How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business? (2026 Price Guide)
Quick answer: Most small businesses pay $3,000 to $15,000 for a professional website built by a freelancer or agency. A simple site you build yourself costs about $0 to $300 to start, plus $10 to $30 a month. Freelancers often charge $500 to $5,000, and full-service agencies $5,000 to $15,000.
Prices come from web design company guides, so treat them as a guide. Many estimates leave out running costs, so we list those separately. Last checked: October 2026.
Website prices by type
| Type | Typical price | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself (website builder) | $0 to $300 upfront, then $10 to $30 a month | You build it with a template. Fine for a simple site. |
| Freelancer | $500 to $5,000 (premium freelancers $5,000 to $10,000) | Prices vary a lot with skill and scope. |
| Professional build (WordPress developer) | Often $2,000 to $7,600 | A small site takes about 40 to 80 hours, and developers average roughly $50 to $95 an hour, before theme, hosting and plugins. |
| Full-service agency | $5,000 to $15,000 | Includes strategy, design, development and content. |
| Custom design alone | $3,500 to $15,000 | Depends on the brief. |
| Advanced custom sites | $30,000 or more | Special features, large shops or custom tools. |
Across sources, a professional small business site usually lands between $3,000 and $15,000.
Running costs people forget
- Hosting and subscriptions: about $10 to $30 a month on a website builder, often more for a custom site.
- Domain name: a yearly fee.
- Maintenance: updates, fixes and security, either your time or a monthly fee.
- Content: photos, writing and later changes.
- Marketing: a website alone does not bring visitors. SEO or ads are separate.
What makes a website cost more
- Number of pages.
- Custom design instead of a template.
- Features: online booking, a shop, member logins, multiple languages.
- Speed and search setup: fast pages and good search basics take extra work, but they matter for both visitors and rankings.
- Writing and photos done for you.
Questions to ask before you hire
- What exactly is included, and what costs extra?
- Who owns the site and the domain when we finish?
- How fast will the pages load on a phone?
- Is it set up so search engines and AI tools can read it?
- What does it cost to keep it running?
Want a clear quote?
ADbuddy builds fast websites with search and AI search set up from the start. We quote each project separately after a short chat and a free audit of your current site. Ask for a free audit
Related: Website design and development · Website speed optimization · Does website speed hurt ad ROI?
Sources (checked October 2026): WebsiteSetup · Levitate
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