How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website in 2023? [Guide Update]
Interested in knowing - “how much does it cost to make a website in 2023?”
Website development cost of a small and simple website can start at around $1,000, while a custom, complex web platform like Airbnb may cost $300,000+.
To form a picture of possible web project costs, we have included some sums within this large discrepancy:
- Website built with the help of a ready-made solution [WordPress, Wix, etc.) - around $1,000
- Small site with core functionality (MVP, one-page) - from $10,000 to $20,000
- Basic website (e.g, online store) - from $60,000
- Mid-size website with extra features (e.g. marketplace) - from $100,000 to $150,000
- Complex website with advanced functionality and 2+ user roles (e.g. portals) - from 150,000 to $300,000+
This price range is related to the website size, complexity, chosen tech stack, selected IT team and vendor location, hourly rates, and specialization.
In most cases, it is hard to understand the website price based only on its layout.
Just compare these two websites and try to guess how much each of them would cost.
What if I tell you that the one on the right is a custom website and costs more while the website on the left is a WordPress website. The cost of the first ranges from $1,000 to $3,000, while the other starts at $60,000+.
How is that possible? The answer to factors influencing web and app development cost and other questions can be found in this guide, namely:
- Clarification of factors influencing development cost [vendor, development rates, website type, tech stacks, etc.]
- How much does it cost to build a website by yourself?
- Overview of key website builders and their price [Wix, WordPress, Shopify, Weebly]
- How much does it cost to make a custom website?
- Description of services and components that make up the total website development cost
- Additional expenses influencing web project cost [domain name, hosting, SSL, marketing]
- Visual info summary about website development cost via infographics
Once you read this guide, you will definitely know what factors are influencing the website price, compare different development options, and get an approximate cost range.
Statistical Insight in 2023 to Create a Website
The cost to develop a website varies on a number of factors. Take a look at how recent research papers answer - "how to build a website and its price":
1) Web Hosting Secret conducted a big investigation to determine the development cost of a 10-page website:
- Simple website cost ranges from $200 to $1,500
- Website with custom design costs around $1,500 – $5,000
- Website with custom design and features need $5,000 – $10,000 investment
- Ongoing development and marketing activities could cost anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 per month
2) WebFX, a digital marketing agency, states that the cost to create your own site in 2023, including design and launch phase, ranges from $12,000 to $150,000.
At the same time, website maintenance costs are anywhere between $400 and $60,000 annually.
3) Clutch, a top vendor-listing platform, also provides some web development cost estimates based on website type and the development region.
The website development cost will be the highest in North America based on web developers’ hourly rates. According to hourly rates for web services, here is an approximate price range for different IT vendor locations:
- North America: $46,200 - $237,600 (rate: $132-$170/hour)
- Western Europe: $21,350 - $109,800 (rate: $61-$120/hour)
- Eastern Europe: $12,250 - $63,000 (rate: $35-$60/ hour)
4) In 2023, Upwork states that new website price mostly depends on the website type and number of pages, where:
- Small business websites (8 to 16 pages) cost from $2,000 to $9,000
- Large business websites (25 to 75 pages) cost from $10,000 to $35,000
- Websites for online shopping (100 to 1,000 products) cost from $5,000 to $55,000
- Database websites (20 to 2,000 pages) cost from $6,000 to $75,000
All in all, there are lots of factors influencing the final cost and these ballpark figures can only barely give you a real website estimate. As well, systems have become more complex, and using complex logic requires more work and time to develop first-class web-based platforms.
Do you want to create a website?
Contact our team for a free consultation resulting in business and technical recommendations. We will elaborate on your project in detail and provide you with its budget and timeline estimate.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website: Influencing Factors
For starters, the final website pricing can be very different from the initial estimate because it is influenced by several factors, namely:
- Project type (social, on-demand delivery, networking, healthcare,etc.)
- Tech stack used (custom, by using ready-made CMS)
- Type of vendor you choose (freelancer, in-house specialist, IT agency)
- Vendor’s location (region, country)
- Vendor’s rate
- Number and complexity of features
- Number of platforms (web, mobile)
- Design complexity (basic, custom, use of animations and 3D elements)
Let's now outline all these aspects one by one.
1. Website Type & Purpose
What is the purpose of your website?
Depending on the answer, it’s possible to settle on a basis for a complex or small business website. Below, the eight main website types are briefly stated.
Below, the eight main website types are briefly stated.
1. Personal Website & Blog
Individual websites include personal blogs or informative pages to share news and advice with the public.
Personal website: The cost ranges from $1,000 to $15,000 (if you order a website in Ukraine with a range of $30-60 per hour for web services).
2. Brochure Website (Landing)
These websites are the simplest with regard to functionality. They usually consist of a few web pages and are mostly used to represent small businesses with their unique selling proposition (USP) or to serve marketing purposes in order to gain the interest of potential clients.
A brochure website usually displays contact details, an ‘about us’ page, and the possibility to send a request or other CTA (call to action).
Brochure web project: The price varies from $1,000 to $35,000+ if you decide to develop the simplest version of a brochure website with simple illustrations.
3. Corporate Website
These websites represent a particular business and are used to broadcast the services or goods the firm offers to the public online.
Corporate websites show the company’s portfolio and serve as a marketing tool. Check out the example of the updated website of software development company MLSDev.
Business website: The price is $2,500 for the simplest website. If you decide to go with a custom business website, the cost of the most basic corporate website can range from $8,000 to $60,000.
4. E-Commerce Site
This type of website is used to sell products and receive payments. This could be a small website run by a retailer, or you can develop a marketplace website where multiple merchants sell their products online (e.g. eBay, Amazon, Aliexpress).
Alibaba was created in 1999 by a group of students. Later that same year, they received a $25 million investment from Goldman Sachs and SoftBank for the future improvement of the local marketplace.
E-Commerce website: The cost ranges from $4,000 to $300,000+ depending on the outsourcing destination, development vendor, and tech stack.
5. Educative Website
This represents the websites of educational institutions or those that offer online courses (e.g. Udemy, Coursera).
Udemy received a $1 million investment in the seed round back in 2010, which allowed the founders to develop this well-known education platform.
eLearning platform: A basic version for eLearning website development - $60,000+ per platform depending on tech stack, development approach, the number of features, backend architecture complexity, etc.
6. Catalog Website
These are also called directories for a particular service or good, e.g. real estate properties, sales, jobs, hotels, car rentals, etc.
Examples are numerous and include Airbnb, TripAdvisor, etc. An extensive search system, location-based function, and feedback and rating systems are distinctive features of catalog websites.
In the beginning, Airbnb launched a very simple website. To sustain their business and further improve the website, its founders raised $30,000 in funding in 2009. A year later, they received another $20,000 in funding from Y Combinator.
Catalog site: The cost for this project type ranges from $10,000 to 150,000+ for one platform, depending on the website development option you choose, the number of features and integrations, etc.
7. Web Portal
These are informational websites that bring many web resources together and offer forums, emails, search engines, etc. (e.g. Yahoo, AOL). Portals are also employed as an internal tool at universities and companies to keep all important information in one place.
Web portal: The cost is $5,000-60,000 (for one platform) for a meaningful website with basic functionality.
8. Community Building Website (Social, Forums, Sharing Website)
These websites correspond to the community or thematic platforms. Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook fall into this category.
At the beginning of its existence in 2003, LinkedIn managed to raise $4.7M in round A funding, which allowed the company to move forward with its development. In 2019, the company’s R&D expenses accounted for $2.2 billion.
Social website: The price starts at $60,000+ if you decide to test your idea with a website that has a basic set of features.
As you can see, the website development cost highly depends on the website type, features, and technical aspects of the system.
9. Entertainment Website
This website type corresponds to a large range of different services, from video-streaming platforms like Netflix to music platforms like Spotify. Entertainment sites concentrate on creating valuable and high-quality content. As of 2022, SimilarWeb mentions the top sites devoted to arts and entertainment.
These top sites have been evolving for 10+ years and did not bloom overnight.
Entertainment platform: The cost starts at $60,000 for the first basic version with simple functionality.
Here, we finalize the website types mentioned above and their cost.
| Website Type | Specifics | Cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Website & Blog | if you develop the website yourself | $100 to $3,000+ | ~10 |
| Personal Website & Blog | if you hire a developer from Ukraine ($30-$60) | $1,000-$15,000 | ~80 |
| Brochure Website (Landing) | simple version/simple illustrations | $1,000 to $35,000+ | ~100 |
| Corporate Website | custom, but basic business website | $8,000 to $60,000 | ~160 |
| E-Commerce Website | varies based on IT vendor, outsourcing destination, and tech stack | $4,000-$300,000+ | ~1000 |
| Educational Website | basic, custom version | $60,000+ (for 1 platform) | ~1000 |
| Catalog Website | depends on the development option you choose, number of features, etc. | $10,000-150,000+ | ~1200 |
| Web Portal | based on the development option (ready-made solution of custom approach), website with very basic functionality | $ 5,000-60,000 (for 1 platform) | ~1200 |
| Community Building Website | basic feature-set | $60,000+ (for 1 platform) | ~1200 |
| Entertainment Website | varies based on IT vendor, outsourcing destination, and tech stack | $4,000-$300,000+ | ~1600 |
As you can see, the development cost highly depends on the website type, features, and technical aspects of the system.
2. Web Development Approach & Technology
The development approach and, consequently, the chosen tech stack, also influence the price.
Let's analyze the following options to find out:
1. Drag & Drop Website Builders
In other words, DIY (do it yourself) are usually created with platforms like Wix and Weebly. These services allow users to make your own website easily and quickly with some free plugins and a free SSL certificate.
These tools are recommended for personal web pages or individual blogs since their design and functionality options are limited to what the website builder has to offer.
Approximate website cost is around $1,000-$3,000 depending on the selected web builder, the number of features, and level of customization.
2. Website Building Software
The following method also employs preset features provided by ready-made solutions. Among the most well-known are WordPress (used by 25% of all websites), Joomla, Shopify, and Drupal. These services provide you with the necessary elements and free plugins that you need to arrange in the right order.
Still, some of them are quite difficult to use. Thus, you need to hire professional developers who know how to create a WordPress site, which increases the website development cost in the end.
If you decide to go with Shopify, the prices for development start as low as $500. In most cases, they reach $2,000, once you add premium plugins and advanced features. As well, you will need to choose a suitable subscription plan, which starts at $29/month and reaches up to $299/month.
When building a store with Shopify, you need to remember that you will be dependent upon the provider of the platform and might face difficulties if the company decides to change the pricing or usage rules.
3. Custom Website Development
Custom software development corresponds to the process where your website is built from scratch. In terms of the technical filling, this website type consists of the following parts:
Web frontend - part that includes all the elements the users interact with, as well as the the UX/UI design, created first. It uses technologies like:
- Markup languages: HTML5, CSS3
- Programming languages: JavaScript, TypeScript
- JavaScript frameworks: Angular (recommended), React, Vue, etc.
Web backend - the server side that works with information, as well as the place where all of the main website features operate.
The tech stack is as follows:
- Programming languages: Ruby (recommended), Elixir, Python, PHP, Java, etc.
- Web frameworks: Ruby On Rails (recommended), Phoenix
- Database servers: PostgreSQL (preferred), MySQL
- Web servers: nginx (preferred), Apache
- Cloud server platforms: Amazon Web Services (AWS, EC2, S3, etc.)
API (Application Programming Interface) - a set of commands to connect the frontend and backend, as well as integrate other necessary third-party services. Some of them are as follows:
- Payment gateways: Braintree, Stripe, PayPal etc.
- Social media integration: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
- Delivery services: EasyPost, FedEx, etc.
- Analytical tools: Flurry or Google Analytics; Firebase or MixPanel, etc.
- Maps & Navigation: Google Maps, etc.
- Email marketing integration: MailChimp, etc.
What is the cost of a custom-built website? Read the article further to find an estimation for these websites and their advanced features.
Interested in knowing how much it costs to build your website customly?
Get in touch with our team for a website estimation. Our experts will provide you with a cost based on your specific business needs.
3. Complexity of Website Design
Another element that it is important to consider in determining how much it costs to build a website is design. The options that influence the website design pricing are as follows:
Application of Pre-made Design Templates
Design themes and templates allow users to build websites with a limited budget. Any design customizations can be performed by changing the source code. In most cases, you will need to hire a capable designer to optimize the ready-made theme offered by Wordpress or another service.
Development of a Custom Design
This option implies the creation of a website design from the ground up. Usually, designers create wireframes (UX) for the future design and mockups (UI). These two stages can be performed one by one or simultaneously to speed up the design process.
Inclusion of Illustrations, Animations, and Branding
The creation of dynamic objects or images may influence the website design costs considerably. The price may also include the cost of creating a logo and branding materials.
These days, it is vital to consider website responsiveness, which means adaptability to different device sizes, even though the cost for sites like this is higher. Unlike static or fluid websites, responsive ones allow users to access the information on any type of device, be it a smartphone, PC, or tablet.
How much does it cost to build a website with a custom design? Keep reading to find out estimates based on design complexity.
4. Complexity of Website Functionality
The complexity of a website’s functionality may may significantly influence its cost. The number of features and their complexity makes up the greatest portion of the development cost.
For starters, let’s investigate the process based on the example of a corporate site and examine the essential website features:
- Informative web pages (e.g. About Us, FAQ)
- Contact Us forms
- Blog web pages
- Portfolio or service pages
- Simple admin panel - for content management purposes
Today, the website needs to have dynamic and editable content, which is managed from the admin panel (in other words - CMS, back office, or admin console). The more functionality you add to a website, the more complex the admin panel becomes.
This is why, when answering the question “how much does it cost to build a website?,” it is important to remember that most of the hard work is done behind the scenes by creating a sophisticated backend website infrastructure. This work is usually invisible to anyone checking the website interface.
The timeline and website development cost for a custom site can take anywhere from a couple of months to a few years; it all depends on the complexity and number of features included.
Despite all the difficulties, custom web development is the best way to create a website because it has many benefits:
- High scalability and customization
- Easier website support & maintenance
- Faster bug fixing
- Unique design based on your own requirements
- No issues with load times. Consider that 40% of users leave a site if it does not load within 3 seconds!
- No limits in the functionality choice
- Functionality based on specific business needs
- Website performance optimization
- Website, code, and design are your property and completely under your control
- Possibility to go hand-in-hand with the latest technologies and adapt quickly to digital transformations (e.g. chatbot)
- Possibility to scale a website more easily and customize features
5. Website Development Costs Based on Vendor Type
So, how to build a website, and what is the process if you hire someone to do it for you? The price depends on the vendor type.
There are a few options to choose from, namely:
Hire a Freelancer
You can find freelance developers and freelancers on platforms like Upwork and Freelancer.com. Freelance web development rates may range from $5 to $150+/hour depending on the tech specialization, location (country), skills, experience, and seniority level of the web developer.
Hire a Local Software Development Team
Development costs are higher with this method since the company you work with usually allocates a professional web design agency. Though it is a longer and more complex process, it results in much higher quality.
How much does it cost to hire someone to build a website for you, in total?
The cost to hire a software engineer to build your own site in Europe, as well as in the USA, is an average of $100 per hour or higher. The website price rises with the addition of plugins, integrations, and custom features and designs. This is why a complex platform can cost more than $300,000.
But there is a more attractive option that can save you some bucks...
Hire an Offshore Software Development Agency
Hiring a professional offshore software development team is the most price- and cost-efficient option.
Eastern Europe is a well-known region with a strong technical knowledge base and low costs for a professional web developer.
Below, you’ll find a table with the average rates for web development services worldwide.
| North America | Western Europe | Eastern Europe (Ukraine) | Asia (India/ China) | Latin America | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Analyst | $110 – $205 | $55-$80 | $40 – $65 | $30 - $40 | $30 - $35 |
| Software Architect | $200 – $300 | $90 - $150 | $40 - $80 | $35 – $50 | $40 - $60 |
| Project Manager | $135 – $235 | $55 - $70 | $35 - $50 | $35 - $50 | $25 - $30 |
| UX/UI Designer | $80 – $165 | $50 – $100 | $35 – $55 | $25 – $35 | $20 - $30 |
| Jr. Developer | $105 – $110 | $80 - $60 | $25 – $40 | $20 – $25 | $25 - $35 |
| Middle Developer | $130 – $140 | $65 - $80 | $35 – $50 | $25 – $35 | $30 - $50 |
| Sr. Developer | $155 – $165 | $80 - $100 | $45 – $70 | $30 – $40 | $45- $55 |
| Jr. QA | $75 – $80 | $35-$45 | $25 – $30 | $15 – $25 | $10 - $15 |
| Middle QA | $100 – $105 | $45 - $55 | $30 – $40 | $20 – $30 | $10 - $20 |
| Sr. QA | $145 – $170 | $50 - $75 | $35 – $45 | $25 – $35 | $15 - $25 |
For example, the average hourly development rate in Ukraine is around $40, while the quality of work is hardly different than that found in the US or Europe.
The following table summarizes the key aspects of each vendor option with some pros and cons for each.
| Freelancer | Local development agency (USA, Europe) | Offshore development agency (e.g. Ukraine) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | + | - | + |
| Service quality & skills | - | + | + |
| Project management | - | + | + |
| Trustworthiness | - | + | + |
| Team formation | n/a | + | + |
| Accountability | - | + | + |
| Schedule | - | + | + |
| Bureaucracy | + | + | + |
How to build a small business website, considering all these dependencies?
As you can see, the cost to develop a website depends on a number of factors, including the outsourcing location and your specific goals.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Website by by Using a Ready-Made Solution?
To begin, if you are wondering how to create a website free of cost, there is a way. Actually, anyone can build a website for free by using a free WordPress template.
Note: Still, the option of using a template and building a website for free is not recommended for businesses. These templates can come along with bugs, ads, malware, slow hosting, and a lack of personalized domain names.Thus, think twice!
Today, it’s possible to develop a simple website on your own. Consider web development by yourself only if you need to build the simplest WordPress sites, like a personal blog or a simple web page.
In terms of building any type of website, it is necessary to keep the following steps in mind:
- Website design and layout phase
- Website assembly or coding phase
- Website setup and launch (web hosting, domain name, security certificates, etc.)
- Website content creation
- Website bug fixes
- Website ongoing support and maintenance
Therefore, in order to start a website, all you need is:
- Select a web software solution
- Set up your web design theme and/or additional plugins to correspond to the website needs
- Register your domain name to reflect your website filling
- Select and place a proper website host
- Prepare your content and branding materials (e.g. logo)
The following table presents information about some widely used website building solutions. It also provides the average web cost on an annual basis.
In addition, you will learn website builder prices with a ready-to-use platform. Based on your goals, you may choose WordPress for a personal blog, Shopify for a simple website, or even simpler drag & drop solutions like Wix and Weebly.
| WordPress | Shopify | Wix | Weebly | Joomla | Drupal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advice to use | blogging websites | small & personal online shops | drag & drop website builder for small & personal sites | drag & drop website builder for small companies & portfolio sites | Online shopping, blogs, social networks Use if you have some moderate coding skills | Small businesses and startups Advanced skills in development needed |
| Free option | + | 14 day trial | + | + | + | + |
| Software costs (annually) | $60 - $300 | $348 - $3,588 | $60 - $420 | $96 - $588 | $199+ Plugins: $0 - $70 Templates: $0 - $200 | $60+ Plugins: $0 - $100 Themes: $0 - $80 |
| Domain costs | $12/year | $14/year | free for 1 year, then $20 | included | included | included |
| Web Hosting costs | $10-$30+/month | included | included | included | included | included |
| Maintenance & Support costs (average - $100/hour for an experienced developer) | $0 - $1,500+ | $0 - $1,500+ | included | included | included | included |
| Content costs (average - $50/hour for an experienced copywriter) | $0 - $500+ | $0 - $500+ | $0 - $500+ | $0 - $500+ | $0 - $500+ | $0 - $500+ |
| Branding costs (average - $50/hour for an experienced designer) | $0 - $1000+ | $0 - $1000+ | $0 - $1000+ | $0 - $1000+ | $0 - $1000+ | $0 - $1000+ |
| ~ Total $ (annual) | ~ $80 - $3,500+ | ~ $350 - $6,500+ | ~ $60 - $2,000+ | ~ $100 - $2,000+ | ~$200 - $2,000+ | ~$60 - $2,000+ |
| Software costs (per month) | $5 - $25 | $29 - $299 | $5 - $35 | $8 - $49 | $199 per year | $5/ month |
| Additional Designs & Plugins | Themes $35 - $200 Plugins $15 - $200 | Upgrades $48 - $204 | included | included | 7,000+ | 39,000+ |
The total cost of a basic website for a small business could range from around $80 to $3,500+ annually.
And how much does such a website cost per month?
The price starts at as low as $5 and reaches hundreds of dollars in monthly payments. This website pricing may increase based on web hosting, maintenance, customization of a design theme, extra plugins, as well as possible costs for website content, advertisement, etc.
This web building solution is great for personal websites, blogs, or landings. However, this development approach has a lot of pitfalls, namely:
- High necessity for you to learn how to set up and use the selected solution and know HTML basics
- Lack of customization and flexibility (only if you know how to code for minor adjustments)
- Dependency on a third-party provider
- Low performance (depends on web hosting)
- Low security (someone could get into your code easily)
- Limited scalability (if you plan for further growth)
- Limited functionality and features
Therefore, if you are interested in having a reliable website and growing your business further, it is highly recommended that you develop the site in a custom way.
How Much Does it Cost to Make a Custom-Made Website?
In this section, we describe the development stages for a custom site.
Custom web development is the best option for serious businesses that need a highly customized website with high performance. Custom-built websites better suit the company’s requirements, business needs, and target audience.
Custom website development costs cover a whole list of software development services, namely:
- Business Analysis
- Website Design (UX/UI)
- Website Development (frontend, backend, admin panel)
- Project Management
- Quality Assurance
- Ongoing Support & Maintenance
1. Business Analysis Expenses
Today, it’s impossible to calculate the right project cost without business analysis service.
Want to develop a digital web product that will have a chance to be competitive?
Start with business analysis to ensure that you know your competition and market state before making any decisions. BA services are the cornerstone for avoiding costly mistakes.
During the BA stage, the business requirements are transformed into technical aspects, listing all website functionality that should be developed.
The deliverables performed by the Business Analyst together with the help of a Software Architect (responsible for technical interoperability of a system) include:
| BA Deliverables | Details | Simple Website | Basic Website | More Complex Website | Complex Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market analysis (optional) | - | ~ $1,000 - $1,500 | ~ $2,000 | $2,000+ | |
| Competitor analysis (optional) | - | ~ $1,000 - $1,500 | ~ $2,000 | $2,000+ | |
| Functional specification development (compulsory) | Prepare concept mind map Develop functional specification Prepare sketches (preliminary interface design of a website) | ~ $1,500 | ~ $2,500 - $3,000 | ~ $5,000 - $10,000 | $15,000+ |
How much does it cost to build a website with BA service included? Taking an average hourly rate of $40 (in Ukraine), the the BA costs may range from $2,500 to $15,000+ depending on the project’s complexity. For a simplest website configuration, the cost for BA service is up to $1,500.
Interested in creating a website successfully?
Get in touch with us for a free consultation. Our Business Analyst and Software Architect will ensure that your website meets your business requirements with the best technical implementation.
2. Website Design Cost
For a custom-made web project, the design is also created from scratch based on the deliverables of the business analysis stage. So, how to design a website from scratch, and what are web design costs involved?
The more functionality the website has, the more work is then required of a web designer. These web designer need to draw each web page of the future platform.
The custom design consists of two sub-stages; the creation of the user experience (UX wireframes), and user interface (UI mockups). As well, it is possible to add additional design services like animations, specific illustrations, and branding.
UX Design
This part refers to the creation of the website skeleton (wireframes) that is responsible for user-friendly, seamless, and logical user navigation within the web pages.
Website UX design costs - the average time necessary to create UX wireframes is approximately 1.5-2.5 hours for each unique page and 30-40 minutes for the subordinate web page.
UX design service will cost you starting around from $1,600 - $2,400+ with an hourly design rate of $40/hour.
UI Design
UI design is the colorful layout of the website in the form of mockups. Visuals like layouts, typography, graphics, etc, are applied during this step.
Website UI design cost is determined through the process of creating some mood boards and conducting design research in order to fit the target customers’ tastes, as well as apply some marketing tricks in website design. Each UI sample can take around 16-20 working hours.
The average time for website mockup development is around 2-3 hours per unique web page. With regard to a more complex website style, more hours are added to this process.
The part of UI design service is usually estimated at ~$2,400 - $3,200+ (at $40 hourly rate) for a basic website.
Cost of Branding
Website logo and branded illustrations are also created during the website design stage. Website logo creation costs include the research, creation of samples, and finalization of the design style. Usually, it’s recommended that you create ~10 logo examples.
The time necessary to create a logo consists of tasks like references and idea research for 8-16 hours, creation of samples for 16-24 hours, and logo finalization for 2-8 hours.
In terms of cost, branding services are usually estimated at ~$1,000 - $1,600+ (at $40/hour rate) and include the creation of a custom logo.
Cost of Additional Animations & Illustrations
Illustrations usually help a new user understand some features inside the web platform. This process is called onboarding. On average, in order to develop illustrations (3 images), the designer spends about 16-32 hours.
The creation of illustrations will cost you ~$650 - $1,280+ depending on their complexity and the number of iterations. As for animations, they are estimated on an individual basis, as a lot of factors influence the cost of their creation.
To sum things up, these are the main factors to keep in mind to define the range of your web design pricing and what all should be included in the website design cost calculator:
- Hourly rates of web designers
- Number of web pages
- Need for specific graphics and pictures
- Website interactivity
- Website responsiveness
- Need for branding
In conclusion, here is an approximate range of custom website design costs (at $40/hour), with an average cost of website design for small business of around $3,000-$4,000:
| Simple Design | Basic Design | More Complex Design | Complex Design |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~ $3,000 - $4,000 | ~ $5,000 - $10,000 | $15,000+ | $25,000+ |
Want to know more information about website design costs?
Check out the article Ultimate Guide to Website Design Cost where we explain how website design cost is calculated, which influencing factors should be considered, and why working with professionals will be more cost-efficient in the long run.
3. Frontend & Backend Web Development Costs
The development of a website frontend and backend is the most costly service. In this service, the key elements influencing the development timeline and, thus, costs for a custom-built website, are:
- Third-party integrations
- Data processing tasks
- Complex inquiries (e.g. video streaming service creation)
- Complexity of design
In general, the more user roles the website has, the longer it takes to work through and implement the system. For instance, in web portals like TripAdvisor, the backend system has a customized solution for user feedback, content management, integrations with internal personnel operations, as well as implementation of custom marketing and SEO tools.
So, how much does it cost to build a website frontend and backend? In order to give you a general idea, below you may check out the most common website parts in a basic implementation.
| Feature | Description | Frontend & Backend Costs ($)* |
|---|---|---|
| Informative pages | About us Privacy Policy page FAQ page | ~$300 - $400 |
| Company | - | ~$350 - $500 |
| Home | - | ~$200 - $300 |
| Portfolio | - | ~$150 |
| Portfolio pages | - | ~$500 - $900 |
| Services | - | ~$300 - $400 |
| Contact Us form | Leave your email Use of CAPTCHA | ~$700 - $800 |
| Blog pages & Press page | Search bar Social media shares Latest and most popular posts | ~$2,500 - $3,000 |
| CMS: Content Management | Portfolio & portfolio pages Blog ( +add images) Management of web pages | ~$4,000 - $5,500 |
*Please, note, that these costs are calculated based on the average hourly rate in Ukraine - $40
The timeline to develop a small business website without complex functionality lasts around 3 working weeks. The actual website coding costs are around $10,000-$15,000(please note, BA, QA, PM, and UX/UI design services are not included).
Below is a list of the most general features that might also be included in the frontend and backend website development service.
| Feature | Description | Notes | Frontend & Backend Costs ($)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email authorization | Users can register/login with email | Restore password included | ~$750 - $1,100 |
| Social authorization | Users can register/login via a social network | One social network - Facebook, Twitter or G+ (two or more networks influence the estimate) Transfer of account photo and full name included Creation of Facebook developer accounts (development, staging, production) Facebook review process and support communication are handled by a project manager and not included in the estimate | ~$400 - $600 |
| Phone authorization | User can register/login with a phone number | Restore password included Android intercepts SMS code | ~$500 - $750 |
| Feed | Users can see a feed with posts by one criterion/logic (basic) | Each subsequent criterion/logic influences the estimate | ~$600 - $650 |
| Post creation | Users can create posts (basic) | Text Photo Geolocation | ~$500 - $650 |
| Post likes | Users can like and unlike a post | ~$400 - $500 | |
| Post comment | Users can comment on posts (basic) | Only text comments | ~$350 - $500 |
| Friends management | Users can manage friends (basic) | Following a user allows one to see their posts List of followers/friends | ~$600 - $800 |
| Social notifications | Users can see notifications about basic events | New likes, comments on posts, new friends Automatic refresh of displayed data should be implemented additionally Push notifications in the background are not included (should be implemented additionally) | ~$350 - $500 |
| User profile | Users can manage a profile (basic) | Personal information (text fields, birthday, gender), one photo | ~$600 - $800 |
| Search | Users can search for one type of entity by one criterion | Each subsequent entity influences the estimate | ~$500 - $650 |
| Chat | Users can chat (basic) | List of chats Send a text message or image, list of messages (with time and a user avatar) Push notifications for new messages and new chats | ~$4,500 - $6,500 |
| Analytics | Basic integration with analytics (hidden for users) | One Analytics tool (except Fabric) Flurry or Google Analytics/ Firebase or MixPanel Development, staging, production | ~$50 - $100 |
| CMS: Admin authorization | Admins can register, log in, and log out | Log in Log out | ~$350 - $450 |
| CMS: Admin management | Admins can manage other admins | CRUD* on administrators Full name, email | ~$250 - $400 |
| CMS: User management | Admins can manage users | Basic sorting Filtering and searching (by name, by email, by ID) included | ~$800 - $1,200 |
| CMS: Reported user management | Admins can manage reported users | One entity (a photo or user or post), each subsequent entity adds % to the estimate User can be removed Sorting by the number of claims | ~$400 - $600 |
*Please note that the presented costs of the mentioned features are approximate. They do not include team communication, daily meetings, or quality assurance and project management services
*CRUD - create, review, update, delete
Check out the website development cost breakdown in a separate article
How Much Does it Cost to Build an E-Commerce Website.
Check out the website development cost breakdown in a separate article
How Much Does it Cost to Build an E-Commerce Website.
To enable all of the above features, you might need to include the following integrations and APIs:
| Purpose | Solution |
|---|---|
| Payment gateways | Braintree: 2.9% + $.30 per transaction Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge PayPal: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction |
| Social Media Integration | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. |
| Analytical tools | Flurry (free) or Google Analytics (free) Firebase (free or $24,99+/month) MixPanel (free or $24/month for 1,000 MTUs), etc. |
| Maps & Navigation | Google Maps, Google Places, etc. |
| Email Marketing | MailChimp (free - $299+/month) Mailerlite (free-$50/month for up to 10,000 subscribers) |
| Messaging | Zendesk: free-$59+/month HubSpot: $40-$1,200/month Twilio: varies based on subscription plan SendBird: $399-7,599+month PubNub: free or custom pricing |
| Files Management | Dropbox: $16,58/month for individual plan and $12.50-$20+/user/month Google Docs: $6-$25/user/month OneDrive: $5-12.50/user/month, etc. |
| Photos | Images API |
| Text | EasyPost: free for up to 50,000 packages a year FedEx, etc. |
So, how much does it cost to build a website in a custom way? The final cost depends on the number of features, their complexity, number and peculiarities of integrations with third party services, UX/UI design specifics, etc.
As you may have guessed, this option is one of the most expensive. It is pretty hard to estimate the costs without the thorough collection and analysis of technical details.
4. Project Management Costs
Another integral part of web development is project management, which is required to keep track of the development process, organize the scope of work on a project, and manage the team and communication among all the parties involved.
The payment for this service can be charged on an hourly basis or have a fixed amount for a particular period (weekly, semi-weekly, monthly).
So, how to build a website with the PM service included? Approximately, the PM costs for a small web project can account to around $1,500 at the hourly rate of $40, but usually they will start at $7,500+ for a basic website with a core functionality. This cost rises with regard to the product`s functionality and development timeline.
5. Quality Assurance Cost to Create a Website
Quality Assurance is an integral stage of the development process, which helps to eliminate any issues with functionality, performance, and security.
The QA Engineer applies manual and automated testing with various tools like JMeter, Selenium, or Swagger.
How much does it cost to build a website that is well-tested?
On average, QA adds 30% of the time on top of each feature. Thus, the quality assurance cost can be anywhere between $5,000 for a basic web project and $25,000+ for a complex website.
Other Web Development Costs Involved [Hosting, Domain Name+]
Let's check out additional components involved in a final estimation, to get a complete answer to the question “how much does it cost to build a website?”
- Domain name registration
While you may have a free subdomain for a hobby website, it’s necessary to get a domain name from a domain registrar for business purposes. The cost for a website domain name is around $10 a year if ending with .com, .net, or .org. Endings like .store, .io, and .global cost more - $30 a year.
Our recommendation is to register the domain name here: GoDaddy.
- Web hosting set up
And how much does it cost to host a website? In a hosting service it is important to consider the number of website visitors, the higher it is the higher the web hosting costs would be.
The options to set up a web server could be as follows:
- Shared hosting cost $5 - $30
- VPS hosting costs $5 - $250
- Dedicated server costs - from a few thousands USD
Our team recommends using cloud-based services like Amazon AWS for web hosting purposes. This provides a simple and efficient way to scale hardware productivity and adjust it to the growing needs of your website. Speaking of cloud-based storages, the website hosting costs reach approximately $50 per month for the initial configuration.
- Copywriting expenses
Well-thought-out content helps businesses to broadcast their ideas to the public. Content is closely related to SEO and influences website SERP ranking.
The cost for a professional copywriter ranges from $15 - $50/hour. As well, it is possible to purchase some images from photo stocks like BigStockPhoto.com and iStockPhoto.com for around $50-$200. You can find these services on Upwork, Freelancer, Contena, Problogger, and other similar websites.
Content expense is a variable need and may constitute starting from a few hundred to $500+ per month, depending on the amount.
- SSL certificate employment cost
Even if you do not plan to sell anything from your website, security is of high importance. HTTPS and SSL certificates are a connection security protocol for a website and cost from $10 to $200-$300 annually.
Now you are aware of all the direct expenses in development influencing the total sum for the inquiry ”how to build a website?”
Additionally, you can consider the following indirect costs to build a website. These extra expenditures may play an important role in your positive business indicators while having a significant weight on the cost of a website.
- Advertising cost
After launching your website, the next logical step is to attract your target audience. The pay-per-click (PPC) ads with Google AdWords could help you with this objective. The ad price per click depends on the industry and can be around $50 per click in competitive search inquiries.
Social media is another powerful ad platform - Facebook, Instagram, etc.The average CPC is approximately $0.20 on Instagram and $0.27 on Facebook.
And how much does it cost to build a website marketing campaign? The price for such a campaign could start from $50 and go beyond $10,000.
- SEO cost
Search Engine Optimization helps your website reach the top results in Google. The cost of SEO needs is quite individual and usually starts from a few hundred per month, as the hourly rate for SEO service ranges from $75 to $150. Upwork, Freelancer, Fiverr, and other similar platforms are a good place to look for these services.
How Much Does it Cost to Maintain a Website?
Custom web maintenance is also an important service. This service includes bug fixing, code optimization, backend scalability, and performance tuning, which can influence website maintenance cost.
The question - how much does it cost to maintain a website? - is rather blurred. For a simple Wordpress website, a single developer can provide support services for $1,500. If you plan to add new functionality while maintaining minor changes and bug fixing, the website maintenance costs could start from $15,000+.
To Sum Things Up: How to Build Your Own Website
The information described above provides a good understanding of the main services that have an influence on website development costs.
Whether you have a big budget or are asking yourself “how much does it cost to build a website for a small business?,” there is an option for all. We recommend using the following options in the next cases:
Use website builder if:
- Your budget is limited
- Your timeline is very tight
- You want to create a website yourself
- You don’t need a complex solution
- You are building a personal blog
Use custom web development if:
- You need a complex solution for a serious business
- You don’t want to deal with technical aspects yourself
- Ready-to-use platforms are not your option
- You need a highly custom, secure, and innovative website
- You are interested in platform scalability
Here is a summary table to evaluate web development cost and all the services included.
| Small website (corporate websites) | Basic website (social platforms) | Mid-sized website (eLearning sites) | Complex website (portals, multi-level catalog sites) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Analysis | ~ $1,500 | $2,500+ | $10,000+ | $15,000+ |
| Custom UX/UI Design | ~$2,500 - $4,000 | $5,000+ | $15,000+ | $25,000+ |
| Custom Development | ~$10,500 - $13,500 | $40,000+ | $95,000+ | $200,000+ |
| Quality Assurance | ~$1,500 - $3,000 | $5,000+ | $15,000+ | $25,000+ |
| Project Management | ~$1,500 - $3,000 | $7,500+ | $15,000+ | $35,000+ |
| Other Costs (domain, web server set up, hosting, SSL, content, etc.) | ~$300+ | ~$600+ | ~$1500+ | ~$3,000+ |
| Timeline | ~2-3 months | ~3-6 months | ~6-9 months | ~9+ months (ongoing) |
| Total Website Costs | up to ~ $18,000 - $25,000 | $60,000+ | $150,000+ | $300,000+ |
Thus, in order to build good, custom websites of high quality and necessary functionality, the cost ranges from $18,000 - $25,000 for a small corporate business website, or $60,000+ for a web platform or social platform of a basic form. A more advanced website may cost you around $150,000+.
How much does it cost to make a website with a complex, multilevel architecture? The cost for a most complex website may start from $300,000+.
As for the timeline necessary to build a website, it can vary from 2 to 9+ months depending on the website size and complexity, as well as process organization. For instance, the timeline to create eCommerce website starts from 6 months. The timeline covers a number of stages, including project discovery, design, development, and website launch. In between, it is necessary to set up additional website elements and create content.
We hope you now have a clear answer to the question ”how much does it cost to make a website?” Again, please note that these sums are presented to give you a general overview.
In order to have a more accurate estimate, it is necessary to evaluate both the business and technical requirements of a future website. This process lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks and involves both software engineers, designers, and business analysts in order to estimate their piece of the work to be done.
How much does it cost to build your website, exactly?
The best way to get an answer is to contact our team to help you estimate and further develop your stunning website.
How To Build a Website: Infographic
There are many factors to consider when answering the question “how much does it cost to make a website?” To recap all the information covered in the article, please have a look at the infographic.
How to Build a Website? Infographic
Frequently Asked Questions:
