How Much Does It Cost To Build A Website?
When it comes to website development, important decisions await that can significantly influence your online presence. Two primary options stand out: leveraging website builders such as WordPress or Wix, or opting for the expertise of professional web design and development services.
The choice you make will reflect across various facets of your business, making the relationship between the cost to build a website and value pivotal.
We recommend website builders, as they are a cost-effective solution. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. The choice between website builders and professional services hinges on your specific needs, goals, and budget constraints.
Single Page Website | $100-$500 |
Simple Multi-Page Website | $500-1000 |
Simple Multi Page Website + Custom Theme + Plugins | $1000-$3000 |
Fully Custom Website Including Custom Themes, Custom Plugins, & APi integrations | $3000-100,000+ |
Let’s break this down even further.
When you opt for a website builder, you expect to pay around $9.99 per month. Similarly, when you are using WordPress, the add-on costs can set you back anywhere from $10 to $500.
In short, when calculating the cost of a website, always look for two things: value and money. You need to create a website that not only gets the job done but also doesn’t put a hole in your pocket.
Domain Name | $0 to $20 per year |
Web Hosting | $30 to $500 per year |
Theme Or Template | $0 to $100 (one-time fee) |
Professional Web Design | $100 to $5000 plus |
DIY Website Builder | $100 to $400 per year |
SSL Certificate | $0 to $249 per year |
Below, we are discussing all of these things in much more detail, giving you an in-depth overview of the costs you can expect to bear throughout your website development project.
How Much Does It Cost To Build A Website - A Complete Price Breakdown
Even though the cost to build a website can vary, you can expect to pay anywhere between 200$ to 50$ in upfront fees and maintenance costs.
This estimate can drastically increase if you decide to hire a website designer or developer who can charge you an upfront amount of $6,000, with an annual maintenance cost of $1,000.
Website Feature | Website Builder | WordPress | Web Designer |
Website Domain | Upfront Cost: $12 – $60 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $12 – $85 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $35 – $600 Monthly Cost: $0 |
Website Hosting | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $35 – $600 Monthly Cost: $2.95 – $50 | Upfront Cost: $35 – $600 Monthly Cost: $2.95 – $50 |
SSL Certificate | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $0 – $200 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $0 – $200 Monthly Cost: $0 |
Website Template or Theme | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $0 – $50+ Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 |
E-commerce Functionality | Upfront Cost: $144 – $700 Monthly Cost: $12 – $60 | Upfront Cost: $120 – $600 Monthly Cost: $10 – $50 | Upfront Cost: $5,000 – $30,000+ Monthly Cost: $500 – $1000+ |
Website Content | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $100 – $500 |
Apps and Integrations | Upfront Cost: $0 – $20+ Monthly Cost: $0 – $20+ | Upfront Cost: $0 – $100+ Monthly Cost: $0 – $100+ | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 |
SEO and Marketing | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $0 | Upfront Cost: $0 – $99 Monthly Cost: $0 – $99 | Upfront Cost: $0 Monthly Cost: $100 – $500 |
Website builders are also a better option comparatively than WordPress. Even though WordPress is on an open-source platform, you’ll still have to pay for the site’s hosting, domain names, themes, and possibly assistance from an expert developer, all of which adds up to your final cost.
Additionally, hiring a website developer isn’t a cheap option either! However, it’s a great choice if you have a sufficient budget for creating a website.
Hiring a web developer and designer gives you complete control over the website, enabling you to add complex features and functionalities at the back end. However, as most entrepreneurs can’t afford it, we won’t discuss that in detail here.
There’s another thing you need to remember here. Don’t go for a website developer or designer that charges you less than $5000. Otherwise, you’ll end up with disappointing results and almost $5,000 down the drain.
The Average Cost To Build A Website Using A Website Builder
The average cost to build a website using a website builder typically falls within the range of $5 to $50 per month. Let’s break down what these costs generally cover:
Website Builder Cost Breakdown | Required? | Price | More Info |
Monthly subscription | ✔️ | $5 – $50 per month | This covers hosting, security, free themes, and built-in features. |
Apps (optional) | ✔️ | $0 – $20+ per month | You can install free or paid apps to expand your site’s functionality. |
Themes | ❌ | $0 | You don’t have to pay for website builder themes. |
Hosting | ❌ | $0 | You don’t have to pay for hosting – this is taken care of by your website builder. |
Security | ❌ | $0 | You don’t have to pay extra for security – you get security features built into your website builder to protect your site from threats. |
Professional help | ❌ | $0 | Website builders are easy to use, so you don’t need to hire a developer. |
This cost structure is a major factor in the popularity of website builders among individuals and small businesses with budget constraints. Here’s why:
- A website builder doesn’t require any technical knowledge or expertise from your end.
- A website builder can create a site within 1 to 3 days.
- They are suitable for personal websites and portfolios.
Similarly, website builders come in a plethora of pricing models. Some website builders are free to set up, while some can cost around $500 per month. However, the average price sits between $5 to $50 per month.
Let’s discuss the free plan first. The free plan may sound good on paper, but if you want to create a website that is scalable and gets visitors, then this isn’t a great choice. This also comes with various limitations. Here are a few of them:
- The visitors will get ads on the website.
- You’ll get a non-custom domain like mybrand.wix.com
- Feature limitations such as low storage and bandwidth allowances.
- You won’t see eCommerce features
- Little to no customer support
We only recommend a free plan when you are just trying out different options. Once you find a website builder that fits your requirements, you can upgrade to a premium pricing package.
Free Plan / Free Trial | Cheapest Ad-Free Plan | Cheapest eCommerce Plan | Most Expensive Plan | Number of Plans | |
Wix | Free plan | $16 | $27 | $159 | 5 |
Squarespace | 14-day free trial | $16 | $27 | $49 | 4 |
Shopify | 3-day free trial | $29 | $29 | $299 | 4 |
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The Average Cost To Build A WordPress Website
On average, a WordPress website would cost you $35 to $780 in upfront fees. After that, you can expect to pay $11-50 per month. Here’s a breakdown of the costs you might incur:
WordPress Cost Breakdown | Required? | Price | More Info |
Monthly subscription | ❌ | $0 | WordPress is free |
Apps / plugins (optional) | ✔️ | $0 – $100+ per month | There are both free and premium plugins. Some charge a one-off fee, while others you need to pay monthly or annually to use. |
Themes | ✔️ | $0 – $50+ upfront cost | There are both free and premium themes. You only pay a one-off charge for premium themes, rather than an ongoing subscription. |
Hosting | ✔️ | $2.95 – $85 per month | Hosting is an essential cost. It’s rare to find a host that accepts monthly payments, so you should expect to pay a minimum of $35 per year upfront. |
Security | ✔️ | $0 – $200 per year | Security can come built-in to your hosting plan, but it’s worth investing in extra security measures. There are free security plugins you can choose from if you’re on a tight budget. |
Professional help | ❌ | $80 – $180 per hour | This is an optional cost. If you’re building a custom site, chances are you’ll need a developer to help. This is the main factor that hikes up the cost to build a WordPress website. |
WordPress is all about the control and customization of your website. WordPress is great for:
- Entrepreneurs who lack technical expertise
- Users who want 100% customization on their site.
- Users who want to create blogs, business websites, and SaaS.
Not even HOI experts can point to an exact figure when talking about the cost of a WordPress website. That’s because the cost of a WordPress website comes down to a lot of different factors.
On paper, WordPress is an open-source platform, making it completely free to use for everyone. Secondly, it also features millions of free themes and plugins that keep the costs minimal.
However, if you want a scalable and high-performing website, you’ll need to invest in premium themes, plugins, and even hosting. Additionally, if you decide to hire a WordPress developer for all of this, your final website cost can skyrocket.
Another thing that can dramatically impact the cost of your WordPress website is the site hosting. You can find free alternatives to themes and plugins, but when it comes to hosting, you’ll have to pay no matter what. That’s because hosting is responsible for getting your WordPress website online.
So, the question comes back again: how much does it cost to host a WordPress website? Well, to put it simply, it depends on your hosting provider.
Now, there are over a million hosting providers globally, and you can choose any one of them. Some are good, some bad, and some downright ugly.
If you ask an HOI website development services expert, we always recommend using Bluehost. Even other WordPress experts say the same!
Don’t have website ideas? Read our blog on The Best Shopify Ideas
Hosting Types | Money-back Guarantee | Cheapest Shared WordPress Hosting | Cheapest Managed WordPress Hosting | Cheapest WooCommerce Hosting | Total Number of WordPress Plans |
Bluehost | 30 days | $2.95 | $19.95 | $9.95 | 9 |
InMotion | 90 days | $4.49 | $16.66 | $16.66 | 8 |
HostGator | 45 days | $7.95 | ❌ | ❌ | 3 |
Hosting Types | Usual Cost | Who Should Use It? |
Shared WordPress | $2 – $15 per month | New builders on a budget Bloggers (small blogs) Hobby builders People creating personal portfolios Students building school projects |
Managed WordPress | $20 – $60 per month | Bloggers (larger blogs) People building large portfolios Businesses |
eCommerce | $7 – $30 per month | Online stores Businesses selling products on the side |
Conclusion
In this blog post, we offer an in-depth overview of the cost to build a custom website. We also draw a comparison between using a website builder and WordPress. Now, we hope you have a better understanding of which one suits your site requirements and budget.
We also want to add more things here, that website building isn’t always about what’s cheaper or what’s expensive. When you are developing a website, you’ll also have to look at other things like resources, timeframes, technology, and design requirements.
For example, if you have time on your hands, you can do it all by yourself. Whereas when you want a completely scalable website, you’ll need to hire a professional WordPress developer from HOI Solutions.
Think thoroughly about your requirements as well as what you want from the site, budget, and the site’s features and functionality.
Don't just exist online, thrive!
Create your custom website with our expert developers.
FAQs
How much does it cost to build a business website?
The cost to build a business website can range from $1,000 to $10,000 or more, depending on features, design complexity, and functionality.
Can I make a website for free?
Yes, you can make a basic website for free using platforms like WordPress.com, Wix, or Weebly. Keep in mind that free options may have limitations, and a custom domain may incur additional costs.
Can I get a domain for free?
Generally, getting a domain for free is rare. While some platforms offer subdomains at no cost, a custom domain typically involves an annual registration fee, ranging from $10 to $20 or more.
