How Much Does It Cost to Build a Website?

Why one question gets so many different answers

"A website" can mean a single page on a template or a custom store with a booking system, so prices differ by orders of magnitude. In our October 2026 analysis of DataForSEO's AI prompt estimates for the US, "how much will a website cost" was asked of AI assistants about 14,800 times a month and "how much does it cost to build a website" about 1,940. These are estimates, available only for the top terms, but they show how many people ask for a number and receive a vague range.

A useful answer needs three inputs: what you are building, who builds it, and how much of the content you supply yourself. This page covers the first two with tables and shows the arithmetic, so you can change the inputs for your own project.

How much does a website cost by project type?

The ranges below are hours multiplied by an hourly rate. We use EUR 30 to 90 an hour as a planning band. It sits between the Clutch rate bands for lower-cost countries (USD 25 to 49 an hour for Spain, Poland, Ukraine and Mexico) and the United Kingdom (USD 50 to 99), as listed in Clutch's web design pricing guide, which we read in November 2026. Cyprus is not on that list, so the band is our assumption, not a market statistic. The hours are planning assumptions too, not measured data.

The spread is wide because both the hours and the rate vary. Clutch's guide says most projects reviewed on its platform cost under USD 10,000, while its average is about USD 38,105. A small number of very large builds drag the average up, so the "most" figure is the better guide for a small business.

What does it cost to build a website yourself?

Plan fees start at about USD 48 a year on WordPress.com Personal, about EUR 157 on Squarespace Basic and USD 213 on Wix Light; most small businesses need EUR 150 to 600. The table shows the entry and middle plans as each vendor displayed them in November 2026. Prices change, vary by country and are often discounted for the first term, so confirm on the vendor's page before you decide.

A builder plan covers hosting and the software. It does not cover your time, photography, writing, legal pages or search optimization. Budget those separately, and read our Wix cost versus custom comparison if a builder is the likely route.

What pushes the price up or down?

Eight things account for most of the difference between two quotes for "the same" site.

1. Number of unique page layouts. Twenty pages on three layouts cost less than eight pages on eight layouts. Page count alone misleads.
2. Custom design or a template. A designed-from-scratch layout takes more hours than a configured theme.
3. Content readiness. If you supply final text and images, the build is shorter. If the studio writes and sources them, add that work.
4. Languages. A second language means a second set of content to write, enter, review and test, plus correct language tags.
5. Functionality. Forms are cheap. Booking, memberships, calculators and integrations with your CRM or accounting software are not.
6. Catalogue size. Product import, variants, shipping rules and tax settings grow with every line you sell.
7. Migration. Moving an existing site means mapping old addresses to new ones so you keep your rankings. See our redesign guide.
8. Who does the work. Rates differ by country and by team. Clutch's guide also reports that website-builder work is priced lower per hour than fully custom builds.

Worked example: an 8-page business site (illustrative)

This example is illustrative. It shows how a quote is built, not what any supplier charges. The site has a home page, three page layouts, a contact form and basic search setup, built on a content management system.

At EUR 30 an hour that is EUR 2,700, at EUR 60 it is EUR 5,400 and at EUR 90 it is EUR 8,100. A supplier who asks for much less than the bottom of that range is either working from a prepared template, leaving tasks out, or counting on you to do some of them. All three can be fine. Ask which.

What does each route cost over three years?

The build price is only the first line. This table adds running costs for three common routes so you can compare like with like. It is illustrative, treats a dollar as roughly a euro because two of the reference prices are in dollars, and reuses the planning hours and rates above.

The self-hosted route costs the most because someone must be paid to keep it updated, backed up and secure. It buys control and portability, which matter more for some sites than others. Our Wix versus custom comparison works through that trade-off.

What is usually missing from the headline price?

Most disappointment comes from items nobody priced. Ask whether each one is included.

• Writing and photography. Copy for eight pages and a photo shoot are usually priced separately, and each can be a large line on its own.
• Translation. Greek and English versions need two sets of content and a review by a native speaker.
• Licences. Fonts, stock images, themes and plugins may renew every year. WooCommerce lists paid extensions at USD 29 to 299 a year each.
• Business email. Providers typically charge per user per month. Squarespace advertises Google Workspace email on its Core plan with the first year free, under conditions.
• Legal pages. Privacy policy, cookie consent and, for shops, terms and a returns policy.
• Training. Whether you can edit the site yourself after launch.
• Care after launch. Updates, backups and security checks. Our website maintenance cost guide breaks this down.

What does a website cost to run each year?

Running costs are smaller than build costs but never zero. A builder bundles them into the plan fee. A self-hosted site splits them into a domain renewal, hosting, maintenance and licences. WooCommerce's own page puts hosting for most stores at USD 25 to 350 a month, rising with traffic. A small brochure site needs far less hosting than a busy store, but get the renewal price in writing, because introductory offers such as a free first-year domain or a discounted first month end.

How should you compare quotes?

A quote with one number cannot be compared. Ask each supplier for the same five things:

1. A list of deliverables, page by page.
2. Hours or milestones with a price for each.
3. What you must supply and by when.
4. Who owns the domain, hosting account and design files after launch.
5. What happens when you ask for changes after sign-off.

Our website redesign RFP template contains all five and works for a new build as well.

How can you lower the cost without lowering the result?

Cut scope, not quality. These changes reduce hours without weakening the site:

• Reuse page layouts. Ten pages on three layouts cost far less than ten pages on ten.
• Supply final content. Writing and photography are the largest items you can control.
• Launch with the pages that earn enquiries. Add the blog, shop or booking later.
• Start from a good template if your brand does not need a unique layout.
• Decide once. Collect feedback from one person, in one round, in writing.
• Keep your domain, hosting and files in your name, so a change of supplier does not mean a rebuild.

Avoid cuts to phone testing, speed, analytics and redirects from an old site. They are small line items that protect the rest.

What changes in Cyprus?

Two things raise the work on many Cyprus projects. First, many businesses need Greek and English versions, which raises content and testing time. Second, a site that collects enquiries needs a cookie notice and privacy text that match the GDPR rules. Our Cyprus website cost guide covers local pricing and the GDPR point is in the Cyprus GDPR guide.

When is paying a studio the wrong choice?

Pay for a hired build when the site must bring in enquiries or sales, needs custom features, or must keep rankings through a migration. Build it yourself when you need a simple, low-risk page, you have the time, and a template layout fits what you sell. Clutch's August 2025 survey of small businesses reported that 41% of recently launched sites use DIY builders such as Wix and Squarespace, which shows how common that route is. The survey does not state its sample size, so treat the share as indicative.

If you want a written quote for a specific project, see our web design service. We quote in writing and do not publish a price list.