Guides / website-maintenance

What Do Website Maintenance Packages Include?

By Ryan Goering, CEO, BaaDigi · Last updated October 2026 · 19 sources checked

We group the website maintenance plans we compared into three levels. An entry package covers the software: updates, backups and some security or uptime monitoring, often with no edits to your pages. WPCare’s $39-a-month Basic plan is "weekly updates and weekly backups with no included developer edits"[1]. A mid package adds a set amount of editing, such as about 30 minutes a month at WebCare Studios for $199[2] or five human edits a month at GoWP for $99 per site[3]. Higher packages more often add faster response times, a named engineer and larger edit allowances, though tested updates already appear in entry plans such as SiteCare Gold[4]: WebCare Studios’ $799 Scale plan lists a 1-hour response, 24/7[2]. Hosting is often not included: WP Buffs works with whatever host you already use[5], and WP SitePlan sells hosting as an add-on from $80 a month[6]. Two companies we checked, GoWP and B12, let you make changes yourself by asking an AI tool[3][7]. Read the editing line twice: "unlimited" edits, a few minutes a month and no edits at all sit at similar prices.

BaaDigi sells website maintenance and management, so we compete with companies named on this page. Every outside figure below is from the company’s own pages or a public source, so you can check it.

What is in a basic, mid and top website maintenance package?

A few terms first. Hosting is the rented server your website lives on. Updates are new versions of the website software and its plugins (add-on pieces of software, mostly on WordPress). Uptime monitoring is a check that alerts someone when the site goes down. Most of the companies below work on WordPress sites.

The table puts each company’s plans side by side by level. "Entry", "mid" and "top" mean where the plan sits in that company’s own lineup, not a price band, so one company’s entry plan can cost more than another’s top plan; entry plans here run from $39 to $435. Some lineups are shown without their top plan (Fixmysite Performance, WPCare Enterprise, WP Buffs Perform, Pronto Dedicated), so "Top" is not always a company’s highest tier.

What named maintenance plans include, from each company’s own plan page, checked October 1, 2026. Level = position within that company’s own plan lineup, not a price band. "Not stated" means the plan page we read does not list it. Prices are monthly unless noted
Level in company’s lineupPlan and priceUpdatesBackupsSecurity monitoringUptime monitoringEdits or support timeResponse timeHosting
EntryGoWP Pro, $39 per site[3]Automatic, with visual checks[3]Daily, 90 days of history[3]Daily security scans and cleanup[3]Yes, carried over from the Free plan[3]15 AI edits a month; no human edits[3]Not stated[3]Not stated[3]
EntryWPCare Basic, $39[1]Weekly[1]Weekly[1]Malware and security scanning (cleanup starts at Premium)[1]Automated uptime checks, not 24/7 human coverage[1]No included developer edits[1]Not stated[1]Not stated[1]
EntryWP SitePlan Essentials, $59 per site, with $79 struck through[6]"WordPress maintenance" (updates not itemized)[6]Yes, how often not stated[6]Firewall, brute-force login protection, malware scans and removal[6]Not stated[6]None listed; help desk starts at Professional[6]Not stated[6]Add-on from $80 a month[6]
EntryWP Buffs Maintain, $89[5]Weekly[5]Cloud, 4 times a day[5]Not listed; security optimization starts at Protect[5]24/7[5]Not stated on this plan; unlimited edits start at Protect[5]24/7 emergency support; in general 2–6 hour reply, 24–48 hour resolution[5][8]Not included (FAQ: "Our maintenance plans do not include hosting services"); works with any host[5][8]
EntryFixmysite Maintenance, $99 monthly or $89 yearly[9]Weekly[9]Daily, offsite[9]Yes[9]Yes[9]Small 30-minute repairs; no content-edit scope or monthly cap stated[9]8 hours on average[9]Not included; hosted version $199[9]
EntryWebCare Studios Care, $99[2]Plugin, theme and core updates, tested by a person[2]Daily, offsite, test-restored; 30-day retention[2]Daily malware scanning; cleanup included[2]5-minute checks[2]Billed hourly; 30 minutes a month starts at Care Plus[2]12 hours, weekdays[2]Not stated[2]
EntryPronto Marketing Technical Support, $99 under Paid Monthly or $89 under Paid Yearly[10]WordPress and plugin updates[10]Not stated[10]Security optimization[10]24/7[10]No edits; the FAQ says to edit yourself or upgrade to Website Support[10]24/7 emergency support; no time stated[10]Included[10]
EntryWebFX WordPress (CMS Security Plan), $350[11]Website updates weekdays 8am–5pm ET; quarterly upgrades and security patches[11]Daily, full site[11]Daily security scan[11]Not stated[11]Hours not included; extra hours $150 each[11]Urgent support if down or hacked; 1-business-day turnaround billed at $250 an hour[11]Not stated[11]
EntrySiteCare Gold, $435, or $4,680 a year[4]Tested on a copy of the site first[4]Daily, remote[4]Malware scanning and hack cleanups[4]Yes[4]5 content edits and 5 quick fixes[4]Rapid response team; no time stated[4]Included (SiteCare’s own)[4]
MidWPCare Premium, $89[1]Weekly, as Basic[1]Daily[1]Malware and security scanning, plus malware cleanup while covered[1]Automated uptime checks, not 24/7 human coverage[1]About 30 minutes of qualifying small edits[1]Not stated[1]Not stated[1]
MidGoWP Business, $99 per site[3]Same as Pro[3]Same as Pro[3]Same as Pro[3]Same as Pro[3]50 AI edits plus 5 human edits a month, each about 30 minutes or less[3]Not stated[3]Not stated[3]
MidWP SitePlan Professional, $119 per site, with $149 struck through[6]Same as Essentials[6]Same as Essentials[6]Same as Essentials[6]Not stated[6]Content edits on existing pages; help desk tasks of about 30 minutes each[6]Help desk aims for 1–2 business days[6]Add-on from $80 a month[6]
MidFixmysite Security, $159 monthly or $139 yearly[9]Weekly[9]Daily, offsite[9]Hardening, advanced security monitoring, malware removal[9]Yes[9]15-minute small tasks plus 30-minute repairs[9]8 hours on average[9]Not included; hosted version $299[9]
MidWP Buffs Protect, $179[5]Weekly[5]Cloud, 4 times a day[5]Security optimization[5]24/7[5]24/7 unlimited website edits[5]Same as Maintain[8]Not included (FAQ: "Our maintenance plans do not include hosting services"); works with any host[5][8]
MidWebCare Studios Care Plus, $199[2]Tested weekly, as Care[2]Daily, offsite; 60-day retention[2]Daily malware scanning; cleanup included[2]1-minute checks[2]30 minutes a month of small content and fix requests; unused time rolls forward[2]8 hours, 7 days a week[2]Not stated[2]
MidWebCare Studios Commerce, $349[2]Tested weekly[2]Hourly; 90-day retention[2]Hourly malware scanning; cleanup included; WooCommerce checkout, cart and payment gateway monitoring[2]30-second checks[2]2 hours a month of content and fix requests[2]4 hours, 24/7; 1-hour emergency response, 24/7[2]Not stated; lists hosting recommendations and free migration to Kinsta, WP Engine or Cloudways[2]
MidPronto Marketing Website Support, $299 under Paid Monthly or $269 under Paid Yearly[10]Same as Technical Support[10]Not stated[10]Security optimization[10]24/7[10]Unlimited website edits and projects[10]Not stated[10]Included[10]
TopWP SitePlan Enterprise, $229 per site, with $279 struck through[6]Same as Essentials[6]Same as Essentials[6]Same as Essentials[6]Not stated[6]New blog posts or landing pages from existing templates; no limit on the number of 30-minute tasks[6]Help desk aims for 1–2 business days[6]Add-on from $80 a month[6]
TopWP Buffs Custom, $359[5]Tested on a staging copy first[5]Cloud, 4 times a day[5]Security optimization and complete malware removal[5]24/7, plus custom functionality monitoring[5]Unlimited website edits[5]Same as Maintain[8]The plan card lists Pantheon, AWS or VPS hosting, but the FAQ says "Our maintenance plans do not include hosting services"; ask which applies[5][8]
TopWebCare Studios Scale, $799[2]Tested weekly plus change review[2]Hourly; 12-month retention plus cold archive[2]Continuous malware scanning; cleanup plus forensics report; WooCommerce monitoring with payment gateway alerts[2]30-second checks plus real-user monitoring[2]6 hours a month of content and fix requests[2]1 hour, 24/7; 15-minute emergency response, 24/7[2]Not stated; as in Commerce, lists hosting recommendations and free migration to Kinsta, WP Engine or Cloudways[2]
TopSiteCare Diamond, $2,190, or $23,880 a year[4]Same as Gold[4]Daily remote backups plus real-time remote backups[4]Same as Gold, plus SEO, accessibility and user journey monitoring[4]Yes[4]10 content edits, unlimited quick fixes and a 10-hour block of expert time[4]One-hour service level; after-hours urgent support[4]Included (SiteCare’s own)[4]
Different model (our own offer)BaaDigi AI Website Management, $97 plus $300 one-time setup[12]Covered, not itemized; the site is rebuilt on Next.js[12]Every change is saved and can be rolled back[12]Cloudflare in front; spam filtering on lead forms[12]Not listed[12]Your own Claude or ChatGPT edits content; no done-for-you changes at this price[12]Technical support when something breaks; no response time listed[12]Included (Vercel)[12]

Eversite works differently: it designs the site and then runs it for you. Its Bronze plan is $199 a month and covers hosting, SSL (the padlock certificate) and maintenance, with unlimited updates[13]. The setup fee is unclear: the pricing page shows "$2500 setup" under each plan, while the FAQ says "a $399 setup fee is applied" on any plan[13][14]. Ask which applies before you sign.

WP SitePlan shows a higher price struck through beside each current price ($79 beside $59, $149 beside $119, $279 beside $229). The page does not make clear whether the struck price is the regular price or when the lower one ends[6]. Budget at the higher figure until they confirm it in writing.

How much editing do you actually get?

This is the line most owners misread. "Maintenance" in a plan name usually means keeping the software current, not changing your words, photos or prices. The plans we checked fall into five kinds of editing allowance.

  • No edits: WPCare Basic says so plainly, "no included developer edits"[1]. WP SitePlan Essentials lists none; its help desk starts at Professional[6]. WebFX’s CMS security plans do not include hours; extra hours are $150 each[11].
  • A few minutes a month: WPCare Premium ($89) adds "about 30 minutes of qualifying small edits" and Enterprise ($159) about 60 minutes[1]. WebCare Studios Care Plus includes "Small content and fix requests included (30 min / mo, rolls forward)", Commerce 2 hours a month and Scale 6 hours a month[2]. Fixmysite’s plans include "Small 30-minute repairs with clear notes explaining what we changed and why", but the page states no content-edit scope or monthly cap[9].
  • A set number of edits: GoWP Business includes 5 human edits a month and defines one as "a task of about 30 minutes or less: think updating your holiday hours, adding a team member to your About page, or posting an article you supply"[3]. SiteCare Gold includes 5 content edits and 5 quick fixes; Diamond includes 10 content edits and unlimited quick fixes[4].
  • Blocks of hours: WebFX’s maintenance tiers include 4, 6, 15 or 25 support hours a month for $975 to $4,500, and "Unused hours roll to the next month"[11]. Valet’s featured Professional Plan, $2,000 a month, lists five support hours a month[15].
  • Unlimited: WP Buffs lists "24/7 Unlimited Website Edits" from its $179 Protect plan[5]. Pronto Marketing lists unlimited website edits and projects from its Website Support plan[10]. Eversite offers "unlimited revisions under our fair use policy"[14].

"Unlimited" still has edges. WP Buffs defines its unlimited edits as including "edits to content on any page, changing banners, headers, or footers, changing plugin settings, CSS adjustments" (CSS is the code that controls how the site looks), and its plans-page FAQ excludes custom development, graphic design, building full pages to match an exact design and creation of content[5]. WP SitePlan caps the size of each request instead of the count: "Each individual task is limited to approximately 30 minutes, but there’s no limit on the number of 30-minute tasks you can send us each month"[6]. On WP SitePlan’s page that unlimited line sits in the Enterprise FAQ; Professional includes help desk tasks of about 30 minutes each[6].

Scope matters as much as minutes. WP SitePlan Professional covers edits to "EXISTING pages"; publishing new blog posts or landing pages starts at Enterprise, and only from existing templates[6].

Before you pay for "unlimited", ask for the company’s written definition of an edit and an example of a request it would refuse. A 30-minute cap per task can turn one job, such as a new service page, into several billed tasks.

What is usually NOT in a package?

Only exclusions the companies state themselves are listed here.

  • Hosting: WP Buffs works with any host you already pay for[5]. WP SitePlan sells hosting as an add-on from $80 a month[6]. Fixmysite includes hosting only in its three hosted plans, $199 to $499 a month[9]. WebCare Studios’ Commerce plan lists hosting recommendations and a free move to Kinsta, WP Engine or Cloudways; the pages we read do not list hosting as included in any plan[2]. WP Buffs’ FAQ says "Our maintenance plans do not include hosting services"[8].
  • Your domain (your web address): Eversite includes hosting, but you pay for domain registration separately at your own registrar[14].
  • Larger work: SiteCare sells out-of-scope work as Flex Packs, 5-hour bundles of expert time[4]. Pronto Marketing prices new website builds separately at $4,500 to $15,000 or more[10]. WP SitePlan’s design subscription is an add-on from $900 a month, and accessibility from $75 a month[6].
  • Online stores and memberships: WP Buffs says WooCommerce, membership, multi-language and on-site payment sites need its $239 Perform plan[5].
  • Extra sites: WP Buffs says "Each plan covers one site"; every extra website needs its own plan[5]. GoWP prices per site too[3].
  • Extra AI edits: GoWP charges $30 per 10 beyond the plan’s allowance[3].
  • Fast turnaround: WebFX bills $250 an hour when you ask for a 1-business-day turnaround on its CMS plans[11]. Customers who go over their ticket allowance more than three times a year are moved up a tier automatically[11].
  • The platform itself: when you leave Eversite, your site’s files and content are yours, but the hosting environment and its back-end system stay behind[14].

Monthly or annual, and can you cancel?

Most companies we checked bill month to month. Several companies say annual billing is two months free; check the arithmetic against the prices, because some pages hide the annual figure behind a toggle.

  • GoWP: "Everything is month to month, per site." A cancelled site drops to the Free plan at the end of the billing period, and "The list price is the price"[3].
  • WPCare: month to month, cancel any time, and "If you leave, your backups are yours — we hand them over"[1].
  • WebCare Studios: "No lock in contract. Cancel anytime." with a 30-day money-back guarantee; an annual toggle says "2 months free", but we captured only the monthly prices[2].
  • Fixmysite: "No contracts. Cancel anytime. 30-day money-back guarantee." The page has a monthly/yearly toggle: its headline says "from $89/month", the $99 card is the monthly price, and the page markup gives $89 as the yearly price for the same plan (Security is $159 monthly, $139 yearly)[9].
  • SiteCare: month to month with cancel any time, or annual billing. Gold is $435 a month or $4,680 a year, and Diamond is $2,190 a month or $23,880 a year; the page says annual gets "2 months free", which the listed prices do not fully match (12 × $435 = $5,220, so about $540 less)[4]. All plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee[4].
  • WP Buffs: billed in advance, monthly or annually, and auto-renews. You can cancel any time from your profile page or in writing, but its terms say "Payments are not refundable"[16]. Its FAQ is more specific: monthly plans are non-refundable, while a yearly plan cancelled part way is charged at the full monthly rate for the months used and the remainder of the paid amount is refunded[8]. A yearly plan gets 2 months free; we did not find the yearly price[8].
  • Pronto Marketing: "Flexible monthly and yearly payment options, with no long-term contracts!" and a 30-day money-back guarantee[10]. The page has a Paid Monthly / Paid Yearly toggle: $99, $299 and $799 are the monthly set, $89, $269 and $719 the yearly set[10]. Its FAQ prices the Website Support upgrade at "an additional $150/m", which fits neither set[10].
  • WP SitePlan and WebFX: contract terms not stated on the pages we read[6][11]. WebFX also says all plans are subject to its approval[11].
  • Eversite: you can leave; its FAQ says that whether you end "after two years, or even after 3 months," the design and content remain yours[14].
  • B12: $24 a month billed monthly or $20 a month billed yearly for its Website plan[7]. Its Professional and Advanced plans cannot be downgraded, and we did not read its cancellation terms[7].
  • BaaDigi AI Website Management (our own offer): month to month, no contract[12].

WP Buffs’ plans page still carried a Black Friday discount banner that ended December 3, 2025[5]. Expired promotions are not the price; use the regular figures in the table.

Which companies let you make your own changes with AI?

Two of the companies we checked say they do. For every other company, the pages we read do not mention it.

  • GoWP: yes. Its AI Editor lets you make website changes by asking, metered at 5 AI edits a month on Free, 15 on Pro and 50 on Business, with extra edits at $30 per 10[3].
  • B12: yes. "You can update it by simply telling the B12 AI Agent what you want to change." Its Website plan includes 100 AI credits a month and the next plan 300[7].
  • Eversite: no self-service editing (not an AI statement); "You won’t need to log in to the Eversite CMS because all changes and updates are performed by our trained team on your behalf"[14].
  • Hibu: describes a "we do it for you" approach with no do-it-yourself required; AI editing not stated[17].
  • WP Buffs, SiteCare, WP SitePlan, Fixmysite, WebCare Studios, WPCare, Valet, Pronto Marketing, WebFX and GoDaddy’s website design service: not stated[5][4][6][9][2][1][15][10][11][18].

GoWP and B12 both meter AI changes with their own built-in tool. Neither page we read says you can connect your own ChatGPT or Claude account.

There is another way to set this up: bring your own AI. BaaDigi’s AI Website Management connects the customer’s own Claude or ChatGPT to the site, and the customer pays for that AI subscription themselves[12]. The words, photos, services and FAQs are kept separate from the website’s code, and the AI may change content only[12]. Every change goes to a preview first, automated checks run, the owner approves, and only then does it publish; every change is saved and can be rolled back[12]. It costs $97 a month plus a one-time $300 setup, and includes hosting on Vercel, Cloudflare in front and technical support when something breaks[12]. There are no done-for-you content changes at that price. The $147-a-month Predictable Work Website plan adds one update request a month, up to 30 minutes, and the $297-a-month Foundation Engine plan has changes done for you[12][19].

Whatever tool you use, check two things: can a change be previewed before it goes live, and can it be undone? An AI edit that publishes straight to your live site is a risk, not a feature.

How do you compare two packages?

Put these questions to both companies and get the answers in writing.

  • How often are updates run, and are they tested on a copy of the site before they go live?
  • How often are backups taken, how long are they kept, and has anyone tested restoring one?
  • What exactly counts as an edit, and how much editing is included each month? Does unused time roll over?
  • Does the plan include hosting? If not, what will hosting cost you separately?
  • What is the response time in writing, and does it cover weekends?
  • Is malware cleanup included, or billed when it happens?
  • Is the price promotional or regular, and what is the annual price if you pay yearly?
  • Is there a contract, a setup fee or a refund policy? What do you get to keep if you leave: backups, files, the domain?
  • Can you make small changes yourself, and if so with what tool?

Which package level fits you?

  • An entry package is likely a fit if your site rarely changes, you or a staff member can make your own text edits, and you mainly want updates, backups and someone watching for downtime.
  • A mid package is likely a fit if you change something every month, such as hours, prices, staff or photos, and do not want to touch the site yourself. Compare edit allowances, not plan names.
  • A top package is likely a fit if the site takes payments or bookings, downtime costs you money by the hour, or you need a named person and a written response time.
  • Doing it yourself is likely a fit if you are comfortable logging in to update software and keep your own backups, and your time costs less than a plan.
  • A managed setup you edit with your own AI is likely a fit if most of what you pay for today is small content changes, you already use ChatGPT or Claude, and you want someone else to handle hosting, security and support.

Frequently asked questions

What is included in website maintenance?
Entry website maintenance packages usually include software and plugin updates, regular backups and some security or uptime monitoring. Mid packages more often add a set amount of editing time each month, and higher packages more often add faster response times and a named engineer. Some plans, such as SiteCare Gold, test updates on a copy of the site first even at entry level. Many plans do not include hosting or your domain.
Do website maintenance plans include content changes?
Not always. Some entry plans include no edits at all, some include a set number of edits or about 30 to 60 minutes a month, and some advertise unlimited edits with a written definition of what counts. Ask for that definition before you sign.
Is hosting included in a website maintenance package?
Often not. Several WordPress maintenance companies work with whatever host you already use or sell hosting as a separate add-on, while others include their own hosting in the monthly price. Check the plan page and ask what hosting will cost if it is not listed.
Can I cancel a monthly website maintenance plan?
Most of the companies we checked bill month to month and let you cancel any time, and several offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Some bill in advance and do not refund monthly payments (WP Buffs refunds the unused part of a yearly plan), and some say annual billing is two months free, so read the terms and check the annual price before choosing it.
Can I update my own website with AI instead of paying for edits?
Some providers now offer it. A few maintenance and website companies include a built-in AI tool that makes changes when you ask, usually with a monthly limit. Another approach connects your own ChatGPT or Claude to the site so you can change content in plain English, with a preview and approval step before anything goes live.

Related reading

Sources

Every source was opened and read on the date shown. Vendor prices change; check the vendor's page before buying. How we research: methodology.

  1. WPCare: WordPress maintenance plans — checked 2026-10-01
  2. WebCare Studios: pricing — checked 2026-10-01
  3. GoWP: pricing — checked 2026-10-01
  4. SiteCare: pricing — checked 2026-10-01
  5. WP Buffs: WordPress care plans — checked 2026-10-01
  6. WP SitePlan: pricing — checked 2026-10-01
  7. B12: pricing — checked 2026-10-01
  8. WP Buffs: FAQ — checked 2026-10-01
  9. Fixmysite: WordPress care plans — checked 2026-10-01
  10. Pronto Marketing: pricing — checked 2026-10-01
  11. WebFX: website maintenance services and plans — checked 2026-10-01
  12. BaaDigi: AI Website Management pricing and scope — checked 2026-10-01
  13. Eversite: pricing — checked 2026-10-01
  14. Eversite: FAQs — checked 2026-10-01
  15. Valet Website Advisors: homepage (featured care plan) — checked 2026-10-01
  16. WP Buffs: terms of service — checked 2026-10-01
  17. Hibu: websites — checked 2026-10-01
  18. GoDaddy: website design services — checked 2026-10-01
  19. BaaDigi: website maintenance services and plans — checked 2026-10-01