How to Cancel WordPress Subscription

Paying for a WordPress subscription you no longer use can be frustrating. Maybe you tried a paid WordPress.com plan, added a custom domain, or signed up with a hosting provider, and now you just want the charges to stop—without accidentally deleting your whole website.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to cancel a WordPress subscription step by step. We’ll cover WordPress.com paid plans, domains, and what to do if your “WordPress subscription” is actually a hosting package or third-party add-on, so you can stop billing safely and keep control of your content.

If you’re not sure whether you should cancel outright or simply downgrade, you may want to quickly review how to choose the right WordPress.com plan before making your final decision.

Prerequisites

Before you cancel anything, you need to be clear on who is billing you and what exactly you are paying for. Canceling the wrong thing can take your site offline or put your domain at risk.

• Access to the email address where you receive WordPress or hosting invoices.
• Your WordPress.com login (for WordPress.com plans and domains).
• Your web hosting control panel login (if you use self-hosted WordPress.org).
• A recent backup or export of your site content (posts, pages, media) in case you need to move later.
• Payment method access (card, PayPal, etc.) to verify recent charges.

Step 1: Identify Your WordPress Subscription Type

When people say “WordPress subscription,” they can mean several different things. Before you cancel, figure out which one applies to you so you use the correct process.

Common WordPress-related subscriptions include:

• WordPress.com site plan – Personal, Premium, Business, or eCommerce plan purchased at WordPress.com.
• WordPress.com domain registration – Your custom domain (like example.com) billed separately from the plan.
• Managed WordPress hosting – Hosting plans from companies like Bluehost, SiteGround, HostGator, etc., where WordPress is installed for you.
• Paid plugins or themes – Subscriptions for premium plugins, themes, or services (e.g., security, backups, forms).

Check your latest invoice or bank statement and look for who is charging you (for example, “WordPress.com,” “Automattic,” or your hosting company). That name tells you where you need to cancel.

Step 2: Open Your WordPress.com Billing & Purchases Area

If your subscription is a WordPress.com plan or domain, you’ll cancel it directly from the WordPress.com dashboard. Here’s how to get to the billing section.

1. Go to WordPress.com in your browser.
2. Click Log In and sign in with the account that owns the site or subscription.
3. In the top-right corner, click your profile avatar.
4. From the menu, choose Purchases or Billing (depending on the current interface wording).
5. On the billing screen, you’ll see tabs or sections for Plans, Domains, and sometimes other services.

Step 3: Cancel a WordPress.com Site Plan

Once you’re in the Purchases/Billing area, you can cancel your paid WordPress.com plan. This will stop future charges for the plan itself, but it does not automatically delete your site or domain.

1. In the Plans section, find the site whose plan you want to cancel.
2. Click Manage or Manage Subscription next to that plan.
3. Look for a Cancel plan, End subscription, or similar option. Click it.
4. Follow the prompts: you may be asked to choose a reason for canceling or confirm that you understand which features you’ll lose.
5. Confirm the cancellation. Wait for the confirmation message indicating your plan will not renew.

After cancellation, your site usually remains online but reverts to a free tier once the current billing period ends. You may lose premium design options, plugins, or advanced features, but your posts and pages should still exist.

Step 4: Turn Off Auto-Renew or Move Your Domain

Your domain name is separate from your plan. Even if you cancel a WordPress.com plan, your custom domain can still auto-renew and continue billing you. Decide whether you want to keep the domain, move it, or let it expire.

To turn off auto-renew for a WordPress.com domain:

1. From the Purchases or Domains section in your WordPress.com account, find the domain you want to manage.
2. Click Manage next to that domain.
3. Locate the Auto-renew setting.
4. Toggle Auto-renew off, or click an End registration / Cancel domain option if available.
5. Confirm the change and read any notices about when the domain will expire and what happens afterward.

If you want to keep using the domain on another host, look for options like Transfer domain or Change nameservers instead of canceling. That way, you keep control of your brand and URLs while changing where the site is hosted.

Step 5: Cancel Hosting for Self-Hosted WordPress Sites

If you run WordPress on your own hosting (WordPress.org), your subscription is usually with the hosting company, not WordPress.com. Canceling here happens in your host’s billing panel.

1. Log in to your hosting account dashboard (for example, your cPanel or custom hosting portal).
2. Go to the Billing, Services, or My Products section.
3. Find the hosting plan that corresponds to your WordPress site.
4. Select Cancel, Terminate, or Do not renew, depending on your host’s wording.
5. Read the warning about data deletion and backup any remaining files or databases before you confirm.

Many hosts differentiate between canceling at the end of the term and immediate termination. Canceling at term end stops future billing but gives you time to migrate or download backups.

If you decide you no longer want any WordPress.com presence at all, including your profile and data, follow our separate guide on how to delete your WordPress account after you’ve canceled your subscriptions.

Cancel Your WordPress Subscription the Right Way

Canceling a WordPress subscription doesn’t have to be risky or confusing. Once you know whether you’re dealing with a WordPress.com plan, a domain, or a hosting package, you can use the right cancellation path and avoid breaking your site by accident.

By working through each subscription type—plan, domain, and hosting—and backing up your content before you cancel, you protect your work and your brand while stopping charges you no longer need. Take your time, read each confirmation screen carefully, and you’ll close out your WordPress costs with confidence.

Further Reading

• How to Delete a WordPress Site When You’re Done
• How to Choose the Right WordPress Hosting
• WordPress Hosting Explained
• How to Start a WordPress Website

Frequently Asked Questions