Choosing the right platform for your website is a budget decision as much as a technology decision. The same project can cost โช5,000 or โช50,000 depending on the platform, who builds it, and what you need.
Here’s an honest breakdown of what each platform costs, including the hidden expenses most agencies don’t mention.
Platform Cost Comparison
| Platform | Simple Site | Business Site | E-commerce | Monthly Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress | โช5,000-โช12,000 | โช15,000-โช40,000 | โช25,000-โช80,000 | โช200-โช450 (hosting + maintenance) |
| Wix | โช0-โช3,000 | โช3,000-โช10,000 | โช5,000-โช15,000 | โช50-โช150 (subscription) |
| Shopify | N/A | N/A | โช5,000-โช20,000 | โช100-โช1,200 (subscription + transaction fees) |
| Webflow | โช5,000-โช15,000 | โช15,000-โช40,000 | โช20,000-โช50,000 | โช50-โช150 (hosting) |
| Next.js/Headless | โช8,000-โช15,000 | โช20,000-โช60,000 | โช30,000-โช100,000 | โช0-โช100 (Vercel/Netlify) |
All prices in Israeli Shekels (โช), excluding VAT. Ranges reflect the Israeli market for professional development.
WordPress
Best for: Businesses that need flexibility, SEO control, and long-term scalability.
WordPress powers 43% of all websites globally. The platform is free, you pay for hosting, development, and premium plugins/themes.
Hidden costs to budget for:
- Hosting: โช200-โช450/month for managed WordPress hosting
- Premium plugins: โช500-โช3,000/year (forms, SEO, security, page builder)
- Maintenance: โช200-โช500/month or retainer basis
- SSL certificate: Free (Let’s Encrypt) or โช200-โช800/year (premium)
Total first-year cost (business site): โช20,000-โช50,000
Wix
Best for: Small businesses and solopreneurs who want to manage their own site without technical help.
Wix is the easiest platform to get started with. Drag-and-drop editor, hundreds of templates, and all-in-one pricing. The tradeoff is limited customization and weaker SEO capabilities.
Hidden costs:
- Premium plans: โช50-โช150/month (required for custom domain and no ads)
- Third-party apps: โช0-โช100/month for advanced features
- Migration cost if you outgrow Wix: โช5,000-โช15,000 to rebuild on WordPress
Total first-year cost (business site): โช4,000-โช12,000
Shopify
Best for: Businesses focused purely on e-commerce with straightforward product catalogs.
Shopify excels at online stores. Product management, checkout, payments, and shipping are all built-in and polished. But it’s expensive once you factor in transaction fees and app costs.
Hidden costs:
- Transaction fees: 0.5-2% per sale (unless using Shopify Payments)
- Apps: Most stores need 5-10 apps at โช30-โช200/month each
- Custom theme: โช5,000-โช15,000 if templates don’t fit
Total first-year cost (e-commerce): โช15,000-โช40,000
Webflow
Best for: Design-heavy marketing sites where visual precision matters more than functionality.
Webflow gives designers pixel-perfect control without code. The learning curve is steep, but the output is impressive. Limited plugin ecosystem means custom functionality requires developers.
Hidden costs:
- CMS plan required for blogs/dynamic content: โช70-โช150/month
- Custom integrations: require Zapier or custom code
- Developer scarcity: Webflow developers are fewer and more expensive than WordPress developers
Total first-year cost (business site): โช18,000-โช45,000
Next.js / Headless CMS
Best for: Tech companies, high-performance sites, and businesses with development resources.
The modern approach: a React-based frontend with a headless CMS (Sanity, Contentful, Strapi) for content management. Blazing fast, fully customizable, but requires JavaScript developers.
Hidden costs:
- Developer rates: Higher than WordPress (โช300-โช600/hour)
- CMS subscription: โช0-โช400/month depending on provider
- Hosting: Often free or near-free on Vercel/Netlify for most sites
Total first-year cost (business site): โช25,000-โช70,000
How to Choose
| Your Situation | Recommended Platform |
|---|---|
| Solo business, tight budget, DIY | Wix |
| Growing business, need flexibility | WordPress |
| Pure e-commerce, simple catalog | Shopify |
| Design-first brand, less functionality | Webflow |
| Tech company, performance-critical | Next.js / Headless |
| Not sure | Ask us, we’ll recommend honestly |
We build on WordPress and Next.js, but we’ll tell you if Shopify or Wix is the better choice for your situation. Get a free platform recommendation.
