With so many tools and platforms out there, from AI-powered builders to full-service agencies, the cost of a website can range dramatically.
That said, costs don’t necessarily hold businesses back from building a website. A 2025 survey by Clutch found 83% of small businesses in the US now have a website. Just 16% of those who don’t cited cost as the main reason.
This guide breaks down the cost of a website so you can launch one with confidence and make every dollar count.
How much does it cost to build a website in 2026?
The cost of a website in 2026 ranges from around $10 to $100,000-plus, according to digital marketing agency WebFX. Total costs can include hosting, design, SSL certification, ecommerce functionality, and domain names.
There are different approaches to creating a website, such as building it from scratch, using open-source platforms, subscribing to a website builder service, or hiring a professional developer. Each has different cost ranges.
| Approach | Price range | Pros | Cons | Suited to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY, open-source software | $0 to $299-plus per month | Free options available | Typically no support and may have a steep learning curve | Side hustlers, personal projects, portfolios |
| Website builders | $0 to $2,500-plus per month | All-in-one platforms bundle website functionality and hosting | Monthly fees can add up for third-party apps, some platform lock-in | Small businesses, solopreneurs, beginners |
| Custom development | $1,000 to $150,000-plus per project | Fully tailored to your needs, scalable, and professional | Larger upfront costs, takes longer, requires ongoing maintenance | Established businesses |
Website builder costs
Website builders can offer user-friendly, drag-and-drop tools and templates. They can be free, but to publish the site, audit it, and employ more advanced features, you may need to pay for extensions.
Mordor Intelligence found subscriptions under $15 per month accounted for 38.1% of website builder spending in 2025.
AI website builders: the new cost-effective option
AI website builders like Shopify, Framer AI, and Hostinger’s AI builder use prompts and automation to help you build a website. You don’t need to know how to code or even write your own copy. They can do most of that for you. Prices vary depending on the platform and features.
On Shopify, for example, every plan has Sidekick as standard. The AI assistant can:
- Make changes to your website design
- Write product descriptions and marketing copy
- Generate images
- Help you learn the Shopify admin
6 factors that affect website costs
Domain name registration, design, hosting, ecommerce functionality, SSL certificates, and mobile optimization can all influence how much a website costs.
1. Domain name
A domain name is a uniform resource locator (URL) that serves as the address for your website.
Some website building software, including Shopify, include a free subdomain, but if you want a custom name, you must purchase it via a domain name registrar. Shopify merchants can buy domain names through the Shopify platform.
Average cost of a domain name
Domain name registration can cost between $1 and $20-plus annually. Buying pre-existing domains can cost much more. AI.com, for example, reportedly sold for $70 million.
2. Website design
Website building platforms have built-in web design tools. These often start with basic website templates—in Shopify, these are called themes—to which you can add images, text blocks, and videos.
For a custom small business web design, you may need the services of a professional web designer or web design agency. These come at an extra cost.
Average cost of website design
Website design costs can fall in two categories:
- Prebuilt themes: $0 to $400-plus
- Custom design and development: $1,000 to $150,000-plus, depending on the complexity, features, and functionality, according to a 2026 survey by Goodfirms. Most (63%) agencies quoted between $1,000 and $15,000.
3. Website hosting
Your website content lives on a computer server, and that server presents your site’s info to users who type in your site’s URL. This is called website hosting.
There are different types of web hosting plans, including shared hosting (where multiple websites share a single server) and dedicated hosting (where your business gets a server all to itself).
Average cost of web hosting
Web hosting costs from a few dollars up to $1,000 per month, according to WebFX. Shopify bundles web hosting into its subscription plans, which start at $29 per month.
4. Ecommerce functionality
If you want your small business website to include an online store, you need a site-building platform that supports ecommerce. This includes product pages and checkout functionality. It will also require enrolling with a payment processor like Shopify Payments, which requires additional payment processing fees.
Average cost of ecommerce functionality
The cost of ecommerce functionality depends on the platform:
- Open-source platforms (WooCommerce or Magento). No cost to download, but you may be charged for extensions, premium plug-ins, and themes.
- Hosted solutions (Shopify, BigCommerce, or Wix). $16 to $300-plus monthly, depending on the plan and features, plus payment processing fees.
5. SSL
An Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate creates an encrypted connection between your website and visitors’ web browsers. Business websites typically need these secure connections to handle financial transactions.
Shopify subscribers get a type of free SSL certificate called a Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate. Advanced SSLs, like an organization-validated (OV) certificate or an extended validation (EV) certificate, can cost anywhere from $50 to $1,000-plus per year, according to Elementor.
Average cost of SSL
SSL certificate costs depend on the type of certificate you need:
- Basic SSL. $0 (complimentary with Shopify and some other hosting providers) to $50 annually.
- Advanced SSL. $50 to $1,000-plus annually.
6. Mobile optimization
More than half of all web traffic as of the second quarter of 2026 comes from mobile devices, per StatCounter via Statista. Google even uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it prioritizes the mobile version of your site when ranking search results.
Mobile optimization involves tweaking the layout, buttons, images, and navigation so your site feels smooth and easy to use on a smartphone or tablet. Some website platforms include responsive design, which automatically change the layout to fit a screen, but custom tweaks might still be needed.
“We did a lot of no-nos when we created our site, like a 24-megabyte video on our homepage,” Andrew Benin, founder of Graza, says in a Shopify Masters interview. “That is just slowing it down.”
Average cost of mobile optimization
The cost to optimize a website for mobile depends on your approach. Responsive design is often included as standard with website builders like Shopify and Squarespace. Hourly rates for a professional UX designer range from $20 to $125, according to Fiverr. If you want to create a mobile app for your ecommerce business, Goodfirms says the cost can range from $40,000 to $250,000 or more.
Hidden costs to consider when building a website
Website costs may extend beyond the realm of website builders and web designers. You may find yourself budgeting for additional items such as:
Third-party integrations
Your ecommerce site may use third-party apps and premium plug-ins, like those found in the Shopify App Store. These apps cover all sorts of functions, from shipping to marketing to social media integration. Some are free, while others require a monthly subscription.
Themes
Themes, or pre-built templates, dictate the aesthetic and layout of your website. Some open-source platforms and website builders offer free and paid options. Shopify offers both for your ecommerce website design.
License for images
If you can’t afford to hire a photographer, you can always license images. Unsplash, for example, offers royalty-free images that are free to download and use for commercial purposes. You don’t need to give attribution to the original creator.
If an image is copyrighted, image licensing costs differ depending on the platform you source from and the type of license they’re sold under. Speak with an IP lawyer to clarify whether they’re safe for commercial purposes.
This article is for information purposes only and is not legal advice.
AI-generated content and images
Generative AI tools like Shopify Sidekick can write your homepage copy, generate blog posts, and create images. It’s built into the Shopify admin and included in all plans.
Some platforms—including ChatGPT and Google Gemini—offer free plans but limit how much you can generate before charging.
If you’re using AI for blog content or marketing copy, you’ll likely need to edit it heavily to make sure it sounds human, on-brand, and accurate.
SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) aims to make websites rank in search engine results pages (SERPs). The internet abounds with free SEO tools to help boost your search visibility, but many of these free platforms push you toward paid subscriptions.
An SEO strategy can involve SEO content writing, which may require paying a writer or hiring a content marketing agency. This can be expensive. In a 2026 survey, Goodfirms found most SEO companies charge between $1,500 and $5,000 per month.
Website security beyond SSL
Website security can include firewall protections, malware scans, regular backups, login protections, and software/plug-in updates. Some hosts offer security packages that include things like:
- Daily malware scans
- Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) protection
- Automatic backups
- Security monitoring and alerts
Shopify offers its users security features like web application firewall and DDoS protection, as well as hCaptcha to help analyze the behavior of your store’s visitors. Elementor states automated backup services can cost $20 to $100 or more a month.
Website maintenance expenses 2026
Keeping your website live will require a few ongoing website maintenance costs:
| Service | Ongoing cost |
|---|---|
| Website hosting | A few dollars up to $1,000 per month |
| SSL certificate | Free for basic SSL certificates with some hosts; $50 to $1,000 or more per year for advanced SSL certificates |
| CMS updates, backup, and disaster recovery | Included in many website builder plans |
| SEO | Free to $5,000 or more per month |
| Domain name | Between $1 and $20 or more annually |
Fiverr estimates website maintenance services can range from $5 for the smallest actions to thousands of dollars.
How to save money on website costs
If a website is too expensive to start or maintain, there are workarounds for a smaller budget:
DIY vs. professional ecommerce website development cost
Building a website yourself using open-source software or subscribing to an AI platform like Shopify can save you from the cost of hiring a professional developer. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2024 median pay for web developers and digital designers was $95,380 per year or $45.85 per hour.
Doing it yourself, with the help of an AI website builder, may be a good choice if:
- You need a simple website (a few pages, contact form, About page)
- You’re OK with using built-in features, including ecommerce functionality
- You have time to figure out the basics—or don’t mind Googling your way through it
Professional web development may be worth the investment if:
- You need something more complex (like a booking system and other custom features)
- You want a fully bespoke design
- You’re short on time or just want someone to handle it all
Verve Coffee Roasters first opted for custom development but was unhappy with the end product.
“We had spent a lot of money with some developers in San Francisco to build that for us and we didn’t like any of it,” says Colby Barr, CEO and cofounder, in a Shopify Masters interview. “We just scrapped the tens of thousands of dollars that we really didn’t have to spend and scrapped it and then just built it ourselves with Shopify.”
Annual vs. monthly payments
Many website builders, hosting platforms, and tools offer both monthly and annual plans. It might be tempting to stick with the lower monthly fee, especially when cash is tight, but paying annually can result in big savings.
For example:
- Shopify costs $39 per month or $29 per month if you pay annually.
- Hosting providers like SiteGround or Bluehost often run big discounts for multiyear plans.
Free and low-cost alternatives to premium services
You don’t always need the fanciest tools to launch a great website. Instead of:
- Paying for premium stock images, try royalty-free images on Unsplash or Pexels
- Hiring a copywriter, use Shopify Sidekick or ChatGPT to create a first draft
- Buying an expensive template, check out free website themes
Shopify, for example, offers free templates to create your site. The Shopify App Store also has free plug-ins for everything from email marketing to page speed and upselling tools.
Final thoughts on website costs
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to how much a website costs in 2026, and website design pricing trends change all the time. It depends on what you need, how you build it, and the tools you use along the way.
Website cost factors include:
- Who’s building it (DIY versus hiring a professional)
- Design complexity (template versus custom)
- Platform and hosting costs (monthly or annual pricing)
- Extras like SEO, mobile optimization, content, and security
- Hidden or ongoing fees costs like AI tools, premium plug-ins, or tech support
Whatever your budget, platforms like Shopify lets you start an online store, manage everything in one place, and grow at your own pace.
How much does a website cost in 2026 FAQ
What is the average cost of a website?
The cost of a website in 2026 ranges from $10 to $100,000 or more, according to WebFX, and can depend on whether you build it yourself or hire professionals. Simple DIY sites are on the lower end (no cost using open-source software or a free website builder), while custom-designed, feature-rich sites cost more.
Can I run a website free of cost?
There are free website builders and open-source options available, however, you may need to pay for additional features like a custom domain name or ecommerce functionality.
Is a website worth the money?
Whether a website is worth the money depends on how much you’re paying and what you’re using it for. Only 16% of small business owners who don’t have a website told Clutch in a 2025 survey that cost was the main reason.
Is it cheaper to build your own site?
It depends on the complexity of your website. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the median salary of website developers and digital designers was $95,380 per year. It may be cheaper to build your own website with an AI website builder. On Shopify, plans start at $29 per month with an annual subscription and include website hosting, a free subdomain, and access to free website themes. You also get access to an AI assistant, Sidekick, to help you through the process.
