If you have asked three different web designers what a website costs, you have probably gotten three wildly different answers. One says $500. Another says $5,000. A third wants $15,000 and a monthly retainer.
None of them are lying. They are just describing completely different things.
This guide breaks down what websites actually cost in 2026, what affects the price, and how to figure out what makes sense for your business. No mystery quotes, no bait-and-switch pricing games.
TL;DR: What You Will Actually Pay
- DIY website builders (Wix, Squarespace): $150-500 per year, plus your time
- Template-based freelancer: $1,500-3,000
- Custom freelancer design: $2,500-8,000
- Small agency: $5,000-15,000
- Full-service agency: $15,000-50,000+
The biggest variable is not the number of pages. It is how much strategy, custom design, and ongoing support you need.
Why Website Pricing Is So Confusing
Here is the problem: “website” means completely different things to different people.
When a business owner says “I need a website,” they might mean:
- A simple online brochure with contact info
- A lead generation machine with SEO, content strategy, and conversion optimization
- An e-commerce store with inventory management
- A complex booking system integrated with their operations
Each of those has a different scope, different complexity, and different value to the business. The price reflects that.
What Agencies Often Do Not Tell You
Some things that surprise first-time buyers:
The quote is rarely the total cost. Many quotes exclude hosting, domain registration, stock photos, copywriting, and ongoing maintenance. Ask what is included and what is extra.
Monthly fees can add up fast. Some agencies charge $100-300 per month for hosting and “maintenance” that costs them $20. Others build on proprietary platforms you cannot leave without rebuilding from scratch.
Cheap can cost more. A $500 website that does not show up on Google, does not work on phones, or looks unprofessional enough that visitors leave immediately is not a bargain. It is a sunk cost.
The Real Price Ranges in 2026
Let me break down what you get at each price point.
DIY Website Builders: $150-500 per year
Platforms: Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, WordPress.com
What you get:
- Template-based design you customize yourself
- Drag-and-drop editing
- Hosting included
- Basic SEO tools
What you do not get:
- Custom design
- Professional copywriting
- Strategic SEO setup
- Someone to call when something breaks
Best for: Businesses just starting out, testing an idea, or with genuinely simple needs and time to invest in learning.
The hidden cost: Your time. Most business owners underestimate how long it takes to make a DIY site look professional. Budget 20-40 hours for initial setup, plus ongoing time for updates.
Template-Based Freelancer: $1,500-3,000
What you get:
- Professional customization of a template
- Mobile-responsive design
- Basic SEO setup
- Contact form that works
- Usually 5-7 pages
What you do not get:
- Unique design from scratch
- Deep strategy work
- Comprehensive SEO
- Much ongoing support
Best for: Established businesses that need something professional but do not need heavy customization or strategic guidance.
Custom Freelancer Design: $2,500-8,000
This is where most local businesses land, and where I do most of my work.
What you get:
- Custom design tailored to your brand (not a template)
- Mobile-first development
- On-page SEO foundation
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Contact forms, analytics, the works
- Training so you can update content yourself
- Usually 5-15 pages depending on scope
What you should expect:
- A discovery process to understand your business
- Design mockups before development
- Revisions built into the process
- Clear ownership of everything when done
Best for: Local businesses ready to invest in a real online presence that generates leads and builds credibility.
Small Agency: $5,000-15,000
What you get:
- Everything above, plus
- Dedicated project management
- Deeper strategy and content planning
- Potentially a team with specialized roles
- More robust support structures
What you do not get:
- Necessarily better results than a skilled freelancer
- A guarantee the work will be done by seniors, not juniors
Best for: Businesses with more complex needs, multiple stakeholders, or preference for working with a team.
Full-Service Agency: $15,000-50,000+
What you get:
- Comprehensive brand strategy
- Custom photography and video
- Full content development
- Ongoing marketing services
- Enterprise-level support
Best for: Larger businesses with substantial marketing budgets and complex requirements.
What Actually Affects the Price
Understanding the variables helps you have better conversations with designers.
Number of Pages
More pages means more design work and more content. But the relationship is not linear. Going from 5 to 10 pages does not double the price because much of the design system is already built.
Custom Design vs Template
Custom design from scratch takes 3-5x longer than customizing a template. If you need something truly unique, expect to pay for it. If a well-customized template works for your brand, you can save significantly.
Content Creation
Who writes the copy? Who provides photos?
- You provide everything: Lower cost
- Designer writes copy: Add $500-2,000
- Professional photography: Add $500-2,000+
E-Commerce
Selling products online adds significant complexity. Even a simple store with 20 products adds $1,000-3,000 to most projects. Complex e-commerce with inventory management, shipping integrations, and customer accounts can add $5,000-15,000.
Integrations
Need to connect to your booking system, CRM, email marketing platform, or other tools? Each integration adds time and cost, especially if it requires custom development.
SEO Depth
Basic on-page SEO (proper titles, meta descriptions, site structure) is standard. A comprehensive local SEO strategy with keyword research, content planning, citation building, and Google Business Profile optimization is a separate service that adds $1,000-3,000+ to initial setup.
What Should Be Included in Any Quote
Regardless of price point, make sure your quote includes:
Design and Development
- Mobile-responsive design
- Cross-browser testing
- Contact form setup
- Analytics installation (Google Analytics or similar)
- Basic security (SSL certificate, usually free these days)
SEO Basics
- Proper page titles and meta descriptions
- Clean URL structure
- Image optimization
- XML sitemap
- Google Search Console setup
Handoff
- Training on how to make basic updates
- Documentation for anything custom
- All login credentials
- Clear ownership statement (you own everything)
What to Watch For
Red flags in website quotes:
- No itemized breakdown of what is included
- “Proprietary platform” that locks you in
- Required monthly fees with no clear explanation of what they cover
- Vague deliverables (“we will build you a great website”)
- No timeline or milestones
- Pressure to sign immediately
Ongoing Costs After Launch
Your website is not a one-time expense. Budget for:
Hosting: $10-50 per month
Basic shared hosting works for most small business sites. If someone is charging you $200 per month for hosting, ask why.
Domain: $10-20 per year
You should own your domain directly through a registrar like Namecheap, Google Domains, or Cloudflare. Do not let your designer register it for you unless they transfer ownership.
Maintenance: $0-200 per month
If you can handle basic updates yourself, this can be zero. If you want someone on call for updates, fixes, and security monitoring, expect $50-200 per month depending on response time and scope.
SSL Certificate: Usually Free
Most hosts include free SSL through Let’s Encrypt. If someone is charging you $100+ per year for an SSL certificate, they are overcharging unless you have specific enterprise requirements.
How to Budget for Your Website
Here is my framework for thinking about website investment:
Calculate the Value of a Customer
What is a new customer worth to your business?
- Average transaction value
- Repeat purchase frequency
- Referral potential
For many local service businesses, a single new customer is worth $500-5,000 in lifetime value. For some (attorneys, contractors, medical practices), it is $5,000-50,000+.
Think in Terms of ROI
If your website brings in 2-3 new customers per month that you would not have gotten otherwise, what is that worth annually?
A $5,000 website that generates even $1,000 per month in new business pays for itself in 5 months and keeps generating returns for years.
Start Where You Are
If you are just starting out and $5,000 is not realistic, start with what you can do. A $2,000 site is better than no site. You can always upgrade later as the business grows.
The worst investment is a $500 site that actively hurts your credibility or a $15,000 site for a business that does not need it.
Payment Plans and Financing
Most freelancers and small agencies offer payment plans. Common structures:
- 50% upfront, 50% on completion
- 1/3 upfront, 1/3 at design approval, 1/3 on launch
- Monthly payments over 3-6 months
If cash flow is tight, ask about options. Most of us would rather work with you than lose a good project over payment timing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build my own website for free?
Technically yes, but there is no such thing as a truly free business website. Even free platforms have costs: your time, limited features, ads on your site, or domains that look unprofessional (yourbusiness.wixsite.com).
If your time is worth more than $20-30 per hour, DIY rarely makes financial sense for anything beyond a basic placeholder.
Why is there such a huge price range?
Because “website” covers everything from a digital business card to a complex application. The price reflects scope, customization, expertise, and support level.
Do I need to pay monthly fees?
You need hosting ($10-50 per month typically) and domain renewal ($10-20 per year). Beyond that, monthly fees are optional. Some designers bundle hosting and support into a monthly fee for convenience. Others deliver the site and you are done.
Neither model is wrong, but make sure you understand what you are paying for.
What about WordPress - is it really free?
WordPress the software is free. But you still need hosting, a domain, a theme (free or paid), and often premium plugins for forms, security, and SEO. Plus time to learn and maintain it.
Realistically, a self-managed WordPress site costs $100-300 per year in hard costs, plus significant time investment.
What This Means for Your Business
The right website investment depends on where you are and where you are going.
If you are testing a business idea, start simple. Prove the concept before investing heavily in digital presence.
If you have an established business with steady customers but no online presence (or an embarrassing one), you are likely leaving money on the table. A solid $3,000-5,000 investment can transform how customers find and perceive you.
If you are ready to compete seriously in your market and want a website that actively generates leads, expect to invest $5,000-8,000 or more, and treat it as a business asset with ongoing maintenance needs.
The key is matching your investment to your goals and being honest about what you actually need versus what sounds impressive.
Next Steps
If you are trying to figure out what makes sense for your business, I am happy to talk through it. No sales pitch, just honest advice about whether we would be a good fit and what you should expect to pay - whether you work with me or someone else.
Based in Springfield, Oregon, I work with local businesses anywhere. Most of my work is done remotely anyway.
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