Is WordPress free for my small business website? Yes and no — here's what you actually pay
The WordPress software is genuinely free and open source. But a live website is software plushosting, a domain, a theme and plugins — and that bill is very real. Here's the honest math for a small business in 2026, and the one option that's actually free to publish.
Short answer: WordPress the software is free, but a WordPress website is not. Once you add hosting, a domain, a decent theme and the plugins a small business needs, you're realistically looking at ₹5,000–₹20,000+ a year ($60–$250+) — before any developer help. If you just want a professional site or a working online store without that overhead, you can build and publish one free on SitesPlaced at 0% commission, no code required.
TL;DR
- • WordPress software = ₹0. It's open source and free to download from WordPress.org.
- • A WordPress website ≠ free. You pay for hosting, a domain, and often a theme + plugins.
- • Real-world total: roughly ₹5,000–₹20,000+/year ($60–$250+), more if you hire a developer.
- • WordPress.com's free tier carries their branding and a subdomain; your own domain and plugins need paid plans.
- • Genuinely free alternative: SitesPlaced builds and publishes a real site or store free — 0% commission, no code.
So which "WordPress" do you mean?
Most of the confusion comes from there being two WordPresses:
- WordPress.org (self-hosted). The free, open-source software. You download it, then buy your own hosting and domain and manage everything — updates, security, backups — yourself. Maximum control, but you (or someone you pay) do the work.
- WordPress.com (hosted). A managed service from Automattic with a free tier. The free tier shows WordPress branding on a yoursite.wordpress.com address. To use your own domain, install plugins, or sell products, you need a paid plan — typically from around $4 up to $45/month depending on features.
Either way, "free" comes with a catch: with .org you pay for everything around the software; with .com the free tier isn't really business-ready.
What a WordPress site actually costs — the real bill
| Item | Typical price | Domain | Sale fees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress software (.org) | Free (open source) | Not included | Gateway-dependent | You self-host + maintain it |
| Domain name | ~₹800–₹1,500/yr (~$10–$20) | This is the domain | — | Renews yearly, often higher |
| WordPress hosting | ~₹200–₹1,000+/mo (~$3–$30+) | Add-on | — | Cheap tiers are slow/shared |
| Premium theme | ~₹0–₹5,000 one-time (~$0–$60) | — | — | Free themes look generic |
| Plugins (SEO, forms, store) | ~₹0–₹8,000+/yr (~$0–$100+) | — | Store plugins add fees | Adds up fast for a real store |
| WordPress.com (hosted) | From ~$4–$45/mo | Paid plans | Plan-dependent | Plugins/store on higher tiers |
| SitesPlaced (free plan) | Free to build AND publish | yourname.sitesplaced.com | 0% | Store, UPI/COD/WhatsApp, no code |
| SitesPlaced (Ecommerce) | ₹499/mo ($14.99) | Your own custom domain | 0% | Razorpay, AI, setup person |
All figures are approximate, entry-tier and region/2026-dependent — always confirm current pricing with each provider. SitesPlaced figures are the published rate. The free WordPress site total assumes self-hosting with budget options; managed or developer-built sites cost considerably more.
When paying for WordPress (or a developer) is genuinely worth it
We're not anti-WordPress — it powers a huge slice of the web for good reasons. Paying for it (or hiring help) makes real sense when:
- You need a complex custom web app — membership portals, booking systems with custom logic, or deep integrations. That's developer territory, and a freelancer (~₹5,000–₹50,000+ / $50–$1,000+) or an agency for a full custom build (₹30,000–₹5,00,000+ / $1,000–$10,000+) earns their fee.
- You want total control of the code and have the time (or team) to maintain hosting, security and updates.
- You have very specific content needs — large multilingual sites, custom post types, advanced SEO setups — where WordPress's plugin ecosystem shines.
But for the most common case — a small business website or a normal online store — that flexibility is overhead you pay for and rarely use.
If you just want to be live (and not pay), do this instead
For most small businesses and sellers, the honest recommendation in 2026 is a no-code builder — and SitesPlaced is the one place you can build and actually publish for free. No hosting bill, no plugins to juggle, no developer to hire:
- Free to build AND publish one online store on a
yourname.sitesplaced.comaddress — unlimited products, unlimited orders, inventory, coupons, PDF invoices and order/lead emails. - Real checkout, free: COD, UPI and WhatsApp ordering, all at 0% commission. The free plan includes 500 MB storage and a small SitesPlaced badge.
- Upgrade only if you want more: Ecommerce is ₹499/month ($14.99) for your own custom domain, badge removal, online card/UPI payments via Razorpay, AI product descriptions, order tracking, abandoned-cart follow-ups, Shiprocket shipping — and a dedicated human who sets it up for you.
- Just a website? The Individual plan is ₹199/month ($7.99) for personal, business and portfolio sites with a custom domain, AI and lead forms. Students publish free, premium templates included.
Compared to a free WordPress.com tier (branding + subdomain, no real store) or a self-hosted WordPress site (hosting + domain + plugins to manage), SitesPlaced gets you genuinely live, with a working store, at ₹0 — and a real person can do the setup if you'd rather not.
Frequently asked questions
Is WordPress really free?
The WordPress.org software is genuinely free and open source — you can download it for ₹0. But you can't run a website on software alone. A live small-business site needs web hosting (~₹200–₹1,000+/month or $3–$30+), a domain name (~₹800–₹1,500/year or $10–$20), and usually a paid theme and a few plugins. In practice a real WordPress site costs roughly ₹5,000–₹20,000 a year, sometimes much more, once you add everything up.
What's the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com?
WordPress.org is the free, self-hosted software — you buy your own hosting and domain and manage updates yourself. WordPress.com is a hosted service run by Automattic with a free tier, but the free tier shows their branding and a wordpress.com subdomain, and you need paid plans (from roughly $4–$45/month) to use your own domain, install plugins, or sell products.
Can I build a free small-business website without WordPress?
Yes. SitesPlaced lets you build AND publish a real website or online store completely free on a yourname.sitesplaced.com address — with unlimited products, COD, UPI and WhatsApp checkout, inventory and PDF invoices, all at 0% commission and no coding. The free plan shows a small SitesPlaced badge and includes 500 MB storage. You only pay (₹499/month) when you want your own custom domain, online card payments and AI.
Do I need a developer to use WordPress?
Not always, but many small businesses end up paying one. WordPress is flexible but the setup — hosting, security, theme, plugins, updates — has a learning curve, so people often hire a freelancer (~₹5,000–₹50,000+ or $50–$1,000+) or an agency for custom builds (₹30,000–₹5,00,000+ or $1,000–$10,000+). If your needs are a website or a standard online store, a no-code builder removes the developer entirely.
Is WordPress good for a small online store?
WordPress with WooCommerce can run a store, but you stack up costs and maintenance: hosting that can handle traffic, a payment plugin, security, and ongoing updates. For most small Indian sellers a purpose-built store builder is simpler and cheaper — SitesPlaced gives you a full store (catalog, inventory, UPI/COD/WhatsApp checkout, GST-ready invoices) free to start, with 0% commission and a human who can set it up for you.
Skip the WordPress bill — go live free
Build and publish a real website or online store at ₹0 — no hosting, no plugins, no code, 0% commission. Or have a human set it up for you.