Table of Content
How much does it cost to build a website?
A website can cost under $15 a month on a builder, a few hundred dollars a year on WordPress with a purchased theme, a few thousand dollars with a freelancer, or $10,000 and up from an agency for a custom build. Tooltester estimates (published October 2023) put yearly running costs for a builder site at $102 to $704 and hosting for a small CMS site at $70 to $140 a year. The right figure depends on pages, features, design and who does the work.
- There are five common routes: a website builder, a CMS such as WordPress that you set up yourself, a freelancer, an agency and a fully custom build. Cost and control rise together.
- Tooltester’s estimates (October 16, 2023, no survey stated) put DIY builders at about $15 to $20 a month, premium WordPress themes at $60 to $200 and freelancers at $15 to $75 an hour on Upwork.
- Running costs repeat every year: domain, hosting, SSL, email and maintenance. Tooltester lists maintenance at 10 to 25 hours a month for a small business site and 30 to 90 hours for stores.
- Features drive cost more than page count. Online stores, bookings, memberships, integrations and custom design add the most.
- Get quotes that list hours, deliverables and what is excluded. Compare scope, not just price.
- CommercePundit builds business websites, ecommerce stores and web apps on WordPress, Shopify, Magento and custom stacks.
How much does it cost to build a website?
The honest answer is a range, and the range is wide because “a website” covers a one-page profile and a platform with accounts, payments and integrations. Published figures also age quickly. The main source used here, Tooltester, was published October 16, 2023, bases its numbers on its own estimates and vendor list prices rather than a stated survey, and earns affiliate commissions from some tools it recommends. Its agency figures also contradict each other: the text says custom builds start around $10,000 while its table shows $500 to $5,000 initial fees. Treat everything below as orientation and confirm current prices with each vendor.
What are the ways to build a website, and what does each cost?
| Route | Typical cost (Tooltester estimates, 2023) | Best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website builder | About $15 to $20 a month; $102 to $704 a year all-in for business sites | Small sites and quick launches | Limited customization; migration is harder later |
| WordPress or another CMS, DIY | Software is free; premium theme $60 to $200 once; premium plugins $200 to $1,000 once | Owners who can learn the tools | Time, updates and security fall on you |
| Freelancer | $1,000 to $3,000 for a typical project; $15 to $75 an hour on Upwork; $10 to $200 an hour for developers overall | Defined, smaller projects | Availability, bus factor, uneven quality |
| Agency | Tooltester says custom builds start around $10,000, though its table lists lower initial fees | Complex sites, ecommerce, integrations | Scope creep; check who actually builds it |
| Fully custom or web app | Highest, driven by features and hours; Blaze lists web apps from $5,000 to $500,000 or more | Unique workflows and products | Needs a product owner and ongoing maintenance |
If your site is a store, the numbers change. Our guides to the cost of an ecommerce website and the cost of a Shopify website cover platform fees, themes, apps and development.
What does a website cost every year after launch?
| Running cost | Tooltester estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | About $14 to $15 a year | Builders often include the first year free, then $15 to $20 |
| Business email | About $45 a year, or about $6 a month per mailbox through Google Workspace | Pricing varies by provider and plan |
| Hosting (CMS site) | $70 to $140 a year for a small blog or business site; $100 to $250 for an online store | Shared hosting; larger sites need more |
| SSL certificate | About $10 a year if you pay separately | Many hosts include it |
| Maintenance | 10 to 25 hours a month for a small business site; 30 to 90 hours for stores or web apps | Updates, backups, security, small fixes |
Website maintenance is the line most people forget, and the cost of a website is the build plus these yearly items. These are 2023 figures, so check current prices. The pattern holds: after launch you pay for hosting, security, updates and improvements. Our SEO services and our local SEO guide cover the usual next cost, because a site nobody finds produces no leads.
What drives website cost the most?
| Driver | Effect on cost |
|---|---|
| Number and type of pages | Templates for many pages cost less than unique designs for each |
| Custom design | Original layouts, illustrations and animation add design hours |
| Functionality | Online store, bookings, quotes, memberships, search and portals add development |
| Integrations | Payments, CRM, ERP, email and inventory links need testing |
| Content | Copywriting, photography and video often take longer than expected |
| SEO and performance | Technical setup, speed work and structured data add hours |
| Accessibility and compliance | Testing and fixes take time but reduce legal and usability risk |
| Platform choice | Builder fees, theme and app costs, or custom development |
| Who builds it | Rates differ widely by provider type and region |
Design hours are a big lever. If you need custom layouts and a distinct brand feel, bring in design early; see our UI and UX design services. If your site needs a content management system with workflows or custom roles, read about our CMS development services.
How do you estimate your own website cost? A worked example
Illustration with assumed numbers, not a quote. Suppose a 15-page service website with a contact form needs about 40 hours of design, 60 hours of development, 20 hours of content work and 10 hours of testing and launch. That is 130 hours. At an assumed $75 an hour the build costs $9,750. Add a first-year running budget using the Tooltester ranges: domain about $15, hosting $70 to $140, email $45 to $72 and SSL up to $10, which comes to roughly $130 to $240 before maintenance. If you want a maintenance retainer of 10 hours a month at the same $75 rate, that adds $9,000 a year. The point of the exercise is to see which line dominates, then ask vendors to price each line separately.
Which route should you choose?
| If you… | Consider |
|---|---|
| Need a simple site live this month | A website builder, with a clear plan to outgrow it |
| Want control and have some technical skill | WordPress or a similar CMS, with security and backups handled |
| Have a small, defined project and a tight budget | A vetted freelancer with a written scope |
| Need design, integrations or ecommerce at scale | An agency or a dedicated team |
| Need unique workflows or a product | Custom development; see custom web development services |
| Sell products online | A commerce platform; see ecommerce development services and how to hire a Shopify developer |
What hidden costs do website projects have?
- Content. Writing and photography are often outside the quote.
- Plugins and apps. Premium extensions can carry yearly fees.
- Third-party services. Email marketing, booking, chat and analytics.
- Migration. Moving from an old site needs redirects and testing so you keep search traffic.
- Change requests. Edits after sign-off are billed separately.
- Security and backups. Often assumed but not included.
- Search visibility. A launch without a plan to be found; see our Shopify SEO checklist for an example of the work.
How do you compare website quotes?
| Ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What is included and excluded? | Content, photography, plugins, training and hosting often differ |
| How many hours and at what rate? | Lets you compare quotes on the same basis |
| Who does the work? | Senior and junior mix, and whether work is subcontracted |
| How many revisions are included? | Prevents surprise change fees |
| Who owns the site, code and accounts? | You should own them and hold the logins |
| What happens after launch? | Support window, maintenance and hosting terms |
| Can I see similar projects? | Relevant work in your industry and scope |
To shortlist partners, our list of custom software development companies shows how to compare firms by scope and fit.
What mistakes make websites cost more than planned?
- Starting without a sitemap and feature list.
- Underestimating content work.
- Choosing on price alone and paying later to fix problems.
- Skipping maintenance, which raises security and repair costs.
- Overbuilding for launch. Start with what you need and add features based on data.
- Forgetting to plan promotion, so the site is live but quiet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to build a website?
It ranges from under $15 a month on a builder to $10,000 or more for an agency build, according to Tooltester estimates from 2023. Cost depends on pages, features, design, integrations and who builds it. Get written quotes for your own scope.
How much does a website cost per year to maintain?
Tooltester lists a domain at about $14 to $15, hosting at $70 to $140 for a small CMS site and $100 to $250 for a store, SSL at about $10 if paid separately, and 10 to 25 hours a month of maintenance for a small business site. Check current prices.
How much does web design cost?
Web design cost depends on the number of unique layouts, branding needs and who does the work. Freelancers list rates of $15 to $75 an hour on Upwork in Tooltester estimates, and agencies price by project or retainer. Ask for hours and deliverables.
How much does it cost to design a web page?
A single page on a builder can cost almost nothing beyond the plan, while a custom designed page from a designer or agency is priced in hours. Tooltester lists Fiverr at about $150 per page on average, which is an estimate to test against real quotes.
Is it cheaper to build a website myself?
Often yes in cash, but you pay with time and risk. Builders and WordPress can be inexpensive for simple sites. Complex features, performance, security and design polish may need professionals.
How much does a one-page website cost?
A one-page site can be built on a builder for the monthly plan price, or by a freelancer for a small fixed fee. Tooltester lists one-page builders from $9 a year, a figure that excludes custom design and content.
Can AI build my website?
AI tools can generate layouts, copy and code quickly, which lowers the cost of a first draft. You still need to review content, test on devices, handle hosting, security and search visibility, and maintain the site.
How much should a small business spend on a website?
It depends on how much of your revenue comes from the site. A brochure site can be modest, while a site that drives sales justifies a higher build and ongoing improvement. Start with the value of leads or orders you expect.
What is the difference between a website builder and WordPress?
A builder bundles design, hosting and tools for a monthly fee with limits on customization. WordPress is free software you host yourself, with more control and more responsibility for updates and security.
When should I hire an agency for my website?
Hire an agency when you need custom design, ecommerce, integrations, performance work or a plan beyond launch, and when your team cannot manage the project. Use a freelancer or builder for simpler, defined sites.
Bottom Line
A website costs what its scope costs: pages, features, design and the hours of whoever builds it, plus yearly running costs. Use published ranges as a starting point, write down what you need, get itemized quotes and plan for maintenance and promotion. To scope your site with us, see our custom web development services or ecommerce development services.
