With so many variables at play, setting a website budget can feel like aiming at a moving target. Website costs range from $0 for a basic setup to $50,000 or more for fully custom, feature-rich builds. It all depends on the type of website, its complexity, and the development approach.
This guide outlines the most common costs you’re likely to run into, from custom domain names to web hosting costs. By the end, you’ll know how much a website costs for your goals—whether you’re launching an e-commerce store or building a creator brand.
8 Key Factors That Determine Website Costs
The average cost of website design for small businesses fluctuates based on a broad range of factors. Here’s a look at the most common elements that influence pricing.
Website Design
Website design costs depend on complexity and whether you use templates, freelancers, or agencies. At the low end, templates and website builders offer affordable options for simple sites, while more advanced builds often require freelance designers or dedicated agencies. As you’d expect, costs rise with the level of customization and expertise involved.
Most website designs cost between $0 and $10,000, though larger or in-demand agency projects can be much higher.
Custom Domain Names
A custom domain name from a provider like GoDaddy gives your small-business website a professional, unique identity. But how much do domain names cost, exactly? You can expect to pay between $10–$20 a year for a standard .com, .net, and .org domain. However, specialty domains, such as extensions like .design or .tech, and highly sought-after names, like short or popular .com domains, can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Ongoing Site Maintenance
Your site’s scale and choice of freelancer or agency determine website maintenance costs. If you go with a freelance web designer, you’re looking at around $50–$300 a month. Full-service agencies tend to cost more at roughly $200–$2,000 a month. If you manage the site yourself—using templates or website builders, for instance—maintenance can be free, aside from hosting or domain fees.
Web Hosting
Website hosting is the service that stores your website and makes it accessible online. Some website builders include free web hosting for simple pages. More complex sites—or those built with a freelance designer or agency—typically require paid hosting.
You can expect to pay $0–$250 a month for a web hosting provider, depending on your site’s needs. For smaller or less resource-intensive websites, shared hosting can be a more cost-effective option. With shared hosting, your site shares a server and its resources with other websites, keeping costs low and the technical setup simple.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Certificates
Protecting your visitors’ data is an essential part of building a trustworthy website. SSL certificates prove your website’s authenticity and establish an encrypted connection between your site users’ browsers, keeping personal information safe from prying eyes.
SSL certificates tend to run between $0 and $1,500, based on the level of security and additional features you require.
Content Management System (CMS) Subscriptions
Many website builders come with a built-in CMS for creating, publishing, and updating written content without having to tinker with the code. If you’re not using a website builder, you’ll have to shell out for this service. Costs typically range between $0–$160 a month.
Apps and Integrations
If you plan to use apps like analytics plug-ins to enhance your website’s functionality, the cost varies based on where you get them and how many you integrate. For a standard small-business website, $0–$100 a month is a reasonable benchmark.
Marketing and SEO Tools
Like third-party apps, the cost of marketing and SEO products is based on how extensive your toolkit is. For basic setups, you may spend little to nothing, while more advanced tools and platforms can run up to $1,000 per month.
Website Design Costs
The design process heavily influences the cost of website development. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main approaches.
DIY Website Builders
The best website builders harness AI to help small businesses and solo creators produce pristine designs just by writing clear text prompts. Genstore’s Design Agent, for example, builds unique landing and product pages that perfectly match your brand identity and chosen aesthetic in minutes.
Some website builders offer free plans, but they may be limited. Budget about $0–$200 a month for a subscription to unlock more robust design and customization options.
Web Design Freelancers
Unsurprisingly, custom website design by a professional costs a lot more than using a website builder. But, what’s the cost of hiring a website designer? A ballpark figure is $2,000–$8,000—again, according to your specific web design needs.
Full-Service Agencies
What’s the cost of a basic website versus a more complex bespoke one? Well-regarded agencies that can handle heavy-duty web design cost much more than freelancers, in the range of $10,000–$35,000.
How Much Do Different Types of Websites Cost?
The cost of website development varies dramatically based on the type of website you’re looking to create. Here’s how it breaks down.
E-Commerce Websites
As we’ve seen, working with freelance website designers or web design agencies can cost thousands. Luckily, e-commerce platforms make it a lot easier and more affordable to create an online storefront. By using an e-commerce website builder, you can bring your website costs down to approximately $0–$200 a month. Leading website builders like Genstore include dropshipping capabilities to save you even more on product sourcing and order fulfillment.
Blogs
Blogs are usually simple websites you can create for free or a nominal sum. Like e-commerce pages, you might pay up to $200 a month if you have expansive needs, but it’s very possible to get by paying little to nothing using content-focused website builders like WordPress and Wix.
Online Portfolios
If you’re a creator, you need a solid online presence to show off your work and attract new clients. Making an online portfolio is a cost-effective option you can often implement for free using a website builder, unless you need custom web design. In that case, the same range of $2,000–$8,000 for freelancers and $10,000–$35,000 for agencies applies. You’ll probably land at the lower end of the scale, however, since you won’t need many features.
Tips for Reducing the Cost of Building a Website
These money-saving tips will help you cut down on the cost to build a website without settling for an inferior product.
Start Small
Instead of trying to include every feature from day one, focus on building your website step by step. Begin with a simple, one-page site that covers the basics—like your business info, contact details, and key products or services—and gradually add additional pages, like a blog, product pages, or an “About” section, as your site grows. This approach helps you launch faster, stay within budget, and refine your content based on real visitor feedback.
Bundle Costs With an All-In-One Website Builder
Small-business website builders that offer an end-to-end solution, including everything from AI web designers to SEO-optimized marketing campaigns, tend to be cheaper than buying services à la carte. Platforms like Genstore even include custom domains and hosting with every plan, making it easy to bundle your website needs in a single platform while keeping your budget in check.
Keep Up With Website Maintenance
Regularly monitoring your small-business website helps you track performance, uptime, security, and plugin or software updates. By keeping an eye on these areas, you can avoid paying for unnecessary services—like premium plugins, extra hosting resources, or technical support you don’t actually need. Monitoring your site also lets you catch small issues early, such as broken links, slow-loading pages, or security vulnerabilities, preventing costly problems down the line and keeping your website running smoothly.
Don’t Overpay for Apps and Add-Ons
Choose a website builder that offers a variety of free and low-priced integrations. This keeps costs down so there’s more room in your budget for other expenses, like web hosting and a custom domain name.
Try Before You Buy
Look for website builders that offer free trials so you can explore their features and see what works for your business before signing on the dotted line. This approach lets you make an informed decision while keeping your initial costs low.
Slash Website Development Costs With Genstore
The biggest expense in traditional website building comes from hiring professional designers and developers. Compared to those costs, domain names and shared hosting are minor. Thankfully, modern website builders can deliver the same—or even better—results in a fraction of the time and cost.
Genstore’s website builder has everything you need to launch a successful e-commerce store without busting your budget. Our suite of AI Agents handles website design and development, letting you go live in minutes. But Genstore doesn’t stop there.
To draw in more customers, the Campaign Agent conducts in-depth analysis of user behavior and competitors to deploy SEO-optimized email, SMS, and social media campaigns that drive results. Once visitors arrive, the Customer Service Agent steps in to provide 24/7 support and on-point product recommendations. This way, you can focus on growing your store without getting bogged down in day-to-day tasks.
Sign up for Genstore today, and watch your vision come to life.