WordPress maintenance, three tiers, no upsell games.
A WordPress site isn’t “set it and forget it.” Plugins update. WordPress core changes. Security threats evolve. And most site problems don’t start with a big crash — they start with one missed update, one vulnerable plugin, or one backup you thought was running. The three maintenance plans below cover that, at three different intensities. Pick the one that matches how active your site is.
Side-by-side. Smallest to largest.
| SIMPLE | $25/mo | Fully automated · weekly updates · uptime monitoring · no human hours included |
| BASIC | $55/mo | Monthly updates · daily security scans + backups · hacked-code fixes · light human time |
| PLUS | $100/mo | Weekly updates · daily scans + backups · 48-hour fix turnaround · active human time |
Need hosting too? See Managed Hosting at $35/mo. Plans are sold separately.
Three levels of “we’ve got it.”
Included: WordPress plugin updates weekly (minor + patch versions auto-applied) · core + theme updates checked weekly and flagged for review · vulnerability scanning via WPVulnerability API weekly (vulnerable plugins auto-updated even on major versions) · major version updates reported but not auto-applied · 24/7 uptime monitoring every 5 minutes · SMS alert after 2 consecutive failures · recovery alerts when site comes back up · automated monthly Site Health Report (PDF).
Not included: human-curated reports · daily security scans (vs weekly) · backup restoration (relies on host backups) · hacked-code remediation · plugin-conflict fixes · content tweaks (those are billed hourly).
Best for: small brochure sites, low-traffic clients, anyone who wants a “set it and forget it” safety net at the lowest possible price. Especially good as a year-1 onboarding plan with upgrade path to BASIC.
Included: everything in SIMPLE’s automation, plus a person doing hands-on work: WordPress core, plugin, theme updates monthly · performance monitoring monthly · security scan daily · 24/7 uptime monitoring every 5 minutes · database + webpage backups daily · backup restoration as needed · fixes for hacked code · fixes for SD-installed plugin conflicts · monthly Site Health Report (PDF).
Best for: smaller sites, lower-traffic clients, clients who rarely request changes but want the site watched and patched.
Included: WordPress core, plugin, theme updates weekly · performance monitoring weekly · security scan daily · 24/7 uptime monitoring every 5 minutes · database + webpage backups daily · backup restoration as needed · fixes for hacked code · fixes for SD-installed plugin conflicts · weekly Site Health Report (PDF) with period-over-period comparisons · 48-hour turnaround on requested fixes.
Best for: actively-maintained sites, e-commerce, clients who request changes regularly, businesses where the site is the lead-generation surface.
It’s basic risk management.
WordPress is powerful because it’s modular — plugins and themes can do almost anything. But that also means: updates can introduce conflicts, vulnerabilities can appear in third-party plugins, backups can silently fail, performance can degrade over time, small errors can turn into major downtime.
Maintenance isn’t optional if your website matters to your business. It’s basic risk management. The question isn’t whether you need it — it’s which cadence matches how active your site is.
If the site is brochure-static and rarely changes, SIMPLE is enough. If it’s a content surface with monthly updates, BASIC works. If it’s an actively-maintained business site where downtime or breakage costs you, PLUS is the right tier.
Most people mix these up.
Hosting and maintenance are different things. You can have great hosting and still get hacked if WordPress isn’t maintained. And you can maintain WordPress perfectly on weak hosting and still have performance and uptime problems.
If you want the cleanest setup, pair maintenance with managed WordPress hosting on the same retainer.
Maintenance plans run on our managed hosting. If your site is hosted somewhere else, moving it onto our hosting is part of onboarding, so hosting and upkeep stay in one place.
Questions people ask about maintenance.
How much does WordPress maintenance cost?
Three plans, priced publicly. SIMPLE is $25/month for automated updates and uptime monitoring. BASIC is $55/month for monthly maintenance with daily security scans and backups. PLUS is $100/month for weekly maintenance and a 48-hour support turnaround. Hosting is separate at $35/month.
What’s the difference between hosting and maintenance?
Hosting is the server your site runs on. Maintenance is the ongoing work that keeps it healthy: updates, security scans, backups, and fixes. My maintenance plans run on my hosting, so a plan means I handle both. Most people mix the two up, so I keep them as separate line items.
Do I need a maintenance plan if my site already works?
A WordPress site isn’t set-it-and-forget-it. Plugins and core update constantly, and outdated ones are the top way sites get hacked or break. A plan means someone is watching and patching before something goes down on a Saturday, not after.
What does the 48-hour turnaround on PLUS mean?
On PLUS I respond to your requests within 48 hours on business days. That covers change requests, fixes, and questions. SIMPLE and BASIC don’t include a response SLA; they’re built around scheduled maintenance and monitoring, not on-demand support.
Who owns the monitoring and backups?
I do. The monitoring and backups run on Sonnenberg Design’s systems, so you don’t manage another login. If something breaks, I restore it. On BASIC and PLUS, backup restoration is included as a service.
Pick a tier, or ask which one fits.
If you’re not sure, schedule a call. Five minutes about your site and traffic, and I’ll tell you which plan fits.
Schedule a call