You can build a website for less than $3 per month if you choose to do it yourself with a cheap website builder like Hostinger. However, you’ll get more functionality with options like Wix and Squarespace, that will cost anywhere from $17 to $159 per month.
Alternatively, if need a custom job or you want to avoid any work at all, you can hire a professional to build it for a cost between $1,500 to $5,000 per website.
Extra expenses for website creation include web hosting, domain names, and security measures, like secure sockets layer (SSL) certificates.
How Much Does It Cost To Build a Website?
Building a website using a web builder can cost anywhere from under $3 to $299 per month, depending on the plan. On average, most will pay between $20 and $30.
Even top-rated builders that offer advanced functions, like analytics and SEO, have plans that start from $17 per month, placing them well within the budget of most businesses.
Large businesses with extensive or specific site needs will need to shell out more, though, with some enterprise packages from platforms like Wix costing over $150 per month.
Some platforms charge businesses extra for necessary features involved with establishing and maintaining their site. We highlight some factors to be aware of below:
| Ecommerce | SEO | Marketing | Communication | Design elements | AI tools | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | $0–$89/month | $0–$39/month | $0–$284/month | $0–$250/month | $0–$89/month | $0–$160/month |
| What is it? | Ecommerce integrations synchronise data between your website builder platform and your ecommerce data management system | SEO integrations help users improve the ranking of their page organically | Marketing integrations help increase the reach of your website through a range of different means | Communication integrations encourage active collaboration by giving the public a way to interact with the site | Design elements give users greater agency over the look of their site by enabling greater customization | AI lets you custom-build your website in under a week. |
| Included with most builders? | This function will be included with ecommerce-focused website builders, like Shopify | Most website builders will offer SEO features, but you may need to upgrade to pricier plans to unlock advanced functions, like keyword support | Many websites include basic marketing features like email marketing in-house | Basic communication features like blogs and testimonials are included with most website builders | Every builder will include basic design features but many charge for extra templates and advanced controls | Yes, most popular website builder offer AI tools. |
You can also code your own website on WordPress.org for free and just pay for hosting. Hosting companies charge anywhere from $2.95 to $49.95 per month initially, and renewals cost more.
Lack time and knowledge? Hiring a professional web designer will cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000, depending on the nature of your site.
Website domain
If your chosen website builder doesn’t let you connect to a domain for free, buying a new domain costs around $10 to $20 per year, and more for premium domains.
If you hire a professional to design your website, you’ll likely need to pay extra to guarantee and maintain your domain name. The prices of domain registrars vary, but businesses can secure a decent name from around $32 to $600.
Wix allows you to connect a custom domain to your website. Source: Tech.co testing
Website hosting
If you’re moving forward with a website builder, the cost of web hosting will likely be included in your dues. This can cost anywhere from $3 to $2,000 per month, with popular web hosting providers like Bluehost much closer to the low end of that range.
Securing your own space on the internet will cost extra if you create your site yourself. Depending on the needs of your site and the amount of traffic it’s expected to attract, this could cost anywhere from $2 to $4 per month for a shared hosting option or $50 to $700 per month for your own dedicated server. Learn more about website hosting costs.
SSL certificate
An SSL certificate is needed to prove that your website enables an encrypted connection. Website builders tend to offer this certificate for free.
If SSL certification isn’t included in your hosting plan or if you’re building a website from the ground up, you’ll need to spend anywhere from $8 to $1,000 a year to purchase the security protocol from a certificate provider.
How Much Does It Cost To Maintain a Website?
On top of the upfront cost of building and publishing your site, businesses will need to pay maintenance fees once the site is live. Maintenance costs will depend on the type of site you’re building.
Ongoing costs associated with editing and hosting your site and renewing domain names will cost anywhere between $5 to $5,000 per month. This varies, depending on:
- Size of your business
- Demands of your website
- Volume of website traffic
- Other factors
What Are the Additional Costs of Building a Website?
While building a website is relatively affordable, businesses can opt for a range of integrations to extend the use of their builder even further. We list these additional costs below.
| Ecommerce | SEO | Marketing | Communication | Design elements | AI tools | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | $0–$89/month | $0–$39/month | $0–$284/month | $0–$250/month | $0–$89/month | $0–$160/month |
| What is it? | Ecommerce integrations synchronise data between your website builder platform and your ecommerce data management system | SEO integrations help users improve the ranking of their page organically | Marketing integrations help increase the reach of your website through a range of different means | Communication integrations encourage active collaboration by giving the public a way to interact with the site | Design elements give users greater agency over the look of their site by enabling greater customization | AI lets you custom-build your website in under a week. |
| Included with most builders? | This function will be included with ecommerce-focused website builders, like Shopify | Most website builders will offer SEO features, but you may need to upgrade to pricier plans to unlock advanced functions, like keyword support | Many websites include basic marketing features like email marketing in-house | Basic communication features like blogs and testimonials are included with most website builders | Every builder will include basic design features but many charge for extra templates and advanced controls | Yes, most popular website builder offer AI tools. |
Ecommerce: $0 to $89 per month
Not all website builders will support websites that sell online. If yours doesn’t, you can either switch to a dedicated ecommerce website builder or purchase an ecommerce integration. Some of these integrations are free.
Wix customers can connect to Etsy, Amazon, and Online Store apps for free, and have access to tons of free and paid sell button apps, to help them sell online directly through their site.
SEO: $0 to $39 per month
While many web builders offer SEO tools, some will charge an extra cost. These include:
- Keyword tools
- Link builders
- AI-driven optimization tools
Marketing: $0 to $284 per month
If you’re looking for a way to expand your site’s reach, you can also pay extra for marketing add-ons. These include:
- Social media integrations
- Ad builders
- Email marketing tools
Artificial Intelligence tools: $0 to $160 per month
Many major website builders will bundle in AI tools for faster website creation at no extra charge.
You can also try using vibe coding platforms to create your own website with little-to-no coding skill. Prices start at around $16 or $18 a month, but will grow quickly if you spend enough tokens.
You’ll save on time invested, too. Tech.co survey data shows that 0% of vibe coding builds took more than a week, compared with 53% of those that used developers. The knowledge gap keeps many businesses from fully taking advantage of this speed, as just 23% are familiar with vibe coding, compared with 77% who are not.
Communication: $0 to $250 per month
Communication tools provide businesses with powerful ways to connect with their community and relay information. These include:
- Web chats
- Forums
- Polls
- Blogs
- Reviews and testimonials
Design elements: $0 to $89 per month
If your chosen website builder doesn’t let you customize your site to your liking, you may be able to purchase extra design elements — like page templates and banners — at an extra cost.
Research shows site design and usability can have a major impact on customer behavior, so while it may be easier to rely on your builder’s toolkit, splashing out on advanced features will likely pay for itself over time.
How Much Does a Website Builder Cost?
The demands of your website will be the biggest influence on the cost of the web builder. A small business that needs a static website, a blog, or a portfolio can opt for an affordable monthly plan, without needing to splurge on heaps of extra features.
For example, providers like Weebly and Hostinger have quality entry-level plans for under $10 per month, while plans from more established builders like Wix start from $17 per month.
Quality free plans exist too, like Square Online’s Free package that offers web-building capabilities, SEO tools, and seamless integration with Square POS.
Larger businesses with precise requirements will pay much more. If you need large storage limits and advanced tools, like email marketing and professional logo designing, expect to pay around $36 per month for plans like Wix Business.
Businesses selling a high turnover of goods can expect costs to escalate even more, with Shopify’s Advanced plan — a package with affordable credit card rates and up to 15 additional staff accounts — costing $299 per month, and the provider’s enterprise ecommerce package starting at a steep $2,300 per month.
Check out Tech.co’s picks for the top five small-business website builders here:
| Paid plan Monthly | Free plan | Pros | Cons | Rating Overall score based on features, value, support, ease of use, and customer score | Value for money Price factors, including plan costs and feature tiers | Try it today | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BEST FOR SMALL BUSINESS  |  |  |  |  | ||||
| Wix | Shopify | Squarespace | GoDaddy | Hostinger | ||||
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| $9.99/month | $9.99/month | ||||
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| 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | ||||
| 5.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | ||||
| Try Wix | Try Shopify | Save 10% | Try GoDaddy | Try Hostinger |
Should You Hire a Web Designer Instead?
Outsourcing to a professional web designer will give you a website that matches your exact needs, from design to functionality. Plus, since it’s built from scratch, it’ll be completely one-of-a-kind.
Hiring a professional can cost anywhere from $1,500 to over $5,000 per site, depending on your requirements. If you’re able to afford this premium, custom-built sites do tend to offer businesses a higher return on their investment.
You should consider hiring a web designer if…
- You lack technical knowledge or you’re short on time
- You have a large website-building budget
- You have complex or specific site requirements
You shouldn’t consider hiring a web designer if…
- Your site needs aren’t complex or specific
- You don’t have a large site-building budget
- You have time to spare to build it yourself
Read our full guide to the cost of hiring web designers.
Verdict: How Much Does It Cost To Create and Run a Website?
If you’re using a website builder, you’ll spend anywhere between $3 and $159 per month, although larger businesses with high turnovers may be required to pay upwards of $2,000 per month.
These fees will cover necessities like domain registration, web hosting, and SSL certificates, saving you from extra charges. However, you will need to pay more for ecommerce and marketing functions, which can raise the total price tag.
If you hire a professional, building a site can cost anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 as a one-time fee, with site maintenance as an extra ongoing cost.
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