The verdict in three sentences
A corporate website with no maintenance retainer is not free: it builds up a risk that gets paid on the day of a hack, between SGD 12,000 and 37,000 for a Singapore SME once cleanup, lost leads and internal time are counted. The standard tier (SGD 900 to 1,500 a month) covers most service firms, provided you insist on off-site backups kept for 30 days and a monthly report. A premium SLA of 4 business hours only makes sense if the site brings in enquiries daily or hosts a client portal.
Maintenance, support hours, hosting: getting the terms right
Maintenance covers the work that keeps a site healthy: CMS and plugin updates, backups, monitoring, security patches. Support hours (what French agencies call TMA) add a block of time to evolve the site: a new page, a new form, a template tweak. Hosting is a separate line, even if many agencies bundle it.
After a hack, the reflex is to buy the most expensive plan. It pays to read what each tier really includes.
| Service | Basic | Standard | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 price in Singapore (ballpark) | SGD 500 to 800/month | SGD 900 to 1,500/month | SGD 1,600 to 2,500/month |
| CMS and plugin updates | Monthly | Weekly, tested on staging | Weekly + critical patches within 24 h |
| Backups | Host only, 7 days | Off-site, 30 days | Off-site, 30 to 90 days, restore tests |
| Uptime monitoring | No | Every 5 min | Every minute, SMS alerts |
| Response time (SLA) | Best effort | 1 business day | 4 business hours |
| Included support hours | 0 | 1 to 2 h/month | 4 to 8 h/month |
| Monthly report | No | Yes | Yes + quarterly review |
| Post-hack cleanup | Billed separately | Included once a year | Included |
What a hack costs a Singapore SME
Corporate sites are rarely hit by targeted attacks. Most incidents come from an outdated WordPress plugin, a weak password or a purchased theme never patched. The site is defaced, redirects to scam pages or lands on Google's blocklist. Singapore adds a regulatory layer: under the PDPA, if personal data from contact forms is exposed and the breach is notifiable, the PDPC must be informed within 3 calendar days of the assessment.
| Cost item | Range (2026 estimate) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Cleanup and restoration | SGD 2,500 to 7,500 | Emergency work, often out of contract |
| Partial rebuild | SGD 3,000 to 12,000 | If no clean backup exists |
| Lost leads during downtime | SGD 3,000 to 12,000 | 1 to 4 weeks offline |
| Internal time (founder, team) | SGD 1,500 to 4,500 | Crisis handling, clients, bank |
| Google blocklist removal | SGD 0 to 1,500 | 3 to 10 days delay |
| PDPC notification if data exposed | Variable | Within 3 days of assessment |
| Total | SGD 12,000 to 37,000 | Excluding reputational harm |
Over three years, a standard plan at SGD 1,200 a month costs SGD 43,200. That looks steep next to a single incident, which is why the right tier depends on how much the site actually earns. For a site producing 10 qualified enquiries a month, standard is justified; for a brochure site with 2 enquiries a month, basic plus off-site backups is often enough.
Clauses to check before signing
Read the contract with these questions in mind. Where are backups stored, and are they with a different provider from the host? Does the SLA cover response time or resolution time? Do unused support hours roll over? Who holds admin access and the domain name? What happens on termination: handover of files, database and credentials within how many days? A serious contract answers each point in writing, with a 1 to 3 month notice period.
Mini case study
Rachel, managing director of an 18-person IT services firm in Tanjong Pagar, Singapore, was hacked in 2025: the site redirected to gambling pages for 9 days. Total cost: SGD 4,800 in emergency cleanup, about 6 lost quote requests (average value SGD 7,000, 30% win rate, so SGD 12,600 in missed revenue) and 2 days of her time.
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She compares three proposals and picks a standard plan at SGD 1,100 a month, with 30-day off-site backups, 5-minute monitoring, a 1 business-day SLA and 2 support hours. Annual cost: SGD 13,200. The 2025 incident alone cost SGD 17,400 in cleanup and lost revenue, 132% of a year of maintenance. The support hours also let her add two service pages per quarter with no new quote.
FAQ
Does a static brochure site need maintenance?
Less than WordPress, but yes: SSL certificate, dependencies, forms and domain renewal must be watched. A basic plan around SGD 500 a month is often enough.
What is the difference between a response SLA and a resolution SLA?
Response means a technician starts working within 4 business hours. Resolution commits to a restored site, which is rarer and usually 20 to 40% more expensive.
Should backups stay with the host?
No, or not only. An off-site copy kept 30 days lets you restore a clean version even if the host is compromised or the infection is more than a week old.
Are unused support hours lost?
It depends on the contract. Good practice allows a 2 to 3 month rollover; after that, hours expire.
Can we switch providers mid-contract?
Yes, usually with 1 to 3 months' notice. Require in writing the handover of files, database and access within 10 business days.
Let's scope your project. Send us your site URL and current contract, and we will audit updates, backups and access, then propose the right tier with a clear takeover timeline. 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.
