Guide · Website pricing
How much does a website cost in 2026?
Most small business websites cost $2,500–$5,500 when an independent designer builds them in 2026. A one-page landing page runs $625–$2,500, a custom-designed site $5,500–$15,000, and a Shopify store launch $3,750–$7,500. Agencies usually charge more for the same scope: published 2026 ranges put an agency-built brochure site at $5,000–$15,000. Doing it yourself on Squarespace or Wix costs about $200–$1,200 a year in plan fees, plus your time.
Those are my real prices, at $125 an hour. The estimator below shows where your project lands and why.
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Where the hours go
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A starting point, not a quote. I’ll confirm a fixed price after a short call.
Website prices in 2026, by type
| Type | What you get | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | One focused page for a launch, a campaign or an offer. | $625–$2,500 | 5–20 hours |
| Small business site | 5–15 pages on a polished, well-built template, set up so you can edit it yourself. | $2,500–$5,500 | 20–44 hours |
| Custom-designed site | Designed from scratch around your brand and content, 10 to 50+ pages. | $5,500–$15,000 | 44–120 hours |
| Shopify store launch | Theme setup and customization, products, payments, shipping and launch checks. Shopify cost guide | $3,750–$7,500 | 30–60 hours |
| Redesign that keeps your Google rankings | The matching price above, plus moving and redirecting your current pages. That part depends on how many pages you have, so the estimator works it out. | Adds 4–100 hours | By page count |
| Complex builds | Custom apps, customer portals, heavy integrations. | $15,000+ | 120+ hours |
My prices at $125 an hour. Every project gets a fixed quote after a short call.
Three ways to get a website, and what each costs
Prices for the same kind of site: a small business site of 5–15 pages.
Build it yourself
$200–$1,200
a year in plan fees, plus your time
Squarespace plans run $19–$99 a month and Wix $17–$159 a month on annual billing. A good fit when the budget is tight and the site is simple. (Style Factory, Website Builder Expert)
Hire an independent designer
$2,500–$5,500
my price, built and launched
You work directly with the person designing and building the site, from the first call to launch. No account managers, no hand-offs. A custom-designed site runs $5,500–$15,000.
Hire an agency
$5,000–$15,000
for a similar brochure site
US agencies most often bill $100–$149 an hour, and agency projects tend to involve more people. Small custom sites commonly run $15,000–$25,000. A good fit when you need a big team and ongoing marketing. (Clutch, Dribbble)
What drives the price
- 01
Page types, not page count
Ten pages that share one layout cost far less than ten different layouts. What matters is how many distinct kinds of pages the site needs.
- 02
Template or custom design
A strong template with your brand applied is the biggest money-saver there is. Custom design pays off when the site has to stand out or do something unusual.
- 03
Words and photos
The most underestimated cost. If the copy isn’t ready, the project waits on it. Writing help adds about 10–20% in the estimator.
- 04
Features and connections
Booking, email signups, CRM hookups and anything custom each add hours. A simple contact form is included.
- 05
Moving an old site
If your current site gets traffic from Google, every old URL needs a new home (a redirect) or those rankings walk away. The work grows with the number of pages.
What it costs every year after launch
- Domain
- About $11–$25 a year for a .com. The wholesale price every registrar pays rises to $10.97 on November 1, 2026. (Findstack)
- Website builder
- Squarespace $19–$99 a month, Wix $17–$159 a month, on annual billing. (Style Factory, Website Builder Expert)
- Shopify
- $29 (Basic), $89 (Grow) or $359 (Advanced) a month on annual billing; $39, $105 or $399 month to month. Online card fees on standard cards are 2.9%, 2.7% or 2.5% + 30¢. (Shopify)
- Apps, plugins and tools
- Anything from free to a few hundred dollars a month, depending on what you add. Worth listing before you build.
- Updates
- I handle small changes at my hourly rate, or we set up a monthly plan if you change things often.
Is AI making websites cheaper?
Yes, for the first draft. AI builders can turn out a passable one-page site in minutes, and for a side project that may be all you need. Designers, me included, use AI every day to move faster on drafts, code and research.
What AI hasn’t made cheap is the part that decides whether a site works: knowing what to say to your customers, structuring pages so Google and AI assistants describe your business correctly, connecting the tools you run on, and moving an old site without losing its rankings. Those still take a person who’s accountable for the result.
How to compare quotes
Ask
- Who will actually design and build it, and can you talk to them directly?
- Is the scope in writing: pages, features, rounds of changes, and what’s not included?
- Who writes the copy, and who provides the photos?
- If you’re replacing a site, what’s the plan for redirects?
- Will you own the domain, the site and every account?
- What will it cost each year after launch?
Red flags
- A price with no written scope.
- You can’t take the site with you, or someone else owns your domain.
- A monthly fee that bundles hosting and “maintenance” with no breakdown.
- A redesign quote with no mention of redirects.
Questions people ask
How much does a small business website cost in 2026?
With an independent designer, $2,500–$5,500 for a 5–15 page site on a quality template, or $5,500–$15,000 if it’s custom-designed. Agency quotes for a similar brochure site commonly run $5,000–$15,000.
How much does it cost to launch a Shopify store?
$3,750–$7,500 with me for most launches, plus Shopify’s plan: $29–$359 a month on annual billing, and card fees.
What does a website cost per month after launch?
For most small business sites, a builder or platform plan between $17 and $99 a month on annual billing, plus about $11–$25 a year for the domain. Shopify stores add card fees and any apps.
Is an independent designer cheaper than an agency?
Usually, for the same scope. Hourly rates can be similar (US agencies most often bill $100–$149 an hour), but agency projects tend to involve more people, and more people means more billed hours. The bigger difference is who you work with day to day.
Can I just use an AI website builder?
For a simple page you’ll keep small, yes, and it will cost about the builder’s plan. Once the site needs to rank, sell, connect to your tools or replace an old site, you’ll want a person.
Will a redesign hurt my Google rankings?
Not if every old URL is redirected and the content that ranks comes along. That’s the “replacing a site” step in the estimator.
Do you only work with businesses in Ann Arbor?
No. I’m in Chelsea, just west of Ann Arbor, and work with businesses anywhere in the US.
I’m Erik Leavell, an independent web designer and developer near Ann Arbor, Michigan. I’ve built for the web since 2009, led digital teams as a director, and still do the design and development myself. You work with me directly, from the first call to launch.
Sources
- Clutch, “How Much Does Web Design Cost?” (updated Sept. 21, 2026)
- Dribbble, “Web Development Agency Costs in 2026” (May 5, 2026)
- Shopify, “Pricing” (plans, card rates and fees, checked Oct. 15, 2026)
- Style Factory, “Squarespace Pricing and Fees (2026)” (Sept. 24, 2026)
- Website Builder Expert, “Wix Pricing 2026” (Sept. 15, 2026)
- Findstack, “Domain Renewal Prices” (Sept. 11, 2026)