How Much Does a Website Cost in 2025? Realistic Pricing Guide

One of the first questions I get from potential clients is: “How much will my website cost?”

The honest answer is: it depends. But don’t worry, in this guide I’ll give you real numbers and explain what factors affect the price.

Factors that determine the cost

Before talking about prices, you need to understand what makes a website more or less expensive:

1. Design complexity

• Simple landing page: 1-3 pages with basic information
• Corporate website: 5-10 pages with multiple sections
• Complex portal: +20 pages, animations, custom design

2. Functionality

• Basic: Contact form, image gallery
• Intermediate: Blog, newsletter, social media integrations
• Advanced: E-commerce, booking systems, member areas, dashboards

3. Content

• Do you have text and images ready?
• Do you need professional copywriting?
• Do you require photography or graphic design?

4. Maintenance and hosting

• Basic hosting: $5-20/month
• Premium hosting: $50-200/month
• Updates and support: $50-500/month

Realistic price ranges (2025)

Option 1: Do It Yourself (DIY)

Cost: $0 - $500

Tools:

• WordPress.com / Wix / Squarespace
• Pre-designed templates
• No code required

Advantages:

• Very economical
• Total control over changes
• You learn in the process

Disadvantages:

• Takes time (20-50 hours)
• Limited by templates
• Difficult to achieve professional results
• No technical support

Ideal for: Personal projects, basic portfolios, validating ideas

Option 2: Junior Freelancer

Cost: $300 - $1,500

What to expect:

• Functional site with modified template
• 3-7 days of development
• Basic design
• Standard features

Advantages:

• Economical
• Fast
• Sufficient for many businesses

Disadvantages:

• Little customization in design
• Limited post-launch support
• Quality issues may arise

Ideal for: Startups with tight budgets, MVPs, informational sites

Option 3: Experienced Freelancer

Cost: $1,500 - $5,000

What to expect:

• Semi-custom or fully personalized design
• 2-4 weeks of development
• Basic SEO optimization
• Responsive and fast site
• 1-2 rounds of revisions

Advantages:

• Price/quality balance
• Direct communication
• Flexibility
• Good results

Disadvantages:

• Depends on one person
• Timelines may extend
• Limited on very large projects

Ideal for: Small businesses, established companies, small e-commerce

Option 4: Small/Medium Agency

Cost: $5,000 - $20,000

What to expect:

• Completely custom design
• 4-12 weeks of development
• Dedicated team (designer + developer + PM)
• Digital strategy included
• Advanced SEO
• Post-launch support

Advantages:

• High quality
• Specialized team
• Established processes
• Backup and guarantees

Disadvantages:

• More expensive
• Slower processes
• May be overkill for small projects

Ideal for: Medium businesses, e-commerce with volume, complex projects

Option 5: Premium Agency

Cost: $20,000 - $100,000+

What to expect:

• Complete digital strategy
• Professional UX/UI design
• Custom development from scratch
• Complex integrations
• Digital marketing included
• Continuous support and maintenance

Advantages:

• Maximum quality
• Large teams
• Proven results
• Scalability

Disadvantages:

• Very expensive
• Long processes (3-6 months)
• Overkill for most

Ideal for: Large companies, corporations, high-budget projects

Specific cost breakdown

Landing Page

• DIY: $0-100 (domain + hosting)
• Freelancer: $300-800
• Agency: $1,500-5,000

Corporate Website (5-10 pages)

• DIY: $0-300
• Freelancer: $1,000-3,000
• Agency: $5,000-15,000

E-commerce

• DIY (Shopify): $29/month + template ($200-400)
• Freelancer (custom Shopify): $2,000-8,000
• Freelancer (custom development): $5,000-15,000
• Agency: $15,000-50,000+

Blog/Digital Magazine

• DIY (WordPress): $100-500
• Freelancer: $800-2,500
• Agency: $3,000-10,000

Recurring costs to consider

In addition to the initial cost, keep in mind:

1. Domain: $10-50/year
2. Hosting: $60-2,400/year
3. SSL: $0-100/year (many hosts include it)
4. Emails: $0-120/year
5. Maintenance: $200-6,000/year
6. Content updates: $50-500/month
7. Digital marketing: Variable

How to choose the right option

Ask yourself these questions:

1. How important is your website to your business?

• If it’s your main sales channel → Invest more
• If it’s just informational → You can go with a lower budget

2. Do you have time to do it yourself?

• If you have time and desire to learn → DIY
• If you need to focus on your business → Hire

3. How quickly do you need it?

• Urgent (1-2 weeks) → Freelancer with template
• Normal (1-2 months) → Freelancer or small agency
• Flexible (+3 months) → Agency with full process

4. Do you need continuous support?

• No → Freelancer or DIY
• Yes → Agency or freelancer with retainer

Red flags: when a price is suspicious

Too cheap:

• Complete e-commerce site for less than $500
• Promises of “professional site in 24 hours”
• No contract or clear terms

Too expensive:

• Simple landing page for more than $5,000
• Excessive monthly maintenance without justification
• Hidden costs that appear later

My recommendation

For small and medium businesses, the sweet spot is hiring an experienced freelancer ($1,500-5,000).

You get:

• Professional quality
• Direct communication
• Reasonable price
• Flexibility

And you can scale to an agency when your business grows.

Conclusion

There’s no “correct” price for a website. It depends on your needs, budget, and goals.

What’s important is:

1. Understanding what you’re paying for
2. Verifying the provider’s portfolio
3. Having a clear contract
4. Considering long-term costs

Need help defining your project? Let’s talk. I can give you a personalized quote with no commitment and help you understand exactly what you need (and what you don’t need to spend).