How much does a website cost in 2026?
A website costs about $16–$40 a month on a DIY builder with no build fee, roughly $2,000–$10,000 for a template or semi-custom site built by a freelancer or small agency, and $10,000–$30,000 or more for a fully custom build with e-commerce or complex features. Where you land depends on page count, design level, features and whether your content is ready.
Those tiers match our full 2026 website cost breakdown, which sources each range. The calculator above narrows them to your own project: it prices a build from an illustrative agency rate card, so treat the result as a budget to plan around, not a quote.
| Build type | Typical cost | Who it fits |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder (Wix, Squarespace) | $16–$40 a month | Solo operators with simple needs |
| Self-built WordPress | About $400–$500 for the first year | Budget-conscious owners comfortable with setup |
| Template or semi-custom, hired out | $2,000–$10,000 | Most small and growing businesses |
| Fully custom, e-commerce or complex features | $10,000–$30,000+ | Larger catalogs, custom integrations |
What does the calculator estimate for common projects?
These are the calculator's own results for five typical briefs, all on a standard timeline. Run your own numbers above to see the line-by-line breakdown.
| Project | Calculator estimate | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| 5-page business site, template design, contact form, content ready | $1,450–$2,050 | 2–4 weeks |
| 10-page business site, template design, contact form and SEO setup, content ready | $2,200–$3,100 | 3–5 weeks |
| 10-page business site, semi-custom design, CMS and SEO setup, copy written for you | $3,700–$5,200 | 4–6 weeks |
| 20-page online store, semi-custom design, payments and SEO setup | $9,500–$13,400 | 8–12 weeks |
| 30-page custom store with customer accounts, search and copywriting | $18,050–$25,500 | 9–13 weeks |
How much does a 10-page website cost?
A 10-page business website hired out lands at about $2,200–$5,200 in the calculator: $2,200–$3,100 for a template design with a contact form and SEO setup, and $3,700–$5,200 with a semi-custom design, a CMS and copywriting. The page count matters less than people expect. Going from a template to a semi-custom design, or adding copywriting, moves the price more than the extra five pages do.
Is $1,500 a good price for a website?
$1,500 is a fair price for a small template-based site of around five pages with your content supplied, and it sits right where the calculator prices that brief ($1,450–$2,050). It's too low for a custom design, an online store or a site that needs copywriting. When a quote looks cheap, ask what it leaves out: hosting, content entry, revisions and SEO setup are the usual gaps.
How much does a website cost for a small business?
Most small businesses spend between a DIY builder plan and about $10,000. A site that explains your services and collects enquiries rarely needs more than a template or semi-custom build, which typically runs $2,000–$10,000 hired out. Website cost for small businesses walks through that tier in more detail, including when a DIY builder is the smarter first step.
What drives the price up or down?
- Design level. In the calculator, semi-custom design multiplies the base price by 1.5× and fully custom by 2.5×. It's the biggest single lever.
- E-commerce. A store adds product setup, payments, shipping and more testing. Payment processing alone is one of the priciest line items.
- Features. Booking, customer accounts, search and multilingual support each add development time. A contact form adds very little.
- Pages. The first five are included. After that, each page adds $100–$150, depending on the kind of site.
- Content. If you need copy written, the calculator adds it per page. Having your text and images ready is one of the easiest ways to save.
- Timeline. A rush job costs 1.5× the standard price. A relaxed schedule takes 10% off.
DIY, freelancer or agency?
| Option | Cost | Best when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder | Monthly plan only | You need something simple, fast | Design limits, and a later move off Wix means a rebuild |
| Freelancer | Usually the lower end of each tier | Clear scope, smaller site | One person's availability |
| Agency | Usually the higher end | Store, integrations, ongoing support | Paying for process a small site doesn't need |
If you're weighing a builder against WordPress for the long run, our Wix to WordPress guide shows what moving later involves. For the platform-specific line items, see the WordPress website cost breakdown.
What isn't included in the build price?
The estimate covers the one-time build. Budget separately for:
- Hosting and domain. From a few dollars a month on shared hosting to $28–$35 a month or more for managed WordPress. The hosting cost calculator sizes it for your traffic.
- Maintenance. Updates, backups and monitoring run from about $227 a year in services for a simple site, plus someone's time. Website maintenance cost prices it line by line.
- Plugins and licenses. Premium plugins renew every year.
- Future redesigns. Most sites get refreshed every few years. Website redesign cost covers that budget.
Hidden website costs nobody tells you about lists the rest.
How do you turn this estimate into a real quote?
Write down what the calculator asked you: site type, page count, design level, features, content and deadline. Send the same brief to two or three providers so the quotes are comparable, and ask each one what's excluded. How a calculator estimate compares with a real quote explains why the numbers differ and which differences are worth questioning. If you'd like us to quote it, enter your email under your result.
