The myth of “free” WordPress — what TCO actually is
On the B2B market a 2–4k PLN brochure site still looks like a bargain. In software engineering that number is a down payment on future failures.
Total Cost of Ownership over 24 months includes:
- Plugin licences — Elementor Pro, WP Rocket, security stacks (300–900 USD/year).
- Break-fix retainers — layouts that explode after PHP updates (1.5–4k PLN/year).
- Malware incidents — brute-force cleanup (1–3k PLN per event).
- Lost mobile leads — conversion drops with every 0.1 s of LCP delay.
24-month TCO comparison (B2B site)
| Line item | WordPress (legacy) | Next.js 16 (LykKreacji) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial build | 4,000 PLN | 12,000 PLN (custom code) |
| Plugin licences (24 mo) | 3,200 PLN | 0 PLN |
| Technical support | 4,800 PLN | 0 PLN (SLA included) |
| Hosting | 1,800 PLN | 0–400 PLN (serverless) |
When the site pays for itself
Average payback in B2B and e-commerce is 3–8 months: higher CRO, stronger SEO, no plugin firefighting. Use the quote calculator for a 30-second estimate of cost and expected LCP.
FAQ
Why is the Next.js 16 kickoff higher than a WordPress theme?
You pay engineers for custom code fitted to the business — not a theme plus a pile of plugins. Licence cost goes to zero and conversion usually jumps.
How fast does the investment return?
Typically 3–8 months in B2B and e-commerce via CRO, SEO and the absence of hidden repair bills.
What are the monthly hosting costs?
On Vercel / Cloudflare / Netlify most B2B sites sit between 0 and 100 PLN per month.
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