How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026? Complete Pricing Guide

How much does a website cost? This is the question every business owner asks when planning their online presence. The problem is that the answer is never simple. One agency quotes $2,000, another quotes $15,000 — and both say their offer is fair. A freelancer from a job board will build a "business website" for $500, while a design studio charges ten times more for a similar scope.

This price range doesn't exist because someone is cheating. It exists because the term "website" covers an enormous variety: from a simple one-page site with contact details to a fully-featured online store with hundreds of products, payment integrations, and logistics systems. Then there are differences in technology, code quality, SEO approach, graphic design, and post-launch support.

In this article, I break down website costs into concrete numbers. You'll find a detailed pricing guide for 2026 broken down by website type, a comparison of different paths to getting a website built, a list of hidden costs that most developers don't mention upfront, and practical advice on how to avoid overpaying. All prices listed here are based on current market rates and real experience from building websites for local businesses.

Before we get into specific numbers, it's worth understanding what actually drives the final price.

What determines the price of a website?

The price of a website is the sum of many components. The easiest analogy is building a house: same square footage, but completely different costs depending on materials, finishes, and location. Websites work exactly the same way.

The main factors shaping the price are:

Website type and size — a one-page business card site is an entirely different project than a full corporate website with a blog, portfolio, and booking system. More pages and more functionality means more work.

Graphic design — a ready-made template costs a fraction of what a custom design created from scratch to match your brand identity costs. A template can look good, but it won't set your business apart from the competition.

Technology — a WordPress site with a pre-built theme is a different budget than a custom-built site in React or Next.js. Each technology has its own advantages and limitations, and its own price tag.

Content — do you have ready-made copy and photos, or does the developer need to create them? Professional copywriting and a photo shoot are additional costs that many business owners overlook during planning.

SEO — a website optimised for search engines requires additional work: keyword research, structure optimisation, meta tags, loading speed, and many other technical elements.

Responsiveness and performance — in 2026, responsiveness should be standard, but not every quote includes it. Polishing the mobile version takes extra time and money.

Post-launch support — a one-off build is one thing, but regular updates, backups, and technical support are costs that appear after the site goes live.

I cover each of these factors in detail in a separate article: What affects the price of a website?. Here, we'll focus on the actual numbers.

Website pricing in 2026 — comparison table

Below are approximate price ranges for 2026. Prices are one-off build costs (excluding ongoing maintenance costs, which I cover later in this article).

Website type	Builder / template	Freelancer	Studio / agency
Business card site (1-3 pages)	$0-150	$300-1,000	$1,000-2,000
Corporate website (5-10 pages)	—	$1,000-2,500	$2,000-5,000
Landing page	—	$500-1,500	$1,000-3,000
Online store	$150-600/year	$1,500-4,000	$3,500-10,000+
Custom website / portal	—	$3,500-8,000	$7,000-25,000+

A few important notes. First, these are market ranges — the exact price depends on project scope, the developer's experience, and the region. Second, website builders (Wix, Squarespace) are listed as annual subscription costs because you pay on a recurring basis, not once. Third, the cheapest option isn't always the worst, and the most expensive doesn't guarantee success — what matters is what you actually get for the price.

Let's now look at each website type in detail.

Business card website — how much does it cost and when is it enough?

A business card website is the simplest and cheapest type of website. It usually consists of one to three pages: a homepage with a description of the business and services, contact details with a map, and possibly a short gallery or "about" section.

Who is a business card site for?

A business card site works well for local service providers who need a basic online presence: a plumber, electrician, hairdresser, beautician, small workshop. The point is that a customer can find you on Google, check the address, call, or send a message. Nothing more.

What does it actually cost?

If you opt for a builder like Wix or WordPress.com, you can set up a site yourself for $0-150 per year (plan cost plus domain). The result will be functional but limited in terms of SEO and individuality.

A freelancer will build a business card site for $300-1,000. At this price, you should get a custom design, responsiveness, basic SEO configuration, and domain setup.

A studio or agency will charge $1,000-2,000, but the price should cover more: professional UX/UI design, copywriting, advanced SEO, CMS training, and post-launch support.

What you WON'T get in the cheapest option

A site for $100-300 typically means a template with no modifications, no SEO optimisation, no CMS (you can't edit the content yourself), and no mobile version fine-tuned for every device. It may be enough to get started, but if you want customers from Google, you'll quickly feel the limitations.

More about what a business card site is and who it's best for: Business card website — what is it and who is it best for?. If you're wondering whether you need a simple card site or something bigger, also check: What is the difference between a business card website and a corporate website?.

Corporate website — the cost of a full business presentation online

A corporate website is the most commonly ordered type of website by small and medium-sized businesses. Unlike a business card site, it's a fully-fledged website that doesn't just inform about the company but actively supports sales.

What does a typical corporate website include?

A standard corporate website has 5 to 10 pages. A typical structure includes: homepage, about us, services (often with subpages for individual offerings), portfolio or case studies, blog, and a contact page with a form. On top of that, a CMS for self-editing content, responsiveness, baseline SEO optimisation, and an SSL certificate.

Price range

A freelancer will quote $1,000-2,500 for a corporate website. A studio or agency will charge $2,000-5,000. The difference comes not just from margin but from the scope of work.

What should be included — and often isn't

Before you sign a contract, check whether the quote covers:

responsiveness (a polished mobile version, not just "it displays")
baseline on-page SEO (meta tags, heading structure, loading speed)
SSL certificate (HTTPS)
CMS with a training walkthrough
at least one round of revisions after launch

If any of these elements are missing, the offer may look cheaper, but in practice you'll pay for it later — either in money or in lost traffic from Google.

To better understand what you actually get at different price points, I recommend this article: Website for $1,000 vs $10,000 — real differences. And if you want to know what elements a small business website should include to genuinely support growth, check: What should a small business website include?.

Online store — how much does e-commerce cost in 2026?

An online store is a separate cost category. It's not just "a website with products" — it's a sales system that needs to handle a product catalogue, shopping cart, online payments, shipping, invoices, and often integrations with wholesalers and warehouse management systems.

E-commerce platforms and their costs

WooCommerce (on WordPress) — the most popular solution for small and medium-sized stores. The plugin itself is free, but you need hosting, a theme, payment configuration, and often paid extensions. Total build cost: $1,500-4,000 with a freelancer, $3,500-7,000 with an agency.

Shopify — a SaaS platform with a monthly subscription (from ~$39/month on the basic plan). Easier setup but limited customisation. A good solution when you want to launch quickly without large upfront costs.

PrestaShop — free open source, popular in Europe. Build costs similar to WooCommerce, but the platform can be less intuitive for the store owner.

Custom-built store — built from scratch to meet specific requirements. Prices start at $7,000 and can reach hundreds of thousands. Only makes sense for very specific business needs.

Costs you're forgetting

With an online store, the one-off build cost is just the beginning. There are recurring costs that need to be factored into your budget:

payment processing fees (Stripe, PayPal, Square) — typically 1.5-3% per transaction
more powerful hosting than a regular website needs — $150-1,000/year
SSL certificate (extended validation recommended for e-commerce) — $50-250/year
courier service integrations — one-off $200-700
product photography — a shoot from $300, stock images from $50
store terms and conditions and return policy (lawyer) — $300-1,000
ongoing updates and technical maintenance

An online store is a significantly larger investment than a corporate website. But if your business model relies on online sales, it's an investment that pays for itself.

Hidden and additional costs — what most developers don't mention

The price quoted in a website proposal is rarely the total amount you'll spend. There are a number of additional costs that arise before, during, or after the project. It's worth knowing about them in advance to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Domain

Registering a .com domain costs $10-20 per year, depending on the registrar. Country-specific domains (.co.uk, .de, .pl) or niche domains (.shop, .studio) may cost more. The domain is an annual cost — you need to renew it, or you'll lose it.

Important rule: the domain should be registered under your name, not the developer's. This way you keep full control, even if you change partners.

Hosting

The cheapest shared hosting costs $30-80/year, but for a business website with SEO ambitions, it's worth investing in a better solution. VPS or dedicated hosting costs $150-1,000/year, but provides the speed, stability, and security that directly impact your Google ranking.

SSL certificate

A free Let's Encrypt certificate is sufficient for most business websites. Paid SSL certificates ($50-250/year) make sense for online stores and websites processing sensitive data.

Content: copywriting and photos

This is one of the most commonly overlooked costs. Professional copy for a single page costs $40-150. For a website with 8 pages, that's an additional $320-1,200. Stock photos cost from $0 (free image banks) to $150, but a professional photo shoot for a business runs $300-1,500.

Good news: if you prepare the content yourself, you'll save a significant amount. How to do it well is covered in this article: How to create website content that sells and ranks in Google.

Terms of service and privacy policy

Every website with a contact form requires a privacy policy (GDPR). An online store additionally needs terms and conditions and return information. Hiring a lawyer costs $300-1,000, but online templates ($50-150) may be sufficient for simpler sites.

Business email

A professional email on your domain (e.g. [email protected]) costs $50-150/year depending on the provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or email included with hosting).

Technical maintenance and updates

After launch, a website needs regular CMS updates, plugin updates, backups, and security monitoring. You can do this yourself or outsource it as part of a maintenance package — typically $30-150/month.

More about ongoing costs: How much does it cost to maintain a website?.

DIY, freelancer, or agency — which is more cost-effective?

This is one of the key questions that affects both the price and the quality of the end result. Each path has its own advantages and limitations.

Website builders (do it yourself)

Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress.com let you build a website yourself, often for free or for a few dozen dollars per month. This is a sensible option if you need an absolutely simple site quickly, have a very limited budget, don't care about ranking in Google, and don't plan to expand the site in the future.

The limitations are significant: templates look generic, SEO capabilities are restricted, and migrating to another platform is difficult or impossible. If your website is supposed to be a tool for acquiring customers, a builder probably won't cut it.

Freelancer

A freelancer is a good option for smaller projects: business card sites, simple corporate websites, landing pages. The advantages are lower prices than an agency, direct communication, and often faster delivery.

The risks? No backup if they get sick or end the collaboration, potentially a narrower range of skills (e.g. a great developer but weak at SEO), and no formal processes (which can affect timelines). It's worth checking their portfolio and asking for references.

Studio or agency

An agency offers a comprehensive approach: from strategy through UX/UI design, development, and copywriting to SEO and technical maintenance. You pay more, but you get a team of specialists, a structured process, and guaranteed post-launch support.

This is the best option when the site needs to generate leads and support sales, you need SEO from day one, you plan to expand the site in the future, and you want someone to handle the project end to end.

Side-by-side comparison

Criterion	Builder (DIY)	Freelancer	Studio / agency
Cost	Lowest ($0-150/year)	Mid-range ($300-4,000)	Highest ($1,000-10,000+)
Delivery time	1-3 days	1-4 weeks	3-8 weeks
Graphic design	Template	Custom or template	Custom
SEO	Minimal	Depends on the freelancer	Included in the service
Post-launch support	None / community forum	Depends on the agreement	Technical maintenance
Scalability	Very limited	Moderate	Full
Risk	Low (but so are the results)	Moderate	Low

A detailed comparison of DIY vs professional websites: Is it worth building a website yourself?. Freelancer vs agency comparison: Website by a freelancer or an agency — which is more cost-effective?.

How long does it take to build a website, and how does time affect price?

Delivery time and website price are closely linked. The more pages, features, and polish, the longer the project takes — and the more it costs.

Approximate delivery times

A business card site typically takes 1-2 weeks. A corporate website with 5-10 pages requires 3-6 weeks. An online store takes 4-8 weeks, and complex portals or web applications can take several months.

These timelines assume the client delivers materials (copy, photos, logo) on time and responds to the developer's questions within a reasonable timeframe. In practice, it's client-side delays that most often extend a project.

Why "faster" costs more

If you need a website "yesterday," the developer has to push other projects aside or work overtime. A rush fee (surcharge for express delivery) is typically 20-50% on top of the base price. Better to plan ahead.

Why "slower" can also cost more

Paradoxically, dragging out a project also generates additional costs. Changing the concept mid-build, delivering materials in drips, multiple rounds of revisions — all of this extends the project and raises the price because the developer spends more hours than originally planned.

How to speed up the project and lower the cost

Prepare your materials before the project starts: copy for each page, a high-quality logo, photos. Write a brief outlining goals, structure, and inspiration. Appoint one decision-maker who can approve each stage quickly. These three things can shorten a project by 30-50% and genuinely reduce the final cost.

More on this topic: How long does it take to create a website and what does it depend on?.

Does a cheaper website always mean a worse one? And a more expensive one — a better one?

No. And this is one of the most important things you need to understand before ordering a website.

When a cheap website makes sense

A cheap website ($300-1,000) can be perfectly adequate if you need a simple business card, your industry isn't competitive online, and you don't plan to acquire customers through Google. In that situation, overspending on a complex project doesn't make business sense.

When a cheap website is a trap

A website for $100-300 becomes a problem when you expect it to bring in customers from search engines. A cheap build typically means no SEO optimisation, slow loading, no properly polished mobile version, and no CMS. The result? The website exists, but nobody finds it. After a few months, you end up commissioning a new one — and paying double.

When an expensive website is overkill

A corporate website for $8,000 for a one-person service business operating in a single city? That's probably overkill. An expensive build makes sense when the scale of the business justifies it: a large service catalogue, multiple locations, a complex e-commerce setup, or the need for advanced integrations.

The key question: what exactly am I getting for this price?

Instead of comparing prices, compare scope. Always ask the developer:

How many pages are included in the price?
Is the graphic design custom or template-based?
Will the site be optimised for SEO?
Will I get a CMS and training?
Will the site be responsive?
What does post-launch support cover?
Are domain and hosting included?

These questions let you compare offers on a level playing field — not apples with oranges.

A detailed comparison at different price points: Website for $1,000 vs $10,000 — real differences. And when a cheap website is genuinely a bad idea: Cheap website — when is it a bad idea?.

WordPress, builder, or custom — how does technology affect price?

The choice of technology is one of the first decisions that directly impacts your budget. Each solution has its own price range and set of use cases.

Builders (Wix, Squarespace, WordPress.com)

Cost: $0-150/year (plan + domain). The lowest barrier to entry, but also the greatest limitations. Ready-made templates, drag-and-drop, no coding required. Good for a quick start, weak on SEO, performance, and uniqueness. Migrating to another platform can be problematic or impossible.

WordPress (self-hosted)

Build cost: $700-5,000 (depending on scope and developer). WordPress itself is free, but you need hosting, a theme, and configuration. Thousands of plugins and themes give enormous flexibility but also require regular updates and security maintenance. It remains the most commonly chosen platform for business websites.

Custom website (Next.js, React, custom CMS)

Build cost: $3,000-25,000+. The highest performance, full control over the code, and the best SEO capabilities. But also the highest cost and longer delivery time. It makes sense when you need maximum loading speed, scalability, and unique features that WordPress can't provide.

Which technology is right for you?

For a simple business card, a builder will do. For a corporate website with SEO, WordPress offers the best value for money. For projects with advanced performance and functionality requirements, a custom solution works best.

A detailed comparison of WordPress vs custom: WordPress or a dedicated website — which one to choose?. And if you're wondering whether you even need a CMS, check: CMS — what is it and do you really need one?.

How to prepare for ordering a website so you don't overpay

Most "overpaying" for a website doesn't come from inflated market prices but from a lack of preparation on the client's side. Unclear expectations, changes mid-project, and missing materials are the most common reasons projects go over budget.

Define the purpose of the site

Before you contact a developer, answer some basic questions for yourself. Why do you need a website? Who is your customer? What action should a visitor take (call, email, buy)? A website without a clear purpose is a website without results — regardless of how much you spend on it.

Prepare your materials

Copy for each page, a vector logo, high-quality photos, contact details, and potentially a price list or service descriptions. The more materials you provide upfront, the shorter the project and the less you pay.

How to prepare content that both sells and helps with SEO: How to create website content that sells and ranks in Google.

Write a brief

A brief is a document outlining your expectations: the purpose of the site, page list, inspiration (links to websites you like), features, budget, and deadline. A good brief saves time for both you and the developer, and above all minimises the risk of misunderstandings.

Compare scope, not price

When you receive several quotes, don't automatically pick the cheapest or the most expensive. Check what each offer includes. Is responsiveness covered? SEO? CMS? How many revision rounds? Is post-launch support included? Only comparing scope lets you judge which offer is fair.

Avoid the most common mistakes

Lack of goals, changing direction mid-build, cutting corners on hosting, failing to deliver content — these are mistakes that can add thousands to the cost of a website. The full list of pitfalls: Common mistakes when ordering a website that increase the cost.

Summary — how much does a website really cost?

The answer to "how much does a website cost" depends on what you need. But to avoid leaving you without specifics, here's a compact summary.

Business card website: $300-2,000. Sufficient for local service providers who need a basic online presence.

Corporate website: $1,000-5,000. The most common choice for small and medium businesses that want to acquire customers online.

Landing page: $500-3,000. Ideal for advertising campaigns and specific marketing actions.

Online store: $1,500-10,000+. Significantly more expensive, but with the potential for a direct return on investment.

Annual maintenance: $100-2,000/year. Domain, hosting, updates, technical support.

The most important takeaway is this: the price of a website is not a cost, it's an investment. A well-designed, optimised website works for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It attracts customers from Google, builds trust, and generates enquiries. A cheap website that doesn't do any of that is more expensive than a pricier website that does.

If you're planning a new website and want a quote tailored to your business, get in touch. We offer a free consultation where we'll discuss your needs and prepare an individual quote. You can also check the full scope of our services.

FAQ — frequently asked questions about website costs

How much does a simple business card website cost?

A simple business card site with 1-3 pages costs from $300 with a freelancer to $2,000 with an agency. The price depends on whether the design is custom or template-based, and on the level of SEO optimisation. Website builders let you set up a card site for $0-150 per year, but with significant limitations.

Can I build a website for free?

Technically, yes — builders like Wix offer free plans. But a free website has platform ads, doesn't allow a custom domain, has limited SEO, and looks unprofessional. For a business, it's a temporary solution, not a permanent one. More on this: Is it worth building a website yourself?.

How much does it cost to maintain a website per year?

The annual cost of maintaining a website is typically $100-2,000. This includes the domain ($10-20), hosting ($30-1,000), potential SSL, updates, and technical support. A detailed cost breakdown: How much does it cost to maintain a website?.

Why do website prices vary so much?

Because the scopes vary. A $300 website is typically a template with no SEO and no CMS. A $3,000 website is a custom design with optimisation, content, and post-launch support. You're comparing different products, not different prices for the same product. Details: What affects the price of a website?.

Is it worth paying extra for SEO when building a website?

Absolutely. A website without SEO is like a business card locked in a drawer — it exists, but nobody sees it. Baseline SEO optimisation during the build costs significantly less than "fixing" a poorly built site after the fact. More on this: Does a website without SEO make sense?.

How much does an online store cost?

A simple WooCommerce store costs $1,500-4,000 with a freelancer. A more complex e-commerce build with an agency costs $3,500-10,000 and up. On top of that come recurring costs: hosting, payment processing fees, updates, and technical maintenance.

How do I compare website quotes?

Compare scope, not price. Check what each quote covers: number of pages, responsiveness, SEO, CMS, training, post-launch support. A cheaper quote can end up costing more if it doesn't include essential elements. A list of common pitfalls: Common mistakes when ordering a website that increase the cost.

How long does it take to build a website?

Business card site: 1-2 weeks. Corporate website: 3-6 weeks. Online store: 4-8 weeks. The timeline depends on project complexity and how quickly the client delivers materials. Full overview: How long does it take to create a website and what does it depend on?.