How much does a website cost

How much does a website cost? It is the first question almost every business owner asks, and the honest answer is that it depends. A simple site from a DIY builder can cost a few hundred a year, while a custom site from an agency can run into five figures. This guide explains the typical ranges and what drives the price, so you can budget with confidence.

Typical website price ranges

These are rough ranges we see across the market in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Prices vary by region, provider and scope, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.

• DIY website builders: roughly $20 to $60 a month plus your time
• Freelancer built small business site: often $1,000 to $5,000
• Agency built business website: often $5,000 to $15,000
• Custom or content-heavy websites: $15,000 and up
• Online stores: often $8,000 to $30,000 or more, depending on products and features

What affects the cost of a website

Number of pages and templates

A five page brochure site takes far less time than a fifty page site with service pages, location pages and a blog. What matters most is the number of unique page designs, called templates, rather than the raw page count.

Design

A customised template is cheaper than a fully custom design. Custom design costs more but helps you stand out and is built around your customers rather than someone else's layout.

Content

Writing good copy takes time. If you provide finished text and photos, costs drop. If you need copywriting, photography or video, budget for it.

Features

Online booking, stores, member areas, calculators and integrations with your CRM all add development time. Simple contact forms and blogs are standard.

Platform

WordPress, Webflow, Shopify and Wix all have different costs to build and run. Some charge monthly platform fees, others need separate hosting. Our comparison of Wix vs WordPress explains the trade-offs.

Ongoing costs people forget

• Domain name: usually $10 to $30 a year
• Hosting or platform fees: from about $10 to $100+ a month
• Premium plugins or apps: varies widely
• Maintenance and updates: often $50 to $300 a month on a care plan
• SEO and content, if you want to grow traffic

Cheap versus good value

A cheap website can cost more in the long run if it is slow, hard to update or brings no enquiries. A good website pays for itself through the customers it brings. When comparing quotes, ask what is included, who owns the site and what happens after launch.

Questions to ask before you hire

• Is the price fixed or estimated?
• Who writes the content?
• Will I own the site and all logins?
• Is SEO set up at launch?
• What happens if something breaks after launch?

How we price websites

We give one fixed price after a short call, based on the pages, features and platform you need. No hourly surprises. See our web design service for what is included, or our care plans for ongoing support. For dental clinics specifically, our dental website cost guide goes into more detail.

Real examples of what you get

A local service business

A plumber or dental clinic usually needs a homepage, a page for each main service, an about page, reviews, a contact page and a simple blog. With custom design, copy help and local SEO basics, this often sits in the middle of the agency range.

A growing online brand

A Shopify or WooCommerce store with a few dozen products, custom product pages, email flows and speed tuning costs more, mainly because of product setup, testing and integrations.

A content-heavy site

A law firm or consultancy with many practice or service pages, attorney profiles and a large blog sits at the higher end, because every page needs careful writing and structure.

How to lower the cost without cutting corners

• Start with the pages that bring enquiries and add more later
• Provide your own photos and first draft of copy
• Choose a platform that fits your needs rather than the most complex option
• Avoid features you will not use in the first year

Website cost by type of business

The type of business you run shapes the website you need, and therefore the price. A local trade business usually needs a clear, fast site with strong service and area pages. A clinic needs treatment pages, online booking and a lot of trust signals. An online store needs product pages, checkout, shipping rules and payment setup. Each adds different work.

• Trades and home services: service pages, area pages, quote forms and call tracking
• Clinics and practices: treatment pages, booking integration, team profiles and reviews
• Professional services: practice area pages, case results, lead forms and strong About content
• Online stores: product catalogue, checkout, payments, shipping, tax and email setup

If you run a clinic, our guide to dental website costs goes into more detail. If you are planning a store, see our ecommerce development page for what a well built store includes.

Platform choice and cost

The platform affects both the build price and what you pay every month. Hosted platforms such as Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and Shopify include hosting in a monthly plan, which keeps things simple. WordPress and WooCommerce need separate hosting but give you more control and no platform lock-in. None of them is right for everyone. Our comparisons of WordPress vs Webflow and Wix vs WordPress explain the trade-offs in plain English.

Redesign or start from scratch?

If you already have a site, a redesign is not always cheaper than a new build, but it can be if the structure and content are sound. The biggest hidden cost in a redesign is lost rankings from missing redirects, which can cost more in lost enquiries than the site itself. Our website redesign checklist covers how to avoid that, and our website redesign service includes full redirect mapping as standard.

How to set a sensible budget

Start with what a new customer is worth to you. If one extra client a month covers the cost of the site within a year, a better website is usually a good investment. Then decide what the site must do on day one, what can wait for a second phase and what you will spend each month on hosting, care and marketing. A clear written plan with one fixed price, like the ones we give after a free website audit, makes the decision much easier.

Want a real number for your project? Contact us for a fixed quote, or start with a free website audit.

How much does a website cost to run?

After launch, a typical small business website costs money every year even if nothing changes: the domain name, hosting or a platform plan, and any premium plugins or apps. On top of that, most businesses pay for maintenance so the site stays secure, backed up and fast. Budget for these before you compare build quotes, because a cheap build with expensive running costs is not cheap.

How much does a website cost per month?

For most small businesses, the monthly cost of running a website ranges from the price of a basic hosting or platform plan up to a few hundred for hosting plus a care plan with regular changes. Stores cost more because of apps, payment fees and the need for checkout testing. Our care plans start from $99 a month, and you can compare them with our build packages on the pricing page.

Get an estimate for your own website

Every business is different, so the fastest way to a realistic number is our website cost calculator. Answer six questions and get a price range, timeline and the package that fits, with no email needed.

Frequently asked questions

Key takeaways

The businesses that do well here are rarely the ones with the biggest budgets. They are the ones that get the basics right, measure what changes and keep going month after month. If you would like a second pair of eyes on your own site, get a free website audit or talk to us.