Site Cost Estimator — What a Website Really Costs

Quick reference for site costs in 2026:

Site TypeFreelancerAgency

1-page landing$300–$1,500$800–$3,500
5-page brochure$1,200–$4,000$3,000–$10,000
15-page business$3,000–$8,500$6,500–$22,000
Blog/content (50+ posts)$2,500–$8,000$5,500–$18,000
Shopify ecommerce$3,500–$12,000$8,000–$30,000
WooCommerce ecommerce$4,500–$15,000$10,000–$35,000
Magento store$15,000–$50,000$30,000–$120,000
Marketplace$15,000–$60,000$35,000–$200,000
Custom web app$10,000–$80,000$25,000–$200,000+

These are 2026 rates for Western Europe / US. Get your specific estimate →

A "5-page business website" can cost $1,200 OR $22,000 depending on:

1. Who builds it. Solo Eastern European freelancer ($30/hr) vs US agency ($150/hr) is a 5x rate difference for the same work. Our freelancer vs agency comparison explains when each makes sense.

2. Design level. Free template ($0) vs premium template + customization ($500) vs fully custom design ($3,000–$15,000).

3. Content provided. If client provides everything: cheaper. If you produce copy + photography + video: add $500–$5,000.

4. Functionality depth. Static pages with contact form is $X. Add login, search, multilingual, integrations — each one bumps cost 10–25%.

5. Platform. Same site on WordPress vs Custom React is 1.0x vs 2.5x cost.

6. Timeline. Standard timeline = baseline. Rush (under 4 weeks) = +25–65%. Relaxed = -5%.

A site cost estimator factors all 6 — that's why the answer is more useful than a flat "5 pages = $X" formula. For a comprehensive breakdown of all these factors, see our website cost guide.

Step 1: Run the estimator with your real requirements.
Don't lowball features hoping for a lower price — that's how budgets blow up later.

Step 2: Try 2–3 platform variants.
Use the calculator to force WordPress, then Shopify, then WooCommerce. Compare prices AND ongoing costs.

Step 3: Check the breakdown.
The total is meaningless without line items. Look for: dev hours, design hours, content, services, contingency. If any of those are missing or look wrong, adjust.

Step 4: Compare to vendor quotes.
If a vendor is 40% above the estimator: ask for a detailed breakdown. If 40% below: ask what's missing (usually content, contingency, or warranty).

Step 5: Add your buffer.
Whatever number you arrive at, add 10–15% for "things you didn't know you didn't know." This is industry standard.

For a typical $8,500 WordPress business site, here's the breakdown:

Line ItemCost% of Total

Development hours (60h × $75)$4,50053%
Design hours (18h × $85)$1,53018%
Premium theme + customization$2503%
Content (10 pages × $80 copywriting)$8009%
Plugins + apps (year 1)$3004%
Contingency (10%)$7389%
90-day warranty$3825%
Total$8,500100%

Plus ongoing year 1 costs:

• - Hosting: $120
• Domain + SSL: $20
• Email + analytics + security: $200
• Maintenance plan (basic): $600

True year-1 total: ~$9,440.

Most "site cost calculators" only show the development number ($4,500–$5,000) and leave clients shocked by the real total. For ecommerce projects, our platform cost comparison shows how the platform choice shifts both build and ongoing costs.

Red flag 1: Single number, no breakdown. "$5,000 for your site" tells you nothing. You can't validate it, can't compare it, can't plan against it.

Red flag 2: No timeline attached. A $5,000 site in 2 weeks is fundamentally different from $5,000 over 6 months. Always tie cost to duration.

Red flag 3: No revisions specified. "We'll do revisions" → unlimited revisions → 30%+ cost overrun. Always specify rounds (1, 2, 3, or unlimited).

Red flag 4: No content responsibility defined. Who writes copy? Who provides images? Who licenses photography? Each is $500–$5,000 if not clarified.

Red flag 5: Hosting "included" with no specifics. Some agencies include 1 year of basic shared hosting and silently lock you into their reseller account. Negotiate hosting separately — own your domain and hosting account directly. Solid options: SiteGround for shared, Kinsta for managed WordPress, Cloudways for cloud.

Red flag 6: No post-launch terms. What happens day 91 after launch when something breaks? Define warranty (30/90 days) and maintenance terms upfront.