How much does a small-business website cost?
Most small businesses spend between $500 and $15,000 on a website. A DIY builder costs a few hundred dollars a year plus dozens of your own hours; a freelancer typically runs $1,500 to $6,000; a full agency starts around $10,000. We charge $995 – $3,995 to launch plus $149 – $599/mo to host, maintain, and keep growing it — or $2,499 – $12,999 one time plus $100 – $299/mo if you prefer to pay in full.
The four routes
DIY template builder
- Up front
- $0
- Ongoing
- $200 – $500 / year
- Time to launch
- 20 – 60 hours of yours
Best for: A simple brochure site when you have the weekend and design instinct.
Watch out: Your time is the real invoice, and it never appears on one.
Freelancer
- Up front
- $1,500 – $6,000
- Ongoing
- Hourly, when they're available
- Time to launch
- 4 – 10 weeks
Best for: A specific build with a clear brief and someone you already trust.
Watch out: Support after launch depends on one person's calendar.
Traditional agency
- Up front
- $10,000 – $50,000+
- Ongoing
- $500 – $3,000 / month retainer
- Time to launch
- 3 – 6 months
Best for: Complex sites, multiple stakeholders, real brand work.
Watch out: Most of the budget goes to process, not pixels.
Done-for-you (us)
- Up front
- $995 – $3,995
- Ongoing
- $100 – $299/mo
- Time to launch
- 14 days
Best for: Owners who want it handled properly without an agency timeline.
Watch out: You still have to supply the facts and photos.
The costs quotes leave out
- Content. Someone has to write the service pages and gather photos. If that someone is you, budget ten hours you didn't plan for.
- Ongoing maintenance. Software updates and security patches aren't optional. Skipping them is how small sites get defaced.
- The domain. A separate annual cost from the website itself — usually $12 to $40 a year.
- Changes. New prices, new staff, new services. Ask any quote what a text edit costs six months after launch.
- Getting found. A site with no SEO groundwork is a business card nobody's holding.
What we charge
| Package | Setup | Or financed | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essential | $2,499 | $199/mo × 18 mo | $100/mo |
| Growth | $5,999 | $349/mo × 24 mo | $149/mo |
| Commerce | $12,999 | $699/mo × 24 mo | $299/mo |
Common questions
How much does a small-business website cost in 2026?
Most small businesses spend between $500 and $15,000. A DIY template builder runs about $200–$500 a year plus your time, a freelancer typically charges $1,500–$6,000, and a done-for-you team like ours charges $995 – $3,995 to launch plus $149 – $599/mo for hosting, maintenance, and ongoing work — or $2,499 – $12,999 one time plus $100 – $299/mo if you would rather pay in full.
What ongoing costs does a website have?
Hosting, the domain name, SSL, software updates, security monitoring, backups, and content changes. Budget $100–$300 a month if someone else handles it, or the platform fee plus your own hours if you do.
Why do website quotes vary so much?
Page count, custom design versus template, who writes the content, whether e-commerce is involved, and how much SEO and analytics setup is included. Two quotes for 'a website' can describe completely different amounts of work.
Is a cheap website worth it?
Sometimes. A cheap site that loads fast, says what you do, and has a working contact form beats an expensive one that doesn't. What cheap usually costs you is time, ongoing support, and the SEO groundwork that brings people to it.
Can I pay for a website in monthly installments?
Yes, with many providers including us. Financing spreads the setup cost over 18 to 24 months — our Essential package works out to $199/mo for 18 months instead of $2,499 up front.