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

The Real Answer: It Depends

The cost of a website in 2026 ranges from $0 to $100,000+. That's not a helpful answer, so let's break down exactly what affects price and what you should expect to pay for different types of websites.

Website Cost Breakdown by Type

DIY Website Builders

Examples: Wix, Squarespace, Weebly

Cost: $0-50/month

What You Get:

• Drag-and-drop builder
• Templates
• Hosting included
• Basic features
• Limited customization

Best For:

• Personal websites/portfolios
• Very small businesses
• Hobby projects
• Limited budget

Hidden Costs:

• Premium templates: $50-100
• Premium features: $10-30/month
• Removing platform branding: $10-15/month
• E-commerce features: $20-50/month

WordPress (DIY)

Cost: $100-500/year

Breakdown:

• Hosting: $50-200/year
• Domain: $10-20/year
• Theme: $0-75 (one-time)
• Essential plugins: $0-200/year
• Your time: Significant

What You Get:

• More flexibility than page builders
• Thousands of themes and plugins
• You own your content
• Can scale as you grow

Best For:

• Budget-conscious small businesses
• Those willing to learn
• Bloggers and content creators

Hidden Costs:

• Premium plugins (SEO, security, backup): $100-300/year
• Learning curve (your time)
• Troubleshooting issues

Freelancer-Built Website

Cost: $1,000-10,000

Typical Rates:

• Entry-level freelancer: $500-2,000
• Experienced freelancer: $2,000-5,000
• Expert/specialized freelancer: $5,000-10,000+

What You Get:

• Custom design
• Professional development
• Basic SEO setup
• Mobile responsive
• Some training

Timeline: 2-8 weeks

Best For:

• Small businesses needing professional results
• Those without time for DIY
• Businesses needing custom functionality

Variables Affecting Price:

• Number of pages
• Custom functionality
• E-commerce features
• Content creation
• Ongoing maintenance

Agency-Built Website

Cost: $5,000-50,000+

Typical Ranges:

• Small agency: $5,000-15,000
• Mid-size agency: $15,000-30,000
• Large agency: $30,000-100,000+

What You Get:

• Strategy and planning
• Custom design process
• Professional development
• Content strategy
• SEO optimization
• Testing and QA
• Training and documentation
• Ongoing support

Timeline: 1-6 months

Best For:

• Established businesses
• Complex requirements
• Brand-critical projects
• Those who want a partner, not just a vendor

Custom Web Application

Cost: $25,000-500,000+

What This Means:

Building a website with custom functionality—user accounts, databases, integrations, complex features.

Examples:

• Custom booking systems
• Client portals
• E-commerce with custom features
• SaaS products

Best For:

• Businesses with unique requirements
• Startups building products
• Enterprises with specific needs

What Affects Website Cost

Number of Pages

More pages = more design, development, and content.

Typical Page Counts:

• Simple website: 5-10 pages
• Standard business site: 10-25 pages
• Large website: 25-100+ pages

Price Impact: $100-500 per page for custom design

Custom Design vs. Template

Template-Based:

• Lower cost
• Faster delivery
• Less unique
• May not perfectly fit your brand

Custom Design:

• Higher cost ($2,000-10,000 for design alone)
• Unique to your brand
• Better user experience
• More time-consuming

Functionality Required

Common features and their costs:

Contact Form: $0-100 (basic) to $500+ (custom)

Blog: $200-1,000

E-commerce: $1,000-10,000+

Booking System: $500-3,000

Member Portal: $2,000-10,000+

Custom Calculator/Tool: $1,000-5,000+

Third-Party Integrations: $500-2,000 each

Content Creation

Content is often forgotten in budgets:

Copywriting: $100-500 per page

Photography: $500-2,000 for professional shoot

Video: $1,000-10,000+

Graphics/Illustrations: $500-3,000

E-commerce Complexity

E-commerce sites cost more based on:

Product Quantity:

• Under 50 products: Basic setup
• 50-500 products: Moderate complexity
• 500+ products: Significant setup

Features:

• Basic cart: Included in most platforms
• Subscriptions: +$500-2,000
• Multiple currencies: +$500-1,000
• Complex shipping: +$500-2,000
• Custom checkout: +$1,000-5,000

Ongoing Costs to Budget For

Hosting

Shared Hosting: $5-30/month

VPS Hosting: $20-100/month

Managed WordPress: $30-100/month

Enterprise Hosting: $200-1,000+/month

Domain Name

Standard .com: $10-20/year

Premium Domains: $100-10,000+

Domain Privacy: $5-15/year (often free)

Maintenance

DIY: Free (but your time)

Freelancer Maintenance: $50-200/month

Agency Maintenance: $200-1,000+/month

What Maintenance Includes:

• Software updates
• Security monitoring
• Backups
• Performance optimization
• Content updates
• Technical support

SSL Certificate

Basic SSL: Free (Let's Encrypt) to $100/year

Extended Validation: $100-500/year

Most hosts include free SSL now.

Email

G Suite/Google Workspace: $6-18/user/month

Microsoft 365: $6-22/user/month

Basic Email Hosting: Often included with web hosting

How to Get the Best Value

Know What You Need

Before getting quotes:

1. Define your goals

2. List required features

3. Identify nice-to-haves vs. must-haves

4. Gather competitor examples you like

5. Set a realistic budget range

Compare Apples to Apples

When comparing quotes, check:

• What's included (design, development, content, SEO)
• Number of revision rounds
• Timeline
• Who owns the code/design
• Ongoing costs
• What's NOT included

Red Flags

Suspiciously Low Prices:

A $500 custom website from a freelancer means corners will be cut.

No Questions Asked:

Good developers ask lots of questions. If they don't, they're building something generic.

Huge Upfront Payments:

50% deposit is standard. 100% upfront is risky.

No Portfolio:

Can't show examples? Big red flag.

Unrealistic Timelines:

A custom website in one week? Something's wrong.

Questions to Ask

1. What's included in this price?

2. Who writes the content?

3. How many revisions are included?

4. What's the timeline?

5. Who owns the final product?

6. What are ongoing costs after launch?

7. How do you handle requests after launch?

8. Can I see similar projects you've done?

Price Ranges by Business Type

Local Service Business

Needs: 5-10 pages, contact form, service descriptions, SEO

Budget Range: $2,000-8,000

Recommended: Freelancer or small agency

E-commerce Store

Needs: Product catalog, shopping cart, payment processing

Budget Range: $3,000-20,000+

Recommended: Agency or specialized e-commerce developer

Professional Services (Law, Accounting, Consulting)

Needs: Credibility, content-heavy, lead generation

Budget Range: $3,000-15,000

Recommended: Agency with industry experience

Restaurant

Needs: Menu, location, hours, possibly online ordering

Budget Range: $1,500-5,000

Recommended: Freelancer or specialized restaurant solution

Startup

Needs: Varies wildly—could be landing page to full application

Budget Range: $500-500,000

Recommended: Depends entirely on what you're building

The Bottom Line

For Most Small Businesses:

Budget $3,000-10,000 for a professional website that will serve you well for 3-5 years.

The True Cost Formula:

Initial Build + Yearly Hosting + Yearly Maintenance + Content Updates = True Cost

A $5,000 website with $1,000/year in ongoing costs = $10,000 over 5 years = $167/month

That's less than most businesses spend on their phone bill, yet a website works for you 24/7.

Don't cheap out on something this important. But also don't overpay—know what you need and find the right partner for your budget.