Website costs depend on what you build and who builds it
A website can cost anywhere from $0 to $50,000 or more in the first year, depending on whether you use a free builder, pay monthly for a platform, or hire someone to design and code it. Most small businesses and individuals spend between $500 and $5,000 to get your free guide. The real question isn't "how much does a website cost" — it's what you're paying for: the platform itself, a domain name, hosting, design work, or ongoing maintenance.
The price also depends on what your site needs to do. A simple blog or portfolio looks different from an online store, which looks different from a membership site. Each adds features that cost money, either upfront or monthly. Understanding where your money goes helps you make a choice that fits your actual needs instead of paying for things you won't use.
Key Takeaways
- Free website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress.com have no upfront cost but charge $10 to $30 per month for a custom domain and remove their branding.
- Self-hosted WordPress (WordPress.org) costs $50 to $200 per year for hosting plus a domain, but requires you to handle updates and security yourself.
- Hiring a freelancer or agency to design and build a custom site typically costs $2,000 to $15,000 depending on complexity and your location.
- Monthly costs add up: a $15 platform fee plus $12 for a domain plus $10 for email hosting equals $37 per month or $444 per year.
- Ongoing maintenance, security updates, and backups are separate from the initial build and often get overlooked when budgeting.
Free and low-cost website builders
Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, Weebly, and WordPress.com let you build a site without writing code or paying anything upfront. You drag elements onto a page, add text and images, and publish. The free versions come with the platform's branding on your site and a subdomain (like yourname.wix.com instead of yourname.com).
To remove their branding and use your own domain name, you pay a monthly subscription. Wix plans range from $14 to $32 per month depending on features. Squarespace is $15 to $33 per month. WordPress.com starts at $4 per month but that plan still shows WordPress branding; removing it costs $8 per month or more. On top of the platform fee, you'll pay $10 to $15 per year for a domain name (yourname.com), though some platforms include it in higher-tier plans.
These platforms handle hosting, security updates, and backups for you. You don't need technical knowledge. The trade-off is less control over how your site works and less flexibility if you want custom features later. Moving your site away from these platforms is difficult, so you're somewhat locked in.
Self-hosted WordPress and other open-source options
WordPress.org (different from WordPress.com) is free software you install on a web server you rent. You pay for hosting — typically $5 to $15 per month from companies like Bluehost, SiteGround, or Kinsta — plus $10 to $15 per year for a domain name. That's $70 to $200 in the first year, then $60 to $180 per year after.
The advantage is complete control. You can install plugins to add features, change the design however you want, and own your data. The disadvantage is that you're responsible for keeping WordPress updated, installing security patches, backing up your site, and fixing things when they break. If you're not comfortable doing that work yourself, you'll need to hire someone, which adds cost.
Other open-source options like Drupal and Statamic work the same way: free software, paid hosting. They're more powerful than WordPress but steeper to learn. Most small sites don't need them.
Hiring a designer or developer
A freelancer or small agency can design and build a custom site tailored to your needs. Costs vary widely by location, experience, and complexity. A simple five-page site might cost $2,000 to $5,000. A more complex site with custom features, a database, or an online store might run $5,000 to $15,000. Agencies in major cities charge more than freelancers in smaller markets.
When you hire someone, clarify what's included: Do they own the code, or do you? Who pays for hosting after launch? Who fixes bugs? Who updates it when your platform changes? These details matter because they affect your long-term costs. Some designers hand you a finished site and step away. Others offer ongoing support for an additional monthly fee.
Hiring also takes longer. A freelancer might need two to four weeks; an agency might need six to twelve weeks depending on the queue. If you need a site quickly, a builder platform gets you live faster.
Domain names and email hosting
A domain name (yourname.com) costs $10 to $15 per year from registrars like Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains. Some website builders include it free in paid plans; others charge separately. The price is usually the same regardless of where you buy it.
Email hosting is separate from your website. If you want an email address at your domain (you@yourname.com), you have options. Some website builders include basic email forwarding free. Others charge $5 to $10 per month per mailbox. Google Workspace (Gmail for your domain) costs $6 per user per month. Hosting companies often include email with your hosting plan. Check what's included before you pay separately.
Ongoing costs after launch
The initial build is one expense. Keeping the site running is another. If you use a website builder, your monthly fee covers hosting and updates. If you self-host WordPress, you pay for hosting, and you (or someone you hire) handle updates and security.
Other ongoing costs include: SSL certificates (usually free or $10 to $100 per year), backups (free to $10 per month), security monitoring ($5 to $50 per month), and plugins or extensions that add features ($0 to $50 per month depending on what you use). If you hire someone to maintain the site, that's typically $50 to $200 per month.
Many people forget about these costs when budgeting. A site that seems cheap at $15 per month can actually cost $50 to $100 per month once you add email, backups, security, and maintenance.
Comparing total cost over three years
| Option | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free builder (Wix) with domain | $288 | $288 | $288 | $864 |
| WordPress.com with domain | $168 | $168 | $168 | $504 |
| Self-hosted WordPress (basic) | $180 | $120 | $120 | $420 |
| Self-hosted WordPress (with maintenance) | $900 | $1,560 | $1,560 | $4,020 |
| Freelancer-built custom site | $3,500 | $500 | $500 | $4,500 |
| Agency-built custom site | $10,000 | $1,200 | $1,200 | $12,400 |
These numbers assume basic maintenance and no major redesigns. Actual costs depend on your choices: whether you handle updates yourself, whether you add paid plugins or extensions, and whether you need professional help later.
The table shows why the cheapest option upfront (self-hosted WordPress at $180 per year) can become expensive if you hire someone to maintain it. It also shows why hiring a freelancer often costs less over three years than hiring an agency, even though the initial investment is higher.
What affects the price most
The biggest cost driver is whether you hire someone or build it yourself. A freelancer or agency charges for their time. Everything else — platforms, hosting, domains — is relatively cheap. If you have time and are willing to learn, you can build a functional site for under $200 per year. If you need it done quickly or want custom design, you'll spend thousands.
The second factor is features. A simple blog or portfolio costs less than an online store, which costs less than a membership site with user accounts and payments. Each feature adds complexity, which adds cost whether you're paying a platform fee or hiring someone to build it.
The third factor is ongoing support. A site you build yourself and maintain yourself costs less per month but more of your time. A site you hire someone to maintain costs more per month but frees up your time for other work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I really build a website for free?
Yes, using free tiers of Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress.com. The catch is that your site will have their branding and a subdomain (not yourname.com). To use your own domain and remove their branding, you'll pay $10 to $30 per month. A domain name itself costs $10 to $15 per year.
Is WordPress.org cheaper than Wix or Squarespace?
It can be, if you handle updates and maintenance yourself. Hosting plus domain runs $70 to $200 per year. But if you hire someone to maintain it, costs climb to $500 to $2,400 per year. Wix and Squarespace are predictable monthly fees with no maintenance work on your end.
What's the cheapest way to get a professional-looking site?
Use a website builder like Squarespace or WordPress.com with a paid template. You'll spend $15 to $30 per month plus $10 to $15 per year for a domain. Total: around $200 to $400 per year. The design is professional because it's built into the template, not custom-made for you.
Should I hire a freelancer or an agency?
Freelancers are cheaper ($2,000 to $5,000) and faster. Agencies cost more ($5,000 to $15,000+) but often provide ongoing support and handle larger projects. If you need a simple site quickly and cheaply, a freelancer works. If you need complex features or ongoing maintenance, an agency may be worth the cost.
Do I need to pay for maintenance after my site is built?
If you use a website builder, maintenance is included in your monthly fee. If you self-host WordPress, you can do updates yourself for free or pay someone $50 to $200 per month to handle them. Most people should budget for some maintenance, even if it's just annual security updates.