Website operators analyse WordPress $38k 100-year plan offer

WordPress set the web hosting scene on fire earlier this week when it announced a unique offer. Interested clients could own a domain name and website for 100 years, thanks to the new plan. Although this effort is bold, the offer invites several questions about its viability. 

In a press statement that closely resembles a sales pitch, the leading content management system (CMS) at WordPress said this offering will enable users to “safeguard their online legacy.” It further sheds light on the target audience. They include families keen on retaining memorabilia like photos and videos. 

The audience also comprises users who want a “stable, flexible, and customized online home that can adapt to whatever changes the future of technology will bring.” Most importantly, WordPress hopes this deal will appeal to founders who want their company’s history, present, and future to survive a hundred years. 

Beyond this, WordPress also stated that it would offer perks like enhanced ownership protocols, top-tier managed hosting, and more. The plan costs $38,000 (N29.4 million). When billed yearly, the fee comes to $380 (N294,000). Unless you own a multinational company, that’s a massive sum to spend on a novel idea.

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Inside WordPress 100-year plan 

When asked if his company would likely purchase this plan, Yusuf Musa, the CEO of iWeb.ng, noted that the offer’s appeal depended on a potential price reduction. “Only with a more competitive pricing structure could I justify the inherent risks of such a long-term commitment,” Yusuf explained. 

As mentioned, the plan costs $38K (N29 million). Although some companies can easily afford it, the majority can not say the same. Still on the affordability issue, Robert Brandl, founder and CEO of Tooltester, claimed the fee was costly. 

“The 380/year fee isn’t cost-effective. Even compared with the most expensive premium WordPress hosting from WP Engine or Kinsta, you would not pay anywhere near as much as that” 

Robert Brandl

Away from the money subject, Musa and Brandl also commented on another important aspect of the offer. WordPress is offering a century’s worth of domain access, but will the hosting company outlast that extended period? Although the likes of Siemens and IBM have crossed the 100-year mark, would WordPress still be here in the next 100 years? 

Additionally, who can say what happens next? AI takeover? World War III? Alien invasion? Another global pandemic can always happen. Speaking on this matter, Musa shared an interesting point. “Given the rapid evolution of technology, it’s challenging to predict the trajectory of the web in the coming decades, let alone a century,” he said. 

Thus, even if WordPress survived a century (and maybe more), Musa wondered whether it would retain its relevance. He suggested that pivoting to another field, as other companies have done previously, could be the only way it commands attention in the future digital space. 

Meanwhile, Brandl did not believe WordPress could close many prospective buyers of this plan. Instead, he viewed the offer as a smart marketing strategy that had generated plenty of buzz in the web hosting community. Given the many articles (this includes) on this matter that have emerged on the internet, it is difficult to dispute Brandl’s theory.