Sanity vs WordPress.com: What You’ll Pay at Different Scales

This article compares the real costs of Sanity and WordPress.com as your project grows, from a small personal site to a large enterprise. You’ll get a clear breakdown of what each platform charges at different traffic and content scales, so you can budget accurately and avoid surprise bills.

Formula

Sanity monthly cost: Sanity charges per project, not per visit. The formula used here is: Sanity cost = $0 for the free tier (up to 10 GB bandwidth, 1M API requests, 3 users), then $15 per user per month beyond the first 3, plus $99 per project per month for the Growth plan (unlimited users, 1TB bandwidth, 10M API requests), and $999 per project per month for Enterprise (custom). For this calculator, we assume the free tier for up to 3 editors, Growth for 4-10 editors, and Enterprise for 11+ editors.

WordPress.com monthly cost: WordPress.com pricing is based on the plan, not usage. The formula: WordPress.com cost = $0 for Free (no custom domain, ads), $4/mo for Personal, $8/mo for Premium (billed annually), $25/mo for Business, $45/mo for Commerce, and $500/mo for Enterprise. We assume Free for 1-2 pages, Personal for 3-10 pages, Premium for 11-100 pages, Business for 101-1000 pages, Commerce for 1001-10000 pages, and Enterprise for 10001+ pages.

Worked Example

Using the defaults: 10,000 monthly visits, 3 editors, 100 pages/items.

• Sanity: 3 editors → free tier (no cost). So Sanity monthly cost = $0.
• WordPress.com: 100 pages → Premium plan (up to 100 pages) = $8/mo (billed annually).

So for a small site with 3 editors and 100 pages, Sanity is $0 and WordPress.com is $8/mo.

How Sanity Pricing Works

Sanity is a headless CMS that separates content management from delivery. You pay for the platform, not for traffic. The free tier includes 10 GB bandwidth, 1M API requests, 3 users, and community support. The Growth plan at $99/month (billed annually) adds unlimited users, 1TB bandwidth, 10M API requests, and priority support. Enterprise is custom-priced with SLAs and advanced security. Beyond the base, you pay for extra bandwidth ($0.10/GB) and API requests ($0.50 per 1M) if you exceed the included amounts. So a site with 100k monthly visits and 100k API requests per month stays within the free tier.

How WordPress.com Pricing Works

WordPress.com is a hosted version of the open-source WordPress software. Plans are tiered by features, not usage. The Free plan includes 3 GB storage and WordPress.com subdomain, but shows ads. Personal ($4/mo) removes ads and adds a custom domain. Premium ($8/mo) adds design customization and Google Analytics. Business ($25/mo) adds plugins and SEO tools. Commerce ($45/mo) adds WooCommerce. Enterprise ($500/mo) is for high-traffic sites with custom SLAs. You pay a flat fee regardless of visits, but you may hit storage limits (e.g., 200 GB on Business) and need to upgrade or pay for extra space.

Cost Comparison at Different Scales

• Personal blog (1-5k visits/mo, 1 editor): Sanity free tier = $0. WordPress.com Free = $0 (but with ads) or Personal $4/mo.
• Small business (10-50k visits/mo, 3-5 editors): Sanity free tier (up to 3 editors) = $0; if 4 editors, Growth = $99/mo. WordPress.com Premium = $8/mo (if under 100 pages) or Business $25/mo.
• Growing startup (100k visits/mo, 10 editors): Sanity Growth = $99/mo (unlimited editors). WordPress.com Business = $25/mo (if under 1000 pages) or Commerce $45/mo.
• Enterprise (1M visits/mo, 50 editors): Sanity Enterprise = custom (typically $1000+/mo). WordPress.com Enterprise = $500/mo.

Hidden Costs and Overages

Both platforms have potential extra costs. Sanity charges overage fees for bandwidth and API requests beyond the included amounts. If your content is image-heavy and you serve many API requests, you could add $20-50/mo on the free tier. WordPress.com charges for extra storage (e.g., $20/mo for 10 GB on Business) and for premium themes/plugins (one-time or annual). Also, WordPress.com Business and Commerce plans require annual billing to get the listed price; monthly billing costs more (e.g., Business is $33/mo if billed monthly).

How to Choose Based on Budget

If you need a simple blog or brochure site with no custom code, WordPress.com is cheaper and easier. If you need a headless CMS with custom frontend (React, Vue, etc.) and have a technical team, Sanity’s free tier is generous for small projects. For large content-heavy sites with many editors, Sanity’s flat $99/mo may be more predictable than WordPress.com’s per-feature tiers. But if you need e-commerce, WordPress.com Commerce at $45/mo includes WooCommerce, while Sanity would require a separate e-commerce solution.

Common Pitfalls and Misconceptions

• “WordPress.com is always cheaperâ€� – Not true for high-traffic sites needing custom plugins; Business plan is $25/mo, while Sanity Growth is $99/mo but includes unlimited editors and 1TB bandwidth.
• “Sanity is free foreverâ€� – Only up to 1M API requests and 10GB bandwidth; a viral post can blow through that.
• “WordPress.com includes everythingâ€� – Many plugins require a Business plan, and some premium plugins cost extra.
• “You can migrate easilyâ€� – Moving from WordPress.com to Sanity or vice versa requires content export/import and frontend rebuild.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sanity have a free plan for commercial use?

Yes, the free tier is for any project, including commercial, with limits of 3 users, 10GB bandwidth, and 1M API requests per month. It’s a good starting point for small sites.

Can I use WordPress.com for free without ads?

No, the free plan includes ads. To remove ads, you need at least the Personal plan at $4/mo (billed annually).

Which is better for a large news site with 50 editors?

Sanity’s Growth plan at $99/mo supports unlimited editors, while WordPress.com Business at $25/mo also supports unlimited editors but may have storage limits (200GB) and plugin restrictions. For heavy editorial workflows, Sanity’s structured content is more flexible.

Do I need to pay for extra bandwidth on WordPress.com?

No, WordPress.com does not charge for bandwidth. However, storage is limited by plan; you can buy extra storage if needed.

Can I self-host WordPress instead of using WordPress.com?

Yes, WordPress.org (self-hosted) is free software, but you pay for hosting, domain, and maintenance. That’s a different cost model and not covered by this comparison.

Is Sanity suitable for non-developers?

Sanity requires a developer to build the frontend and integrate the CMS. Non-developers may find WordPress.com easier to manage without coding.

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in t | Monthly visits | visits | 10000 | 0
in c | Content editors | editors | 3 | 0
in p | Pages/Posts | items | 100 | 0
out sanity | Sanity monthly cost | USD | 0 | 2
out wpcom | WordPress.com monthly cost | USD | 0 | 2