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Guide · Pricing

How Much Does a Website Cost? A 2026 Pricing Guide

Almost every agency page dodges this question. Here is the straight version: what a website design cost actually looks like at each tier, which decisions move the number, what a redesign costs compared with a new build, and what you should expect to pay every year afterwards.

1. Realistic price ranges

Websites are priced by scope, not by page. These four tiers cover almost every project I get asked about, and they are deliberately described in bands — anyone quoting an exact figure before hearing about your business is quoting a template.

DIY builder

Subscription + your time

Best for: Pre-revenue, testing an idea, a placeholder that just needs to exist

Typically includes: A bought theme, your own copy, your own photos, your own evenings

Designed brochure site

Low hundreds

Best for: Established local or service businesses with a handful of pages

Typically includes: Custom design, 4–7 pages, copy polish, enquiry form, technical SEO, launch

Marketing site

Mid hundreds

Best for: Businesses where the site is a real sales channel

Typically includes: Positioning and messaging, 8–20 pages, CMS, service/location pages, analytics

Custom build

High hundreds to low thousands

Best for: Stores, booking systems, portals, anything with real functionality

Typically includes: Bespoke features, integrations, commerce or accounts, ongoing iteration

2. What actually drives the price

Six things move a quote more than anything else. If you want to control the cost, control these:

  1. 01

    Who writes the words

    Copywriting is often a third of the effort. Supplying solid draft content is the single fastest way to lower a quote.

  2. 02

    Page count and templates

    Ten pages built from three well-designed templates cost far less than ten bespoke layouts.

  3. 03

    Custom functionality

    Booking, quoting, accounts, payments, dashboards. Each one is software, not a page.

  4. 04

    Whether you need a CMS

    An editable site takes longer to build than a static one, and saves money every month afterwards.

  5. 05

    Brand readiness

    A logo, palette, type and photography that already exist shorten design. Starting from nothing adds a phase.

  6. 06

    Migration complexity

    Moving hundreds of URLs off a builder with redirects and preserved rankings is real work with real value.

3. Redesign vs new build

A website redesign cost usually comes in a little under an equivalent new build, because the brand, content and sitemap already exist. The saving disappears when the existing site is the problem: thin copy that needs rewriting, a structure that never made sense, or a platform migration with hundreds of URLs to redirect.

  • Cheaper than a new build when the content is strong and only the design and speed are dated.
  • Similar to a new build when messaging, structure and photography all need redoing.
  • More than a new build when a large site has to migrate platforms without losing rankings.
  • Always cheaper than doing nothing if the current site is losing you enquiries every month.

4. Ongoing running costs

The build is one number; keeping the site alive is another. Budget for these every year:

  • DomainA small annual renewal. Keep it in your own account, never the agency's.
  • HostingModest for a hand-built site; heavier platforms and stores cost more.
  • EmailA per-mailbox monthly fee if you use business email on your domain.
  • Platform feesBuilder subscriptions and paid apps or plugins — the cost custom builds avoid.
  • SupportOptional retainer for edits, updates and monitoring, or pay as you go.
  • Growth workContent, landing pages and SEO — spend this only once the site converts.

5. Comparing quotes fairly

Two quotes that differ by 5× are usually not selling the same thing. Before you compare numbers, ask every candidate the same six questions:

  • Who writes the copy — you or me?
  • Is the design bespoke, or a theme with my logo dropped in?
  • Will I be able to edit pages myself after launch?
  • What technical SEO is included: titles, structured data, sitemap, redirects?
  • What happens to my rankings during the switchover?
  • Who owns the code, content and domain when we're done?

The cheapest quote is often the one that quietly excludes five of those six. That work does not vanish — it lands on you after launch.

6. Working out if it pays back

Forget the sticker price for a second and use one number: what an average new customer is worth to you over a year. Divide the build cost by that figure and you have the number of extra customers the site needs to win to break even.

For most service businesses that answer is a handful of jobs — often a single quarter. For a business whose average client is worth a few hundred, a leaner scope makes more sense. Either way, the decision becomes arithmetic instead of anxiety.

FAQ

How much does a website cost for a small business?
A DIY builder site costs a subscription and your own time. A designed brochure site for a small business typically runs from the low thousands, and a larger marketing site with custom copy, a CMS and integrations rises from there. The number moves with page count, how much writing is involved and how much custom functionality you need.
How much does a website redesign cost?
A redesign usually costs slightly less than an equivalent new build because the content, brand and sitemap already exist. Expect to pay more if URLs need remapping with redirects, content needs rewriting, or you are migrating off a builder platform.
Why do web design quotes vary so much?
Because scope varies, not because one designer is greedy. Cheap quotes usually exclude copywriting, custom design, technical SEO and testing, and assume you supply finished content for a template. Always compare scope line by line rather than the headline price.
What are the ongoing costs of running a website?
Budget for a domain each year, hosting, and optionally email, analytics tools and a support retainer. A hand-built site avoids the compounding cost of platform subscriptions and paid plugins.
Is a cheap website worth it?
It is worth it when the site only needs to exist. It stops being worth it when the site has to sell for you: slow, templated pages cost you enquiries every month, which is usually far more than the difference in build price.