PUBLISHED August 7, 2026

How much does a website cost in 2026?

An honest breakdown of website pricing: what costs €500, what costs €5,000, and where the difference comes from.

The most common question I get before a first call: "How much does a website cost?" The honest answer is "it depends," which isn't useful to anyone. Here are the actual numbers I can give, and what's behind them.

The short answer

• ›A simple one-page site (existing content, standard functionality) — from €500.
• ›A business website (several pages, contact form, blog or portfolio) — typically €1,500–3,500.
• ›An e-commerce store (product catalogue, cart, payment integration) — typically €3,000–8,000.
• ›A web application (client portal, login, custom functionality) — usually starts at €5,000 and scales with scope.

These are ranges, not fixed prices. The exact number depends on what you actually need.

What the price is made of

A website's price isn't one number — it's the sum of several things.

Design. Are you building a brand from scratch, or do you already have a logo, colors, and a visual identity? Starting from zero takes longer than translating an existing identity into a website.

Development. How many pages, what functionality (forms, calculators, login, multiple languages), and how much custom logic is involved.

Content. Is the copy and photography ready, or does it need producing alongside the build? Content production is often the underestimated cost.

Hosting and maintenance. Building the site is a one-time cost, but hosting and upkeep are ongoing — usually small, but worth planning for.

Why template-based sites look cheaper

Wix, WordPress themes, and other pre-built platforms look cheaper because most of the design work is already done. That's true in the short term. The hidden cost shows up later: templates are slower, look like a thousand other sites, and customizing them past a point often costs more than what you saved upfront. If your competitor uses the same template, nothing separates you but the text.

A custom site costs more upfront, but it's built for you — not merely adjusted for you.

When €500 is genuinely enough

Honestly: if you need a simple page with your contact details, what you do, and why someone should reach out, the €500 tier covers that completely. You don't need e-commerce functionality or a client portal if you don't need it. A bigger budget doesn't always mean a better result — the right budget is the one that matches what you actually need.

If you're planning to sell online, capture leads, or offer user accounts, it's more realistic to look at the higher ranges.

How to get comparable quotes

If you're asking several developers for a quote, describe the same thing to each of them: number of pages, required functionality, whether content is ready, and your timeline. Without that, you'll get quotes that differ wildly — not because one developer is more honest than another, but because each answered a different question.

If you're ready to start, take a look at website design and development or ask for a quote directly — I usually reply within 24 hours.