May 06 2010
I suppose the rising cost of ExpressionEngine development is just inevitable. Sites built on ExpressionEngine are becoming more powerful, easier to use, and aesthetically more pleasing in the back-end. The rising cost is a byproduct of this movement. Perhaps as ExpressionEngine becomes more popular, there will be more competition amongst add-on developers, lowering prices. This would be a good thing, as the developers would also be selling many more of their add-ons in the process.
One thing is clear for now, ExpressionEngine is positioning itself as a higher-end, elegant solution, aimed at clients with larger budgets.
While it's true that in many cases the cost of an EE-powered website is rising, it's still possible to build one with few to no commercial add-ons. It all depends on the needs of the client and the site of course, but it's possible. The point that perhaps is missing is that despite rising costs the kinds of sites that can be built with ExpressionEngine (high-end, dynamic, feature-rich sites) can be built in a shorter amount of time and lower long-term costs than most open source solutions (think support; every EE license comes with paid technical support regardless of which developer you hire). ExpressionEngine (or any commercial CMS) just isn't the right choice for businesses who want every feature possible at little to no cost.