Monthly Website Cost Beyond Hosting and Maintenance

Most businesses only think about development cost when budgeting for a website. But the real cost includes hosting, maintenance, updates, security, and support. After managing websites for dozens of clients, I've learned that ongoing costs are often higher than people expect—and they're not always obvious.

Here's what monthly website costs actually include, what to budget for, and how to avoid surprises.

The Real Cost: Beyond Development

When I talk to clients about website costs, most only think about the upfront development cost. But here's what they're missing:

Development cost: One-time (or monthly if you choose a package) Hosting: Monthly/yearly Domain: Yearly SSL certificate: Usually included, but sometimes separate Maintenance: Monthly (if not included) Updates: Monthly (security, features) Support: Monthly (if not included) Content updates: As needed (if you're not doing it yourself) SEO optimization: Monthly (if ongoing) Backups: Usually included, but sometimes separate

I've seen clients budget €5,000 for development, then realize they need €200/month for hosting, €150/month for maintenance, €100/month for updates. That's €5,400 in the first year, not €5,000.

Hosting: What It Actually Costs

Hosting costs vary widely. Here's what to expect:

Basic Hosting (€5-15/month)

What you get:

• Shared hosting
• Basic features
• Limited resources
• Basic support

Reality:

• Slow performance
• Limited scalability
• Security concerns
• Not suitable for business websites

Best for: Personal blogs, very small sites

Professional Hosting (€20-50/month)

What you get:

• VPS or cloud hosting
• Better performance
• More resources
• Better support

Reality:

• Good performance
• Scalable
• More secure
• Suitable for business websites

Best for: Most business websites

Enterprise Hosting (€50-200+/month)

What you get:

• Dedicated resources
• High performance
• Advanced features
• Premium support

Reality:

• Excellent performance
• Highly scalable
• Very secure
• Suitable for high-traffic sites

Best for: High-traffic sites, enterprise needs

EU-Based Hosting (Important for GDPR)

What you get:

• EU data centers
• GDPR compliance
• Data sovereignty
• Local support

Reality:

• Compliance assurance
• Better for EU businesses
• May cost slightly more
• Worth it for compliance

Best for: EU businesses, GDPR compliance needs

At TEDECA, hosting is included in our packages. EU-based, fast, secure, GDPR-compliant. No separate hosting costs.

Maintenance: What It Actually Includes

Maintenance is often overlooked, but it's essential. Here's what it includes:

Security Updates

What it is:

• Software updates
• Security patches
• Vulnerability fixes
• Plugin/theme updates

Why it matters:

• Prevents hacks
• Keeps site secure
• Maintains compliance
• Protects data

Cost if separate: €50-150/month

Performance Monitoring

What it is:

• Uptime monitoring
• Performance tracking
• Speed optimization
• Issue detection

Why it matters:

• Catches problems early
• Maintains performance
• Improves user experience
• Protects SEO

Cost if separate: €30-100/month

Backup Management

What it is:

• Regular backups
• Backup storage
• Recovery testing
• Disaster recovery

Why it matters:

• Protects your data
• Enables recovery
• Peace of mind
• Business continuity

Cost if separate: €20-50/month

Technical Support

What it is:

• Help when things break
• Quick fixes
• Guidance
• Problem resolution

Why it matters:

• Reduces downtime
• Quick problem resolution
• Peace of mind
• Business continuity

Cost if separate: €50-200/month

At TEDECA, maintenance is included in our packages. Security updates, performance monitoring, backups, support—all included.

Additional Services: What Costs Extra

Some services are usually separate:

Content Updates

What it is:

• Updating website content
• Adding new pages
• Updating images
• Content changes

Cost: €50-200/hour or €100-500/month (retainer)

When needed: If you're not updating content yourself

SEO Optimization (Ongoing)

What it is:

• Keyword research
• Content optimization
• Link building
• Performance tracking

Cost: €200-1,000/month

When needed: If you want ongoing SEO improvement

Analytics Monitoring

What it is:

• Setting up analytics
• Regular reporting
• Performance analysis
• Optimization recommendations

Cost: €50-200/month

When needed: If you want regular analytics insights

Marketing Integration

What it is:

• Email marketing setup
• Social media integration
• Marketing automation
• Campaign tracking

Cost: €100-500/month

When needed: If you want marketing integrations

The Total Cost: Real Examples

Let me show you real monthly costs:

Basic Package (DIY or Cheap Developer)

Development: €2,000 (one-time) or €0 (DIY) Hosting: €10/month Domain: €15/year (€1.25/month) SSL: €0 (sometimes free) Maintenance: €0 (you do it) or €50/month Updates: €0 (you do it) or €30/month Support: €0 (no support) Monthly cost: €10-90/month Annual cost: €120-1,080 + development

Reality: You're doing everything yourself, or paying for basic services. Quality is usually poor.

Professional Package (Agency)

Development: €5,000 (one-time) Hosting: €40/month Domain: €15/year (€1.25/month) SSL: €0 (included) Maintenance: €100/month Updates: €50/month Support: €50/month Monthly cost: €241.25/month Annual cost: €2,895 + development

Reality: Professional services, but costs add up. Total first year: €7,895.

Fixed-Price Package (TEDECA)

Development: Included Hosting: Included Domain: €15/year (you provide, or we help) SSL: Included Maintenance: Included Updates: Included Support: Included Monthly cost: €49,99/month (Starter) or €79,99/month (Business) Annual cost: €600-960 (all-inclusive)

Reality: Everything included. Predictable cost. No surprises.

How to Budget: A Realistic Framework

Here's how to budget for monthly website costs:

1. Factor in all costs:

• Development (one-time or monthly)
• Hosting
• Domain
• SSL
• Maintenance
• Updates
• Support
• Additional services (if needed)

2. Plan for the first year:

• Development cost
• 12 months of hosting
• 12 months of maintenance
• 12 months of updates
• 12 months of support

3. Compare options:

• DIY (cheap, but you do everything)
• Agency (professional, but costs add up)
• Fixed-price package (predictable, all-inclusive)

4. Consider long-term:

• What will you need in year 2, 3, 4?
• Will costs increase?
• Can you afford ongoing costs?

The TEDECA Advantage: All-Inclusive Pricing

At TEDECA, our packages include:

Starter Plan: €49,99/month

• Development (included)
• Hosting (included, EU-based)
• SSL certificate (included)
• Maintenance (included)
• Updates (included)
• Support (included, 30 days)
• Performance optimization (included)

Business Plan: €79,99/month

• Everything in Starter, plus:
• E-commerce capability
• Advanced SEO
• Priority support
• Additional features

What's not included:

• Domain (you provide, or we help set up)
• Extensive content creation (we can help, quoted separately)
• Advanced custom integrations (quoted separately)

No surprises. Everything is clear upfront.

Common Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistake #1: Only budgeting for development Factor in all ongoing costs. Development is just the start.

Mistake #2: Choosing the cheapest hosting Cheap hosting means poor performance, security risks, and problems. Invest in good hosting.

Mistake #3: Skipping maintenance Sites need maintenance. Skipping it leads to security issues, performance problems, and breakdowns.

Mistake #4: Not planning for updates Software needs updates. Plan for ongoing update costs, or your site will become outdated and insecure.

Mistake #5: Not budgeting for support Things break. You'll need help. Budget for support, or you'll be stuck when problems arise.

The Bottom Line

Monthly website costs go beyond hosting and maintenance. They include:

• Hosting: €10-200/month (depending on needs)
• Maintenance: €50-200/month (if not included)
• Updates: €30-100/month (if not included)
• Support: €50-200/month (if not included)
• Additional services: As needed

At TEDECA, our packages include everything. Hosting, maintenance, updates, support—all included in one predictable monthly price. No surprises, no hidden costs.

If you want predictable monthly costs with everything included, get your fixed-price quote in 24 hours and let's build something with transparent, all-inclusive pricing.