The short answer
WordPress is the cheaper way to start and runs about four in ten websites in the world. A freelancer in Kenya charges about Sh 20,000 to Sh 50,000 for a WordPress business site of five to seven pages. Its cost comes later: themes and plugins need regular updates to stay safe and fast. A custom website costs more up front, from Sh 35,000 for one page and Sh 75,000 for up to six at Anza Studios, and has no plugins to keep patched. Pick WordPress for a blog or a site many people edit; pick custom when speed, M-Pesa and low upkeep matter more.
WordPress and a custom website side by side
| WordPress | Custom website by Anza Studios | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to build | About Sh 20,000 to Sh 50,000 with a freelancer for five to seven pages 2, plus a theme at about Sh 3,000 to Sh 8,000 if one is bought 3 | From Sh 35,000 for one page, Sh 75,000 for up to six |
| How you edit it | The WordPress dashboard | A simple dashboard for text and photos on the Business package |
| Upkeep | WordPress, the theme and every plugin need updates; an out-of-date plugin is a common way in for attackers | No plugins. Hosting and updates are covered by the care plan, from Sh 4,500 a month |
| M-Pesa | Through a payment plugin | Built in on online stores and most custom software |
| Speed | Depends on the theme and how many plugins run | Written by hand for the one site, with nothing extra loaded |
| Who owns it | You, if the hosting and domain are in your name | You own the site, the code and the domain |
Why so many sites use WordPress
WordPress runs 39.7% of all websites and 58.5% of the sites whose system can be identified 1. That size is its main strength: thousands of themes and plugins, and plenty of people in Kenya who can work on it. It is free to download, so the cost is the hosting, the theme and the time of whoever sets it up.
What WordPress costs after launch
The build is the cheap part. A WordPress site keeps three things running that each need updating: WordPress itself, the theme, and every plugin. Skipped updates are how many small business sites get hacked or slowly break. Budget for either your own time each month or someone's retainer; a freelancer's retainer in Kenya runs about Sh 5,000 to Sh 15,000 a month 2.
When WordPress is the right choice
- You publish often: news, a blog, many articles.
- Several people need to edit the site.
- You want a feature that already exists as a plugin and do not want to pay for it to be built.
- You or someone you trust will keep it updated.
When a custom website is the right choice
- The site's job is to bring in customers, and speed on a phone matters.
- You want M-Pesa checkout built in rather than added through a plugin.
- You do not want to think about updates.
- You have outgrown a WordPress, Wix or older site that has become slow or patched together.
What a custom site includes is set out under web design in Nairobi, and moving off an old site is covered under website rebuilds.
What about Wix and Squarespace?
Site builders like Wix and Squarespace sit between the two: you build the site yourself in the browser and pay a monthly subscription. They are quick to start and need no updates from you, but you rent the site rather than own it, and what it can do is limited to what the builder offers. They suit someone who wants to do it themselves and keep it simple.
Sources
- W3Techs, "Usage statistics and market share of WordPress", 15 October 2026. w3techs.com
- McTaba Labs, "Freelance developer rates in Kenya", updated 20 July 2026. mctaba.com
- Hostiko, "How much does a website cost in Kenya in 2026", 16 April 2026. hostiko.co.ke
Third-party figures were read on 15 October 2026 and are those publishers' own numbers. Anza Studios prices are our current starting prices.