How much does a website cost in 2026? An honest guide
A professionally built business website costs between $2,900 and $9,500 in 2026 for most small and mid-sized businesses. Simple 5-page business sites sit at the lower end, ecommerce stores in the middle, and custom web applications at the top. Ongoing maintenance adds from $79/month. Prices below ~$2,000 usually mean templates, junior work, or costs that reappear later as fixes.
What moves the price
Six things decide where a project lands in the range. When you compare quotes, compare these — not the bottom number.
- Pages and content volume — more pages and more copy mean more to design, build and test.
- Custom design vs template — a template is cheaper up front; a design built around your customers converts better and lasts longer.
- Ecommerce — products, payment gateways, shipping rules and tax each add real build and testing time.
- Integrations — booking systems, a CRM, memberships or a portal are the biggest single swing in either direction.
- Content readiness — copy, photos and product data ready to go keeps you at the low end; needing us to create them moves you up.
- Ongoing care — updates, backups and support are a monthly cost after launch, not part of the build price.
The price ranges by project type
- Business website — the lower end of $2,900–$9,500 for a fast, well-structured marketing site.
- Online store — Shopify from $4,400 or WooCommerce from $4,900, depending on catalogue size and integrations.
- Redesign — the lower-middle of the range; you keep working content and rankings while the site is rebuilt.
- Custom web application — the upper end, scoped individually because no two are alike.
The costs nobody quotes you
The build price is only part of the total. Ask about these before you sign anywhere:
- Hosting and domain — a recurring cost, small but real.
- Licences — premium themes, plugins or apps can carry annual fees.
- Maintenance — care plans from $79/month for updates, backups, security and support.
- The cost of a cheap build — rebuilds, lost search rankings and security incidents usually cost more than doing it properly once.
Why we publish our range
Most agencies hide pricing so every conversation starts with a negotiation. We would rather you knew the range before you called. After a short conversation you get an exact, fixed written quote within 2 business days — and the price on the quote is the price. No mid-project surprises, no scope games.