Setting up a Website as a Service (WaaS) in WordPress sounds like a modern-day business dream — but like all dreams, it comes with a price tag. For WordPress agencies looking to scale their services, offering website design as a service can be a game-changer, but what does it cost?
From development to maintenance, there are key factors that will impact your budget. In this guide, we’ll break down the numbers and show you how to set up a profitable WaaS model without breaking the bank. Ready to turn your WordPress website-as-a-service business into a success? Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
What You Need to Build a WordPress Waas?
Before we break down the cost of setting up a website as a service, let’s decode its building blocks and why you need them.
InstaWP Account with Pro or Agency Plan
The WaaS building capabilities are offered in the InstaWP Professional or Agency plans. These plans ensure seamless management, automated backups, and quick access to multiple environments — essential for a smooth WaaS experience.
Premium Themes/Plugins
When using premium themes or plugins for your WaaS, it’s essential to ensure that the vendor allows you to resell licenses. Most vendors permit this if you have a multi-site license, which enables you to sell the license to multiple users. As long as this condition is met, reselling should not be an issue.
WordPress Hosting
A reliable hosting solution is key to keeping your websites fast, secure, and always available. Opt for managed WordPress hosting with excellent customer support and performance optimization features.
WordPress Template
Pre-designed templates speed up the website creation process, ensuring your WaaS is both time-efficient and scalable. Templates tailored to specific industries or use cases will provide your clients with a polished, professional look right out of the box.
Payment Gateway
If your WaaS involves subscriptions or transactions, integrating a secure payment gateway is essential. This allows you to easily process payments, ensuring smooth operations and a trusted experience for your clients.
With these tools in place, you’re well on your way to building a powerful WordPress WaaS offering that’s both scalable and efficient.
How much Money goes Into Building a Successful WaaS?
Now that you’ve clarity on what goes into setting up a website as a service, let’s talk about the numbers.
Cost of InstaWP Plans
As mentioned above, you can start building WaaS only if you’re using InstaWP Professional and Agency plans. Now, let’s learn the money involved with these plans.
When building a WordPress Website-as-a-Service (WaaS), InstaWP offers two key plans that provide the tools and resources necessary for scalability and efficiency. Here’s a breakdown of the costs associated with each plan:
Professional Plan
Price: $190/year (billed yearly)
Key Features:
- 19 staging sites for testing and development
- 10 migrations per month
- 15 templates to kick-start your WaaS projects
- 15 GB disk space for your websites
- 2,500 events for 2-way sync
- 1 InstaWP Live website included (additional websites available for purchase)
- Developer tools for advanced customizations and flexibility
Perfect For: Individual developers or agencies looking to build WaaS with a focus on staging and basic hosting.
Agency Plan
Price: $490/year (billed yearly)
Key Features:
- 49 staging sites for efficient management of multiple client projects
- 20 migrations per month
- 40 templates for diverse website needs
- 40 GB disk space for larger websites
- 5,000 events for 2-way sync
- 3 InstaWP Live websites included (additional websites available for purchase)
- Team management tools, with the ability to invite up to 5 team members
- Developer tools for more complex WaaS implementations
Perfect For: Teams or agencies that need advanced collaboration, scalability, and more hosting capacity for WaaS.
Both plans offer a 15-day free trial, allowing you to test the platform before committing. Depending on the size and needs of your agency, either plan could be the right fit to start building and scaling your WordPress WaaS offering.
Cost of Premium Theme and Plugins
Now, decoding the cost of this section as it depends on personal preferences. For instance, some premium themes may cost between $50 to $100, while plugins could range from $20 to $200 or more.
Cost of Hosting
The next expense of building a WaaS comes from the hosting. InstaWP offers two main types:
- InstaWP Live, a managed provider with full support, server maintenance, and scalable solutions
- Third-party providers like RunCloud or Server Avatar, where you manage the server and support.
For a seamless WaaS setup without the hassle of migration, InstaWP Live is your ideal choice. With instant setup, one-click WordPress installations, built-in CDN, and robust security, it offers a solution on par with top hosts like WP Engine and Kinsta—at a fraction of the cost.
Pricing starts at just $9 per site per month when hosting 10 or more sites. It’s the cost-effective, all-in-one solution you’ve been looking for!
You also have the flexibility to choose other providers that suit your needs. If you prefer a third-party option, you’ll handle server maintenance and provide support for the WordPress websites you launch.
Currently, InstaWP supports RunCloud and ServerAvatar, which are built on cloud providers like DigitalOcean and Vultr. And, new providers like Cloudways, Rocket, and GridPane are soon to join hands.
If you decide to go with this option then you have to pay $1 per site per month, excluding the cost of these providers, to host WaaS.
Cost of Templates for WaaS
The cost of templates for your WaaS setup can vary based on your choice of design. You have the option to go with free or premium templates from the InstaWP store, or even repurpose an existing site as your template.
This flexibility means you can keep costs low or invest in high-quality premium designs—it’s entirely up to your needs and preferences!
Cost of Payment Gateways for WaaS
For payment processing in WaaS, there are two options. The native method allows for repeat payments, where InstaWP takes a 7% transaction fee, and 93% of the payment is yours.
The setup is easy, requiring only a few minutes as it’s fully integrated into the UI. Just sign up as a seller and start making money through Waas. This is powered by Stripe Connect.
Alternatively, you can integrate third-party gateways like WooCommerce, WHMCS, SureCard, and Easy Digital Downloads.
In addition to all the aforementioned costs, there’s also a white-label fee of $20 per /month or $200/year when using InstaWP to set up your WaaS.
Too much to read? Watch this video to understand the WaaS cost breakdown.
Is it Worth the Investment?
Setting up a Website-as-a-Service (WaaS) in WordPress might seem like a hefty upfront investment, but the long-term benefits make it a smart move for agencies looking to streamline operations, boost profitability, and scale effortlessly.
Let’s break down how setting up WaaS can save you money and create a sustainable business model.
Reduced Development Time = More Projects
When agencies build websites from scratch, every project requires a significant amount of time for design, development, testing, and deployment. However, with WaaS, you leverage pre-designed templates, staging sites, and automated processes (like migration tools and 2-way sync). This dramatically reduces the development time for each website.
Imagine you typically spend 20 hours to build a custom site. With WaaS, by using a template and staging environment, that time is reduced to just 8 hours. For every additional project, you save 12 hours. This allows your agency to take on more clients and increase your revenue without increasing overhead costs.
Increased Revenue from Subscription Models
With WaaS, agencies can offer subscription-based services for ongoing site maintenance, updates, security, and performance optimization. This creates a steady stream of recurring revenue, making your business more stable and profitable in the long run.
You offer your clients a WaaS package at $500/month for hosting, maintenance, and updates. If you secure 10 clients on this plan, that’s $5,000/month in recurring revenue. The upfront investment in setting up WaaS is quickly recouped, and you build long-term financial stability by ensuring a continuous cash flow.
Lower Client Acquisition Costs
Once you have your WaaS model set up, acquiring clients becomes more cost-effective. Your marketing efforts can be focused on the value proposition of WaaS — providing clients with ready-made, scalable websites that are low-maintenance and cost-effective. This makes the sales pitch easier and more appealing.
In a traditional model, you may need to market and sell custom-designed websites, each with a unique sales process. With WaaS, the recurring value proposition is already built-in: clients get a turnkey solution with ongoing support for a predictable monthly cost. This reduces the complexity of client acquisition and shortens the sales cycle, ultimately lowering client acquisition costs.
The Verdict: WaaS is Worth the Investment for Agencies
Investing in WaaS through platforms like InstaWP is a smart business move for agencies. With WaaS, you’re not just setting up a website; you’re creating a sustainable, scalable, and profitable business model.
From reduced development time and predictable costs to the ability to generate steady revenue through subscriptions, WaaS allows you to do more with less. Plus, the ability to focus on growth rather than day-to-day operations ensures that your agency can continue expanding while providing value to your clients.
In short, WaaS is not just worth the investment — it’s a game-changer for agencies looking to thrive in a competitive market. So, start building a WaaS today!