How much does a website cost in 2026? An honest breakdown

"How much will my website cost?" is the first question almost every client asks me, and the honest answer is: it depends on what the site has to do. A one-page site for a local business and a custom web app are completely different jobs. Here's how I break it down for clients, so you can budget before you talk to anyone.

The four types of website most businesses need

1. Landing page

One focused page that sells a single product, service or event. It's the fastest and cheapest way to get online, and often all a new business needs. With a freelancer, expect a few hundred dollars and a delivery time of days, not weeks.

2. WordPress website

A multi-page site (home, about, services, blog, contact) that you can edit yourself. WordPress is the right choice when you want to add pages and posts without calling a developer. The price grows with the number of custom page designs, not the number of pages.

3. Shopify store

If you sell products, Shopify handles payments, shipping, stock and security for you. Most of the cost goes into theme customisation, product and collection pages, and a checkout flow that works well on mobile. Keep in mind Shopify also has its own monthly plan and app fees.

4. Custom React / Next.js app

Dashboards, booking systems, SaaS front-ends and anything with logins or live data. This is the most expensive option because every screen is built from scratch and connected to an API. It's also the only option when off-the-shelf tools can't do what you need.

Freelancer vs agency vs "cheap" freelancer

• Agencies bring a full team (strategy, design, development, project management), so their prices usually start in the thousands and timelines run for weeks.
• The cheapest bids on marketplaces often mean a reused template, no animation or speed work, and nobody to call after launch.
• An experienced freelancer sits in the middle: you talk directly to the person building your site, pay for the work rather than the overhead, and still get custom design and clean code.

For reference, I work at $10–15 per hour, and I give every client a fixed quote for the whole project after a short call, so there are no surprises on the invoice.

What makes a website cost more

• Custom design. Every unique page layout takes design and build time. Reusing one layout for many pages keeps costs down.
• Animations and interactions. Scroll effects and micro-interactions make a site feel premium, but they take time to do well.
• Integrations. Booking tools, CRMs, payment gateways and APIs each add work.
• Content. If the developer has to write copy or source photos, that's extra.
• Changes after approval. Changing the design once it's being coded costs far more than changing it at the design stage.

Costs people forget

• A domain name, renewed every year.
• Hosting, or a platform plan such as Shopify.
• Paid themes, plugins or apps.
• Small updates and fixes after launch.

How to get the best value

1. Start with what the site must achieve: leads, sales or bookings.
2. Collect two or three websites you like and say why.
3. Launch with the pages you need now, and add the rest later.
4. Ask for a fixed quote and a clear timeline before any work starts.

The cheapest website is the one you only have to build once.

If you're not sure which type of site you need, send me a short message about your business. I'll tell you honestly what I'd build, how long it would take and what it would cost.