READ: WordPress Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Site Running Smooth
In this guide, we outline 5 of the best companies offering WordPress Maintenance Service today, rated by factors such as:
- Scope of maintenance provided
- Other services offered with the maintenance
- Pricing
- Overall value
What is WordPress maintenance service?
WordPress maintenance typically refers to the process of updating plugins, themes and core WordPress files as new versions become available from developers. These updates are necessary for removing security vulnerabilities and enhancing the site’s functionality and features.
However, some maintenance providers offer several other services, including WordPress support, site backups and uptime monitoring. In the case of companies like WP Tangerine, customers also receive design and development services, in addition to the routine maintenance.
Given the wide gulf of varying services offered by these providers, a careful evaluation is needed to identify the right solution for each site owner’s needs.
Best WordPress Maintenance Service Providers
Here’s how the 5 best companies stack up.
1) WP Tangerine
WP Tangerine is one of the oldest and most recognized players in the game of WordPress maintenance service – and for good reason. They provide a wide range of services that extend far beyond maintenance, at no additional cost. Their plans are affordable. And, they’re known for their expertise – not just in WordPress, but also web design, UX design and SEO.
WP Tangerine has a staff of 54 full-time WordPress experts. This is likely what enables the company to offer such a wide range of WordPress services and deliver a 1-day turnaround for most website tasks.
WP Tangerine currently offers three plan options. Every plan includes the basic WordPress maintenance services: updates to themes, plugins and WordPress versions, plus on-demand support. But customers also receive unlimited design, development, site changes and graphic design (up to the number of daily hours included with their plan). This wide scope of capabilities is what separates WP Tangerine from other providers.
What we like
- Extensive services included with every plan: WP Tangerine takes care of any website task, including site changes, speed optimization, new plug-in installations – you name it.
- Free access to web hosting from WP Engine: This is a huge perk included with WP Tangerine’s plans. This benefit alone makes their packages a no-brainer.
- Unlimited graphics & design tasks: Incredibly, WP Tangerine includes design services with every plan. This includes not only web design tasks, but also custom graphics, banners and even logos
Pricing
WP Tangerine currently offers three monthly plans. Customers can also choose to pay annually for a savings of 15%.
- Basic Plan: $197/month
- Pro Plan: $297/month
- VIP Plan: $997/month
The main differences between the plans are how much work (in hours) you’re allowed to receive each day, how many WordPress sites you can get help for, and access to larger website builds / redesigns.
Here’s how it breaks down:
- Basic: Includes Unlimited WordPress & WooCommerce tasks up to 1 hour per business day, graphics, uptime monitoring, WordPress updates (themes, plug-ins and core software), site backups and restorations, optional WP Engine hosting, Priority emergency care and research/consulting for up to 3 WordPress sites.
- Pro: Includes everything in the Basic plan, but doubles the amount of work to 2 hours per business day, for up to 6 sites. Customers can also get complete site builds and redesigns, plus WP Engine hosting for up to 3 sites
- VIP: Includes everything in the Pro plan, but increases the workload limit to 4 hours per day, for an unlimited number of sites. The free WP Engine hosting can be used for up to 6 sites. VIP customers also get access to 1-on-1 phone calls and real-time chat collaboration with WP Tangerine’s experts.
Overall value
WP Tangerine tops our list of WordPress maintenance service providers because of the long list of services they include with each maintenance package. It’s an extremely good value, especially considering the price and the quality of work that you get from WP Tangerine’s developers and designers.
2) GoDaddy WordPress Premium Support
Our runner-up may surprise some, because GoDaddy is mostly known as a domain registrar. Also, GoDaddy’s WordPress Premium Support is somewhat limited in contrast to more robust WordPress Maintenance Service providers such as WP Tangerine. Still, the GoDaddy name carries a lot of weight. If you’re the kind of person who prefers to stick with nationally known brands (even if it means sacrificing some quality of service), then this could be a good option for you.
GoDaddy markets its WP Premium Support as “a subscription-based service, available 24/7/365, that provides assistance or fixes for WordPress-related issues that come up at a moment’s notice.” It’s mostly a support service. GoDaddy is explicit about the things they won’t do, such as design work, multisite support, custom coding and consulting, just to name a few. Plans are differentiated by monthly “credits,” which basically equate to tasks. For example, a single support task, such as troubleshooting a 404 error, would use up one credit.
What we like
- GoDaddy’s name recognition: GoDaddy’s WP Premium Support may be limited in comparison to other options on this list, but some users may prefer using a nationally recognized brand.
- Affordable plans: Pricing starts at just $49.99/month for “1 monthly credit.” This may be a good option for websites with limited budgets and very few support needs. However, given the scope of services provided, this is not necessarily a great value compared to other options on the list.
- Option to buy additional credits: If you use up your allotted credits for the month, you have the option to buy more (or upgrade to a higher plan). This can get pricey, but it’s good to have these options in case additional emergencies arise.
Pricing
GoDaddy’s WordPress maintenance service is available in 4 plans:
- Starter: $49.99/month for 1 credit
- Basic: $79.99/month for 3 credits
- Deluxe: $99.99/month for 5 credits
- Ultimate: $149.99/month for 10 credits
Overall value
GoDaddy may not be the first choice for businesses or website owners that have more robust needs each month. But there is some value in working with a well-known brand. You can contact GoDaddy’s customer service at any time of day. And as long as your needs aren’t too complex, you can expect a pretty quick turnaround.
3) SiteCare
SiteCare is another big player in the field, having entered the game of WordPress maintenance service back in 2012. The company markets itself as a “data-driven approach to managing and growing your brand online” – although we’ve found that most of their services aren’t necessarily data-driven: they’re largely task- and support-based like other options on this list.
One area where SiteCare differs from other providers is that it offers digital marketing, including PPC advertising and email marketing. That may be a good option for website owners that need a marketing partner in addition to WordPress maintenance services.
What we like
- Advanced service offerings: SiteCare’s top-tier plans offers a range of advanced services such as version control, automated deployments and quality assurance testing.
- Basic maintenance: The Standard Plan (priced annually at about $1,000 per year) is a decent option for websites that only need bare-bones maintenance, such as plug-in updates and backups. However, this plan does not include other tasks, like design or development.
- Digital marketing: Aside from WordPress maintenance, you can also get help with online marketing initiatives (priced separately).
Pricing
SiteCare offers 4 plans for WordPress maintenance. Customers can pay annually for a discount (except for the Standard plan, which is already billed annually only).
- Standard: $990/year
- Plus: $299/month
- Pro: $499/month
- Premier: $1,200/month
The biggest differences between the plans are the access to priority support and premium services like consulting (i.e. SiteCoach).
Overall value
SiteCare is a good option for website owners looking for an “all-in-one” solution for maintenance and digital marketing. The biggest drawback we encountered is that you’ll need to pay for the premium plans to access the most valuable services, such as advice, help from a dedicated account manager or multisite support. For comparison, all of these services are available to every WP Tangerine customer, even in their lowest plan.
4) TemplateMonster
TemplateMonster is another unique entry on this list in that the company is primarily known as a digital marketplace for website templates (including WordPress themes, HTML templates, Shopify themes and so on). But the company also offers a decent WordPress maintenance service.
There’s only one maintenance plan and it’s just the essentials: things like backups, uptime monitoring, plug-in updates and 5 hours of dev team assistance. But we like this simplicity, especially in contrast to providers like SiteCare that have more complicated pricing tiers and add-ons.
What we like
- A simplified maintenance plan: No tiers to choose from. No hassle. TemplateMonster’s website maintenance service is offered as a single plan (though you have the option to pay monthly or annually for a discount).
- Other platforms supported: In addition to WordPress, TemplateMonster provide maintenance for other types of websites, including Shopify, Opencart, PrestaShop and Joomla.
- Recommended improvements: As part of the maintenance, customers receive ongoing recommendations on ways to improve their websites, including advice on site speed optimization, UX design or content-related issues.
Pricing
- $99/month (or $799/year for the first year)
Overall value
You may not get the kind of hands-on WordPress help as other providers like WP Tangerine, but TemplateMonster still offers a decent maintenance plan at an affordable price. In addition to the core maintenance services, customers get 5 hours per month for things like plug-in integration, layout changes and fixes. Beyond that, customers with greater needs can hire a TemplateMonster developer for an additional $20 per hour.
5) WP Fix It
WP Fix It has been providing WordPress support since 2009. And in many ways, they are still primarily a support service, offering to fix any WordPress issue “in 30 minutes or less” for a fee of $49 per issue. However, WP Fix It also offers ongoing services for those who need it, including a “Monthly Site Care” option for basic WordPress maintenance.
WP Fix It’s Monthly Site Care is not as robust as other providers on this list. However, the option for one-off WordPress support makes it a unique contender. Website owners who need to fix individual site issues – but don’t want to subscribe to a monthly plan – can get the help they need from WP Fix It. The company also offers a variety of other services (priced individually), such as hosting, advanced support, WordPress tune-ups and site migrations.
Pricing
In terms of ongoing WordPress maintenance services, WP Fix It’s service options include:
- Monthly Site Care – Basic: $12/month for automatic updates to themes, plugins and WordPress core software, plus backups and support for site outages.
- Monthly Site Care – Beast Mode: $17/month – Includes everything in Basic, with the addition of a monthly site speed audit.
- Hosting & Support: $37/month – Includes web hosting, plus free support for any WordPress issue.
Overall Value
WP Fix It is an affordable option for website owners who want the most essential WordPress maintenance (i.e. updates) without the requirement of a monthly subscription. If issues arise, you can pay extra for support on a case-by-case basis. If you want the peace of mind of having ongoing access to designers, developers and other WordPress experts, then you’ll want to consider other providers on our list. But if you have very minimal website needs and simply want to make sure your site is up to date, then WP Fix It’s Monthly Site Care plan is a good value at just $12 per month.
Final Thoughts
We can’t stress this enough: WordPress maintenance service is critical for every WordPress site, regardless of how big it is or how it’s used. If your plug-ins and WordPress software are not updated on a regular basis, then it’s only a matter of time before your website will be compromised.
However, many WordPress site owners need more than just basic maintenance to maintain a professional website. That’s where services like WP Tangerine can be invaluable, providing not just updates and site backups, but also design, development, optimization and day-to-day site maintenance. Each provider above is unique in the scope of services they provide, so ultimately website owners should evaluate their options carefully to select the right WordPress maintenance service for their specific needs.
