If you've asked around for a website quote, you've probably heard everything from "$20 a month" to "$30,000." Both can be honest answers. The price depends on who builds it, how big it is, and who looks after it afterward.
The ranges below come from typical 2026 price guides. Your actual quote will vary.
1. Do it yourself with a website builder: about $15 to $50 a month
Tools like Framer, Wix, Squarespace and WordPress hosting let you build the site yourself. This works for a very simple site if you have the time and patience.
The catch is your time. A site that takes you 30 hours is not free, and design and SEO setup are left to you.
2. Hire a freelancer: about $500 to $8,000 per project
Freelancers are individual designers or developers. A simple one-page site is often $500 to $3,000. A 5 to 10 page site usually lands between $2,000 and $8,000.
This is a good fit if you want a custom look without agency overhead. Ask who handles updates and hosting after launch, and what happens if the freelancer disappears.
3. Hire an agency: about $5,000 to $30,000 or more
Agencies bring a team: strategy, design, development, copywriting and project management. They suit larger businesses, complex sites, and e-commerce with many products.
Expect timelines of weeks to months, and watch for extras that add up.
4. A managed plan: about $100 to $500 a month
Some providers build the site and then host and maintain it for a monthly fee, so there's little up-front cost. It's a good fit for owners who want it done and kept up without managing it themselves.
Before you sign, check who owns the site and the domain if you ever cancel.
What else you'll pay for
A few costs sit outside the build price:
Domain name: about $12 to $25 a year.
Hosting: about $40 to $150 a year on many platforms.
Maintenance: often $50 to $500 a month if someone else keeps it updated, secure and backed up.
Extras: professional photos, copywriting, booking or payment tools, and SEO setup.
What drives the price up or down
Six things move the number the most:
Number of pages. A 5-page site and a 40-page site are different jobs.
Custom design vs. a template. Templates are cheaper and faster.
Features. Online booking, payments, member logins and custom software add cost.
Content. Writing and photography are often not included.
SEO. Whether the site is set up to show up in Google or just to look nice.
Ongoing support. Who fixes things when they break.
How to avoid overpaying
Get at least two quotes. Ask exactly what's included in each.
Ask who owns the site. That means the domain and the content too.
Ask about monthly costs. Find out what continues after launch.
Skip features you won't use yet. You can add them later.
Get the scope in writing. Be wary of any quote without one.
So what should you spend?
A local service business that mainly needs to look credible and get calls can often do well with a simple, fast, well-built site. A business selling products online or taking bookings needs more. Start with what the site must do for you, then pick the option that does it without extras.
Where to go from here
At Nova Scaling, pricing is custom to each business, so we don't publish a fixed price list. If you'd like a straight answer on what your site would involve, book a quick call and we'll tell you honestly, even if the answer is that a DIY builder is enough. You can also read more about our web design work.
Price ranges are typical figures from 2026 industry price guides and vary by provider, location and scope.
