Short answer: Most small businesses spend $0 to $500 a year on a DIY builder, $1,500 to $6,000 with a freelancer or small agency, and $10,000 or more for custom features or online stores. Plan for ongoing costs too: hosting, domain, email and maintenance.
Typical price ranges
| Option | Upfront cost | Ongoing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | $0 | $200–$500 / year | Very small budgets, simple needs |
| Freelancer | $1,000–$5,000 | Varies | Simple brochure sites |
| Small agency | $1,500–$10,000 | $50–$600 / month | Custom design plus SEO and support |
| Custom or e-commerce | $10,000+ | $200+ / month | Online stores, booking, integrations |
Ranges are typical market estimates and vary by region and scope.
What drives the price?
- Number of pages and how much writing is needed.
- Custom design versus a template.
- Features such as online booking, payments or a product catalog.
- SEO work beyond basic setup.
- Content and photography.
Ongoing costs to budget for
- Domain name: about $10 to $40 per year
- Hosting: $0 to $50 per month
- Business email: about $6 to $12 per user per month
- Maintenance, backups and updates
- Ongoing SEO, AEO and GEO if you want to grow traffic
What to look for in a quote
- Who owns the domain, design and content
- Whether mobile design, SEO basics and structured data are included
- How many revision rounds you get
- What happens if you leave
- Response times for support
For our own pricing, see MegaWebExpress pricing.