WordPress Plugin Development Cost – A Complete Guide

WordPress plugins are full of functionalities that can greatly extend the capabilities of the website. There are more than 59000 plugins in WordPress to this day. Some of these plugins are built-in, and some are third-party functionalities offered by various plugin-selling companies. 

While there are all kinds of plugins currently on the market, they might not contain the specific features your business needs. While it may be frustrating, it’s nothing to stress about. A skilled developer can always help you build a personalized plugin to suit your specific requirements.

However, this development process can cost you a huge amount of cash if you are not well-informed and don’t know where to start. To ease your worries, we’ve come up with a complete guide to WordPress plugin development costs. Let’s dive in!

What is a Custom WordPress Plugin?

A custom WordPress plugin is software that allows new features and functionalities to be added to a WordPress website that existing plugins cannot provide. It is like a custom tool built to suit your personal WordPress needs. This can include an external API integration, adding special forms, adding new functionalities or simply creating a new design for your website. 

As 810 million websites use WordPress, which is about 43.2% of all websites on the planet, the demand for custom WordPress plugins is huge. However, it’s impossible to know all the features of different plugins and figure out which one will meet your business requirements best.

Custom plugins come here as a savior since you can develop the plugin based on your specific requirements and use it on your website which will eventually drive your business forward.

WordPress Plugin Development Cost

Depending on several factors, the cost of a custom plugin development will vary a lot. When determining the approximate cost of plugin development, the way you are developing it plays a big role. 

There are mainly 3 options you can go for to develop your custom WordPress plugin. Let’s explore those options and find out which one is best suited for your business.

1. Hire an In-House Developer

In-house developers include a team of software developers equipped with WordPress know-how to help you build a complete and custom WordPress plugin. The biggest advantage of this option is the freedom to individually hand-pick the team members or find an agency that already has a team of developers working for them.

However, getting a team of in-house developers can be very expensive. You need to pay them monthly or hourly, and might not get the results as expected. According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary of a WordPress developer ranges between $60,500 – $99,500, without additional commission costs.

Here are some pros and cons of hiring an in-house developer to help you make a better decision – 

Pros: 

Direct Communication: You can openly communicate with the developers about your specific choices for design and functionality. 

Full Control: You have full control over the developer and their work. You will be able to closely observe the outcome and change the plugin depending on your needs. 

Personally Choose Developers: By directly recruiting an in-house developer, you can curate your team based on their skills. 

Cons:

Higher Cost Margin: Hiring an in-house developer is much costlier than the other options on our list since you have to pay the developers every month.

Lengthy Process: The whole process of hiring a quality in-house developer is quite lengthy since it’s often difficult to find the right candidates. 

Limited Selection: When hiring an in-house developer, your options become limited as you can only select from those who have applied for the position. 

2. Hire a Freelancer 

You can hire freelance developers from various online platforms. These platforms make it very easy for anyone to find someone to handle custom work. And generally, freelancers change less than other options. On Upwork, you can find WordPress developers who charge around $15 to $40+/hour; on Arc, however, you can hire a developer for around $61 to $80/hour. 

Let’s go through the pros and cons of hiring a freelance developer – 

Pros: 

Flexibility: Freelancers are much more flexible than the other options available here. You can find all sorts of freelancers who will work according to your timing and your needs. 

Less Expensive: You can hire freelancer plugin developers for cheap on various online platforms like Upwork, Fiverr, and Arc. All it takes is a couple of minutes of browsing through these platforms, and you can easily find people charging comparatively low prices for a satisfying ROI. 

Easy to find: Since people are working remotely from all over the world you can find experienced developers online with just a few clicks. 

Cons:

Lacks Reliability: Although there is a sea of options for these freelancers, they’re often not that reliable or trustworthy. As most of these are online transactions, it’s very common for freelancers to disappear mid-project. It can be quite risky, so take these steps carefully. 

Miscommunication: Since your task will be managed by one person/freelancer, there’s usually room for miscommunication in the process. Also, they might take on other projects while working with you, which can slow down your project as well. 

Sloppy Development of Plugin: Since freelancers are working from all over the world, there is a high chance of you getting scammed if you are not careful. In this case, you might end up with sloppy development of a plugin that might not complement your website. 

3. Hire a Professional Plugin Development Company 

A professional plugin development company is packed with experienced developers and professionals who take their work seriously and have been in the industry for a long time. 

Professional plugin development companies offer plenty of reliable options for hiring experienced developers. Communications and the development process become much easier with a pre-set team of professionals. These companies offer tiered packages, each with different ranges and facilities. 

Pros: 

Expertise: You’ll get experienced developers, who understand your vision and have been in the industry for a while. This kind of expertise comes in handy when creating a plugin and upgrading your project. 

Organized Team: Plugin development companies have an organized team to provide support, communicate, and develop the overall plugin. So, there’s rarely any scope for miscommunication and mishandling of your project.

Time Efficient: You will get timely updates and results with time to spare with the help of professional companies. 

Cost Efficient: Most professional plugin development companies offer budget-friendly packages and a breakdown of the cost. Since there is no uncertainty with the cost, you don’t have to waste time with other options. 

Stability: A professional company has set rules and policies, so you can expect them to deliver the results without a doubt.  So, you can sit back and relax while your project is managed by professionals.  

Support Guarantee: Working with a professional company means you get a constant support guarantee from the team. Since communication and customer satisfaction remain their main goals, you can easily let them know about any dissatisfaction or dysfunctionality with the plugin development. 

Cons:

Finding the Best One: The main struggle of working with a professional plugin development company is finding the best one for the job. With new development companies popping up left and right, choosing one that understands your vision may be a stressful ordeal. 

7 Factors That Affect WordPress Plugin Development Cost

Now that we know what platforms we can choose to develop a WordPress plugin, we should understand some factors. These factors have an impact on the overall cost of plugin development.

Here are 7 factors your cost depends on:

1. Complexities of the Plugin

Complexity is the first factor you need to take into consideration before fixing your budget. If you intend to make a plugin that has a lot of features, then the overall price will be a lot more. 

Consider whether or not the developer has to give extra effort and attention when building the WordPress plugin. If not, and you’re just looking to develop a simple plugin with limited or one feature, then the developer would not have to invest that much, and your cost will be less. 

2. Time

Developers tend to work at hourly rates. So, oftentimes the cost increases based on the time spent on the project. You can expect your cost to increase if you’re working with a tight deadline and the developer has to prioritize your project over others. 

Also, handling bugs in the system, complex feature development, and sudden plan changes can increase the time and cost of plugin development. 

3. Change in Plan

A sudden shift within the core functionalities of your plugin can increase the cost. Sudden changes in pre-planned functionalities can also cost you extra once the project is done. 

Minor changes are usually considered, but major changes to the core functionalities might require you to start over with the whole plug development. To cut down on these unexpected uncertainties, you can create an initial brief plan regarding your WordPress plugin development. 

4. Maintenance and Support

WordPress plugin development costs can also fluctuate depending on the maintenance and support needed for the plugin. If your plugin needs continuous support, the arrangements should be different to accommodate those. 

Maintenance and support are usually not included with plugin services, so you might need to provide additional expenses to get those bonuses. 

5. Use of the Plugin 

The purpose of your plugin is also a major factor in determining the cost. Plugins that will be used for selling (i.e. WooCommerce plugins) will need extra steps for security and maintenance, adding to your expenses.

On the other hand, plugins for personal use do not need as much maintenance and regular updates. So, you can cut down on that extra expense. 

6. Revisions

The number of revisions can cause developers to charge more. These revisions require developers to change certain aspects of coding and design. Some revisions can extend to changes in the main features of the plugin. These changes mean extra time and effort given by the developer and will cost you more. 

When you have an unclear vision of the structure of your plugin and lack proper planning, frequent revision is inevitable. So, if you’re looking to pay less for your plugin, it’s best to start by having a clear picture of what you need. 

7. Platforms for Hiring Developers

Platforms are the first consideration when planning your budget. Different platforms cost different amounts for plugin development. Some platforms will charge you based on the hours spent on plugin development, while others will charge you based on the overall work. 

It is easy to calculate the hourly total amount based on the hours a developer will spend on your plugin, but the total cost may vary from developer to developer. 

Also, remember to keep the complexity of your plugin in mind when estimating the price. The more features you want to include, the more it will cost on various platforms. 

Some hiring platforms have a ‘platform charge’ which can add to the total cost. 

How to Reduce Plugin Development Cost

The notion that custom plugin development comes with extravagant pricing, is a myth. Custom plugins should not cost an arm and a leg to create, especially when your plugin idea is not that complex. Finding the right hand is the key to unlocking a cheaper option. 

Not all developers and agencies are ideal for your plugin solution. To reduce the development cost of your plugin you need to keep certain ideas in mind. 

Avoid Working with Inexperienced Developers

When intending to develop a custom plugin, be sure to find someone who is experienced in this field. Not every developer will be ideal for the type of plugin you want to develop. Working with inexperienced developers can lead to increased outcomes and revisions.

This will make the total cost calculation difficult, or it may even cost more than you expected. So look for developers, agencies, or platforms that are packed with experience and have a clear understanding of what they are doing. 

Working with a Professional Plugin Developer Company

Hiring freelancers or an expert in-house developer takes a lot of time during valuable business hours. 

When hiring freelancers, you need to look for them on various online platforms and compare their hourly rates to fully calculate the total cost. Also, hiring an in-house developer and narrowing down your choices is a tedious process. Which can ultimately increase your costs and reduce the overall productivity of your plugin development. 

In this case, you can work with team Codexpert. Codexpert is packed with expert developers, so you do not have to worry about hourly rates or understanding the overall cost. Send a simple email to customer support, and you will be given a breakdown of all costs, working hours, and skills at your disposal. 

• At Codexpert, you get a pool of experienced developers who understand and value your vision of the plugin. 
• You will have a clear conversation about your overall plan and ideas directly with the developers before starting the project. 
• Exclusive suggestions and ideas are provided to improve your vision of the plugin and its features alongside. 
• An appropriate breakdown of the pricing and overall cost makes it easier to set your budget. No hidden costs!
• Faster customer support will satisfy your queries and give you timely support. 

With the support and efforts of Codexpert, you can build a WordPress plugin that is top-notch in every aspect and is affordable at the same time.

Final Thoughts

There are various successful WordPress plugins available in the market, but not all will meet the specific needs of your custom website. To fulfill your custom WordPress needs, you can easily develop custom plugins with the help of the right developer. But the development cost can still be a thorn in your path. 

This is why we have come up with a complete guide to understanding WordPress development costs and how you can reduce the overall cost to fit your budget. 

With our tips and tricks, you can easily create a custom plugin that will suit your budget and your website. Contact Codexpert to get the best prices and develop a plugin that suits your exact requirements.