The verdict in three sentences
For an SME with a WordPress or similar brochure site, a maintenance retainer costs EUR 60 to 350 a month in 2026, or EUR 720 to 4,200 a year, with Amsterdam and Paris agencies sitting 10 to 20% above regional French cities such as Rennes. Pay-as-you-go looks cheaper until the site gets hacked: recovery costs EUR 3,000 to 8,000 on average, before counting lost visibility. For most SMEs the right choice is a mid-tier plan around EUR 120 to 180 a month with a 24-hour response guarantee.
What each plan covers
A serious contract specifies what is included, the response time (time to start work) and the resolution time (time to restore service). Be wary of EUR 30 plans that just click "update" with no tested backup.
| Tier | Monthly price | Content | Guaranteed response time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | EUR 60 to 90 | CMS and plugin updates, weekly backup, uptime monitoring | 48 business hours |
| Standard | EUR 120 to 180 | + daily off-site backup, web application firewall, 1 h of changes per month | 24 business hours |
| Advanced | EUR 200 to 280 | + monthly report, performance tuning, 2 h of changes | 8 business hours |
| Premium | EUR 300 to 350 | + on-call, staging environment, 3 h of changes, quarterly security review | 4 h, Saturdays included |
| Pay-as-you-go | EUR 65 to 90 per hour | One-off work, no commitment | Depends on availability, often 3 to 10 days |
Included change hours often make the difference: an SME updating news, prices or a careers page typically uses 6 to 12 hours a year.
Pay-as-you-go vs retainer: the 3-year comparison
The calculation must factor in incident probability. According to security vendors, over 90% of compromised WordPress sites ran an outdated plugin or theme.
| 3-year scenario | Pay-as-you-go | Standard plan EUR 150/month |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed cost | EUR 0 | EUR 5,400 |
| Quarterly updates (2 h x 12) | EUR 1,800 | Included |
| Content changes (8 h a year) | EUR 1,920 | Included up to 12 h a year |
| Probability of hack over 3 years | 25 to 35% | Under 5% |
| Cost of a hack (cleanup, restore, SEO) | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | Covered by backup, EUR 0 to 500 |
| Expected 3-year cost | EUR 5,400 to 6,500 | EUR 5,400 to 5,450 |
At equal expected cost, the retainer adds budget predictability and a provider committed to response times.
Agency or freelancer
| Criterion | Freelancer | Local agency (Rennes, Amsterdam) | Offshore or nearshore agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard plan price | EUR 80 to 130/month | EUR 140 to 220/month | EUR 60 to 120/month |
| Continuity during absence | Low | High | Medium to high |
| Contractual guaranteed response | Rarely | Yes, 4 h to 48 h | Yes, per contract |
| Security and hosting skills | Variable | Dedicated team | Dedicated team |
| Physical proximity | Yes | Yes | No, video calls |
The real freelancer risk is dependence on one person: make sure the contract grants you full access to code, hosting and backups.
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Julien, managing director of a 25-employee custom joinery SME in Rennes, paid for maintenance as needed: EUR 1,400 in 2025 for a few changes. In March, an outdated form plugin allowed a spam injection: site partly de-indexed for 3 weeks, cleanup billed at EUR 2,800, and about 15 quote requests lost. With a 20% close rate, an average order of EUR 6,000 and a 35% gross margin, lost margin reaches EUR 6,300. He signs a Standard plan at EUR 150 a month, EUR 1,800 a year, covering his routine changes: one avoided incident pays for the contract for more than three years.
FAQ
How much does brochure site maintenance cost in 2026?
EUR 60 to 350 a month depending on tier, with the core of the market at EUR 120 to 180 for a plan including daily backups and 1 h of changes. Pay-as-you-go runs EUR 65 to 90 an hour.
What is the difference between response time and resolution time?
A response time guarantee commits the provider to start work within a deadline, for example 4 h. A resolution time guarantee commits to restoring service, often within 24 to 72 h, and costs 30 to 50% more.
Is hosting included?
Rarely in Essential plans, often from the Advanced tier. Quality managed hosting adds EUR 15 to 60 a month if not included.
What commitment period should we accept?
12 months is standard, with 1 to 3 months' notice. Refuse 36 or 48-month terms without an exit clause tied to service quality.
What if my site has already been hacked?
Isolate the site, restore a clean backup and change all credentials. A full cleanup with audit costs EUR 800 to 2,500, and EUR 3,000 to 8,000 if Google de-indexing and data loss must be handled.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site URL and change needs: we will propose a maintenance plan between EUR 60 and 350 a month, live within 5 days. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
