How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in 2026?
The real yearly costs of a business website, if you build it yourself or have it built: domain, hosting, email, themes and your time.
"How much does a website cost?" is the question we hear most. The honest answer: anywhere from the price of a domain to thousands of dollars. What matters is knowing which costs are fixed, which are optional, and how much of your own time you want to spend.
The running costs every website has
Domain name
Your address, like yourbusiness.com. Usually around $10 to $20 a year for a .com. Watch out for very cheap first-year prices that renew much higher.
Hosting
The server your website lives on. Basic shared hosting typically costs about $3 to $10 a month for a small business site. Managed WordPress hosting costs more but includes extra speed and support.
Business email
Email on your own domain (info@yourbusiness.com) looks far more trustworthy than a Gmail address. Many hosting plans include basic email; Google Workspace and Zoho Mail charge per user for more features.
The optional costs
- Premium theme or page builder: free themes like Astra or Kadence are enough for most businesses. Premium versions add design options.
- Paid plugins: booking systems, advanced forms or store add-ons. Many sites need none.
- Photos and logo: your own photos are free and often work better than stock images.
Your time is a cost too
Building your first website usually takes 10 to 40 hours, mostly writing text and preparing photos rather than the technical part. If your time is worth more spent on your business, that matters.
What if someone builds it for you?
A professional builds the site, sets up hosting, email, SEO basics and forms, and makes sure it works on phones. Prices depend on the number of pages and features (a 5-page business site is very different from an online store with 200 products). Always ask what's included: content writing, revisions, training and who owns the site at the end.
Watch out for
- Renewal prices that are double the first-year price.
- Website builders that lock your site in, so you can't move it later.
- "Free" websites that put someone else's ads or branding on your pages.
Prices change often and vary by provider. Use our cost calculator for a quick estimate, then check current prices before you buy.