# Business development
How much does a website cost?
Red Rocket teamJun 5, 20248 min read
In This Article
What is the Average Cost of Building a Website? Common Methods of Website Development What Aspects Should You Consider When Registering a Domain Name? How Much Do Website Builders Cost? Comparing Popular Website Builders How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Web Designer or Agency? Which Is the Better Choice – Freelancer vs. Web Design Agency? What Are the Hidden Costs of Website Development and How Can You Save Money? Free Website Solutions – Do They Offer Real Value? Final Thoughts
Undoubtedly, every business today should have its own resource on the Internet. First of all, it demonstrates to potential clients and partners your authority, and builds trust in the brand. Secondly, it is an ideal option for the channel of attracting new customers, especially when it comes to the eCommerce industry. However, what about website cost these days?
Some people say that developing a website in 2025 might require you to spend a gigantic budget. At the same time, others keep repeating that you can create a website on your own for less than $1,000. Which one of them is right? Both are correct because there are many options for website development these days. In each case, the price can vary significantly, so we decided to break down the pricing in this article.
What is the Average Cost of Building a Website?
According to website number statistics for 2021, there were over 1.8 billion web resources on the Internet. It sounds impressive, doesn't it? However, we propose to move closer to our main topic and determine how much does it cost to create a site. Usually the price starts from 1 thousand dollars and can go up to 100 thousand. This difference in prices arises due to the size of the site, type, hosting, domain, method of construction, and so on. For example, the cheapest options are considered to be landing (one-page sites), because they can be quickly created.
Key Factors That Affect Website Pricing
To determine the final website cost in advance, you need to find out how the price is formed. There are many factors that affect the pricing of building web resources. That is why the average value can differ so much in each case.
- Domain and hosting. A good and reasonable price for a domain name is around $10-$15 per year, while hosting services also vary and can cost you around $3 to $50+ per month.
- Design. The cost of a website depends a lot on the design process. Even a simple template design may cost you anywhere between $500 and $1,000 and custom designs can be up to $2,000-$10,000 or more.
- Functionality. The price will be determined by how functional your website is, including e-commerce, content management systems and interactive elements. Some of the basic websites with few features may cost from $1,000 to $5,000.
- Security system. To protect your website against cyber threats, you need an efficient security system, and its cost differs with the level of protection. Security features often cost $50 to $200 per year.
However, the price can vary greatly depending on how you build a website. If you use a website builder like Wix or WordPress, you save money on all of the above factors.
Common Methods of Website Development
Obviously, the final cost to build a website depends on the method you choose. We want to tell you below about the two most common tactics in 2025. We recommend that you analyze them against each other in advance, identifying weaknesses and strengths in order to make a decision.
Manual Website Development
Creating a website on your own means you require the services of developers and designers who would work on your site and make it unique for your business needs. This process includes custom design, coding, and complex integrations to be able to have the highest flexibility and scalability. If you wish to have total control over your website, you can select to build a website from scratch.
Website Builder Development
A website builder to create a site is a cost-effective, user-friendly option for businesses with limited technical expertise. Pre-designed templates and easy drag-and-drop make these platforms open to people to launch a professional-looking site easily. However, customization options are much fewer than those with manual development.
What Aspects Should You Consider When Registering a Domain Name?
The domain name you register must be easy to remember and related to your brand when it comes to registering your domain. Choose a domain extension (.com, .org, etc.) that goes well with the business your company is into and will thereby help you in gaining credibility. Also ensure that the domain is SEO friendly with the relevant keywords incorporated in it as much as possible. Finally, make sure to see if the domain is available on social media platforms to keep a consistent online branding.
Website Hosting Options
You must choose the right website hosting option for the performance of your site and its security. Shared hosting is the most budgeted hosting method and ideal for small websites. However, the speeds can be slower, and you would have limited resources. Medium-sized websites require more control and better performance, and thus, VPS (virtual private server) hosting is just right.
What about scalability? This is one of the main reasons cloud hosting is being favoured by some growing businesses that require flexibility. Also, pick a hosting provider with good customer support, uptime guarantees, and good security features.
How Much Do Website Builders Cost?
Surely, one of the actual options for creating websites is special online constructors. They allow you to create web resources without knowledge of design, programming, and other technical aspects. Another benefit of website builders is their price. You don't have to hire a designated team of developers and pay them tens of thousands of dollars to implement projects. They usually work on a subscription model. In simple words, you pay a fixed subscription price every month and enjoy all the features of the builder. On average, their price starts from 10 dollars per month.
Comparing Popular Website Builders
As you might have already realized, website builders are in huge demand among modern companies. Especially they are often used by startups and aspiring entrepreneurs who don't have a huge budget. However, there are dozens of website builder options offered on the modern market. Which one is the best to choose? We suggest comparing a few of the most common builders so you can make your decision.
Wix
Wix is such that it is easy to use and allows beginners who have no coding experience. This is a simple drag-and-drop website builder. It features an extensive collection of templates that trim the time needed to develop a visually stunning website in a fraction of the time. In addition to all these essentials, Wix also comes with SEO tools, mobile optimization, and an app marketplace to add additional functionality.
On the other hand, while Wix is really good for small businesses or when you just want to create a portfolio or a nice personal website, it doesn’t have the freedom or the possibility to customize in the way you want if that’s needed. Wix’s plans range from $14 per month on the basic side for pricing to over $39 per month, which includes many advanced features.
Shopify
First, you need to know that Shopify is an e-commerce platform made specifically for preparing and administrating e-commerce businesses. Built-in payment gateways, inventory management, and shipping tools make it an excellent option for a business that wants to grow. Shopify allows users to customize the look of their store and offers themed apps to add functionality to their store.
Despite being geared more toward e-commerce, Shopify is considerably more expensive, starting at $29 per month and rising to $299 per month (for advanced features). If you have a specific business dedicated only to selling products online and require managed stores, this is better suited for businesses that enjoy selling various products.
Elementor
Elementor is a very versatile WordPress page builder that lets you customize pages in depth and offers a drag-and-drop interface. It has an advanced design with features such as dynamic content, responsive editing, and large suites of widgets, including forms, sliders, and carousels. Elementor is popular among beginners and seasoned designers since it enables users to have complete control over site layout without a need to code.
The problem is that it requires an existing WordPress site, which may be a barrier to other users. While Elementor’s free version has lots of functionality to offer, with its premium tier starting at $49 per year, you can enjoy more widgets and a whole lot more with advanced features.
How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Web Designer or Agency?
There are several options if you want to build a website. For example, you can hire an individual web designer or contact a professional agency. However, which solution will be cheaper? According to Upwork, the average rate of a web designer for one hour of work is 21 dollars. Turning to an agency, most likely creating a website will cost more. Despite this, agencies provide a comprehensive approach and a guarantee of the result. You can be sure that your web resource will be created in time and meet your requirements.
Which Is the Better Choice – Freelancer vs. Web Design Agency?
If it comes to a freelancer or a web design agency, it just depends on your project’s complexity and budget. Most companies prefer to involve freelancers for small projects, also when a cheaper solution is required. However, the prices that they charge are as low as $500 or as high as $5,000, depending on the scope. On the other hand, if your project calls for a wide palette (marketing, development, strategy), a freelance specialist is not the best option.
The team of experts in agencies comes with a structured approach, guaranteeing the high quality of the results and a hassle-free process. Unlike freelancers, designing and developing a website with agency services usually costs from $1,000 up to $10,000+ (and possibly much more). Choose the option that will best suit your project size, timeline, and goals.
What Are the Hidden Costs of Website Development and How Can You Save Money?
Are you planning a budget for a new website? Note that you should include all sorts of costs. That's why you should familiarize yourself with the hidden charges you may encounter during the process:
- Pictures and videos. Quality pictures and images for content on a website usually cost money. Each picture can cost several dollars.
- Templates. Designers offer a large assortment of custom templates for design. Most of them are paid and can cost around $100.
- Integrations. You may need the help of special tools to integrate your site with the systems you need. Subscriptions cost about $20 a month.
- Search Engine Optimization. You should also optimize your website as soon as you create it. This may cost you extra (about $60 per hour).
All of the above factors can significantly increase the final cost of building a website. Therefore, we recommend that you take them into account in advance when you are planning your budget for the project.
Free Website Solutions – Do They Offer Real Value?
Wix, WordPress, and Weebly are free website solutions that are especially attractive for individuals with a tight budget or small businesses. They offer the basic features of drag-and-drop user interfaces and templates but usually with constraints, for example, branded domain names, lower levels of customization, and no support from customers. Free options might not give the professional appearance or variety needed for expanding businesses. Free products are suitable for those only looking for a basic online presence; however, for brand longevity and a job dedicated image, most pay for a paid plan or custom development.
Cost-Saving Tips for Small Business Owners
Small business owners can reduce their website cost in 2025 by using open-source content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, which offer free themes and plugins. Another cost-effective solution is opting for shared hosting rather than dedicated hosting. Also, starting with a template-based design is efficient and economical since most times, custom designs are expensive. Avoiding unnecessary features, such as excessive animations or high-end integrations, can keep development costs down. Lastly, consider hiring freelancers or smaller agencies, as they may offer lower rates compared to large firms without sacrificing quality for smaller projects.
Final Thoughts
As you may have already realized, creating a website with a professional approach is what any modern company needs. You can attract new customers, partners, increase sales with the help of your own web resource. A quality website can cost several thousand dollars. However, the final price depends on the type, volume, selected tools, and other aspects. Definitely, a quality website is worth the investment. We recommend you contact only reliable experts like Red Rocket. We take a personalized approach to each client, taking into account the needs and goals in website development.Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to build an eCommerce store?
The price of online stores starts at 2 thousand dollars and can go up to 30 thousand. It all depends on whether you use a template website builder or create a custom store from scratch. Also, the price may be influenced by the number of products, wishes in the design, and additional integrations of the online store.
What are some cost-saving tips for making a website?
To save money on building a website in 2025, you can use a few common practices. First of all, find the best deal from hosting providers and save on the domain. Instead of expensive photos, use free stock images to get high-quality images for the website. You can also look for budding freelancers who will make the cost of building a website low.
How to minimize website maintenance costs?
If you want to reduce the cost of website maintenance, you should follow a few simple rules. For example, when developing a website, use simple elements and an easy design. This will save you from complex and expensive maintenance of complex resources. Use well-known CMS systems that simplify interaction with the resource. Do not forget also to make regular backups to save all the important information.
