How much does a website cost?

How much does a website cost?

One of the most common questions we hear from our readers is:

“How much does a website cost?“

We’re here to answer that question and help you get your money’s worth.

After 10 years of reviewing everything from web builders to hosting providers, you can bet we’ve made all the usual mistakes, which means we can help you avoid them the first time!

First of all, let’s play a quick game: which website do you think costs the most?

• Website A
  • Made by a Web Designer
• Website B
  • Made on Wix
• Website C
  • Made on SquareSpace

Did you guess right? If you chose Website A, you’re right: it’s a custom site, which means it probably costs around $5,000. The other two designs are Wix and Squarespace. With these builders, it costs as little as $12 to $3 per month to create an ad-free website.

It’s pretty hard to tell which design costs more just by looking at them, which proves that there’s no right or wrong way to build a website. Creating a website can cost as little as $6 per month with a website builder, while hiring a web designer can cost over $10,000 upfront to design and build a site. As you can see, it’s important to consider variable costs before learning how to build a website.

RIQUEST A QUOTE

How much does a website cost?

On average, however, it costs about $200 to build a website, with an ongoing cost of about $50 per month to maintain it. This estimate is higher if you hire a designer or developer: expect an upfront charge of around $6,000, with an ongoing cost of $1,000 per year.

There are three main ways to build a website:

• Website Builder (Wix, SquareSpace)
• WordPress
• Web Designer

The method you choose will have a huge impact on how much your website costs. For example, content creation is free with a web builder, but can cost over $5,000 if you use a web designer.

Website builders are usually the cheapest way to create a website. While WordPress is technically a free, open-source platform, you have to pay for hosting, themes, plugins, and even professional help from a developer, which can increase the total cost.

Hiring a web designer is the most expensive option. Realistically, you don’t want to pay less than $5,000 for a web designer, otherwise you might end up with a disappointing end result that you’re not happy with, but you still paid a few thousand for.

You need to choose the right method for you. Hiring a web designer is expensive, but it takes the technical hassle out of your hands. Using a website builder is cheap and easy, but you don’t get the same level of control as WordPress. WordPress offers flexibility, but it’s the most time-consuming and practical approach.

We’ll walk you through each option, explore the various costs involved, and explain how to ask the right questions to get the most for your money. Ready? Let’s go!

 

How much does a website cost using a website builder?

Using a website builder is the most economical way to create a website and is ideal for:

• Beginners
• Anyone who needs a website quickly
• Personal websites and portfolios

The full range of website builder prices ranges from free to about $500 per month. However, most new sites will fall in the $6 to $50 per month range.

Let’s address the elephant in the room first: the free plan.

The truth is, if you’re building a website that everyone else will see, you need a paid plan instead of the free plan. This is because free plans have several limitations:

• Ads displayed on your website
• A free, non-custom domain, such as www.mywebsite.wix.com
• Limited features, such as limited storage space and bandwidth limits
• No e-commerce functionality, meaning you can’t sell online
• Basic customer support

The free plan is only suitable for trying out the website builder, seeing if it’s right for you, and for creating test sites to hone your skills and try out new ideas without any financial pressure.

It’s the free plan that usually gives website builders a bad reputation for being cheap and low-quality, but that’s not the case as long as you choose a good builder. We try and test builders so we can recommend the best brands to our readers, helping you build a better website and get more for your money.

How much do website builders cost?

Wix and Weebly both have free plans, while Squarespace offers a 14-day free trial. Weebly is unusual in that it also lets you sell online for free, but you still need to upgrade to buy the domain and remove ads from your site.

The cheapest paid plan for each builder is:

• Wix: $13 per month
• Squarespace: $12 per month
• Weebly: $6 per month

It’s worth noting that Weebly’s cheapest paid plan still includes ads on your site, so we recommend starting with the $12 per month plan.

 

Is it worth using a website builder?

With a high-quality website builder, you can create a truly professional website. Sure, if you choose crappy tools, you’ll end up with a crappy product, but if you’re careful about which builder you choose, you can set yourself up for success.

What we’re trying to say is that it’s worth spending a little more for a better builder than just choosing the first one you find. You’ll get much better value from a builder like Wix or Squarespace, for example, than from cheaper options.

 

What costs do I incur when using a website builder?

Professional help: $0

You won’t have to pay a professional designer to help you with your site, as builders are easy and quick to use. You pay for a subscription, either monthly or yearly, and this is the main cost you’ll need to budget for.

Domain name: $12 per year

Many website builders include a free custom domain in their plans—this usually gives you a free domain of your choice for the first year, after which you’ll have to pay. Domains vary in price, but average around $12 per year for a common one like .com.

Apps: $3–$60 per month

If you want to add apps to your site, there’s often a mix of free and paid apps to choose from. Paid apps are usually inexpensive, ranging from $3 to $60 per month. You can choose which apps to install and which plan you want, so you have complete control over the cost.

Themes, Hosting, or Security: $0

You don’t need to pay for themes, hosting, or security for your website—these costs are all included in your website builder subscription.

Website Builder Cost Summary

Average Price Range: $6–$50 per month

The best website builders are:

• Wix: Starting at $13 per month
• Squarespace: Starting at $12 per month
• Weebly: Starting at $6 per month

What are you paying for?

• Subscription (monthly or annual): $6–$50 per month month
• Domain: $12 per year
• Optional apps: $3 – $60 per month

Total cost estimate: $10 – $111 per month

 

WordPress Website Cost

Using WordPress gives you much more control over your website and your budget. It’s ideal for:

• Those with some technical familiarity
• Anyone who wants complete customization
• Blogs, business sites, and very large websites

The cost of a WordPress website is quite difficult to define. It depends on many different factors, because there are many different aspects to consider when setting up a WordPress site.

On the one hand, WordPress is free. There are also free themes and plugins, so in theory it should be easy to keep costs low. However, you may find you need a premium theme, and then there’s hosting to think about (and pay for). If you hire a WordPress developer, the total cost of your website could quickly rise into the thousands of euros.

There are various costs that can affect the cost of a WordPress website, but the main one is hosting. You can get away with using free themes and plugins, but hosting is a key and significant cost that’s vital to getting your WordPress website online.

So, how much does it cost to host a WordPress website? It depends on your provider. There are tons of hosting providers to choose from, and some are better than others.

 

What additional costs are involved in using WordPress?

Okay, so we’ve covered the main cost of building a WordPress website. But what about the other costs beyond hosting? Let’s look at how much it costs to build a website when you factor in extras like domains, plugins, and themes.

Professional Help: $300 – $100 per hour

Many beginners use WordPress, but if you want a complex or custom website, you’ll likely need to hire a WordPress developer to turn your ideas into reality. This is optional, so we won’t factor this cost into the final WordPress total, as many people build quite happily without the help of a developer. However, if you need to hire someone to help with your WordPress site, you’re looking at a cost of between $30 and $100+ per hour. Typically, the more you pay, the better the developer will likely be, but always do your research before hiring someone. Spending around $100 per hour on a developer may seem like a lot, but it’s within the average cost you should expect to pay for a capable WordPress specialist.

Domain Name: $12 – $60 per year

You need a domain for your WordPress website to help people find you online! Unlike website builders, you don’t get a free branded subdomain, so you’ll need to choose a custom domain from day one. This is usually part of the registration process when you create a hosting account, making the entire process extremely simple. Domains vary in price depending on the hosting provider you sign up with and the domain you choose (such as .com vs. .rich)—these two factors will greatly influence how much you should expect to pay for your domain. On average, however, domains cost between $12 and $60 per year.

Plugins: $0 – $100+ per year

Plugins add functionality to your WordPress website, such as contact forms, testimonials, newsletter subscriptions, and anything else you want your site to have! Popular plugins include adding e-commerce or multilingual functionality to your WordPress website.
There are free and paid plugins, so it’s up to you how much you want to spend to add new features to your site. Some plugins come with different plans, so you can start with the free plan and then upgrade to unlock a better version. Plugins range in price from $0 to $100+ per year.

Themes: $0 – $50 per theme

Just like plugins, there are free and premium themes to choose from. Free themes are a great way to get started, and you can find some elegant ones in the WordPress theme directory. Keep in mind that they may not be as professional or feature-rich as premium themes, which can lead you to rely more on plugins later on. Premium themes tend to cost around $50, but can reach over $200, however this is a one-time charge, after which the theme is yours to customize and modify as long as you like.
The good thing about using a premium theme is that it usually comes with more support and regular updates to prevent it from breaking or becoming outdated, and it also has built-in features to save you money on premium plugins. Think of it as a theme and plugin bundle! It’s entirely your choice whether to use a free or premium theme—just remember to think about your website and its essential features when choosing.

Security: $0 – $200 per year

Any reputable hosting provider will come with security features built into their plans. However, WordPress sites can be quite vulnerable to online attacks, so it’s worth investing in some additional security measures. Free security plugins are available.

There are many free, upgradeable plugins to protect your WordPress website:

• Wordfence – $0 – $99 per year
• JetPack – $0 – $299 per year
• Cloudflare – $0 – $200 per month

WordPress Website Cost: Summary

Average Price Range: $200 Initial Cost, $11 – $50 Per Month Ongoing Cost

WordPress Cost: Free!

What are you paying for?

• Hosting Subscription: $2.95 – $50 Per Month
• Domain Name: $12 Per Year
• Premium Plugins (Optional): $ 5 – $100+ (some one-time, some ongoing)
• Premium themes (optional): $55 – $200+ (one-time)

Total cost estimate: $250 + $150maintenance

 

How much does a website cost using a web designer?

Hiring a web designer to plan and build your site puts your project firmly in the hands of professionals. You can’t sit back and relax completely—you’ll have to work with your web designer to create a site you love, but it takes a lot of the heavy lifting off your hands.

Hiring a web designer is best for:

• Anyone who needs a very complex website
• Those with zero time or technical skills
• Big budgets and large custom websites

This is perhaps the most difficult cost to estimate, because different web designers will charge different rates depending on the project and their experience. You might choose an agency or a freelancer, and this will also affect the cost.

Overall, however, you’re looking at a cost of between $5,000 and $30,000 to have someone create your website.

Price is quite important here, because if you pay less than $5,000, you could end up with a poorly designed website and run into problems pretty quickly while trying to maintain it. This isn’t an option if you’re unsure of your budget, so don’t overdo it!

If you’re looking for a premium web designer to build your website, contact us by clicking here.

 

Why hire a web designer?

Here are some things to think about when hiring a web designer, which will affect the final cost of creating your website:

• How complex is your website?
• Do you want the designer to manage hosting, domains, and plugins for you? Or do you just want them to design and build your site?
• Will you need them to perform ongoing maintenance on your site? Or will you do it yourself?
• Do you have a pre-built template you want the designer to customize? Or do you want them to build your site from scratch?
• What kind of features do you need? For example, will you sell online?
• How many pages will your website have? You’ll need to know this in advance to get an accurate quote.

It’s often a good idea to manage your own hosting and domain name, because it’s in your name and under your control. This simplifies site management and gives you more say in your site, such as switching hosting providers.

 

How to Reduce the Cost of Hiring a Web Designer

Okay, you might think you can’t afford to spend more than $6,000 on a web designer to create your site.

What you shouldn’t do is find a designer with rock-bottom prices to save money—that way, you won’t get your money’s worth.

If you’re really strapped for cash, the reality is that you should probably go with a website builder or build your own WordPress site, because a web designer should cost thousands of dollars.

You usually get what you pay for when it comes to hiring a web designer.

However, there is a way to slightly reduce the cost of hiring a designer to create your site. And that’s to buy a pre-built WordPress theme and have a designer customize it for you.

This option is a “middle ground” between a DIY website and a completely custom website design. You can hire a designer to help you customize a pre-built template into something unique just for you. This is a good option if you’re not ready for a fully customized website and if the pre-built templates aren’t exactly what you want.

You can pay by the hour per project for design customizations.

Expect to pay between $300 and $1,000 for template customization; the average is around $600 for this type of service.

The cost varies depending on the amount of work you want done, such as adding a header image, moving the logo, creating a fixed navigation bar, changing the overall layout design, etc.

However, for complete, custom work from a skilled designer, the price will be around $10,000.

 

How much does it cost to create website content? $50 – $80 per hour

Once your site structure is designed, you need content for your website.

Designers can charge for content creation by the hour or per project:

• $50 – $80 per hour
• $250 – $500 minimum charge per project.

This can include a minimum of 3 pages, with additional pages being slightly cheaper.
Logo or branding design will run approximately $100 – $1500, depending on the extent of the branding you need.
You may also want to budget for ongoing maintenance costs. This typically runs around $100-$500 per year, assuming you don’t make any major changes to your website design.

Overall, the most expensive option is to hire a web designer to build a site from scratch. This will cost you somewhere around $10,000. There are some things you can do to reduce costs, such as keeping your site to a minimum number of pages and being very concise with the features you need.

What you shouldn’t do is try to save money by hiring a web designer at rock-bottom prices: the result will be depressing.

You’ll still end up paying a few thousand and will likely end up with a website you’re not 100% satisfied with!

Web Designer Website Cost: Summary

Average Price Range: $6,000 – $10,000

• Initial Cost: $5,000 – $10,000+
• Maintenance: $500 – $1,000 per year

What are you paying for?

• Security and hosting included in some packages
• Web Design
• Website Creation
• Content Creation
• Ongoing Maintenance

Total Cost Estimate: Initial Cost: $6,760 + Maintenance: $500 – $1,000 per year

 

Before You Start

Building a website is, in our opinion, one of the most exciting things you can do. And it’s understandable, even advisable, to have big dreams for your website. But don’t get carried away and expect too much too soon.

Here are a few tips we’ve put together to help you save money in the future.

Start Small

Everyone makes mistakes the first time they build a website, so take the time to practice. There are many free and affordable options where you can brush up on your building skills, without the pressure of knowing you’ve invested a lot of money in the project.

Starting small limits your potential losses and reduces the chance of running into common pitfalls later (when you have more money at stake). Have fun getting started!

Be realistic

You may have big plans for your website. You may dream of all the bells and whistles, complex programming, slick design features, and interactive elements galore, but remember to be realistic and set achievable goals for yourself when you’re starting out.

For example, a new website won’t match those of Amazon or Facebook. It doesn’t have to be boring, but it should be within your scope. There are three main factors that determine how high you can set your website goals:

• Your budget: The bigger your budget, the more you can spend on fancy features.
• Your technical skills: The more advanced your technical skills, the more you can do on your own.
• Your time: The more time you have, the more work you can put into your site.

This doesn’t mean that if you’re broke, busy, or a complete tech novice, you’ll end up with a subpar website; it simply means you need to spend your time and money wisely to get the best results. We’ll show you how in the rest of our guide!

 

How Much Does a Website Cost? Conclusion

We’ve walked you through the costs of creating a website, from using a website builder to hiring a professional designer to build it for you. I hope you now have a clearer idea of the best method for you and which one best fits your budget.

Remember that understanding how much a website costs isn’t just about money.

It also takes into account the other resources you have, such as time, technical skills, and design capabilities. If you have plenty of time, you can learn new skills, but if you’re short on time and have a large budget, you can delegate the work to a professional.

Thinking about what you want from your site, how much time and money you can realistically dedicate to it, and how you want to manage it day-to-day will help you get the most out of your money in the long run.

While every site has its own unique set of costs, here’s a summary of our estimates to help you choose the best option for you.

How Much Does a Website Cost: Summary

• Website Builder: $6 – $50 per month – cheapest option
• WordPress: $35 – $780 initial cost, $11 – $50 per month ongoing costs – lots of control over how cheap (or expensive) your site ends up being
• Web Designer: $500 – $10,000+ – minimal time investment, but more expensive option

Whether you’re counting every penny or have a huge budget to play with, there’s a website builder option for you. The most important thing is getting value for your money. Here’s a summary of each method to help you choose the right one for you:

We recommend using a website builder if:

• You’re on a budget
• You’re a first-time builder
• You’re short on time
• You want to try building a website yourself
• You don’t want to deal with all the technical stuff

We recommend using WordPress if:

• You have a little more leeway in your budget
• You want total control over your site
• You have a lot of time
• You want a high level of customization
• You’ll enjoy managing all the technical stuff

We recommend using a web designer if:

• You have a large budget
• You don’t want the responsibility of building a site yourself
• You are short on time
• You need a very complex or custom design
• You’d be happy to let a professional manage your site

Building a website doesn’t have to be expensive: if you choose the right method and get your money’s worth, your website will be worth every penny. cent.