How Much Does a Website Cost? A Line-by-Line Breakdown
Last updated . Every price on this page was checked October 1, 2026.
A basic professional website costs about $1,515 to $7,415 in its first year, using published list prices for the build, a .com domain, a year of shared hosting, and a WordPress maintenance plan. The build is a one-time cost. The domain, hosting, and upkeep come back every year, and hosting usually renews at a higher price. The table below shows each line and the math.
How much does a website cost in the first year?
In the first year, a basic professional website costs about $1,514.96 to $7,414.96 when you add up these published prices. Each line is one company's list price, not an average.
| Cost line | Low end | High end | Where the price comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build (one time) | $1,000.00 | $3,000.00 | GoodFirms' 2026 survey of 300+ web firms puts a basic professional website at about $1,000 to $3,000 |
| .com domain, 1 year | $11.08 | $11.08 | Porkbun's pricing page, October 2026: $11.08 a year to register or renew |
| Shared hosting, first year | $35.88 ($2.99 x 12) | $95.88 ($7.99 x 12) | SiteGround's pricing page, October 2026: $2.99 to $7.99 a month for the first year, prepaid for 12 months |
| Maintenance plan, 1 year | $468.00 ($39 x 12, GoWP) | $4,308.00 ($359 x 12, WP Buffs) | GoWP lists $39 to $99 per site a month, and WP Buffs lists $89 to $359 a month, October 2026 |
| First-year total | $1,514.96 | $7,414.96 | The four lines added up |
Other costs to plan for. The table leaves these out. Price them before you start:
- An SSL certificate, for the secure "https" address. SiteGround's shared hosting plans list free SSL, so check whether your host includes it.
- Business email at your own domain.
- Paid themes or plugins, and their yearly renewals.
- Writing and photos for the pages.
Year two costs less, then more. The build doesn't repeat. But SiteGround's shared hosting renews at $17.99 to $44.99 a month, which is $215.88 to $539.88 a year. For hosting types and domain prices in more detail, see website hosting cost.
How much does it cost to make a website?
Making a website costs the build once, then a domain, hosting, and upkeep for as long as the site is live. A website builder is one way to fold hosting into one plan: Squarespace lists $19 to $99 a month paid yearly, or $25 to $139 paid monthly, as of October 2026. For what you pay someone to build the site, see website design cost.
How much does a professional website cost?
A professional website costs about $1,515 to $7,415 in its first year, once you add a domain, hosting, and upkeep to the build. For the build price on its own, and what developers and designers charge, see website design cost. For what agencies charge and why, see web design pricing.
One client wrote this about the website DeskTeam360 built:
"DeskTeam360 provided exceptional and very professional work on my website. I’ve received nothing but rave reviews on not only the design but the customer journey."
D. Green (Trustpilot review)
To talk through the web work behind your own site or your clients' sites, you can book a call with DeskTeam360.
The button opens DeskTeam360's Book a Call page.
How much does a small business website cost?
If it's a basic site with a handful of pages, a small business website costs about the same as the first-year table above: about $1,515 to $7,415 in year one. The biggest swing is upkeep. A person on staff to look after the site costs far more than any line here, as the full cost of a web hire shows.
How much does a WordPress website cost?
A WordPress website has the same cost lines as any site, and the upkeep line is the one to plan for. WordPress.org says to always update WordPress to the latest version and to back up the site first. WordPress maintenance plans are listed at $39 to $99 per site a month on GoWP's pricing page and $89 to $359 a month on WP Buffs' page, as of October 2026.
How much does an ecommerce website cost?
A store costs more than a basic site. GoodFirms' 2026 survey puts a typical ecommerce website at $5,000 to $50,000. On Clutch, most ecommerce builds reviewed cost under $10,000, and the average project was $51,943. List the store features you need before you ask for quotes.
Does it cost money to make a website?
Yes. Even a site you build yourself needs a domain, at $11.08 a year on Porkbun, and hosting, from $2.99 a month for SiteGround's first prepaid year.
More on costs and pricing
If your agency keeps paying for web work one project at a time, a call shows you how a flat monthly team works instead.
The button opens DeskTeam360's Book a Call page.
Sources
- GoodFirms, "Website Construction Cost Survey"
- Forbes Advisor, "How Much Does a Website Cost?"
- Clutch, ecommerce development pricing
- SiteGround, web hosting pricing
- Squarespace, pricing
- Porkbun, domain pricing
- GoWP, pricing
- WP Buffs, plans
- WordPress.org, "Updating WordPress"
- Trustpilot, DeskTeam360 reviews
- The first-year math: the list prices above, added up
All checked October 1, 2026.
What changed
- October 1, 2026: First version of this page.
- October 1, 2026: Rewritten around the first-year total. Added the first-year table, other costs to plan for, and ecommerce costs. Moved the hire cost to the full cost page.