How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026? (Real Numbers)
What a website really costs in 2026: builder plans, templates, freelancers and agencies, plus the hidden costs nobody quotes you.
How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026?
A website can cost you $120 for the first year or $20,000 and up. Both can be the right answer. The difference is how much is designed for you, how much you do yourself, and what the site needs to achieve.
This guide breaks down the real costs of each route in 2026, using current published prices, so you can budget before you talk to anyone.
The four ways to get a website
Route | Upfront cost | Time to launch | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
DIY on a builder | $0 | Days to weeks | Very early ideas, personal sites |
Template + builder | $0–$99 for the template | Hours to days | Startups, creators, small businesses |
Freelancer | Varies widely by region and experience | 2–6 weeks | Simple custom sites on a budget |
Design studio / agency | From a few thousand dollars | 2–8 weeks | Products where the site must sell |
On top of any route, you pay for the platform that hosts your site.
Platform costs (what you pay every year)
Platform | Entry plan (billed yearly) | Growth plan (billed yearly) |
|---|---|---|
Basic: $10/mo ($120/yr) | Pro: $30/mo ($360/yr) | |
Basic: $15/mo ($180/yr), no CMS | Premium: $25/mo ($300/yr) | |
Personal: $4/mo ($48/yr) | Business: $25/mo ($300/yr) |
Framer's yearly plans include a complimentary domain. With other platforms or monthly billing, budget for a domain name separately.
Not sure which platform fits? We compare them in Framer vs Webflow vs WordPress.
Route 1: DIY from scratch
Cost: platform plan only.
Real cost: your time. Designing a site from a blank canvas takes most non-designers weeks, and the result often looks homemade.
Good for testing an idea. Risky for anything where first impressions affect revenue.
Route 2: A template
Cost: $0–$99 for the template, plus the platform plan.
A template gives you professional design, tested layouts and responsive pages. You swap in your words, images and colours. Our Framer templates, for example, range from free (Nexiflow for SaaS, Optic Studio for photographers) to $99 (Havyn for real estate and architecture).
Year-one example: free template + Framer Basic = $120. A $49 template + Framer Pro = $409.
This is the best value for most early-stage businesses. See our list of free Framer templates by use case.
Route 3: A freelancer
Cost: varies more than any other route. Rates depend on country, experience and scope, so get at least three quotes for the same written brief.
What to check before you hire:
Their portfolio includes sites like yours (not only Dribbble shots).
The quote says how many pages, revision rounds and what happens after launch.
You will own the site and its accounts, not the freelancer.
Route 4: A design studio
Cost: at WORKSHOP99, most clients invest between $3,000 and $20,000+, depending on scope and timeline. Projects usually take 2–4 weeks.
What you're paying for isn't just pages. It's strategy, conversion-focused copy and structure, a design system, and someone accountable for results. For SaaS and fintech products, the site is often the first place a deal is won or lost, so that work pays back.
Hidden costs nobody quotes you
Cost | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|
Copywriting | Your time, or a writer's fee | Weak copy is the most common reason sites don't convert |
Photography and video | Your time, or a shoot fee | Real photos outperform stock |
Extra editors | Framer: $10–$20 per editor/month | Only if several people edit |
Add-ons | Varies | e.g. localisation, A/B testing |
Updates and maintenance | Hours per month | Plugins on WordPress add more |
How to choose
If you... | Choose |
|---|---|
Are validating an idea | A free template |
Need a professional site this week on a tight budget | A paid template |
Need a few custom pages and have a clear brief | A freelancer |
Sell a SaaS or fintech product and need the site to convert | A design studio |
Get a real number for your project
If a template fits, browse our Framer templates. If you need something designed around your product, get a custom quote or book a 30-minute call.
FAQ
How much does a small business website cost? With a template on a builder like Framer, around $120–$450 for the first year. A custom design from a studio typically starts in the thousands.
How much does it cost to maintain a website per year? At minimum, your platform plan: roughly $48–$360 a year on the plans above, plus a domain if it isn't included, plus your time or a retainer for updates.
Is a template good enough for a business? For most early-stage businesses, yes, as long as you replace the placeholder copy and images with your own.
Why do agency quotes vary so much? Scope. The number of pages, custom illustrations or animations, copywriting, integrations and revision rounds all change the price.
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