Most people budget for building a website and forget about running it. Yet a website is never finished: the domain must be renewed, the hosting paid, the software updated, the backups checked and the content kept current. These costs are small compared with the build, but skipping them is how sites become slow, insecure or disappear.
This guide explains what each running cost is, what it typically costs in Kenya and what a good maintenance plan includes. Figures are indicative ranges in Kenya shillings. Domain prices were checked against Kenyan registrar listings in October 2026 and vary by registrar, so confirm the exact price and the renewal price before you buy.
The short answer
- A small business website usually costs about KES 6,000 to 27,500 per year for the domain and hosting alone.
- Adding a basic maintenance plan typically brings the yearly total to roughly KES 42,000 to 111,500 for a small site.
- Larger business sites and online stores cost more, because they need better hosting and more careful maintenance.
- Always check renewal prices. Introductory domain and hosting offers can rise sharply in the second year.
Running costs at a glance
| Item | Indicative range (KES) | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domain name (.co.ke or .com) | 500 to 2,500 | Per year | Prices vary by registrar, and renewals are often higher than introductory prices |
| Shared hosting | 5,000 to 25,000 | Per year | Suits most small business sites |
| Managed WordPress hosting | 15,000 to 60,000 | Per year | Faster, with backups and support tuned for WordPress |
| Cloud or VPS hosting | 30,000 to 150,000 and above | Per year | For larger sites, stores and applications |
| SSL certificate | 0 to 15,000 | Per year | Often included free with hosting |
| Business email | 500 to 2,000 per user | Per month | Depends on provider and plan |
| Backups | 0 to 15,000 | Per year | Some hosts include them, and offsite copies are worth having |
| Security monitoring and firewall | 5,000 to 30,000 | Per year | Malware scanning and protection |
| Maintenance and support plan | 3,000 to 40,000 | Per month | Depends on site size and level of support |
| Hourly support | 2,000 to 6,000 | Per hour | For changes outside a plan |
Ranges are indicative and shown before VAT.
Domain names
- A .co.ke domain is registered through a KeNIC-accredited registrar. First-year registration is commonly listed from about KES 500 to 2,300, and renewals typically fall between about KES 1,000 and 2,500.
- Promotional first-year prices can be much lower than the renewal price, so always check what the second year costs.
- Register the domain in your own business name, with your own contact email, so you control it.
- Turn on auto-renewal or set calendar reminders. An expired domain can take your site and email offline, and may be taken by someone else.
- A .com domain is often priced in US dollars, and prices vary by registrar.
Hosting: what you are paying for
Hosting is the server space that keeps your website available. The right type depends on your traffic, your platform and how critical the site is to your business.
| Hosting type | Best for | Typical cost | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | Small brochure sites with modest traffic | KES 5,000 to 25,000 per year | Resources are shared, so a busy neighbour can slow you down |
| Managed WordPress hosting | Business sites that want speed and support | KES 15,000 to 60,000 per year | Check limits on visits and storage |
| Cloud or VPS hosting | Stores, high traffic and applications | KES 30,000 to 150,000 and above per year | Needs technical management or a managed plan |
What to look for in a host
- Reliable uptime and support that responds quickly
- Daily backups stored away from the same server
- Free or included SSL
- Good speed for Kenyan visitors
- Clear limits on storage, visits and email
- An easy upgrade path as your site grows
- An account in your name, with you holding the login
Business email
Professional email on your own domain builds trust. Hosting plans often include basic mailboxes. Paid services such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 are priced per user per month, usually in dollars, and typically come to roughly KES 500 to 2,000 per user per month depending on the plan and the exchange rate. They offer better reliability, larger storage and collaboration tools.
What a maintenance plan should include
| Level | Typically includes | Indicative range (KES per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Core, theme and plugin updates, regular backups, uptime monitoring and basic security scans | 3,000 to 7,000 |
| Standard | Everything in basic, plus security monitoring, performance checks, broken link checks and a few hours of content edits | 7,000 to 15,000 |
| Premium | Everything in standard, plus priority support, store or application support, developer hours and monthly reporting | 15,000 to 40,000 |
Prices depend on site size, plugins, traffic and response times. A simple brochure site needs far less than a store taking orders.
What maintenance actually covers
- Updating WordPress, themes and plugins, since outdated software is a common weakness
- Restoring the site from backup if something breaks
- Testing forms, checkout and key pages after updates
- Monitoring uptime and speed
- Fixing small bugs and layout issues
- Renewing SSL and tracking domain and hosting expiry dates
Example yearly costs
| Site type | What is included | Indicative yearly cost (KES, before VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Domain and hosting only | Domain plus shared hosting, no maintenance | 6,000 to 27,500 |
| Small site with basic maintenance | Domain, shared hosting and a basic plan | 42,000 to 111,500 |
| Business site with standard maintenance | Domain, managed hosting and a standard plan | 100,000 to 242,500 |
| Online store with premium support | Domain, cloud hosting and a premium plan | 211,000 to 632,500 |
These are illustrative combinations of the ranges above, not quotations.
What affects the cost
- Site size and traffic. More pages and visitors need more capacity.
- Platform and plugins. Every plugin needs updating and testing.
- Store or application features. Payments and user accounts raise the stakes, and the support needed.
- Response time. Faster guaranteed responses cost more.
- Security needs. Sites that hold customer data need more protection.
- Backup frequency and retention. More frequent backups and longer storage cost more.
- Content edits. Regular changes to text, images and offers add support hours.
- Account ownership. Accounts held by the provider can hide costs and create risk.
Legal and data points
- If your website collects personal data through forms, shop orders or analytics, the Data Protection Act, 2019 may apply. Depending on your size and the data you handle, you may need a privacy policy and registration with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner. Take legal advice.
- Keep a record of who holds the login for your domain, hosting and email accounts.
How to compare hosting and maintenance quotes
- What exactly is included: updates, backups, security, edits and support hours?
- Where are backups stored, how often are they taken and how long are they kept?
- What is the response time for urgent problems?
- Who owns the domain and hosting accounts, and do I hold the logins?
- What is the renewal price, not just the first-year price?
- What is not covered, and what do extra hours cost?
- Is there a minimum contract, and how do I cancel?
- Will I receive a regular report on what was done?
Red flags to watch for
- Unlimited everything at a very low price
- Hosting or domain registered in the provider name, with no handover
- No offsite backups
- No mention of updates or security
- No clear way to reach support when the site is down
- A large price jump at renewal
- Locked contracts with no way out
How to plan your running costs
- List what your site needs to stay online: domain, hosting, email and backups.
- Check renewal dates and prices for each item and put them in a calendar.
- Choose a maintenance level that matches how important the site is to your business.
- Keep logins and ownership details somewhere safe, and share them with a trusted person.
- Review costs once a year, and upgrade hosting only when traffic or features require it.
How R3 Creative Media can help
We build and look after websites for Kenyan businesses. Read more about our WordPress and CMS development, e-commerce and WooCommerce services and speed and Core Web Vitals optimisation. For more cost detail, see our website design cost guide and our online store cost guide. We list exactly what each part of a plan includes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does website hosting cost in Kenya?
Shared hosting for a small business site commonly costs KES 5,000 to 25,000 per year. Managed WordPress hosting costs more, and larger stores or applications on cloud or VPS hosting can cost KES 30,000 to 150,000 or more per year.
How much does a .co.ke domain cost?
Registrar prices vary. Registration is commonly listed from about KES 500 to 2,300 for the first year, and renewals typically fall between about KES 1,000 and 2,500. Always check the renewal price before you buy.
Do I really need a maintenance plan?
Not every site needs a monthly plan, but every site needs updates, backups and monitoring. If you cannot do these yourself regularly, a plan is usually cheaper than recovering from a failed update or a hacked site.
What happens if I do not renew my domain?
The website and email on that domain stop working, and after a grace period the domain can be released for anyone to register. Turn on auto-renewal and keep your payment details current.
Who should own my domain and hosting?
You should. The accounts should be in your business name with your contact details, even if your web designer manages them for you.
Is free hosting a good idea?
Free hosting usually comes with strict limits, little support and sometimes poor reliability or advertising. It can suit a test project, but not a site your business depends on.
How often should a website be backed up?
Daily backups are common for active sites and stores, and weekly may suit sites that rarely change. Backups should be stored away from the web server, and restores should be tested.
Do these prices include VAT?
Prices in this guide are shown before VAT. Providers differ, so confirm whether a quote includes VAT, which is 16 percent in Kenya.
Figures are indicative market ranges in Kenya shillings, last reviewed in October 2026. Domain prices vary by registrar and change over time. This guide is for planning only, is not legal advice and is not a quotation.