In this guide · 8 sections
Short answer
A simple business website typically costs about S$300 to S$700 a year to run before maintenance: a .sg domain (around S$65 at one registrar), hosting (S$110 to S$360) and email for a few staff. A small Shopify store starts around S$350 a year plus apps. Maintenance is extra.
Website running costs per year: the line items
Every website has the same handful of ongoing costs. Which ones apply depends on whether you use WordPress on your own hosting, or a hosted platform like Shopify, Wix or Squarespace.
| Cost | Typical yearly price | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| .sg or .com.sg domain | S$36 registry fee; about S$65 retail at one local registrar | Everyone |
| Shared hosting | About S$113 to S$136 (Vodien webValue, regular S$11.35/mo) | WordPress sites |
| Managed WordPress hosting | US$350 a year (Kinsta single site) | Business-critical WordPress sites |
| Platform plan | S$348 (Shopify Basic, paid yearly) | Shopify and similar builders |
| SSL certificate | Usually free | Everyone |
| Plugin or app licences | From US$60 for a single page-builder licence; varies widely | WordPress plugins, Shopify apps |
| Business email | S$113 to S$226 per user (Google) or about US$84 per user (Microsoft Basic) | Most businesses |
| Maintenance, backups, monitoring | From DIY (your time) to a monthly care plan | Everyone |
The sections below explain each line and where people overpay.
Domain renewal: the cost you can't skip
Your domain is the one line that must never lapse, because email and the website both stop when it expires. From 1 July 2026, SGNIC charges registrars S$35.97 a year including GST for a .sg or .com.sg name, and registrars add their margin. Our .sg price change guide cites one local registrar at S$64.99 for a one-year renewal after GST, as of October 2026.
- Check the renewal price, not the first-year promotion.
- Turn on auto-renew with a card that won't expire soon.
- Make sure the registrar account is in the company's name, with a shared admin email you control.
- Consider renewing for two or three years to lock the price and avoid lapses.
Hosting or platform fees
For WordPress, hosting is the main running cost. Our web hosting cost guide compares options in detail; in summary, as of October 2026:
- Shared hosting: Vodien webValue listed at S$9.42 a month on promotion, S$11.35 regular. Fine for a small brochure site.
- Managed WordPress: Kinsta's single-site plan at US$30 a month or US$350 a year, with server-level caching and backups.
- Hosted platforms: Shopify Basic at S$29 a month paid yearly or S$39 monthly, with hosting, SSL and security included.
Watch for introductory hosting prices that more than double at renewal. A cheap first year is common; plan your budget on the renewal price.
SSL, email, plugins and apps
SSL (the padlock and https) is normally free. Let's Encrypt issues free certificates, and most hosts and every major builder install and renew them automatically. Paying for a basic SSL certificate is rarely needed for a small business site.
Email is usually the largest per-person cost. Google Workspace Business Starter is S$9.40 per user a month on the flexible plan, and Microsoft 365 Business Basic is US$7 per user a month on an annual plan, both before GST. Our business email cost guide compares cheaper and fuller options.
Plugins and apps are where costs creep. A WordPress page builder such as Elementor Pro starts at US$60 a year for one site, and premium security, backup, SEO and form plugins each add their own renewals. On Shopify, apps for reviews, subscriptions or email marketing are usually monthly.
Yearly subscription clean-up
Maintenance and backups: DIY or a care plan
A WordPress site needs core, theme and plugin updates, backups that are actually tested, and someone watching for downtime. A hosted platform like Shopify handles the software updates, but apps, content and theme changes still need attention.
Doing it yourself works if
- Someone on the team updates plugins weekly and checks the site afterwards
- Your host runs daily backups and you have tested a restore
- Downtime for a day wouldn't cost you sales or leads
- The site is simple, with few plugins
A care plan makes sense if
- Nobody owns updates, and plugins are months behind
- The site takes bookings, payments or leads daily
- You've never restored a backup
- You'd rather pay a fixed monthly fee than react to problems
Our website maintenance cost guide covers what a care plan should include and typical pricing in Singapore.
Typical yearly totals
Two common set-ups, using the prices above. Your numbers will differ with the number of mailboxes, plugins and apps.
- .sg domain renewalOne local registrar, after GSTS$64.99
- Shared hosting (WordPress)S$11.35 a month regular priceAbout S$136
- One premium plugin licencePage builder, single siteAbout US$60
- Email, 3 users on Google Workspace Business StarterS$9.40 x 3 x 12, before GSTS$338.40
- SSLIncluded by hostS$0
Simple WordPress site, before maintenanceAbout S$620 a year
Approximate, as of October 2026. Excludes your time or a maintenance plan. USD converted roughly; GST may apply.
A small Shopify store replaces hosting and the plugin with the Basic plan (S$348 a year paid yearly) plus any paid apps, and adds payment processing fees per sale, which aren't a fixed running cost.
Do it yourself or get help?
Most of these costs are bills you pay directly to the provider, and you should keep them in your own name. Where help saves money is in consolidating renewals, removing unused plugins and apps, and making sure the domain and DNS are owned and documented properly.
Our Care plan (S$129 a month) covers updates, monitoring, tested backups and small changes. If your domain is scattered across old accounts, Domain & DNS Setup (S$99) moves it into an account you own with auto-renew and correct records.
Frequently asked questions
A simple business website usually costs a few hundred dollars a year to run before maintenance: domain renewal, hosting and email for a few staff. Our worked example for a WordPress site with three mailboxes comes to about S$620 a year as of October 2026. A maintenance plan or developer time is extra.
From 1 July 2026, SGNIC charges registrars S$35.97 a year including GST for a .sg or .com.sg domain. Registrars add their own margin, so retail prices are higher; one local registrar lists S$64.99 a year after GST as of October 2026. Compare renewal prices, not first-year promotions.
Usually not. Let's Encrypt provides free SSL certificates, and most web hosts and all major website builders, including Shopify, install and renew them automatically. Paid certificates are mainly for organisations needing extended validation or specific warranties, which a small business website rarely requires.
Not always. Shopify Basic is S$348 a year paid yearly and includes hosting, SSL and security updates, while a small WordPress site on shared hosting can cost less. But WordPress needs updates, backups and plugin licences, so once you count maintenance time, the totals are often similar.
Check for paid plugins or apps you no longer use, duplicate backup or security tools your host already provides, paid SSL you don't need, and hosting promotions that renewed at a higher price. Keep paying for the domain, email and backups, because cutting those creates bigger problems later.