In short
- Doing it yourself on a website builder costs about US$200–600 a year, plus a lot of your time.
- A freelance web designer usually charges US$1,500–8,000 for a small business website. Agencies charge from about US$6,000 to US$35,000 or more.
- Besides the one-time price, a website has yearly costs: the domain, hosting and, if you want it, maintenance.
- The price depends mostly on the number of pages, who writes the text, special features and how many languages you need.
Why website prices vary so much
Asking “how much does a website cost?” is a bit like asking “how much does a house cost?”. A cabin and a three-story home are both houses, but nobody expects them to cost the same. Websites work the same way: a one-page site for a personal trainer and an online store with 300 products are completely different projects.
The good news is that for most professionals and small businesses, the price falls into a fairly predictable range. Let’s look at it.
The three ways to pay for a website
In the article about online presence I explained the three ways to make a website. Here’s what each one usually costs in 2026:
Option 1
Do it yourself on a website builder
US$200–600
per year, every year
You also pay with Your time: 20 to 60 hours to learn the tool, design and write everything.
Option 2
Hire a freelance web designer
US$1,500–8,000
once, for a small business website
You also pay with A few conversations and your feedback. One professional takes care of the rest.
Option 3
Hire a web design agency
US$6,000–35,000+
once, often plus a monthly retainer
You also pay with Meetings with a whole team: strategist, designer, developer and project manager.
The cheapest option isn’t always the cheapest. If you spend 40 hours building your own site and your time is worth US$50 an hour, that site really cost you US$2,000, and it still might not show up on Google.
Where the money goes
When you hire a professional, you’re not paying for “a few pages”. You’re paying for a process. On a typical small business website, the work splits roughly like this:
- Planning and content · 20%Understanding your business, organizing the pages and writing or polishing the text.
- Design · 25%The look, colors, fonts and layout of each section, for phones and computers.
- Building · 30%Creating the pages in WordPress, forms, WhatsApp buttons and anything else the site needs.
- SEO and speed · 15%Titles, descriptions, lighter images and the setup that helps Google understand the site.
- Testing and launch · 10%Checking every screen size and link, publishing and connecting Google.
One-time and yearly costs
This is the part many people forget: building the site is paid once, but every website also has small costs that come back each year.
Paid once
Designing and building the site
- Small business website by a freelancerUS$1,500–8,000
- Extra pages, a store or bookingsdepends on the project
- Professional photos (optional)US$500–2,500
After launch, the website is yours.
Paid every year
Keeping the site online
- Domain (yourbusiness.com)US$10–20 / year
- WordPress hostingUS$5–30 / month
- Maintenance plan (optional)US$50–150 / month
Maintenance covers updates, backups and security, so you don’t have to think about them.
What makes the price go up or down
Two websites can look similar and still have very different prices. These are the things that make the biggest difference:
How to spot a price that’s too good to be true
Very cheap websites exist, but usually something is missing. Before you choose, compare what’s included:
| Very cheap website | Fair professional price | |
|---|---|---|
| Works well on phones | PartlyNot always tested | Yes |
| Basic SEO, so Google understands it | No | Yes |
| The domain is in your name | PartlySometimes in the seller’s name | Yes |
| You can edit text and photos yourself | NoOften locked | Yes |
| Loads fast | Partly | Yes |
| Help after launch | No | Yes |
How much I charge
I’m a web designer and I build WordPress and Elementor websites for professionals and small businesses. I work with AI development tools, which lets me deliver faster and keep my prices fair without cutting corners on design, SEO or testing. These are my starting prices:
To get started
Landing page
from US$900
One complete page that presents your business or a service.
- Design for phones and computers
- WhatsApp button and contact form
- Basic SEO and Google setup
- Ready in about two weeks
Recommended
Business website
from US$1,900
Up to 5 pages for professionals and small businesses.
- Everything in the landing page
- Pages for your services, about you and contact
- Google Business Profile and Search Console
After launch
Care plan
from US$60 / month
Optional, for peace of mind.
- Updates and backups
- Security monitoring
- Small text and photo changes
- A monthly check of the site
Basic SEO is included in every package. If you want to go further, these are optional add-ons:
Optional add-ons
- Advanced SEO: keyword research, local SEO and a content plan, for when you want to compete for more searches. Quoted per project.
- Automations: forms that send new leads straight to your email, WhatsApp messages pre-written for each service and other tasks the site can take off your hands. Quoted per project.
Every project starts with a free conversation. Tell me about your business and I’ll send you a proposal.
Frequently asked questions
Why do website prices vary so much?
Because “a website” can mean very different things: one page or fifty, a template or a custom design, a contact form or a full online store. Comparing proposals is only fair when they include the same things.
Is a website a one-time cost?
Building it is. After that you pay for the domain and hosting every year, plus a maintenance plan if you want one. For a small WordPress website, that’s usually US$70–400 a year without maintenance.
Is it cheaper to build the website myself?
In money, yes. In time, usually not: most people spend 20 to 60 hours learning the tool, designing and writing. If your time is valuable, hiring a professional is often the cheaper choice.
How do payments usually work?
Most freelancers ask for part of the payment to start, often half, and the rest at launch. Always get a written proposal first.
Do I need to pay for maintenance?
It isn’t mandatory, but WordPress needs regular updates to stay safe and fast. You can do them yourself or choose a maintenance plan so you never have to think about it.
Read next
Why your business needs an online presence (and a website)What “online presence” means, how customers find you today, and the three ways to make a website for your business.