How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026? Real Price Ranges
Quick answer: a typical small business website costs about $0–$300 to build yourself on a website builder (plus $10–$30 a month), $500–$5,000 with a freelancer, or $5,000–$15,000 with an agency. Feature-rich sites and online stores can reach $15,000–$60,000+. Estimate your own website in 30 seconds →
Website cost by who builds it (2026)
| Option | Build cost | Running cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | $0–$300 | $10–$30 / month | Starting out, simple sites |
| Freelancer | $500–$5,000 (premium $5,000–$10,000) | Maintenance often $50–$150 / month | Small businesses that want a custom look |
| Agency | $5,000–$15,000 | Retainers $100–$1,000 / month | Bigger sites, strategy, a full team |
| Feature-rich site or online store (agency) | $15,000–$60,000+ | Varies | Shops, booking systems, custom apps |
Ranges from Levitate’s 2026 small business pricing guide and WebsiteSetup’s cost breakdown (checked November 2026). Prices differ a lot by country and by designer.
The yearly costs nobody quotes
The build is only the first bill. Every website also has running costs:
| Cost | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Domain name | About $7–$20 a year |
| Shared or WordPress hosting | About $12–$170 a year on entry plans |
| Website builder plan (Wix, Squarespace and similar) | About $144–$470 a year |
| Online store platform | From about $216–$350 a year, plus payment fees |
| Premium theme, plugins, security | $0–$300+ a year, optional |
| Maintenance and updates by a pro | $50–$1,000 a month, optional |
7 things that change the price
- Number of pages — a 5-page brochure site costs far less than a 30-page site.
- Template or custom design — a custom design takes more hours.
- Features — contact forms are cheap; booking, memberships, payments and shops add cost.
- Content — writing text and making photos or videos is often charged separately.
- SEO and speed setup — titles, sitemaps and page speed work for Google.
- Who builds it — freelancer rates run from about $10 to $90+ an hour; agencies charge more for a team.
- Revisions and deadline — rush jobs and many rounds of changes raise the price.
How to get a fair quote
- Write down the pages and features you need before you ask anyone.
- Ask what is included: domain, hosting, content, SEO, training, and how many revisions.
- Ask who owns the site and the domain after launch — it should be you.
- Compare at least three quotes for the same list of pages and features.
Freelancer? Turn your price into a professional quote with the quotation generator, and check your rate with the design pricing calculator.
Estimate your website in 30 seconds
The free website cost calculator asks how many pages you need, the design level and the features, and shows the build cost for a DIY builder, a freelancer and an agency side by side, plus the yearly running costs.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a small business website cost in 2026?
Roughly $0–$300 to build it yourself on a website builder (plus about $10–$30 a month), $500–$5,000 with a freelancer, and $5,000–$15,000 with an agency. Online stores and custom features cost more.
What are the yearly costs of a website?
A domain (about $7–$20 a year), hosting or a builder plan (about $12–$470 a year depending on the plan), and optional paid themes, plugins, security and maintenance. A freelancer maintenance plan is often $50–$150 a month.
Is a website builder cheaper than hiring a designer?
Yes, upfront. You pay a monthly plan instead of a design fee, but you spend your own time building and updating it. A designer costs more at the start and usually gives a more custom result.
Why do website quotes vary so much?
Price depends on the number of pages, custom design versus a template, features such as booking, payments or a shop, who writes the content, SEO setup, and who builds it — a freelancer or an agency team.
