A small business website usually costs $1,000 to $3,000 for a basic site built by a web firm, and $5,000 to $20,000 for a mid-sized one, going by GoodFirms' 2026 survey of 300+ firms. Building it yourself on a builder costs mostly your time plus a monthly plan. Then come the running costs: a domain, hosting and someone to look after it. The price moves with page count, custom design, how ready your content is and the features you need.
Website costs at a glance
| Option | Upfront | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself on a builder | Mostly your time | A plan with hosting, about $19–$99 a month billed annually on one major builder's published pricing |
| Basic site from a web firm | $1,000–$3,000 for about 60% of the agencies GoodFirms surveyed | A care plan or retainer |
| Mid-sized business site | $5,000–$20,000 for about 54% of the agencies GoodFirms surveyed | A care plan or retainer |
| Online store | $5,000–$50,000 for 74% of the agencies GoodFirms surveyed | A care plan, plus payment fees |
How much does it cost to build a website?
A website's price is the sum of a few parts. Some are small and fixed; the build is where the range comes from.
- Domain. Your address on the web. A .com carries a registry fee of about $11 a year from November 2026, before the ICANN fee and the registrar's own margin.
- Hosting. Where the site lives. Builder plans include hosting; on a professionally built site it is usually part of the care plan.
- Design and build. The biggest share. It grows with the number of pages and with custom design.
- Content. The copy and the photos. Missing content stalls a build and adds work.
- Features. Booking, payments, online ordering, a CRM or a second language each add work.
- Care after launch. Updates, security, backups and small changes, month after month.
Decide what the site must do first; the price follows the scope. Two sites with the same number of pages can differ widely in price purely on design and features, so "how many pages" is the wrong opening question. "What must each page accomplish" is the right one.
How much does a website cost per month?
On a builder, the monthly cost is the plan: about $19 to $99 a month billed annually on one major builder's published pricing, with hosting included, and more for paid add-ons. A professionally built site usually runs on a care plan that covers hosting, updates and support. In GoodFirms' 2026 survey, nearly 58% of agencies price monthly retainers between $500 and $3,000, often covering maintenance, content updates and small features.
To compare two options fairly, add up the first year: the build, twelve months of the plan, and the domain. Then look at the second and third years, when only the plan and the domain remain.
Why do quotes vary so much?
Because you are often not comparing the same thing. GoodFirms' 2026 survey of more than 300 web development firms across 31 countries found 33% quoting fixed-price projects between $1,000 and $5,000, and another 30% between $5,000 and $15,000.
Where a quote lands depends on who does the work, where they are and how big the team behind them is. In the same survey, 57% of firms bill $50 to $100 an hour, and Clutch's pricing guide lists US web-design companies at about $100 to $149 an hour. So when you collect three quotes and the highest is several times the lowest, that alone is not a sign that something is wrong. You may be getting quotes from three different kinds of business.
Builder or professional build?
A builder is a sensible start when your needs are standard, the budget is tight and you need to launch soon. A professional build is worth it when the site is how customers find and judge you, or when you need features a builder doesn't offer. Either way, count the full cost over two or three years, not the first month. The full comparison is in custom website vs template.
Where do owners overpay?
Three common leaks:
- paying for pages no one visits instead of the few that convert
- custom design on a simple brochure site that a clean template would have served
- monthly "website fees" with nothing in writing about your data or what happens to the code
Overpaying isn't only about the headline price; it's paying for the wrong things. A large site with no clear next step is a worse deal than a focused one built around the single action you want visitors to take.
How do you get the most for your budget?
Spend on the pages and moments that drive revenue, and skip the rest until you need it. Get the home page and the one or two pages that convert right (services, contact, the offer). Have the copy and photos ready before the build so no work is wasted. Launch focused, and add pages once you see what visitors actually look for.
What does a website cost with me?
A website is $1,800 (the 2026 rate), fixed, with on-page SEO, analytics, answers AI assistants can quote, and a clean launch included. It starts with the $399 Business Growth Assessment, credited in full. The roadmap arrives within 5 business days; the start date is agreed on the call after it. After launch, the site runs on Care at $99 a month or Growth at $349 a month, on a 12-month term. Your customers and your data are always yours, and at the end of the term, with everything paid, I hand over the source code on request. The details are on the websites service and pricing pages.
Questions owners ask
How much does it cost to build a website for a small business?
In GoodFirms' 2026 survey of 300+ web development firms, about 60% of the agencies quote a basic website at $1,000 to $3,000, and about 54% quote a mid-sized business website at $5,000 to $20,000. Building it yourself on a website builder costs mostly your time plus a monthly plan. With me, a website is $1,800, fixed (the 2026 rate).
How much does a website cost per month?
A builder plan includes hosting in its monthly fee, which is usually lower when billed annually. A professionally built site usually has a care plan for hosting, updates and support; in GoodFirms' 2026 survey, nearly 58% of agencies price monthly retainers between $500 and $3,000. With me, it is Care at $99 a month or Growth at $349 a month, on a 12-month term.
Is it expensive to make a website?
It doesn't have to be. A simple site on a builder can cost little more than a monthly plan and your time. The price goes up with the number of pages, custom design, the features you need, such as booking or online ordering, and who looks after it after launch.
Can I make my own website for free?
Some builders offer a free plan, usually with the builder's branding and its own web address instead of your domain. A domain of your own costs extra: a .com carries a yearly registry fee that rises in November 2026, plus the registrar's own margin.
Why do website quotes vary so much?
Because you are rarely comparing the same thing. Quotes differ with the scope, the design, the features, where the team is and how big it is. Ask each one what is included: the pages, mobile speed, on-page SEO, analytics and who looks after the site after launch.
Related website guides
Next, read custom website vs template, how long it takes to build a website and one-page or multi-page website.
Sources
- GoodFirms — Website Development Cost 2026 (survey of 300+ firms in 31 countries, updated 2026-10-14)
- Clutch — Web Design Company Pricing Guide (read 2026-10-23)
- Squarespace — Pricing (plans with hosting included; read 2026-10-24)
- Openprovider — The .com price increase in 2026 (registry fee from $10.26 to $10.97 on 2026-11-01; read 2026-10-24)
