Many factors determine the real cost of a website. This is why some people build and manage their sites with only a few hundred dollars; others spend thousands one-time or yearly.
Some factors determining the cost include the method used to build the site, its features, and its size. Factors like maintenance also chip in sometimes, especially when you have a massive website with many activities. Let us look at how they influence the cost of setting up a site.
There are many ways to build a website, and they have different costs. You can:
- Use a Content Management System (CMS) and a web host
- Use a website builder
- Hire a professional web designer (freelancer or agency)
How Much Does a Website Cost Using a CMS?
Building a website with a CMS like WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, etc., is one of the most common ways nowadays because of its customization power. However, CMS (Content Management System), as the name suggests, is just software for management, and there is no way to build a website with it alone.
You have to use a web host and purchase a custom domain name.
Now, it costs nothing at all to use a CMS of your choice. Despite that, you can use many hosting companies to host your site, and they cost differently.
Generally, the cost of hosting your site with a particular web host depends on the features you want included in your package. Because of the proneness of CMS like WordPress to attacks, you will need security features like DDoS protection and malware scanner, and most hosts charge separately for them.
You may need to pay for a few more features separately. Some hosts hoard them so you can upgrade to a higher package, increasing your expenses. Generally, some web hosting packages cost as little as $2 per month, while others cost as much as $100 per month to host a website.
Of course, some web hosts cost more than $100 monthly, especially when using powerful servers like VPS, dedicated servers, or even cloud hosting services. Domain names cost from $11 to $150 per year. However, some special domain extensions may cost more.
Now, let us review some mighty web hosts and how much they cost to host a site.
How Much Do the Best Web Hosts Cost?
As said earlier, there are so many web hosts with varying pricing. Nonetheless, a few general features determine how much a host charges you. They include, but are not limited to:
- CPU cores and RAM size
- Storage space allowed
- Bandwidth
- Management features
- Security features
- Performance features
- Number of sites allowed
- Type of hosting or server
Hostinger Pricing Plans
Hostinger is one of the most affordable hosts in the industry. Hosting a website on shared servers costs as low as $2.99 per month, and many features are available without add-ons. More powerful servers like VPS can cost you up to $19.99 monthly. So now, it all depends on what you need.
Here is a breakdown of how much hosting a website with Hostinger may cost you:
- Shared/WordPress hosting: $2.99 to $3.99 monthly, renews at $10.99 to $13.99 monthly.
- Cloud hosting: $7.99 to $29.99 monthly, renews at $25.99 to $64.99 monthly.
- VPS hosting: $4.99 to $19.99 monthly, renews at $9.99 to $49.99 monthly.
All Hostinger plans have security features like free SSL certificates, automated backups, DDoS protection, Web Application Firewalls (WAF), and malware scanners, so you won’t have to spend extra on them.
SiteGround Pricing Plans
According to our research, SiteGround is another great web host to use. This host is one of the best in the industry in terms of speed performance, security, and customer service. If you are creating a WordPress site, you are in luck. WordPress highly recommends SiteGround as one of the best hosts for WordPress sites.
However, if you compare SiteGround with Hostinger, it may cost a little more to host a site with SiteGround, especially during renewals. Nonetheless, based on the results of our trial of SiteGround services, you will get great value for your money. Besides, even though the renewal prices are higher, you won’t break the bank!
SiteGround’s pricing starts at about $3.99 per month. With this plan, you can install any CMS on your site, especially WordPress. You will get many security, management, and performance features you need, so you don’t have to pay extra.
However, if you want to use the Site Scanner, you may have to pay an additional $2.49 monthly. Alternatively, if you use WordPress, you can use a free plugin.
Here is a quick rundown of the cost of a site using SiteGround:
- Shared/Managed WordPress/WooCommerce hosting: $3.99 to $10.69 monthly, renews at $17.99 to $44.99 monthly.
- Cloud hosting: $100 to $400 monthly.
InMotion Hosting Pricing Plans
Based on our practical knowledge, InMotion Hosting is another notable host we recommend. It is excellent for hosting a site, especially WordPress, due to its auto-installer, which smooths installation. What’s more, it is pretty affordable.
The prices of InMotion Hosting plans start at around $2.99 per month. The features are very generous, so you won’t have to spend too much extra. You may opt for the Backup Manager add-on for an additional $30 per year.
Here is a summary of how much it costs to host a site on InMotion:
- Shared hosting: $2.99 to $10.79 per month, renews at $11.99 to $25.99 monthly.
- Managed WordPress hosting: $3.49 to $11.29 monthly, renews at $12.49 to $26.49 monthly.
- VPS hosting: $9.99 to $44.99 monthly, renews at $16.99 to $111.99 monthly.
- Dedicated server: $35 to $249.99 monthly, renews at $69.99 to $249.99 monthly.
There is no exact way to determine the cost of a website when using a CMS, specifically WordPress, so we can only provide you with an estimate. This is because, aside from the cost of the domain name and hosting, there might be other stuff, like plugins or themes, that you would end up paying for.
Hence, taking only the cost of a domain name ($11 to $150 per year) and hosting ($2.99 to $400 monthly) into consideration, you can expect to spend between $48 and $4,950 per year on a website.
Other Website Costs to Note When Using WordPress
As stated above, the estimate was based only on the cost of a domain and hosting. Even though using WordPress and other CMS costs absolutely nothing, there are some extra fees that you may have to pay.
Let’s say you decide not to use a free theme and purchase a premium one. WordPress themes come at different prices depending on their sophistication. For some themes, you may need a paid version.
For others, you need to purchase premium add-ons to access better customizations. Generally, you must pay for a theme’s license yearly to keep getting updates and support. But you can get some themes with lifetime licenses at a higher price.
Depending on your theme, you can expect to pay between $17 and $360 per year or for a lifetime license. Due to some restrictions, you may use a premium plugin or upgrade from a free version.
WordPress plugins have a slightly different pricing model from themes and tend to be more expensive. You can get a plugin on a monthly or yearly subscription, or even a one-time purchase. Generally, you can expect to spend between $5 and $100 yearly per site for a premium plugin. Multiple licenses cost more.
Adding these together, the cost of building a WordPress site increased by $22 to $460 per year. So, the total estimated cost is $81 to $5410 per year. Of course, using a premium theme or plugin is not compulsory since many free, useful ones are available.
Nonetheless, it might be necessary to get premium security plugins to secure your WordPress website against attacks. WordPress sites are prone to attacks because of their numerous customizations.
Hackers can attack your site through an unsecured server, outdated plugins or themes, etc. Securing your WP costs $0 to $200 yearly.
A Few Reasons to Use WordPress to Build Your Site
There are so many CMS that you can install on your website. However, WordPress is the most recommended since it is better than most competitors.
Here are some reasons to build your website with WordPress:
- You have time and technical skills (HTML, CSS, JS, and PHP).
- You want complete control of your site.
- Access to free directories of plugins and themes.
- You can get powerful servers from web hosts to handle your big projects.
- Customizations without limit.
At a Glance: Breakdown of Website Costs Using WordPress (CMS)
| CMS (WordPress) Cost Breakdown | Price |
|---|---|
| Hosting | from $2.99 to $400 per month |
| Software (CMS) | $0 |
| Domain Name | $0 for the first year; $11 to $150 yearly afterwards |
| Themes | $0 to $360 yearly |
| Plugins | $0 to $100+ per year |
| Security | $0 to $200 yearly |
| Professional Help (Optional) | $15 to $60+ per hour |
How Much Does a Site Cost Using a Website Builder?
Website builders are another way to create a site for many purposes. This method can be cheaper than a content management system like WordPress. By creating your website with a builder, you can expect to spend as little as $0 per month.
Most website builders, unlike CMS, allow you to create a site at no cost. You will even get a branded subdomain for your website and continue with your activities. At the same time, unlike with CMS, you don’t need to worry about purchasing a theme or plugin to enable essential functionalities.
This is because site creators have most of these features built in, and they are even more potent than some premium WordPress plugins. Our review of Wix noted that its SEO tool is more powerful than some SEO plugins on WordPress, especially the free versions. Moreover, its blogging tool is quite enviable.
Some other features that are entirely free while using a website builder include security, multilingual site support, and hosting.
Since you can have a site for free using builders, you may be tempted to keep it that way. Don’t be deceived. Using a free plan with a site builder limits what you can do and how far your business can thrive. Generally, so many restrictions can be frustrating for your business. Some of them are:
- You won’t be able to use a custom domain name.
- Annoying advertisements will display on your site.
- You can’t customize some parts of your site. e.g., the footer for some tools.
- Access to some features will be limited.
- Limited resources (CPU, RAM, disk space, bandwidth).
- Basic or no customer support (you’re not a paying customer anyway!).
- Your site will be unpublished once your trial period ends, although top site creators like Wix have no time limit.
- You cannot have a fully functioning eCommerce site on a free plan.
How Much Do the Best Website Builders Cost?
Like web hosts, you can use many site builders for your website, depending on your budget or specific needs. We have experimented with most of them and provided our estimates using the best choices.
The first recommendation is Wix. This website builder is great for beginners and experts. It can be used to create all sorts of sites, including but not limited to portfolios, blogs, online stores, events, restaurants, etc. It is the best multipurpose website builder out there. Building a site with Wix will cost at least $17 per month.
Hostinger Website Builder is another great tool. This formidable builder is for beginners. It will make your life much easier if you have zero technical skills. Hostinger Website Builder has only one plan that costs less than $3 per month.
You will get an all-in-one builder with great eCommerce, SEO, and other features. Free AI tools are also included in the package. Here is a link to our complete tests of Hostinger Website Builder.
The next website builder we can recommend is Squarespace. This creator is neither as easy to use as the Hostinger Website Builder nor as feature-rich as Wix. Nevertheless, it strikes a balance between and can make building your site relatively straightforward. Squarespace pricing starts at $16 monthly.
Here is a quick run-down of what you can expect to pay for the best website builders in 2025:
- Wix: $17 to $159 monthly, renews at $17 to $159 per month (has a free plan!).
- Hostinger Website Builder: Starts at $2.99 monthly, renews at $10.99 monthly.
- Squarespace: $16 to $52 monthly (initial and renewal).
Hence, by combining the pricing of these website builders, we can say the estimated cost is between $3 and $159 per month. This means you can expect a running cost of $36 to $1,908+ yearly for a site builder subscription only.
A Few Reasons to Use a Website Builder to Create Your Site
Aside from being one of the cheapest ways to create a site, website builders are the easiest tools. You won’t have to go through the complexities of using a web host and a CMS. Besides, designing your website will be much easier with a builder like Wix than with a CMS like WordPress.
Here are some reasons why using a website builder is a great idea:
- It is the most affordable option.
- It is an excellent option if you are busy.
- Lets you DIY your site easier and faster than a CMS without prior experience.
- You don’t need coding or web design skills.
- You won’t have to worry about hosting or server management.
- You probably won’t need professional help.
Other Costs to Note When Using a Website Builder
Of course, there are additional expenses you should expect when using a website builder. Here are a few of them:
Domain Name Registration – $11 to $150 per year
Even though most site builders will give you branded subdomain names to use on your website, this is unprofessional and doesn’t represent your brand well. Therefore, you need to register a domain name.
Domain registration typically costs between $11 and $150 per year, but most site builders offer it free for the first year. Moreover, unless you have to use a particular domain extension, a .com domain name is recommended, and it only costs between $14 and $20 yearly.
Themes – $0 to $500 yearly
Of course, as we said earlier, you won’t be paying for themes or templates with site creators since they are all free. Nonetheless, some site builders do not have free themes or templates that are good enough, so you may need to purchase a third-party theme.
To avoid this expense, build your site with a creator like Wix or Hostinger Website Builder.
Apps/Extensions/Plugins – $0 to $700 per month
Like content management systems, website builders use apps, extensions, and plugins to add more features to your site. This could be merely an integration with a third-party service or a proprietary app from the builder to enable existing features.
Based on all the paid apps we checked, their prices range from $3 to $700 per month. But of course, there are many free apps you can use.
Hosting and Security – Free!
Hosting and security do not cost extra when using a site builder because they are usually included in the package.
Professional Help – $0 to $5000
Well, you usually won’t need professional help when using website builders because they are easy to use. You can use professional help to set up a few website builders. The help is not free, and the price varies based on your needs and the freelancer.
Note: Professional help is unnecessary when using a website builder, so you can skip it. The same goes for premium apps since most features are already built in. Choose an easy-to-use builder like Wix, Hostinger Website Builder, or Squarespace to avoid the need.
At a Glance: Breakdown of Website Builder Costs
| Cost Breakdown for Site Builder | Price |
|---|---|
| Builder Software (CMS) | $3 to $159 per month |
| Hosting and Security | Included in the package |
| Domain Name | $0 for the first year; $11 to $150 for subsequent years |
| Theme | $0 to $500 yearly |
| Plugins | $0 to $700 per month |
| Professional Help (optional) | $50 to $5000 |
How Much Does a Website Cost Using A Professional Web Designer?
Building a website for a big project sometimes demands that a professional be used to get the features you need and make it work. For this, you can either hire a freelancer or an agency. The cost of building your website varies depending on your chosen path.
The difference is that an agency may put many freelancers on your website, while a freelancer is only an entity. Thus, it may sometimes work around the clock through shifts to ensure your site is up and running fast. Of course, an agency may be more expensive, too.
Additionally, it may provide services like branding, SEO, etc., as part of the package. This method is more expensive than using a website builder or CMS, and web designers may prolong the development or design of your site.
Generally, using a web designer or agency can cost between $500 and $10,000+ as a one-time fee. Professional website maintenance will cost an additional $500 to $1000 yearly, depending on the size and the maintenance package.
What Determines the Cost of Hiring a Web Designer?
No definitive scale measures how much a web designer will charge you. However, we can estimate the range based on many factors.
Hosting, Domain Name, Plugins, and Themes
Hosting and domain name registration are compulsory when building a site. If you do not want to create a hosting account or register your domain name, you must pay the designer separately for the costs. The same goes for the themes and plugins.
However, we advise purchasing the hosting account, plugins, themes, and domain name for easier, better, and more cost-effective management.
Features
The features you want significantly affect the cost of building a site. A simple blog with only a bunch of text and images will cost less than an eCommerce site with probably a streaming capability built in.
Designer’s Experience
The web designer or agency’s years of experience and track record are vital in determining how much they will charge you. Typically, you can expect to pay a web designer between $15 and $60+ per hour. So, the amount you will be charged is determined by the time they spend on your work. However, sometimes, it is a fixed price.
Theme Customization
Most websites are built using pre-made themes. However, in some cases, if the premium themes available do not have the features you need, your web designer can create a custom one for you. Considering the time and skills the web designer will use to build a custom theme specifically for you, you will be charged more.
Site Maintenance
Website maintenance includes plugin and theme updates, bug reports, SEO audits, accessibility, security, backup, and data recovery. Web designers can charge you monthly, yearly, or even one-time for a specified period.
Size of the Website
The size of your website plays a vital role in pinpointing how much a web designer will charge you. By size, I mean the number of pages. A one-page website will cost less than a 10-page site.
How Much Does a Website Cost Based on Type
Another factor that determines the cost of a site is the purpose for which you are creating it. Sites generally have features that distinguish them from others. For instance, building a blog won’t cost the same as designing an eCommerce site. The latter will surely cost more.
The influence of the type of site you create on the cost depends on the method you use. Usually, an eCommerce website will be more expensive to build than a blog, and using a website builder like Wix or Hostinger costs the least. In contrast, you can expect to spend thousands of dollars if you hire a web designer.
Here are some website types and the estimated costs of building them:
- Personal/portfolio site: $60 per year
- Blog: $60 to $300 per year
- Online store or eCommerce website: $150 to $2,000 yearly
- Company or corporate site: $600 to $10,000+
How to Avoid Paying Too Much for A Site
Regardless of the method you use to build your website, sometimes, care must be taken to avoid spending more than necessary. Here are a few ways to prevent that while ensuring that you still have a great site:
- Don’t exceed your budget: We know you want the best website and high-quality work done. But that shouldn’t push you to hire a web designer who’s way above your budget. Don’t overpay! A $20-per-hour designer can give you the same results that a $60+ hourly designer will give, provided it’s not too complex.
- Use a website builder: If you want to create a simple site, you don’t need a CMS or a designer. The website builder method is the most affordable and will save you money.
- Stay focused: No matter how robust your budget is, don’t add more features than you need to your site. Focus on all the features that play vital roles in the success of your business or site.
- Don’t jump the gun: Sometimes, some features are too good to let go of, especially when the competition has them. In this case, you can plan to include them when your business grows or becomes more profitable. Don’t purchase an expensive site builder plan or an overkill hosting account for your project.
Summary of Site Building Costs
There are many ways to build a website, and the cost of getting one up and running is unpredictable. However, the main advice or goal is to keep the price as low as necessary.
Some factors influencing the method you use to build your site are time, skills, willingness to get your hands dirty, and budget. If you have the first three, your site-building cost will decrease or be minimal. Otherwise, you may need a professional’s help, which will bloat up your expenses.
Here is a quick summary of the cost of a site:
- Any CMS (WordPress) + Web Host: $2.99 to $400+ per month; this is a moderate budget option for those with technical skills.
- Website builder: $0 to $159 monthly; the cheapest option and best for beginners or low-budget businesses.
- Web designer: $500 to $10,000+; most expensive and ideal with a large budget.
- Maintenance: $500 to $1000+ yearly.
Here are some determinants of the right site-building method to use:
| Determining Factors | CMS (WordPress) | Website Builder | Web Designer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Requirements | Plenty | Little | None |
| Technical Skills | Required | Not Required | Not Needed |
| Budget Requirements | Moderate | Moderate | High |
| Customizations and Site Complexity | Medium to High | Basic to Moderate | High |
FAQs on Website Costs
How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business?
The site cost for a small business depends on how ‘small’ it is, the method used to build it, and the features included. But generally, your budget should be around $50 to $150 yearly for hosting and a domain name. If you’re hiring a web designer, you may need up to $6,000+.
How Much Does it Cost to Create a Single-Page Website?
You can expect to spend between $2 and $16 monthly for hosting for a one-page site. Domain name registration costs between $13 and $20 yearly. This estimate is only valid when using content management systems like WordPress or site builders like Wix, Hostinger Website Builder, and Squarespace. If you hire a web designer, you can expect to spend up to $2,000, depending on the complexity of the page.
What are the Factors that Influence the Cost of a Site?
The main determinants of its cost are the method used in building your site, the type of site, the features included (its complexity), and the size (number of pages).
How Much Does it Cost to Maintain a Website?
The cost of website maintenance depends on several components, such as the size of the site and the aspects to be maintained. Some of these aspects include SEO, security, content management, etc.
Generally, you may spend between $500 and $1,000 yearly. You can exceed this estimate and spend thousands of dollars, too. Alternatively, you can do it yourself and pay $0 if you have the skills.
