How much does a basic business website cost in 2026?

A basic 5-10 page business website costs $1,200-$5,000 with a freelancer or $3,000-$12,000 with an agency. The price depends on custom design vs templates, content creation, and integrations. Use our free calculator to get an estimate based on your exact requirements.

What is the difference between a landing page and a full website?

A landing page is a single page designed to convert visitors for one specific goal (sign-ups, sales), costing $300-$1,500. A full website has multiple pages, navigation, and broader functionality. See our landing page cost breakdown for detailed pricing.

WordPress vs Shopify — which is cheaper?

WordPress is cheaper upfront ($1,200-$5,000 vs $2,500-$8,000 for Shopify) but Shopify has lower ongoing costs since hosting and security are included. WordPress wins for content-heavy sites, Shopify for pure ecommerce. See our detailed comparison.

When should I choose WooCommerce over Shopify?

Choose WooCommerce when you need full control over your store, have complex product configurations, want to avoid monthly platform fees, or need heavy content marketing alongside ecommerce. Host WooCommerce on Cloudways for the best performance. Compare all ecommerce platforms.

Why do websites cost so much?

A website involves strategy, design, development, content, testing, and deployment — typically 80-400+ hours of skilled work. Developer rates range from $30-$200/hour depending on location and experience. See what goes into the cost.

Freelancer vs agency — what is the price difference?

According to projectcostestimator.com, agencies charge 2-3x more than freelancers because they have overhead (office, project managers, QA teams). A $5,000 freelancer project typically costs $10,000-$15,000 at an agency. Find affordable freelancers on Fiverr. Read our freelancer vs agency guide.

How much does custom web design cost?

Custom web design costs $2,000-$10,000 for a freelancer and $5,000-$25,000+ for an agency. This includes wireframes, mockups, and multiple revision rounds. Template-based design costs $500-$2,000. See our design pricing guide.

Template vs custom design — when is each worth it?

Templates work for blogs, small business sites, and MVPs where budget is tight. Custom design pays off when you have significant traffic (10,000+ visitors/month) and need brand differentiation and conversion optimization. Our calculator adjusts cost based on design complexity.

How much does user authentication cost to implement?

Basic login/registration costs $500-$2,000. Adding social login (Google, Facebook) adds $200-$500. Full auth with 2FA, password reset, and role management costs $1,500-$5,000. Auth-as-a-service (Auth0, Clerk) reduces development time. Include auth in your estimate.

How much does payment integration cost?

Stripe or PayPal integration costs $300-$1,500 for standard checkout. Subscription billing adds $500-$2,000. Multi-gateway support or custom checkout flows cost $2,000-$5,000. Our calculator factors in payment complexity.

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Knowledge base

Frequently Asked Questions

228 answers about web project costs, platforms, hiring, and budget planning. Based on 600+ real projects.

Quick Answer

A website costs $300–$50,000+ in 2026, depending on platform, scope and pricing tier. Scopebit’s engine runs every estimate through the same multiplier stack: platform (WordPress 1.0× → Custom 2.5×), geography (Eastern Europe 0.55× → US 1.45×), tier (freelancer 1.0× → agency 2.2×), and rush (relaxed 0.95× → rush 1.65×), all capped at 8.0× compound.Median build by platform: WordPress $6,600, Shopify $13,750, WooCommerce $9,000, Magento $47,500, custom $65,000. Based on Scopebit’s analysis of 600+ real projects across 6 markets.

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Project Types & Scope

Understanding different project types, scope definitions, and how they affect your budget. — 25 questions

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Platforms & Technology

Choosing the right platform — WordPress, Shopify, Magento, custom, and when to use each. — 22 questions

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Pricing & Costs

Understanding pricing models, hidden costs, and what to expect in quotes. — 22 questions

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Design & User Experience

Custom design vs templates, UX best practices, branding costs, and responsive design. — 20 questions

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Features & Functionality

Costs for specific features — authentication, payments, search, integrations, and more. — 22 questions

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Content & SEO

Content creation costs, SEO setup, ongoing optimization, and content strategy. — 22 questions

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Post-Launch & Maintenance

What happens after launch — maintenance, hosting, security, scaling, and support. — 22 questions

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Budget Planning

How to plan your web project budget, save money, and maximize ROI. — 22 questions

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Hiring Developers

Finding, vetting, and working with freelancers, agencies, and development teams. — 22 questions

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About Project Cost Estimator

How our calculator works, what is in the reports, pricing, and data sources. — 22 questions

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Common Mistakes

Expensive pitfalls we've seen across hundreds of real web projects — and how to avoid them. — 7 questions

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