Retainer pricing evidence for WordPress

Stop guessing what a retainer should cost.

Two sites that look alike can be wildly different amounts of work. WP Complexity Score turns any WordPress site into one defensible number — and tracks it over time so a price review is backed by evidence, not a hunch.

FROM $49/YEAR · LIFETIME OPTION · 14-DAY GUARANTEE

12 dimensions, one 0–100 score Editable price bands to your rate card Monthly history justifies increases Branded PDF & email reports
“We quoted both clients £99 a month. One is a five-page brochure site. The other is WooCommerce with three integrations, a bespoke theme and a 2 GB database. We're losing money on the second and we can't explain why to the client.”
— every agency's retainer problem

Consistent pricing needs a consistent measure. WP Complexity Score gives you one — and the evidence to raise it when a site grows.

What it does

One number. Twelve honest inputs.

No spreadsheet you maintain by hand, no subjective scoring. The plugin reads the site as it is and does the arithmetic the same way every time.

SCORE

A 0–100 complexity score

Twelve dimensions read live and weighted: plugins, custom & premium code, theme customisation, commerce, integrations, cron, database, users, multisite, custom post types, PHP compatibility and the update backlog. Banded Simple, Moderate, Complex or Very complex, with a per-dimension breakdown.

PRICE

Editable bands mapped to your rates

Set four support tiers to match your rate card. The current score lands in a band, the recommended monthly tier shows on the dial, and it's written into a copy-ready price-review paragraph you can drop straight into a client email.

HISTORY

Monthly snapshots that justify increases

A snapshot is stored once a month automatically. When a site drifts from Moderate to Complex the dashboard shows it — “+18 points since January” — and names the biggest movers, so a retainer review runs on evidence.

REPORT

Branded PDF & a beautiful email

Produce a print-ready PDF report — your logo, colour and footer — with the score, price tier, movers, breakdown and history. Or email the same assessment as an elegantly formatted message to the recipients you choose. Perfect for a renewal proposal.

The score

Anatomy of a defensible number.

AThe headline score

0–100 with a plain-English band. The number you put in front of a client.

BThe recommended tier

Your own price band for that score — pricing guidance built in, not bolted on.

CThe movement

How much it changed, and which dimensions drove it. The case for a review, made for you.

DThe breakdown

Every dimension scored, so "why is it complex?" has a specific, honest answer.

Honest comparison

How we compare to a pricing spreadsheet.

Most agencies price retainers with a spreadsheet and a gut feeling. Here's what changes when the measure comes from the site itself.

WP Complexity Score (us)Spreadsheet & gut feeling
Reads the site's real complexity✓ 12 live dimensions✗ Whatever you type in
Consistent across staff & clients✓ Same maths every time✗ Depends who scored it
Objective for a takeover site✓ Instant, no familiarity needed◐ You have to learn it first
Tracks change over time✓ Monthly history + movers✗ A number from last year
Maps score to your price bands✓ Editable, on the dial◐ In your head
Client-ready evidence✓ Branded PDF + email✗ "Trust me"
Effort to keep current✓ Automatic monthly✗ You update it, if you remember

A spreadsheet is fine if you only manage a handful of sites you know intimately. Once you're pricing takeovers and justifying increases across a portfolio, you want the number to come from the site. Full comparison →

Pricing

Simple prices. One is forever.

Every plan includes every feature — the score, price bands, monthly history, movers, and both branded reports. You're only choosing how many sites.

Solo
$49/yr

1 site

  • All features included
  • Updates & support for a year
  • 14-day guarantee
Choose Solo
Agency
$99/yr

25 sites · for agencies

  • All features included
  • Updates & support for a year
  • 14-day guarantee
Choose Agency
Unlimited
$149/yr

Unlimited sites

  • All features included
  • Updates & support for a year
  • 14-day guarantee
Choose Unlimited
Lifetime
$299 once

Unlimited sites, forever

  • All features, all future updates
  • Never renew, never re-buy
  • 14-day guarantee
Own it forever

Prices in USD. Licence keys are domain-based — no accounts, no phoning home. VAT invoices available.

Questions

Asked and answered.

How is the complexity score calculated?

Twelve dimensions, each read live from the site and normalised to 0–10, then weighted into a single 0–100 score: active plugin count, custom and premium plugins (including must-use code), theme customisation, WooCommerce and other commerce, recognised integrations, scheduled jobs, database size, user count, multisite, custom post types, PHP compatibility and the update backlog. Nothing leaves the site — the scan is instant.

Why does this help me price support?

Two similar-looking sites can be wildly different amounts of work. A five-plugin brochure site and a fifty-plugin WooCommerce store with three integrations and a bespoke theme should not be on the same retainer. The score gives you a consistent, defensible number instead of a gut feeling — especially useful when you take over a site you don't know.

How do the price bands work?

You set four editable bands — Simple, Moderate, Complex, Very complex — to match your rate card. The current score maps to a band, the recommended tier shows on the dial, and it's woven into the copy-ready review paragraph so the client email writes itself.

How does it justify a price increase?

A monthly snapshot builds the history automatically. When a site drifts from Moderate to Complex, the dashboard shows the movement — "complexity has moved +18 points since January" — and names the biggest drivers, like plugin growth or database size. You raise the retainer with evidence, not apology.

Can I send a report to the client?

Yes. Produce a branded, print-ready PDF report (your logo, colour and footer) with the score, price tier, movers, dimension breakdown and history — or email the same assessment as a beautifully formatted message to the recipients you choose.

Is it just for agencies?

It's built for anyone pricing WordPress maintenance — agencies, freelancers and in-house teams justifying budget. If you support sites for money, it makes those conversations objective.

How is the licence delivered?

Order through the form and your licence key and invoice arrive by email, usually within the hour. Keys are domain-based — no account, no phoning home, no lock-in.

What if it's not for me?

14-day money-back guarantee, no questions. Email us and we refund you.

Get started

Price your next retainer on evidence.

Order below and your licence key and invoice arrive by email — usually within the hour. Install, run the score, and generate a branded pricing report the same afternoon.

14-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE · SUPPORT BY ACTUAL HUMANS

You'll receive an invoice by email — pay by card or bank transfer. Nothing is charged on this page.