WordPress is free.
A working website is
WordPress hands you the tools. Building, filling, securing and maintaining it is on you — or you hire it in, piece by piece. Growthdesk does the work, for one flat monthly rate. Below is the honest difference, including where WordPress wins.
What a “free” WordPress site
The software is free. After that it starts. These are the line items that get added one by one — and that you either pay for or do yourself.
- Hosting & domain monthly
A server to run your site on. Count on €5 to €25 a month, plus your domain name.
- Theme & page builder yearly
A premium theme and a builder like Elementor. Often €60 to €150 a year together.
- Plugins per plugin
SEO (Yoast), security, backups, forms, speed. The good versions are paid — each one separately.
- Someone to build it one-off
Unless you do it yourself: a freelancer or agency easily charges €1,500 to €5,000 for a proper site.
- Maintenance, updates & security ongoing
Plugins and the system itself fall behind, get hacked, or break after an update. That stays your responsibility.
- SEO, content & ads separate
A plugin does not do your SEO. For that you hire separate specialists, or do it on the side yourself.
Add it up: easily hundreds of euros a year in licences and hosting, a one-off build fee, plus the hours you put in.
One flat monthly rate. Start free with a fully custom site, add modules from €9 a month. Hosting, security, updates, SEO and content: included — and we do the work.
See the pricingWordPress vs Growthdesk,
No tricks: WordPress genuinely wins a few rows. The difference is who does the work.
When WordPress
WordPress is not bad — it is just something else. Choose WordPress if you want to get under the hood yourself, have a developer in house, or are building something very specific: a large webshop, a member portal, a custom application. Then the freedom of WordPress is exactly what you need.
Growthdesk is the alternative for entrepreneurs who do not want to manage a website, but want one that works, gets found, and sells a little better every month — without tinkering with it themselves.
About WordPress and Growthdesk.
Is WordPress really free?
The software (WordPress.org) is free. A working website is not: you pay for hosting, usually a premium theme and plugins, and often someone to build and maintain it. “Free” refers to the system, not to the site.
Can I move my existing WordPress site to Growthdesk?
Yes. We rebuild your site on our platform, using your current content and brand style as the basis, and then take it live on your own domain. You do not have to migrate anything yourself.
Will I be locked into Growthdesk?
Your domain and your content are yours, and you can cancel monthly — no annual contract. The site itself runs on our platform, which is exactly what takes the maintenance off your plate. If you specifically want full control over the code, WordPress fits better — we will say so honestly.
Do I still need a hosting provider or a developer?
No. Hosting, maintenance, security and updates are part of it. You no longer need a separate hosting bill, a developer, or plugin subscriptions.
Is Growthdesk suitable for a webshop?
For a real webshop with hundreds of products, no — WordPress (WooCommerce) or Shopify makes more sense there. You can put single payments or donations on your site with the payment module. Not sure? Just ask us.
How fast does my site go live?
A first version is often live within days, not weeks. After that you adjust it with a message: we handle it and take it live.
Enter a valid website URL (e.g. yourwebsite.com).
100% free, no end date and no commitment.
