Estimate your website cost in 60 seconds: a simple formula, typical and average website costs by project type, and three worked examples for September 2026. Plus a free interactive calculator.
Short answer (updated September 19, 2026): to estimate your website cost, add the build cost (pages times a per-page rate for your route, plus features) to the first-year running cost (domain, hosting or builder plan, email and upkeep). For most small business sites the result lands between $200 and $5,000 in year one. Use our free interactive website cost calculator for a number in under a minute, or follow the formula below.
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Every website estimate comes down to three parts:
Year-one total = build cost + (running cost x 12) + yearly extras.
The per-page rate depends entirely on who builds the site.
| Route | Per-page rate | Features (store, booking, etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| DIY on a builder | $0 (included in plan) | Included on higher plans |
| AI website builder | $0 (included in plan) | Included or requested in chat |
| Freelancer, template-based | $100 to $300 | $300 to $2,000 each |
| Freelancer, custom design | $300 to $1,000 | $500 to $3,000 each |
| Agency | $1,000 to $3,000+ | $2,000 to $10,000+ each |
These are typical market ranges drawn from published freelancer and agency pricing, not quotes.
Because the range is so wide, a single "average" figure is misleading. These are typical year-one totals by project type.
| Project | DIY builder | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-page site or landing page | $0 to $300 | $300 to $1,500 | $2,000 to $6,000 |
| 5-page local business site | $200 to $600 | $1,000 to $4,000 | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| 10 to 20 page site with blog | $250 to $700 | $2,500 to $8,000 | $10,000 to $30,000 |
| Online store, under 100 products | $400 to $1,000 | $3,000 to $10,000 | $10,000 to $50,000 |
| Custom web app or portal | Possible on AI builders | $5,000 to $30,000 | $30,000 to $150,000+ |
The same formula works at every scale. The numbers change because of who does the work, not because the websites are fundamentally different.
An estimate is most useful as a negotiating tool. Once you have your number:
If every quote comes in well above your budget, reduce scope rather than hunting for the cheapest provider. Fewer pages, a template instead of an original design, or launching without the store for the first few months all bring the price down without cutting quality.
A calculator cannot see everything. Add these yourself if they apply:
To compare builder plans specifically, the builder cost comparison tool shows plan prices side by side, and our guide to small business website costs shows budgets by industry.
Run the formula from the other side: your price has to cover your hours plus your per-site platform cost. A white-label website builder keeps that platform cost low. We.Inc's white-label Lite plan is $99 a month for 25 client sites on your own domain, about $3.96 a site; Launch is $499 for 250 sites and Scale is $999 for 1,000. For setting your rates, see how much to charge for a website.
A good website estimate is build cost plus a year of running costs, not just the headline quote. Plug your numbers into the website cost calculator, compare the result with any quotes you have, and ask about anything that is far outside the ranges above. For the full explanation of each cost line, read how much it costs to build a website.
Build your website free today. Sign up free, start from a template site and publish it free on a we.inc address. AI builds from one prompt on paid plans from $20/mo. Prefer a head start? Start from the design for restaurants, plumbers or online stores.
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