Short answer: website AMC charges in India are usually set as a share of what the website cost to build. Most agencies sell maintenance as an annual maintenance contract (AMC) of around 10 to 20 percent of the build cost per year, and a small static site needs much less than an online store. What matters more than the price is what the AMC covers: software and security updates, tested backups, uptime monitoring, bug fixes, an agreed number of content changes, and a promised response time. Get that list in writing before you sign.
A website is not finished on launch day. The software it runs on gets security updates, browsers change, plugins go out of date, SSL certificates expire, and the business itself changes its phone number, prices and products. Maintenance is the work that keeps the site safe, fast and correct. This guide explains what an AMC should include, what it usually leaves out, and how to compare packages.
What is a website AMC?
A website AMC (annual maintenance contract) is a yearly agreement in which a developer keeps a live website secure, working and up to date: installing software and security updates, taking and testing backups, renewing the SSL certificate, fixing anything that breaks, checking speed and uptime, and making small content changes.
It is paid yearly or monthly, and is sometimes bundled with hosting and the domain renewal.
Website AMC charges in India
Website AMC charges in India are usually 10 to 20 percent of the website's build cost per year. The share is lower for a simple static site and higher for an online store or a site with many plugins, because there is more to update and more that can break.
What decides where a site falls in that range:
- The type of website: a static site needs far less work than WordPress or an online store (see the table below).
- Plugins and integrations: every plugin, payment gateway and shipping or CRM connection is one more thing to update and test.
- Content changes: how many changes a month are included.
- Response time: a promise to fix a site that is down within hours takes more work than "within a few days".
- What is bundled: whether hosting, the domain and the SSL renewal are part of the AMC.
At Wosag, every website comes with twelve months of free website maintenance, and after that annual maintenance is ten percent of the project value. Apps need more upkeep because Android and iOS change every year, so their maintenance is fifteen percent.
Be careful with very cheap monthly plans. They often cover only "updates" and charge separately for every fix and change, so the real cost appears later.
What should a website AMC include?
Use this as a checklist when you compare AMCs:
- Software updates: the CMS (for example WordPress), theme and plugins, or the framework of a custom site, updated on a schedule.
- Security: HTTPS and SSL renewal, a firewall or security plugin, strong admin logins, and malware checks.
- Backups: automatic, stored off the server, kept for a set number of days, and tested. A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a backup.
- Uptime monitoring: someone is alerted when the site goes down, not only when a customer calls.
- Bug fixes: anything that stops working as it did at launch is fixed at no extra charge.
- Small content changes: an agreed number per month, such as new photos, a price change, a new team member or a festival banner.
- Speed checks: the site is tested in Google's PageSpeed Insights and kept fast on mobile.
- Search Console checks: errors that stop pages appearing on Google are spotted and fixed.
- Renewal reminders: domain, hosting and SSL dates are tracked so nothing lapses.
- A response time: how quickly they reply, and how quickly they fix a site that is down.
What is usually not included?
Most AMCs do not cover new work. Expect these to be quoted separately:
- New pages, new sections or new features
- A redesign
- Writing new content or product descriptions
- SEO campaigns and Google Ads
- Fixing damage caused by changes someone else made to the site
Ask where the line is between a "small change" and "new work", with an example of each.
What an AMC covers by type of website
How the site was built changes how much maintenance it needs:
| Type of website | What needs regular work | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Static website (no admin panel or database) | Hosting, SSL, backups and content changes; almost nothing to hack | Light |
| WordPress website | WordPress, the theme and every plugin release, security checks and backups; an out-of-date plugin is the most common way small business sites get hacked | Regular |
| WooCommerce or another online store | Everything WordPress needs, plus payments, stock, shipping and GST invoices; updates should be tested before they go live, because a broken update costs sales immediately | Heavy |
| Shopify store | Apps, theme updates and store content; Shopify handles the platform and its security | Light to moderate |
| Custom-built website | Framework and library updates, the server, and fixes by someone who knows the code | Depends on the build |
For a custom-built site, make sure you own the code and have access, so another developer can take over if needed.
Monthly, annual or pay-as-you-go?
- Annual AMC: the most common in India. One payment, a defined scope, and usually a lower total than monthly billing.
- Monthly plan: easier on cash flow; check the notice period and what happens to backups if you stop.
- Pay-as-you-go: fine for a simple static site that rarely changes, but nobody is watching updates and backups in between, and urgent fixes cost more.
For an online store or any site that brings in enquiries every day, a contract with a response time is safer.
What happens if you skip maintenance?
Nothing, for a while. Then one of these happens: an outdated plugin lets someone inject spam or malware, Google shows a "this site may be hacked" warning, the SSL certificate expires and browsers show a security warning, the contact form quietly stops sending enquiries, or the domain lapses and someone else buys it.
Each of these costs more to fix than a year of maintenance, and some, like a lost domain, cannot always be fixed.
Questions to ask before you sign an AMC
- What exactly is included, and how many content changes per month?
- How often are updates done, and are they tested first?
- Where are backups stored, for how long, and when did you last test a restore?
- How quickly will you respond, and how quickly will you fix a site that is down?
- Are hosting, the domain and SSL included, and in whose name are they?
- What is not included, and how is extra work priced?
- If I end the contract, what do I get: files, database, backups and logins?
Frequently asked questions
How much does website maintenance cost per month in India?
It depends on the site, but a common guide is 10 to 20 percent of the build cost per year, which you can divide by twelve for a monthly figure. A static site costs less to maintain than an online store. Compare what each package covers, not just the monthly price.
Is website maintenance necessary for a small static website?
Less than for WordPress or an online store, but some is still needed: hosting and SSL renewal, backups, and content changes such as new phone numbers or photos. A static site has no plugins to update, so its maintenance is light.
Is GST charged on website maintenance?
Yes. Website maintenance is an IT service, and GST at 18 percent applies when the provider is registered. Ask for a tax invoice so you can claim input tax credit if your business is registered.
Can I maintain my website myself?
You can make content changes yourself if the site has an admin panel and you have been trained to use it. Updates, backups, security and fixing errors are better left to someone who can test them first and recover the site if an update breaks it.
What is included in Wosag's free maintenance?
Every Wosag website includes twelve months of free maintenance: bug fixes, security and platform updates, and backups, plus a training session so your team can update the site. After the first year, annual maintenance is ten percent of the project value.
Need someone to look after your website? Wosag Tech builds and maintains websites and online stores from HiLITE Business Park, Kozhikode. See our website maintenance services or talk to us about a maintenance plan.