What Do Companies Charge To Fix Hacked Websites?
What Do Companies Charge To Fix Hacked Websites? The short answer is, you may have to pay anything from $5 to thousands of dollars, depending on the extent of the damage. In this article, I will go through
- The types of hacks and how they damage your site
- How the type of damage affects the pricing
- How various companies charge
You might already have a vendor in mind, and you’re only trying to see if their pricing is reasonable, or you might be worried that they might be trying to pull a fast one on their pricing. Or perhaps you are looking for somebody to fix your site, but you’re worried that the cost may be out of reach for you. Whichever it is, read on. You’re on the right page.
Types of Hacks and How They Damage Your Site
In order for us to know how companies charge to fix hacked websites, we should understand the work involved in fixing hacked websites. Some companies charge by the hour, so the more complex the job, the more they will charge.
We’ll look at a few things that hackers do to our websites when they hack them. Depending on their goals, the hackers may
- add files
- remove files
- tamper with the database
- encrypt and lock the website
- edit/replace files
Add Files
Hackers may install additional files to create phishing websites or run bots to send out spam emails or even hack other websites. Usually, these work like mini-websites alongside your actual website, so you may not realise that it exists.
Fixing this is generally straightforward, as it involves removing the files that were added. However, if it has gone on for a while, your website or mail server may get blacklisted, and we’ll need to approach the companies operating the blacklists to get your site and IP delisted after cleaning the site.
Remove Files
From my own experience, this doesn’t happen as much, unless you happen to be the target of revenge or a prank. I assume the readers are owners of small and medium-sized websites, and in most cases, hackers hack these sites to make use of the domain and IP for their illicit purposes. Removing files would cause your website to stop working, and they need your website to continue working as usual so that they can stay under the radar.
Of course, this can also happen at the hands of a bungling or mean-spirited hacker, so we won’t rule out this possibility entirely.
If there are backups for the affected files available, we can simply restore them. Otherwise, we may need to recreate the affected files, or even the entire site, depending on the extent of the damage.
Edit/Replace Files
There are a few situations in which this might occur. Some hackers hack websites to present their messages, which are often political or religious in nature. Some do it for vanity, or perhaps publicity; the new page simply shows that your site was hacked by so-and-so.
There’s also SEO spam, which occurs when hackers insert certain anchor text with links to other websites to increase the backlink count for those websites, for search engine optimisation (SEO) purposes. Generally speaking, the more backlinks there are to a site, the more likely that site will rank highly for the words used in the anchor texts, so these hackers are trying to squeeze some SEO mileage from the sites that they hack.
For sites that are written in PHP, like WordPress sites, hackers may insert PHP codes into some, or all, of the PHP files, so that those codes would be executed when those files are called.
Sites hacked in this way may present some challenges to the company fixing the website. If there are no backups available for the files which have been edited, we may need to edit them individually, which can be very time-consuming.
Tamper with the database
The most common thing that hackers would do with the database is to extract information, but hackers may also delete the database or insert malicious codes into the database.
Again, if backups are available, we could easily restore the database. If not, we would need to go through the database to look for the code and remove them.
Encrypt and lock the website
You may have heard of ransomware, which is software that is inserted to encrypt the website and deny access to the site until the owners pay the demanded ransom.
This hurts big websites more as they have more to lose from a non-functioning website. Restoration from backups may not always be feasible, as the last backup may have been done some time before the site was hacked, and significant user data may be lost in the process. This is why some companies chose to pay the ransom, unwilling as they may have been.
The only ways this can be fixed, other than paying the ransom, are to restore the site from the latest backup or to recreate the site.
How the Type of Damage Affects the Pricing
Generally speaking, if your site’s functionality and contents have not been affected, you should do well with any of the companies on this list, even those with affordable fixed fees. In most cases, all they need to do is to remove the added files and/or replace the WordPress (or any other CMS) core files, and the malware would have been cleared.
If your site no longer works normally, or if the contents have been affected, make sure you check with the companies to see if repairs and restoration are included in the price, as some companies may only provide malware removal within their fixed-price plans.
Some damage can be easily fixed, so some of the companies may be willing to cover those with no extra charges, but in some cases, the site may have to be recreated, and it would not be realistic to expect those companies to do that at those low prices.
Tip: Before you approach the companies, see if you or your web developer has a backup of your website. This will definitely help to reduce the effort and cost, in the event that restoration is required.
Some Companies That Can Fix Hacked Websites and How They Charge
Reminder: Although the companies listed here are well-known companies, we’d still encourage you to check reviews on sites like TrustPilot.com, WordPress.org and Google Reviews before committing to any company.
Most of the companies in this list specialise in website security solutions, and some focus specifically on malware removal, so I guess the pricing is somewhat competitive. There are many digital agencies that will also fix hacked websites as a bespoke service, but their prices can be very bespoke as well, so we’ll not be including those in this article.
Generally speaking, there are two ways these companies charge. Those which offer malware removal as a stand-alone service will charge a one-time fee, while some others provide malware removal as a part of an ongoing security service on a monthly or annual subscription basis.
Some of the companies mentioned in this article have plugins which are able to clean the websites automatically, but for the purpose of this article, we’re focussing only on their manual malware removal service.
1. Fiverr
There are hundreds of freelancers on Fiverr who will fix your hacked website. I have provided the link to the WordPress security category, but you can also search for “malware removal” or “fix hacked website” and add your content management system (CMS), if you’re not using WordPress.
Pricing
- The prices range from $5 to about $1000.
Services & Benefits
The services and benefits differ from seller to seller, so I won’t list them here, but I’ll put in a shameless plug for my own Fiverr gig offering to fix hacked websites. As I’m just starting out on Fiverr, I am offering my services at rock-bottom prices in a bid to get reviews, so if you need someone to fix your hacked website, take advantage of this opportunity right now, as my prices will go up once I have enough reviews.
- Basic malware removal
- Installation and setup of malware scanner and firewall
- Website upgrade
- Website Backup
- Website restoration
- Blacklist removal
- SSL installation
- Money-back guarantee
2. Fix Hacked Site
Fix Hacked Site offers both a one-off malware removal service as well as a malware removal subscription plan. There are different prices for different types of websites. The interesting thing is that they seem to offer malware removal for existing infections on their subscription plans, so that may be a better deal than the one-off malware removal service.
Pricing
One-off Malware Removal
URL: https://fixhackedsite.com/one-off-website-malware-removal-service/
| Type | Price |
|---|---|
| WordPress sites | $77 |
| Joomla, PrestaShop, Magento | $97 |
| Custom Site including PHP and ASP | $147 |
Subscription Plan
URL: https://fixhackedsite.com/malware-removal-subscription-service/
| Type of Site | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
|---|---|---|
| WordPress | $37/mo | $297/yr |
| Joomla, PrestaShop and Magento | $57/mo | $397/yr |
| Custom Site PHP and ASP | $77/mo | $497/yr |
Services & Benefits
- Malware Removal SLA
- Malware Removal & Hack clean-up
- Stop Hacks (Virtual Patching / Hardening)
- Advanced DDoS Mitigation
- SSL Certificate Support
- Firewall – HTTPS & PCI Compliant
- Customer Support
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
3. Sucuri
Sucuri is one of the big names in website security, and its WordPress security plugin is one of the most popular security plugins out there.
It offers its malware removal services as part of its annual subscription plans. The main differences between the plans are the committed response times and the frequency of the advanced security scans.
Pricing
URL: https://sucuri.net/website-security-platform/
| Plan | Basic Platform | Pro Platform | Business Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.99/yr | $299.99/yr | $499.99/yr |
| Malware Removal SLA | 30 hours | 12 hours | 6 hours |
Services & Benefits
- Malware & hack removals by our security experts
- Malware Removal SLA
- Post-clean-up basic report
- Frequency of advanced security scans
- Website Application Firewall (WAF)
- Blocklist Monitoring & Removal
- SSL Support & Monitoring
- Stop Hacks (Virtual Patching/Hardening)
- Firewall Protection – HTTPS & PCI compliant
- Advanced DDoS Mitigation
- CDN Speed Enhancement
- High Availability/Load Balancing
- CMS & Hosting Compatibility
- Support Requests
4. SiteLock
If you are using one of the big names for your web hosting, you might have already heard of SiteLock, which has partnerships with many of them.
For pre-existing infections, you will need to purchase their Emergency 911 Cleaning and Ongoing Monitoring service, also called SiteLock 911 Website Expert Clean, priced at $199, although its subscription plans also include malware removal.
Pricing
URL: https://www.sitelock.com/products/fix-hacked-site/
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Emergency 911 Cleaning and Ongoing Monitoring | $199 |
Services & Benefits
- Priority Access to SiteLock’s team of experts
- Response within 6 hours of your order
- Most sites are cleaned within 4 to 6 hours of gaining server access
- 911 services include both automated and expert manual cleaning techniques
- 911 repairs are guaranteed to remove malware, SEO spam, backdoors, and blocklist warnings. In the rare case that we cannot remove the identified issues, you will be fully refunded.
- One year of external monitoring is included, though SiteLock 911 + Pro or Business are recommended to prevent future attacks.
5. OneHourSiteFix
OneHourSiteFix’s fixes hacked websites for a flat fee of $49, and as its name states, it does so within one hour. It also has a custom-developed AI-powered cloud-based firewall and plugin, which you can use to protect your website from further attacks.
Pricing
URL: https://www.onehoursitefix.com/fix-my-hacked-website-now-website-malware-removal-prices/
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Rapid Fix | $49 |
Services Provided
- 1-Hour Fast Malware Removal
- Platinum level 24×7 support as standard
- 30-second rapid response times from our industry-leading support team
- Security Recommendations
- 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
6. WP Buffs
WP Buffs offers malware removal as part of its Perform, Custom and Custom Pro WordPress website maintenance packages. As such, its prices are higher than the companies offering only website security.
Pricing
URL: https://wpbuffs.com/plans/
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Price |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | $219/mo | $2196/yr |
| Custom | $347/mo | $3480/yr |
| Custom Pro | $447/mo | $4476/yr |
Services & Benefits
- Weekly WP Updates
- 24/7 Emergency Support
- 24/7 Uptime Monitoring
- Google Analytics Integration
- Cloud Backups
- 24/7 Unlimited Website Edits
- Security Optimization
- iThemes Security Pro Premium
- Speed Optimization
- Mobile & Tablet Optimization
- Image & Media Optimization
- Complete Malware Removal
7. HackRepair.com
HackRepair.com fixes hacked websites for a fixed price of $279, but they’re offering a $100 discount for small sites less than 50mb or less than 100 files in total. This means that sites running on content management systems like WordPress, Joomla or Drupal would not qualify for this discount.
Pricing
URL: https://hackrepair.com/services/hack-repair-service-100-discount
| Type of Site | Price |
|---|---|
| Small sites less than 50mb in size or less than 100 files | $179 |
| Sites bigger than 50mb in size or more than 100 files | $279 |
Services & Benefits
- We start fixing your site immediately, and we will follow up until the matter is fully resolved.
- Our goal is prevention. We will educate you so this doesn’t happen again.
- We provide you with a full security review and recommendations report.
- We include WordPress security plugin installation.
- We will teach you how to better secure WordPress.
- We have years of advanced WordPress expertise.
- We inspect every file on your site for malware.
- We clear all hack related issues, including blackhat SEO spam injections, phishing, drive-by downloads, backdoors, and other malicious files.
- We will upgrade your blog(s) and update all plugins as needed.
- Money-back guarantee if we are not able to resolve your malware issue!
8. WP Fix It
WP Fix It specialises in WordPress support and it, in its own words, “invented and perfected the flat fee WordPress support model.”
Pricing
URL: https://www.wpfixit.com/wordpress-malware-removal-service/
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| WordPress Malware Removal Service | $117 |
Services & Benefits
- Same Day Service
- Detailed Website Scan
- File & Database Security Audit
- Server Level Security Check
- Website User & Role Analysis
- Full Infection Removal
- Security Enhancements
- Blacklist Removal
- Infection Removal Report
9. NinTechNet
NinTechNet provides security solutions for WordPress and other PHP websites, in addition to fixing hacked websites. It charges a fixed price of $199 for cleaning 1 site, and there are discounts for cleaning multiple sites.
Pricing
URL: https://nintechnet.com/ninjarecovery/
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Malware clean-up | $199 |
Services & Benefits
- Cleaning up the site
- Finding and patching the vulnerability
- Securing the site
- One-month monitoring
10. Malcare
Malcare is part of a family of websites offering solutions for WordPress, and it offers a security plugin for WordPress as well.
Pricing
URL: https://www.malcare.com/website-malware-removal/
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Emergency clean-up | $249 |
Services & Benefits
- Website cleaned within 12 hours
- Full Hack clean-up (No Page Limits)
- Guaranteed clean-up or 300% money back
- Dedicated Security Analyst
- Trusted by over 50,000 customers
- Exceptional Customer Support
11. Malcure
Malcure is yet another company that specialises in website security solutions. In addition to WordPress, it also provides malware removal for Drupal sites, which is less common.
Pricing
WordPress
URL: https://malcure.com/wordpress-malware-removal-service/ (WordPress)
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Complete WordPress Website Malware Removal | $147 |
Drupal
URL: https://malcure.com/drupal-malware-removal-service/ (Drupal)
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Complete Drupal Website Malware Removal | $247 |
Services & Benefits
- Same Day Service
- Complete Removal With Proof
- Security Enhancements & Fixes
- Full Report of Root-Cause-Analysis
- Free Removal from Blacklists (worth $35)
- Restoration of Google Ad Campaigns
- 15 Days Cover
12. Wordfence
Wordfence is probably the most popular WordPress security plugin in the world. Their malware removal service is offered as part of the Wordfence Care and Wordfence Response subscription plans.
Pricing
URL: https://www.wordfence.com/products/pricing
| Plan | Wordfence Care | Wordfence Response |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $490/yr | $950/yr |
| Customer Support Level | Priority ticket-based | 1-hour response time |
Services & Benefits
- The Wordfence Firewall
- The Wordfence Malware Scanner
- Real-Time IP Blocklist
- Country Blocking
- Hands-on Support from a Dedicated Analyst
- We Install Wordfence
- We Configure Wordfence
- We Optimize Wordfence for Performance & Security
- We Provide a Security Audit & Recommendations
- clean-up if We Find Malware During the Audit
- Security Audit Follow-up with Customer Q&A
- We Monitor your Site Security
- Investigation and Malware Removal
- Post-incident Blocklist Removal
- Post-incident Search Engine Security clean-up
- Detailed After-action Reports
13. Cwatch Comodo
Unlike the other companies featured in this list, which specialise in security solutions for individual websites, Comodo is a leading provider of enterprise cybersecurity solutions, in addition to its solutions for websites, mobiles and desktops.
Cwatch Comodo offers website security subscription plans, but if your site has been hacked, they will fix your website for free with no obligations.
Pricing
URL: https://cwatchstore.com/pricing/malware-removal/
- Free Malware Removal
Services & Benefits
- Absolutely Free, No obligation, hidden charges, fancy pricing or gimmicks.
- No credit card required.
- We remove your malware instantly and repair the damage to your website at no charge.
- Works for malware, hacker attacks, comment spam, SQL injections, DDos, cross-site scripting, and more.
14. FixMySite
FixMySite is another company focused on providing support for WordPress websites.
Pricing
URL: https://fixmysite.com/wordpress-malware-removal/
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| WordPress Malware Removal Service | $119 |
Services & Benefits
- Scan Your Website
- Remove Malicious Content
- Check Core WordPress Files
- Security Hardening
- Blacklist Removal
- Report
15. Websicherheit
Websicherheit is German for web security, so we can see its commitment to providing web security services for websites.
Pricing
URL: https://www.websicherheit.at/en/website-malware-removal/
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Website Malware Removal | US$149 (€129) |
Services & Benefits
- Immediate Help with “Satisfaction” guarantee
- Removal of all Malware (clean-up)
- Remove all Backdoors
- Protection against future attacks
- Google Malware / Blacklist Warning removal
- Tips on keeping your website safe in future
- 1-year free website monitoring
- If your website is hacked again within 8 weeks it will be cleaned again free of charge.
16. Fixed.net
Fixed.net is also a WordPress maintenance service provider that can take care of all your WordPress problems. You can engage them for malware removal on a one-off basis or as a part of one of the ongoing maintenance plans.
Pricing
URL: https://fixed.net/pricing
One-off Malware Removal
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| One-off WordPress clean-up | £49 |
| Service | Monthly Price |
|---|---|
| Care Plan | £39/mo |
| Unlimited Plan | £79/mo |
| Complete Plan | £159/mo |
Services & Benefits
- We quickly clean hacked websites
- WordPress hardening
- Ongoing WordPress protection
- Enterprise-level 24/7 WordPress security
17. Unhack.net
Unhack.net is a specialist in website security. Unlike the other companies on this list, they don’t offer a flat fee for malware removal.
Pricing
- It depends on the hack. The hack repair can be done for only $250 in many cases, but you’ll need to contact them to get an exact quote.
Services & Benefits
- Immediate Response
- Full Problem Ownership
- Preventive Security Too
- 30 Days of Coverage
- Available by Phone
- Money-Back Guarantee
Parting Words
We hope this article has given you a good idea of the prices charged by the different companies. As you have seen, the services are bundled differently, so we can’t do apples-to-apples comparisons based on the prices alone. Assess your own needs and see if you might need those bundled services, then see if those services might justify the higher prices.
As a parting note, I’d like to remind you that getting a vendor to fix our hacked website requires you to hand over access to our website and server, so please check their reviews on sites such as TrustPilot, WordPress.org (for vendors with their own WordPress plugins) and Google Reviews before making a decision.
If you’re engaging freelancers on platforms such as UpWork, Freelancer or Fiverr, you may be in a better situation. You should still check the reviews of the freelancers on those sites, but even if something happens, you can be sure that your money is protected because your payments will only be released after the work has been completed.