What an Astro and EmDash site costs compared with a WordPress site
Hosting, maintenance, updates, backups: what you pay for with an Astro and EmDash site or a WordPress site, and our public prices.
Contents
"How much does it cost?" is not just the build price. A site then costs something every month in hosting, updates, backups and small changes, whatever it is built on. This article compares those cost lines between an Astro site with EmDash and a WordPress site, then gives our public prices as they appear on our plan pages. We do not quote other providers' prices: they vary too much for an average to be of any use to you.
The same cost lines, a different nature
| Cost line | WordPress site | Astro and EmDash site |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Open source | Open source (EmDash is published under the MIT license) |
| Hosting | A server running PHP and a database | Cloudflare (Workers, D1, R2) or a Node.js server with SQLite, libSQL or PostgreSQL |
| Updates | Core, theme and plugins | EmDash, Astro and the project's dependencies |
| Changes | Often through a plugin | Through code, in Astro components |
In both cases the software costs nothing in licenses. What you pay for is where it runs and someone's time to keep it current.
Hosting
According to its documentation, EmDash runs on Cloudflare, with content in a D1 database and media in R2 storage, or on a Node.js server. The admin and the site are one application: there is no separate content service to pay for alongside.
On all three of our plans, Cloudflare hosting is included, with the SSL certificate, delivery network and firewall. It therefore does not show up as a separate line on your bill.
Updates
This is the cost line most often forgotten, on both foundations.
On WordPress, the core, the theme and each plugin have their own release pace, and it is the combination that has to be tested. We set out that workload in Astro or WordPress: which foundation for your next site.
On EmDash, the update documentation is clear: there are no automatic updates. Each update is started by whoever runs the site, with a tool that lists the changes to review. A major version can require changes to the project, and some versions alter the database, which calls for a recovery point before deploying.
On our plans, that work is included: we keep Astro, the EmDash admin and all the site's dependencies up to date, with no action on your part.
Backups
EmDash's documentation makes a point you would not guess: the backup you can download from its admin is for inspecting content, but EmDash cannot restore a site from it. A real backup means a copy of the database, plus a copy of the media, made separately. On Cloudflare D1, the time travel feature keeps history for 7 days on the Workers free plan and 30 days on the paid plan; beyond that, you need an outside copy.
This is not a flaw peculiar to EmDash: on any foundation, a backup that has never been restored proves nothing. But it is a cost line, in time or money, to plan for from the start.
Our public prices
Our three plans are Astro sites with an EmDash admin. The prices below are those on our plan pages, in euros, VAT not applicable (article 293 B of the French tax code).
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Setup fee | Tickets included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site Web Start, brochure site, blog or portfolio of up to 5 pages | €59 | €637 | €109 | 1 a year |
| Site Web Essentiel, shop with 10 pages and 15 products | €109 | €1,177 | €890 | 2 a year |
| Site Web Premium, custom build of up to 20 pages | €149 | €1,609 | €2,400 | 2 a year |
All three include the domain name, Cloudflare hosting, maintenance and basic SEO. They have no minimum term, and the site is yours after twelve months. Beyond what is included, work is handled with a support ticket: €89 an hour, or €399 for a pack of five, valid for twelve months. These tickets also cover a WordPress site or a server, with no subscription.
If you would rather set up your site yourself, our Astro themes are sold at alohapixel.app for €59 or €149 as a one-off payment, or €179 for all seven. The EmDash admin then runs on your own Cloudflare account, and the updates are yours to handle.
What moves the bill
Three things weigh more than the foundation itself.
- Structural changes. On an Astro site, adding a new kind of section or changing a layout goes through a developer. If you expect to ask for them often, count them in.
- Specific features. On WordPress, a plugin often meets the need; on Astro and EmDash, it takes an existing module or development work.
- The redesign. Moving from one foundation to the other is a project in its own right, described in Moving from WordPress to Astro and EmDash. Its cost is the setup fee.
To compare two quotes, put them in the same table: hosting, updates, tested backups, changes, and what you get back if you leave. A low price that leaves one of those lines empty is not a low price; it is a cost postponed.
Also worth reading: EmDash explained for small business owners
See the website plansBook a support ticket
Questions fréquentes
Does EmDash cost money?
Is an Astro and EmDash site cheaper than a WordPress site?
What happens if I cancel?
Do you still look after WordPress sites?
Written by
Justin Deboves
Founder of Aloha Pixel
Web agency in Pau and Paris. Astro and EmDash websites, SEO and maintenance, with one firm stance: light, fast and frugal websites.