How much does a website cost? It depends on the platform, the number of pages and products, and what you need it to do. Use the calculator below for a realistic range, then read the guidance underneath to understand what drives the price and how to avoid overpaying.
How the estimate is built
The calculator starts with a base price for the platform you choose, adds a cost for each page, adds a small amount per product if you are building a store, and then adds the extras you tick. The result is shown as a range, because two projects that look the same on paper can differ in the time they take. Think of the lower figure as a lean, well-organised project and the upper figure as a project with more revisions, custom work or content help. It is a planning aid, not a quote.
WordPress, WooCommerce or Shopify?
WordPress is the most popular choice for business websites, blogs and service companies. The software is free, you can customise almost anything, and you own your site and data. You pay for hosting, a domain and sometimes a premium theme or plugins.
WooCommerce is a free plugin that adds a shop to WordPress. It suits stores that want flexibility, unusual products or tight control over content and SEO. It needs more care with hosting, security and updates.
Shopify is a hosted, all-in-one store platform. It is quick to set up, handles security and hosting, and works well for stores that want to launch fast and keep management simple. You pay a monthly plan, plus transaction fees and sometimes paid apps. For many beginners, Shopify is the easiest path. For businesses that want control and content-led growth, WordPress with WooCommerce is often a better fit.
What drives the price
- Design: A polished template with your branding is cheaper than a fully custom design built from scratch.
- Number of pages: More pages mean more layout, writing and testing. A simple five-page brochure site is very different from a 40-page service site.
- Products: Stores need product pages, categories, shipping rules, tax settings and payment setup. Importing hundreds of products can save time, but the data needs cleaning.
- Functionality: Booking systems, memberships, multilingual content and integrations with other tools all add time.
- Content: If you provide finished text and images, the project is faster. If you need copywriting or photography, add to the budget.
- SEO: Good setup, redirects and structured data protect your rankings, especially on a redesign.
Ongoing costs people forget
The build is only part of the cost of owning a website. Plan for hosting, which is roughly $10 to $50 a month for most WordPress sites, a domain name at about $15 a year, security and backups, software updates and any paid plugins or Shopify apps. If you want a developer on call, ask about a maintenance plan. Regular care is cheaper than fixing a hacked or broken site.
Ways to lower the cost without cutting quality
- Start small. Launch with the pages that matter most and add more later.
- Prepare your content. Clear text, photos and a logo avoid delays and extra charges.
- Choose a proven theme. A well-built theme saves custom design hours.
- Be clear about the goal. A site built to get calls or sell products is easier to design than one meant to do everything.
- Do it in phases. Build the foundation first, then add features once the site is earning.
How to compare quotes
When you collect quotes, make sure each one lists the same things: the number of pages, design revisions, mobile layout, speed and SEO setup, training, and what happens after launch. A very low price often leaves out something important, such as redirects or testing. Ask who will do the work, how long it will take, and whether you will own everything at the end. The cheapest option rarely turns out to be the least expensive.
Questions to ask before you hire
Whoever builds your site, ask a few direct questions before you sign. Will I own the website, the hosting account and the domain? How many rounds of design changes are included? Who handles security updates and backups after launch? How will you protect my search rankings if I already have a site? What does it cost to make small changes later? Clear, specific answers are a good sign. Vague answers, or a refusal to put the scope in writing, are a reason to keep looking.
Redesign versus rebuild
If your current site works but looks dated or runs slowly, a redesign may cost much less than a new build, because the content, structure and search rankings carry over. I explain the options in my services for WordPress, WooCommerce and Shopify.
Get a quote for your site
For a quote based on your real needs, book a free 20-minute call. I will tell you what you need, what you can skip and what it is likely to cost.
Estimates are rough guides for planning. Actual prices depend on scope and are confirmed in a written quote.