How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026?

A basic small business website typically costs $2,000–$10,000 for custom development, or $200–$500/year using DIY website builders like Wix or Squarespace. The final cost depends on your requirements, content volume, and whether you hire a freelancer, agency, or build it yourself.

Website development costs typically include design, development, content creation, domain registration ($10–$20/year), hosting ($10–$200+/month), SSL certificate (often free), CMS/platform fees, and initial SEO setup. Many clients underestimate content and maintenance costs.

Website maintenance costs $500–$5,000/year for most small businesses. This covers hosting, domain renewal, security updates, plugin/theme updates, backups, and minor content changes. Larger sites with active development can spend $10,000–$50,000+/year.

Website builders (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify) cost $200–$600/year and require no coding but offer limited customization. Hiring a freelance developer costs $2,000–$15,000 upfront with more flexibility. Our DIY vs Pro calculator helps you compare real total costs for your situation.

Use our free calculator to generate a benchmark estimate, then compare quotes within 20–30% of that range. Red flags include no written contract, payment in full upfront, no portfolio, or prices significantly below market rate. Overly cheap quotes often mean offshore work or template reselling without customization.