How much does a website cost?
In short: There is no off-the-shelf price for a website, because what it costs depends on its scope. Four things matter most: how many pages it has, which features it needs, how many languages it appears in and who supplies the copy and images. Then there are two kinds of cost: one-time costs for the build, and running costs for hosting, the domain and maintenance. A good quote lists both separately and in writing.
What drives the cost of a website?
Its scope, and you decide that yourself. Each of these points can stay small or grow:
Pages
Every page is planned, designed and filled with content. The kind of page counts for more than the number: ten pages built from one template are less work than five with layouts of their own.
Less work: One page for everything
More work: A page for each service
Features
A contact form is almost always part of it. Anything beyond that brings work of its own, most of all connections to software you already use, such as your calendar or accounting.
Less work: A contact form
More work: Bookings, shop, chat assistant
Languages
Each extra language gets its own pages and copy. More on this further down.
Less work: One language
More work: Several, right to left too
Copy, photos and logo
If you supply the copy and images yourself, this part drops out; for images, the rights should be clear. If they need to be made, they are separate items.
Less work: Supplied by you
More work: Newly made
Design
A design of your own takes more time than an adapted template. In return, your website doesn’t look like everyone else’s, and each further page comes together faster from the same building blocks.
Less work: Adapted template
More work: A design of your own
SEO
For customers to find you on Google, your pages need a clear structure and the words people search for. If you like, the work goes on every month after that, with new copy, checks and a report.
Less work: For the launch
More work: Growing every month
Care after launch
Hosting, updates, daily backups, monitoring around the clock and changes to your content are running costs. You help decide how much time for changes is included.
Less work: Hosting only
More work: Fully looked after
The points are connected: every extra language also needs its own copy, and every new feature has to be designed and explained. So it pays to settle what your website should do before you ask for the first quote.
Which costs are one-time, and which are ongoing?
You pay once for the build, then regularly for everything that keeps your website secure and up to date. Add the two together and you see what the website costs in its first year and in the years after.
Onceup to launch
- Planning the pages and their structure
- Design
- Building the pages and features
- Copy and translations
- Photos and logo, if they are made new
- SEO for the launch
- Moving an existing website, if needed
Ongoingmonthly or yearly
- Hosting
- Domain
- Email accounts
- Maintenance: updates, backups, monitoring
- Support and changes to your content
- Monthly SEO if you like
With us, both parts are listed separately in the quote. We bill hosting and maintenance monthly or yearly, with no minimum term, and your website lives on our server in Germany.
What does each extra language cost?
Each extra language gets its own pages and copy, and it has to be found on Google in its own right. What that costs depends mostly on who translates and how the language is written.
Pages and copy
Each language gets its own pages at their own address. If you supply the translations, they are checked against the original; if they are written new, they are an item of their own.
Search terms
In every language, customers search with words of their own. A good translation uses exactly those words.
Script and direction
Languages read from right to left need a layout of their own and typefaces made for them.
Forms and emails
Forms, automatic emails and legal pages then exist in every language, and in a shop the order and payment too.
An existing website can get more languages later, too. More on this in What does a multilingual website need?
What should a good website quote include?
A good quote is in writing and clear enough to compare with another one. It should cover these points:
Quote
The scope
Which pages, features and languages are included, and who supplies the copy and images.
The price of the build
It refers to exactly this scope, so it’s clear what it covers and what it doesn’t.
The running costs, listed separately
Hosting, domain, email, maintenance and licences, whether they are billed monthly or yearly, and how long you are tied in.
The schedule
When your website should go live, and what you contribute by then, such as copy or photos.
Who owns what
After launch, the website, the domain and all files should belong to you, logins included, so you can switch provider at any time.
Care after launch
Who takes care of updates, backups and support, how much of it the running fee covers, and how bigger changes are agreed beforehand.
How do you compare two website quotes?
Put the quotes side by side and compare what each one delivers and what comes on top every month afterwards. The total alone tells you little.
Match the scope
Check that both include the same pages, features and languages, and whether copy and images are part of it. A difference in price is often a difference in scope.
Add it up
Add up the build and the running costs for the first year and for the years after, and ask who takes care of updates and backups.
Look at examples
Look at websites the provider has built and how they run today. You’ll find ours under Work.
How long does it take to build a website?
That depends on the scope and the content. A smaller website is usually online within a few weeks; bigger projects take longer.
It goes fastest when the copy and images are ready early and decisions don’t have to wait. Your quote includes a schedule for your project.
Website builder or web designer: which suits you?
With a website builder, you build and look after your website yourself; the hours you put in don’t show up on any invoice. With a web studio, you get it finished, and if you like the studio takes care of everything after that.
| Website builder | Web studio | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | You, with a template | The studio, your own |
| Copy and images | You | The studio or you |
| SEO | You | The studio |
| Technology and updates | The provider | The studio |
| Content changes | You | The studio or you |
| When you have questions | The provider’s support | One person you know |
You can still make changes yourself: if you want to manage your own content, we give you a system that allows it, such as WordPress with Divi. Otherwise we make the changes for you. More on our page about web design.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost per month?
Every month the running costs come due: hosting, the domain, email accounts and maintenance, and SEO if you like. How much they are depends on whether it’s a website or a shop, how many mailboxes you need and how much time for changes should be included.
How much does a 10-page website cost?
The number of pages is only one factor. Ten pages with copy and images you supply are a different project from ten pages in two languages, with appointment booking and new photos. For the price of exactly your plans, use our form: we send it to you personally.
Is a homepage the same as a website?
Not quite, though people often use the words for the same thing. Strictly speaking, the homepage is only the start page of a website. For the price, what counts is what the whole website should do.
How much does a web design agency charge for a website?
An agency or web studio takes care of design, copy and the build from one place, and looks after the website afterwards if you like. The price comes from the same points as anywhere else: scope, features, languages and content.
How much does a website redesign cost?
A redesign, meaning the renewal of an existing website, depends on the same points as a new one. On top of that, the old addresses redirect to the new ones, so visitors and Google find your pages again. More on redesigns in When is a website redesign worth it?
Do I own my website and domain?
With us, yes: after launch the website, the domain and all files are yours, and you can switch to another provider at any time. Check that every quote you get says so.
Where can I find your prices?
Our starting prices are on the Prices page. What your website costs depends on the points in this article: scope, features, languages and content. You get the exact price personally, through Your price in 5 steps.