There are two types of WordPress maintenance packages: hourly and monthly. Both offer similar benefits, but they differ in important ways. When choosing between a monthly or hourly WordPress maintenance package, you want to consider more than just the cost.
Monthly plans usually cost less per month, but can require a subscription term of a few months to a year. Hourly plans allow you to pay only for the time spent maintaining your site on an as requested basis.
You might think, “Oh, great! An hourly plan means I don’t have to worry about paying for services I don’t use.”
Let’s look at the differences between hourly and monthly WordPress maintenance packages. Spoiler alert: You’re going to see why we recommend a monthly service plan over hourly.
To inquire about our WordPress website maintenance packages, contact our friendly office at (844) 972-6224 or send us a message through our website maintenance inquiry form.
The Cost of Hourly vs Monthly WordPress Maintenance Packages
Hourly
Hourly WordPress website maintenance at Emily Journey & Associates is $200/hour with a minimum of 3 hours. This includes everything from installing plugins to fixing broken links. The hourly rate also covers any additional tasks such as backups, security audits, theme version updates, etc.
Monthly
Our monthly website maintenance plans start at $299/month with a minimum term of 6 months. According to industry sources, website maintenance packages typically range from $30 to over $500 per month, depending on website size, complexity, and required support. (WebyKing)
The six most crucial maintenance tasks that every WordPress site should have, according to WordPress.com, are:
- WordPress Core Updates
- Plugin Updates
- Theme Updates
- WordPress Website Backups
- Check Uptime and Performance
- Website Security and Malware Scans
Emily Journey’s monthly WordPress maintenance packages include all of the regular updates your website needs for security, plus some extra features like automated backups, malware scanning, website speed optimization, etc. Our regular maintenance also includes plugin updates, theme version updates, and updates to the WordPress software. We even test your contact form to be sure it’s working!
Contact us for more information about our monthly website maintenance services.
Dedicated Support: Hourly vs Monthly Plans
Hourly
With our hourly website maintenance services, we do not provide dedicated support. Instead, we respond to requests for help only during business hours, and projects are assigned based on the availability of our team. This means you may not receive support as quickly as you might prefer.
Monthly
When you sign up for a monthly WordPress maintenance package with Emily Journey, you get a dedicated website manager. Email and phone support are included. Your website manager knows your site, your business, and will troubleshoot issues quickly. Many of our clients stay with us for years because we build real partnerships—not help desk support tickets. Meet our team of WordPress consultants »
Crisis Management for WordPress Maintenance Packages
At Emily Journey & Associates, we understand how frustrating it can be when something goes wrong with your site. That’s why we offer crisis management options for both hourly and monthly WordPress maintenance.
Hourly
As with our hourly WordPress maintenance services, we do not provide dedicated support for crisis management for non-subscription clients. Instead, we respond to requests for help during business hours only, and projects are assigned based on the availability of our team of professionals. This means you may not receive support as quickly as you might prefer. Or, we may need to involve a trusted third-party professional, which can create an added expense, but will resolve your crisis sooner.
Monthly
If you experience a major issue with your site, we’ll make sure you’re taken care of even if the problem comes up outside our regular business hours. Your WordPress website manager will contact you by phone, email, or even text message if necessary. We will keep you up-to-date on what’s going on with your website so you know exactly what to expect. If your website manager is unavailable, then someone else on our dedicated team will pitch in to resolve your crisis.
Strategy Support for Hourly vs Monthly WordPress Maintenance
Hourly
Strategic Website, Marketing, and SEO consulting are not available on an hourly basis. Instead, we offer strategic consulting packages for Website Development Strategy planning and SEO Strategy planning.
Monthly
With a monthly maintenance package from Emily Journey, you receive ongoing strategic advice from your dedicated website manager. Want to know the best options for website hosting? We’ll walk you through it. Want to learn to make updates yourself? We can show you how to make some changes independently, or you may opt for WordPress training.
Because we work with clients year after year, we get to know what makes your business tick—and we care.
If you need help with anything related to your WordPress website, then it makes sense to choose a monthly web maintenance package over an hourly one. Not only will you have a proactive, strategic partner, you’ll always have direct access to your website manager.
What if my website gets hacked?
There’s a misconception that WordPress websites are inherently insecure. Here’s what’s true: WordPress is incredibly popular (close to 472 million websites as of 2024, about 43.3% of all websites acccording to colorlib.com). That makes it a target.
But that doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. WordPress is just as secure as any other platform if you maintain it properly with updates, backups, and monitoring.
Neglecting maintenance is the risk—not WordPress itself.
Luckily, these measures aren’t complicated—they’re mostly housekeeping. But, they’re also easily forgotten if you don’t have a dedicated website manager.
Which WordPress maintenance package should I choose?
Basic Website Maintenance Plan
Great for companies that need standard monthly maintenance with basic content updates.
Monthly Subscription
$299/mo
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- Backups, security updates, and basic content changes
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- Preferred pricing for larger projects
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- We respond to your communication within 24 hours.
- Direct access to your Website Manager
Premium Website Maintenance Plan
Ideal for larger websites that need more attention each month.
Monthly Subscription plans starting at
$599/mo
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- Advanced security and support for websites using e-commerce, membership portals, multi-site, event calendars, and other types of websites requiring more attention.
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- Preferred pricing for larger projects
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- We respond to your communication within 24 hours.
- Direct access to your Website Manager
Take your next step with us
Our goal is to help your business succeed and deliver the results you deserve. If you want exceptional WordPress website maintenance services, we have you covered.
Whether you need standard monthly maintenance or more extensive WordPress maintenance services each month, we are here as a valuable resource to help your business flourish.
Having a regular website maintenance schedule is necessary to ensure your site is accurate, secure, and engaging your prospects. Your professional website manager will save you time and effort so you can focus on your other important responsibilities. With a regular WordPress maintenance plan, you will have the support you need to ensure your website is healthy and attracting your prospects.
We offer responsive website maintenance packages that will enhance user experience and security. But most importantly, we customize your plan based on your vision and goals.
We are ready to create a WordPress maintenance package that will exceed your expectations.
If your WordPress maintenance plan isn’t responsive, reliable, and focused on you, it’s time—fire your website agency! You’re in the driver’s seat.
Whatever your company website needs are, let’s talk about them!
Office: (844) 972-6224 Contact Us
Frequently Asked Questions about WordPress Maintenance Packages
What’s included in a WordPress maintenance package?
Core updates, plugin updates, theme version updates, website backups, performance checks, and security scans. Our monthly plans also include support from a dedicated website manager.
Do I need a monthly WordPress maintenance plan if I rarely make updates?
We recommend it, because security and uptime aren’t about how often you update content. WordPress needs regular maintenance even if your content stays the same.
What if my website gets hacked?
If you’re on a monthly plan, we act fast—even outside of regular business hours. If you’re on an hourly plan, response time depends on the team’s availability.
