system (CMS), and often a DIY site builder. Ours pairs a CMS and a drag-and-drop builder with hosting and domains.
Most of these platforms start at around $20/month and go up from there to $100, or even hundreds of dollars a month.
Domains
This is your website address (for example, www.simpleupdates.com), and they come with lots of different extensions.
- .com, .org and .net are the classics, so they're generally the most cost effective — around $12/year.
- Custom extensions now exist for almost everything: .farm, .studio, .tech and so on, in the range of $20–$50/year.
- .inc and some other specialty extensions can run to a couple of thousand a year.
That's all for the right to a website name — and it's separate from what you pay to host the site. Unless you want to buy a domain from someone who already owns it, which can get pricey.
Every SimpleUpdates plan includes domains and mailboxes: one of each on Basic, two domains and three mailboxes on Growth, three domains and five mailboxes on Premium. Extra domains are $2/month each and extra mailboxes $1/month each. We take care of connecting the domain to the site, keeping the records updated, and renewing it. The SSL certificate is included too.
A few other costs to think about
- Plugins and extensions. Many platforms require additional plugins for anything beyond the basics — WordPress in particular depends on a massive plugin store. You can end up with a stack of separate subscriptions.
- SSL certificates. Essential for security, and they range from free to several hundred dollars annually. We include this with your domain.
- SEO services. If you're looking to optimize your site for search engines, professional SEO services start around $500 and increase significantly based on your competition and market.
How the platforms compare
Here's how some of the major platforms line up on features, domains and cost.
| Feature | SimpleUpdates | WordPress.com (Business) | Weebly by Square | Wix | Square Online | Squarespace | Shopify |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blog | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DIY website builder | Yes | Yes, multiple, some plugins | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes | Limited |
| CMS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Simple contact form | Yes | No, plugins | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free themes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Limited | Yes |
| Number of users | Unlimited | Unlimited | 100, unlimited on Business | 2–15 by tier | Same as Weebly | 1 on Personal, unlimited on others | 5, 15, unlimited |
| Set user permissions | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| eCommerce | Yes | Next tier up | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Domains | 1–3 included, extras $2/mo | 1 free for a year if paid yearly | Extra cost | 1 free for a year, then extra | 1 free for a year on Plus and Premium | 1 free for a year, then extra | Extra cost |
| Custom mailboxes | 1–5 included, extras $1/mo | No | Extra cost | Extra cost | No | No | No |
| Event calendar | Yes | Plugins | Yes | Free for one year, then $7 | Embed only | Yes | Apps |
| Podcast / media player | Yes | Plugins | Yes | Yes | Via app | Via plugin | Apps |
| Custom form builder | Yes | Plugins | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | App |
| Site storage | Unlimited | 50 GB | Unlimited, file size limits | 2 GB – unlimited by tier | Unlimited on paid plans | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Cost per month | $24, $39, $59 | $40 – $300 yearly | Free, $13, $16, $29 | $17, $29, $36, $159 | Free, $29, $79 | $25, $36, $56, $139 | $39, $105, $399 |
| Webmaster service offered | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
So how much is it really?
It depends on what you want to build. A blog? A church website? A store? And how much help do you need along the way?
To build a site with us, the cost is simple. You start with a 14-day free trial — you enter a card, but nothing is charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel any time before then.
- Basic — $24/month or $240/year. One domain, one mailbox.
- Growth — $39/month or $399/year. Two domains, three mailboxes.
- Premium — $59/month or $599/year. Three domains, five mailboxes.
Every plan includes hosting, the CMS, the builder, SSL, and the domains and mailboxes above — no separate bills to keep track of. If you want something special built for you, or help keeping your site up to date, you can hire us for webmaster services on a weekly, monthly or hourly basis.
And if writing the thing is the part you're dreading, our setup interview asks you about your business and writes the first draft of your pages for you. Here's how that works.
We hope this is helpful in your decision making. If you have website questions, feel free to email or call us any time during regular business hours (US Central) and we'll do our best to respond.
Happy updating — we hope it's simple!