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WordPress itself is free and open source, but getting a site online always involves costs like a domain and hosting.

In this guide, you’ll learn what WordPress includes for free and what you should realistically expect to pay for when running a full website.

Is WordPress really free? Yes, but with a caveat

WordPress core software is free and open source under the General Public License (GPL). You don’t pay to download it, install it, or build with it.

What does cost money is putting your website online. To publish a full site, you’ll need at least:

• A domain: your site’s address
• Hosting: the service that keeps your site running and available to visitors

Everything else — premium themes, plugins, or advanced features — is optional depending on what you want your site to do.

Want to test the waters first? Start free on WordPress.com today. 

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