The Cost of Sitecore vs WordPress

At the centre of this particular challenge will be persuading stakeholders there is a significant cost saving that won’t detract from the end goal, that is a positive conversion rate, and a personalised experience that digital marketers crave.

So let’s jump in by looking at how Sitecore’s licence fees, continuous improvement, and ongoing support costs stack up against a WordPress solution.

The cost of Sitecore can range quite dramatically dependant on the amount of traffic a site receives and a few other factors. In this example we’ll set the Sitecore license fees at £50,000 each year, which is fairly typical for a mid-market B2B organisation.

When it comes to cost, Sitecore and WordPress present contrasting approaches. Sitecore is known for its enterprise-level capabilities but comes with significant licensing fees and higher implementation costs. On the other hand, WordPress is an open-source platform, offering a cost-effective solution with no licensing fees.

Additionally, WordPress benefits from a vast ecosystem of free and premium themes, plugins, and integrations, allowing businesses to achieve their desired functionality without breaking the bank.

To get a better understanding of how your budget may be distributed in a Sitecore to WordPress migration project, it’s a good idea to breakdown the individual parts. After all it maybe possible to bring some of these components in-house.

Sitecore license fees are calculated on a number of different factors, including the amount of traffic visiting the site, the number of test environments required for development, and the number of concurrent admin users. Plus, the functional addons that are added to either Experience Manager or Experience Platform significantly affect the fee.

WordPress is open source and therefore does not attract a license fee. However, you should make allowances for other services that may replace Sitecore’s add-ons.

Regardless of platform, most agencies will require their client to undergo a discovery phase before attempting a website rebuild. This process is akin to working with an architect to produce a detailed specification before entering into the build. Expect anywhere between 15-25% of the overall launch budget to go on this important phase.

You can expect development fees associated with this phase to be similar in structure but not price. As explained below, WordPress development is generally less expensive than Sitecore development. Design, Build and Integration will cover all the work needed to go from conception to the first public release. This should be seen as a one-off cost, not to be repeated for a number of years.

Both Sitecore and WordPress have a one-click solution to perform upgrades to the latest version, that said, with a complex site you should tread very carefully and rely on a professional development team to perform this function. Expect significant upgrades to happen several times a year.

In line with lean development practices, once an MVP site has been launched, it’s time to learn from your users and employ a continuous improvement program. This ensures the evolution of a website, keeping security up-to-date, plus functionality and interaction relevant. Support & Continuous Improvement should be budgeted as a monthly expense.

It’s often said that Sitecore’s complexity requires more training than WordPress. It’s true that there are many facets to Sitecore that admin users may not be familiar with, but it’s also fair to say a complex WordPress site may require similar training. That said, the learning curve to WordPress can be shallower, with countless resources online to help new users overcome less complex tasks.

The cost of Sitecore development can vary greatly depending on the size and complexity of the project, the level of customisation required, the agency’s location and expertise, and other factors. Generally speaking, Sitecore development agencies may charge anywhere from £100 to £300 per hour for their services.

For a basic Sitecore website, the development costs can range from £50,000 to £100,000, while a more complex Sitecore website with advanced functionality and customisation can cost upwards of £500,000 or more. It’s important to note that these are just rough estimates, and the actual cost of Sitecore development will depend on the specific needs and requirements of each project.

By comparison, WordPress development commands a slightly lower cost range of £75 – £200 per hour. The reason for this is that the pool of WordPress developers is so much larger, the downside of which is some less experienced developers make up some of the numbers. But, if you have found a developer with the right credentials, there are big rewards to gain.

You should also factor in the plugin directory, with 60,000+ WordPress plugins, it’s highly likely that a reputable developer has already faced a similar challenge and released a reliable solution, saving countless hours on custom development.

Finally, as the world’s most popular CMS, WordPress is a magnet for API developers who wish to create out-of-the-box integrations for their marketing tools, after all, if you had a Marketing Automation product, what platform would be 1st on your list for integration?

If you are are thinking about changing your CMS to an agile and cost-effective platform like WordPress, then reach out to our dedicated team to organise a convenient time to talk about your next project.

We can provide you with free advice on the how best to approach the change, as well as providing insight and information into key areas such as content migration, licensing and budgets.

As a leading WordPress VIP and WP Engine partner, we are experienced in all types of site migration, including those that require multisite and multilingual, and are the leading agency for personalisation in WordPress through the use of our own plugin, PersonalizeWP.