How much does a website cost? A realistic breakdown for small businesses
Domain, hosting, design and upkeep explained, for building it yourself or having it built.
The honest answer is: it depends on how much you do yourself. Here is where the money goes, so you can plan your budget.
Costs you always have
- Domain name: paid every year. Check the renewal price, not just the first-year offer.
- Hosting: paid monthly or yearly. A basic shared plan is enough for most small business sites.
- Business email: often included with hosting, or a monthly fee per user with Google Workspace.
If you build it yourself
Your main cost is time. WordPress and free themes like Astra or Kadence cost nothing. You may choose to pay for a premium theme or plugin, but most small sites don't need one.
If you have it built
You pay for design, building and setup. The price depends mainly on:
- Number of pages
- Features: online booking, a shop, several languages, custom forms
- Whether you provide the text and photos
- Ongoing care: updates, backups and small changes each month
Hidden costs to ask about
- Renewal prices for the domain and hosting
- Paid plugin licences that renew every year
- Who owns the website and the domain (it should be you)
- The cost of changes after launch
Get an estimate in one minute
Use our free website cost calculator for a rough idea, or send us a site you like for an exact quote.
