Guides · October 30, 2026
How much does a small business website cost?
The three ways to get a website, what each one really costs once you count your time and the upkeep, and what to ask before you pay anyone.
The short version
- Build it yourself: the cheapest in dollars, the most expensive in your time.
- Pay for a build: a bigger bill up front, then hosting and changes on top.
- A monthly plan: a small start, one monthly price, and someone else keeps it running.
Ask five web designers and you'll get five prices, from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands. Most of that spread comes down to three ways of buying a website. Each one costs money in a different place.
Building it yourself
Website builders like Wix and Squarespace charge a monthly fee, usually somewhere around $20 to $50 for a small business. The real cost is your time: picking a template, writing every page, taking photos, and figuring out why it doesn't show up on Google.
It works if you like doing it and have the hours. Most owners we talk to started one, got halfway, and have had a half-finished site up for years.
Paying for a build
A freelancer or agency builds the site for a one-time price. For a small local business that's often a few thousand dollars, and more for a big custom job. Hosting, updates, and changes are usually extra, either a monthly fee or billed by the hour each time you need something.
The site can be great on day one. The common problem is year two: hours are out of date, nobody remembers the login, and a small change means an invoice.
A monthly plan
A smaller setup fee, then one monthly price that covers the build, hosting, and changes. You don't need a big check to start, and someone is always on the hook to keep it working.
The thing to watch is what happens when you leave. Some monthly plans keep the website when you cancel, so ask before you sign.
The three side by side
| What | Up front | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Build it yourself | Your time | A builder fee every month, and your time for every change |
| Pay for a build | Usually a few thousand dollars | Hosting, plus paying for each change |
| A monthly plan | A small setup fee | One monthly price, changes included |
Ask before you pay anyone
- What's the total for the first year, all in?
- Are hosting, security updates, and the domain included?
- How do I ask for a change, and what does it cost?
- Who writes the words on the pages?
- If I leave, what do I keep?
What ours costs
$150 a month and $300 to start. That covers the design, the writing, hosting, upkeep, and your changes: as many as you want for the first 60 days, then 2 a month. No contract, and the site is yours after 12 months.
See pricing