Running costs

Domain and hosting, explained.

Every running cost, in plain English. You pay these straight to the provider, in your own name, and we set everything up for you. Below: real prices, the jargon explained, ways to save, and answers to common questions.

Domain & hosting

What it costs to keep your website online

Our package price covers planning, writing, designing, building and launching your website. Keeping it online has two small running costs, the domain and the hosting. You pay them straight to the provider, in your own name. Here is every option, with real prices.

1. Domain name
About $10 to $20 a year

Your web address, like yourbusiness.com. You keep it even if you change websites later.

Paid to a domain company, in your name
2. Hosting plan
$0 to $39 a month

Keeps your website online, fast and secure. The price depends on the platform your site is built on.

Paid to the platform, in your name
3. Setup and launch
Included in every website package

We connect your domain, switch on SSL (the padlock), test everything and hand you every login.

Done by FirstRay, no extra charge

Hosting plans by platform

The plan we would normally choose on each platform. Prices are what the platform charges you, per site.

Our usual pick
Webflow

Basic site plan

$15/month
Billed yearly: $180 a year
Renews at
$15/month, same price
Includes
Your own domain, free SSL, up to 300 pages, unlimited form submissions, 10 GB bandwidth a month
Limits
No blog or CMS. For a blog you need Premium at $25/month (20,000 CMS items, 50 GB bandwidth)
Best for
Launch Pages and business sites that need to look sharp
WordPress.com

Personal plan

$4/month
Billed yearly: $48 a year
Renews at
$4/month, same price
Includes
Free domain for year 1, 6 GB storage, plugins and premium themes
Limits
Domain renews at the normal price from year 2. More storage needs Premium ($8) or Business ($25)
Best for
Blogs, creators and simple sites on a tight budget
WordPress on Hostinger

Premium hosting

$2.99/month
Paid upfront: $143.52 for 4 years
Renews at
$10.99/month after the first 4 years
Includes
Up to 3 websites, 20 GB storage, free domain and 2 email inboxes for year 1, free SSL, weekly backups
Limits
The low price needs a 48-month term. Domain and email renew at normal prices after year 1
Best for
Full WordPress sites, news sites and blogs that need plugins
Not sure?

We'll pick it with you

Tell us what the site needs to do. We recommend one platform and plan, and confirm the exact cost in writing before you pay anything.

Ask for a recommendation

What a year really costs

Hosting plus domain, in US dollars, before any taxes.

Setup
Year 1
After that
Webflow Basic + .com domain
About $190
About $190 a year
WordPress.com Personal (free domain in year 1)
$48
$48 + domain renewal
WordPress on Hostinger Premium
$143.52 upfront, covers 4 years
$131.88 a year from year 5, + domain renewal from year 2

Other costs you might see

  • Business email, like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, billed per person by the provider
  • Paid plugins, apps or themes, if your site needs them
  • Bigger plans if your site grows past its page, CMS or bandwidth limits
  • Payment fees on every sale for online shops
  • Taxes such as VAT or GST, added by the provider where they apply

What we always do

  • Every domain and hosting account is in your name and paid by you
  • You pay the provider directly, so there is no markup from us
  • We confirm the exact monthly and yearly cost in writing before you start
  • You get every login at launch, so you are never locked in

Prices checked on 9 October 2026 on each provider's own pricing page, in US dollars. Providers can change their prices, so we confirm the current cost with you before you buy anything.

Jargon, explained

The words you'll see, in plain English

You don't need to learn any of this to work with us. It's here if you're curious.

Domain name
Your web address, like yourbusiness.com. It's yours for as long as you renew it each year.
Registrar
The company you buy your domain from, such as Cloudflare, Namecheap or GoDaddy.
Hosting
The service that keeps your website online, fast and reachable day and night.
SSL
The padlock in the browser bar. It keeps visitors' details private, and it's free.
DNS records
Settings that point your domain at your website and your email. We add them for you.
Renewal price
What you pay from year two. It's often higher than the first-year deal.
CMS
The editor where you change text, photos and blog posts yourself, without code.
Business email
An address like you@yourbusiness.com, billed per person by Google or Microsoft.
Save money

Six ways to keep running costs low

Small habits that save small businesses real money every year.

✓
Pay yearly, not monthly
Most platforms charge noticeably less per month on a yearly plan.
✓
Check the renewal price
A $1 first year can become $20 or more after. Compare year-two prices.
✓
Keep it all in your name
Your own accounts mean no lock-in and no painful transfers later.
✓
Turn on auto-renew
An expired domain takes your site and email offline, and someone else can buy it.
✓
Skip what you won't use
Most small business sites don't need premium plans, extra storage or paid plugins.
✓
Never pay for SSL
The padlock is free on Webflow, WordPress.com and Hostinger. You don't need to buy one.
Questions

What people usually ask

I've paid for the website. Why do I still pay for hosting?

Our package covers planning, designing and building your site. Hosting is the small running cost of keeping it online, like rent, and it goes straight to the platform.

Can I use the domain I already have?

Yes. We connect it to your new site and check that your email keeps working before we switch anything.

Why don't you just bill me for hosting?

So you're never locked in. Paying the platform directly means no markup from us, and you can leave any time.

What happens if I stop paying for hosting?

Your website goes offline, but your domain stays yours as long as you renew it. You can move to another host whenever you like.

Which platform will you choose for me?

The one that fits your goals. Usually Webflow for design-led business sites, and WordPress for content-heavy sites and blogs. We confirm the cost in writing before you start.

Can these prices change?

Yes, providers update their prices from time to time. That's why we confirm the current cost with you before you buy anything.

Sunset over a range of orange mountains with a pink and peach sky and a flock of birds flying near the sun.

Not sure which setup you need?

Tell us what your website needs to do. We'll recommend one platform and confirm the exact cost within one working day.

Start your project