In short
- A simple business website usually costs between $1,000 and $3,000. Custom and 3D sites cost more.
- The price depends on design, number of pages, features and who writes the content, not on the "type" of business.
- Plan for running costs too: domain, hosting and updates, usually $20 to $100 a month.
- Compare quotes line by line. A cheap quote that leaves out SEO, speed or ownership is not cheap.
The short answer
There is no single price for a website, the same way there is no single price for a car. But most business websites fall into one of four groups. These are typical ranges we see in 2026 for clients in the US, Europe and the Gulf:
| Type of website | Typical price | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself (website builder) | $20 to $50 a month, plus your time | Testing an idea, very small budgets |
| Simple business website | $1,000 to $3,000 | Most small businesses, 5 to 10 pages |
| Custom designed website | $3,000 to $10,000 | Brands that want to stand out and sell more |
| Advanced, 3D or online store | $6,000 to $30,000 and up | Big catalogues, bookings, payments, 3D experiences |
Why such wide ranges? Because two "5 page websites" can be completely different jobs. One uses a ready template and your own text. The other is designed from scratch, written by a copywriter and built to load in one second.
What really drives the price
When you ask for a quote, these are the things that move the number up or down:
- Design. A ready-made template is fast and cheap. A custom design, made for your brand and your customers, takes more time and usually sells better.
- Number of different pages. Ten pages that share one layout cost less than five pages that each need their own design.
- Content. Writing the text, taking photos or making videos is real work. If you provide it, the price drops. If you need it written to sell, budget for it.
- Features. Booking, payments, a members area, two languages or links to your CRM each add time to build and test.
- Motion and 3D. Smooth animation and 3D scenes make a site memorable, but they take skill to build so they stay fast on phones.
- Speed and SEO setup. A site that loads fast and is set up for Google from day one costs a little more to build, and much less to fix later.
The costs after launch
A website is not a one-time payment. Plan for these running costs, so there are no surprises:
- Domain name: about $10 to $20 a year for a .com.
- Hosting: $5 to $50 a month for most business sites. Fast, secure hosting is worth paying for.
- Business email: about $6 to $8 a month per person, if you want email on your own domain.
- Updates and care: security updates, backups and small changes. Many businesses pay $30 to $150 a month, or do it in-house.
A simple site usually costs $20 to $100 a month to run. If someone quotes you a very low build price but a high monthly fee you cannot leave, add it up over three years before you decide.
What you should never pay extra for
In 2026 some things are simply part of a proper website. If a quote lists them as paid extras, ask why:
- Working perfectly on phones (most of your visitors are on one)
- A secure connection (HTTPS)
- A contact form that sends to your email
- Basic SEO setup: page titles, descriptions and a sitemap
- Basic speed: compressed images and clean code
- Owning your domain, your website files and your content
Red flags in a quote
- No fixed price. "It depends" is fine on the first call. In the written quote, you should see a number.
- The domain is registered in their name. If you part ways, you can lose your own web address.
- A long contract you cannot leave. Monthly plans are fine. Being locked in for years is not.
- No limit on changes, or no changes at all. Both lead to arguments. Look for a clear number of revision rounds.
- No timeline. A good quote says how long it takes and what they need from you to stay on time.
How to compare quotes fairly
Put every quote side by side and check the same six things. The cheapest quote is often the one that leaves the most out.
What a website costs with us
We publish our prices, because comparing should be easy. Every plan is a fixed price in US dollars, you pay half to start and half when it goes live, and you are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Want to see what goes into each one? Read about our website design service, or see all website prices.
Questions people ask
Is a cheap website worth it?
It can be, if it is fast, works well on phones and you own it. The risk with very cheap websites is what is missing: no SEO setup, slow loading, or a domain you do not control. Those cost more to fix later than to do right at the start.
How long does it take to build a website?
A simple business website usually takes 2 to 5 weeks. Custom, 3D or online store projects take 6 to 12 weeks. The biggest delay is usually waiting for text, photos and feedback, so have them ready.
Do I have to pay every month?
You pay for the build once. After that, you pay for your domain and hosting, and optionally for updates and care. A simple site usually costs $20 to $100 a month to run.
Can I update the website myself?
You should be able to. Ask for a site where you can edit text, images and blog posts without calling a developer. Our Business and Next-gen 3D plans include this.
Last updated . Prices are typical ranges and can change by country and project.
