How Much Does It Cost to Develop a Website in 2025?
If you are budgeting a new website, expect two buckets of spend: one-time build costs and ongoing monthly fees. In 2025, a basic DIY site can launch for a few hundred dollars per year, while a professionally developed, custom platform can range from tens of thousands to six figures depending on complexity, integrations, and content. Below you will find realistic price ranges, what actually drives cost, and clear steps to estimate your own budget without surprises.
Quick answer: website development cost ranges in 2025
These ranges reflect typical scopes we see across startups, SMBs, and scale-ups. Your exact figure depends on features, design depth, integrations, and region. For US-specific benchmarks, see the average website development cost in the US.
| Website type | One-time build | Monthly ongoing | Typical first year |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY site builder (Wix, Squarespace) | $0 – $500 | $12 – $40 | $150 – $800 |
| Small business WordPress (5-15 pages) | $2,500 – $15,000 | $25 – $200 | $2,800 – $17,400 |
| Custom WordPress or headless marketing site | $8,000 – $40,000 | $50 – $400 | $8,600 – $44,800 |
| E-commerce store | $5,000 – $50,000+ | $39 – $500+ apps | $5,500 – $56,000+ |
| Marketplace or multi-vendor | $25,000 – $250,000+ | $100 – $1,500+ | $26,200 – $268,000+ |
| Interactive web app / product | $30,000 – $300,000+ | $150 – $2,000+ | $31,800 – $324,000+ |
What drives website cost?
Scope and complexity
More pages, content types, and user journeys increase effort. Custom features like user accounts, search, multi-language, or complex forms add planning, development, and testing time. Integrations with CRMs, ERPs, or marketing tools also affect both build and ongoing cost.
Design and UX requirements
A brand-new design system, motion design, and custom components require more UX and UI work than adapting a proven theme. Accessibility, design QA across devices, and micro-interactions add polish and time. If you’re defining responsibilities and scope, read web design vs web development.
Content production
Professional copywriting, photography, video, and illustrations can rival build effort. Stock can reduce cost, but original assets perform better and may cost $500 – $5,000+ depending on scope.
E-commerce and payments
Product catalogs, variants, taxes, shipping, checkout, fraud prevention, and subscriptions add complexity. Expect additional app fees and payment processor transaction fees. For scoping and pricing guidance, see our e-commerce website development.
Performance, security, and compliance
Faster sites convert better but require optimization, CDN, caching, and clean code. Security hardening, backups, and compliance such as GDPR or HIPAA can require specific tooling and processes.
Team model
DIY is cheapest but time intensive. Freelancers are flexible for smaller scopes. Agencies bring cross-disciplinary teams for complex builds and long-term scalability. Rates vary widely by region and expertise.
One-time build costs explained
Strategy, architecture, and UX
Discovery workshops, information architecture, and wireframes set the foundation. For SMB scopes, budget $1,000 – $5,000. For complex products or marketplaces, $5,000 – $30,000+ depending on research depth and prototyping.
Visual design and front-end
Custom UI design, responsive states, design system tokens, and front-end implementation typically range from $2,000 – $25,000+ based on the number of unique templates and interactivity. Premium themes for WordPress or Shopify cost $60 – $400 but still require configuration and customization.
Back-end development and integrations
Content modeling, API development, and integrations with payments, CRM, analytics, or inventory systems vary widely. Simple marketing sites: $1,500 – $10,000. E-commerce or apps: $10,000 – $100,000+ depending on the number and complexity of integrations.
Content and media assets
Copywriting for 5-15 pages: $1,000 – $5,000. Photography: $500 – $5,000. Illustration or icon sets: $300 – $3,000. Video: $1,500 – $15,000+. You can use stock to reduce costs, but verify licenses and uniqueness.
Ongoing monthly and yearly costs
These are the typical recurring items you will pay monthly or annually regardless of who builds the site. For clarity on planning and retainers, see our strategy and support.
Hosting
- Shared hosting: $5 – $15 per month. Suitable for small low-traffic sites.
- VPS or cloud hosting: $20 – $80 per month for more control and resources.
- Managed WordPress hosting: $30 – $100+ per month, including backups, updates, and performance tooling.
- Website builders: $12 – $40 per month for marketing sites, $39 – $399+ for Shopify depending on features.
Domain name
A .com is typically $10 – $20 per year. Premium TLDs or high-demand names can be $30 – $70+ per year. Renewals sometimes cost more than first-year promos.
SSL and security
Let’s Encrypt SSL is free with many hosts. Paid certificates for higher validation or enterprise use are typically $60 – $300+ per year. Add $5 – $50 per month for security monitoring, firewall, and malware scanning if not included in hosting.
Maintenance and support
Plugin updates, backups, uptime monitoring, and minor enhancements often run $100 – $500+ per month depending on SLA and scope. Heavier change requests or growth work are usually billed separately or on a larger retainer.
Business email and apps
Business email through Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 is $6 – $15 per user per month. Common paid apps or plugins for SEO, forms, search, or shipping can add $5 – $100+ per month.
| Recurring item | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting | $5 – $100+ | $60 – $1,200+ |
| Domain | — | $10 – $70+ |
| SSL | $0 – $25 | $0 – $300+ |
| Maintenance | $100 – $500+ | $1,200 – $6,000+ |
| $6 – $15 per user | $72 – $180 per user | |
| Apps and plugins | $0 – $100+ | $0 – $1,200+ |
Cost by website type
Planning a company or brochure site? Explore our informational website development services to match scope and budget.
| Type | Build cost | Ongoing monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brochure site | $2,500 – $8,000 | $15 – $100 | 5-10 pages, forms, analytics |
| Small business WordPress | $5,000 – $15,000 | $25 – $200 | Custom design, blog, lead-gen |
| E-commerce store | $5,000 – $50,000+ | $39 – $500+ | Catalog, payments, tax, shipping |
| Marketplace | $25,000 – $250,000+ | $100 – $1,500+ | Multi-vendor, complex flows |
| Interactive web app | $30,000 – $300,000+ | $150 – $2,000+ | Custom back-end and APIs |
DIY vs hiring a developer or agency
DIY website builders
Wix, Squarespace, and similar tools let you launch quickly with templates. Expect $12 – $40 per month for marketing sites and $39 – $399+ for Shopify e-commerce. Best for simple needs and tight budgets. Limitations include customization ceilings, template lock-in, and app costs as you grow.
WordPress DIY or hybrid
WordPress offers flexibility and ownership, often with lower software costs. A premium theme plus a few paid plugins can get you far, but you will invest time in configuration, security, and performance. Many teams start DIY and later hire experts to harden and scale.
Hire a web developer or agency
Hourly rates vary by geography and expertise: freelancers often charge $40 – $120 per hour, agencies $80 – $200+ per hour. Fixed project pricing for small business sites typically falls between $5,000 and $25,000, while e-commerce, marketplaces, or complex apps can range from $25,000 to $250,000+. What you get is a cross-functional team for strategy, UX, design, development, QA, and delivery reliability.
Outsourcing vs local teams
Nearshore or offshore outsourcing can lower rates, but account for communication, time zones, and management overhead. A hybrid model often works well: local product strategy and UX with a nearshore engineering team. Prioritize proven processes, transparent estimates, and references for complex builds.
How to estimate your website budget accurately
- List must-haves vs nice-to-haves: Authentication, CMS, blog, e-commerce, integrations, languages.
- Choose your platform early: Builder, WordPress, headless, or a custom stack to align with needs and team skills.
- Map features to complexity: Assign small, medium, or large effort to each feature to spot cost drivers.
- Plan content: Count pages and assets. Budget copy, photography, and any video or illustrations.
- Select hosting tier: Shared, managed, or cloud based on traffic and performance targets.
- Include QA and accessibility: WCAG fixes later are costlier than doing it right at design and build time.
- Allocate for maintenance: 15 – 25 percent of the build cost as an annual operating budget is a healthy rule of thumb.
- Request comparable quotes: Share the same scope with each vendor, ask for assumptions, and confirm what is included.
Simple budget formula: feature estimate + design/UI + integrations + content + 15 – 25 percent contingency for unknowns. This produces a realistic range before you solicit proposals.
Ways to reduce cost without cutting corners
- Start smaller, ship sooner: Launch a focused MVP and add features after you validate traction.
- Leverage proven themes and components: Customize a solid base instead of bespoke from day one.
- Consolidate tools: Choose platforms that include CDN, backups, or analytics to reduce third-party fees.
- Automate content workflows: Structured content and reusable blocks lower future change costs.
- Prioritize performance and SEO early: It prevents expensive rework and lifts ROI from launch.
- Document requirements: Clear specs reduce change requests and timeline creep.
Get a tailored estimate from Digital Present
Digital Present designs and develops custom, scalable websites and products for organizations that need quality, speed, and reliability. From WordPress to headless and complex e-commerce, our team handles strategy, UX/UI, development, integrations, and ongoing support. If you want a precise number for your scope, share your requirements and we will provide a clear, itemized estimate.
Request a web development estimate or explore our services.
FAQs
How much does it cost to get a website made professionally?
Most small business websites fall between $5,000 and $25,000 depending on pages, design depth, and integrations. Custom WordPress or headless marketing sites often range from $8,000 to $40,000. Complex e-commerce or web apps can reach $50,000 – $250,000+.
Can I create a website for free?
Yes, with free tiers or trials, but you will still pay for a custom domain and likely upgrade for essential features. Realistically, plan $150 – $800 for your first year for a DIY site with a custom domain and an ad-free plan.
How much should I pay for someone to build my website?
For a straightforward brochure site, $2,500 – $8,000 is typical. More advanced marketing sites with custom design and integrations usually land between $8,000 and $25,000. Always ask vendors what is included and what counts as extra.
How much does it cost per month to run a website?
Plan $25 – $200 per month for hosting, domain amortized, SSL, maintenance, email, and essential plugins. E-commerce and high-traffic sites may run $150 – $600+ per month due to higher hosting tiers and app fees.
How much does it cost to build an e-commerce website?
Small to mid-size stores usually range from $5,000 to $50,000+ for build. Ongoing costs include platform fees ($39 – $399+ per month), apps, and payment processing. Complex catalogs, custom checkout, or ERP integrations increase cost.
How much does it cost to hire a web developer?
Freelancers commonly charge $40 – $120 per hour. Agencies range from $80 – $200+ per hour depending on seniority and region. Many projects are quoted as fixed fee based on scope and milestones.
How much does it cost to build a marketplace website?
Expect $25,000 – $250,000+ due to multi-vendor flows, commissions, onboarding, payouts, and moderation. Ongoing costs cover hosting, security, and third-party services like identity verification or search.
How much does it cost to make a website accessible?
Building with accessibility in mind adds design and QA time but prevents expensive retrofits. For SMB scopes, budget 10 – 20 percent extra for WCAG compliance. Remediation of an existing site varies based on issues discovered.
How much does it cost to outsource website development?
Outsourcing can reduce hourly rates, but totals depend on scope. Many businesses see 20 – 40 percent savings versus local-only teams. Evaluate communication, process, and quality controls to avoid hidden costs.
How much does a one-page website cost?
DIY can be under $300 in the first year. Professionally designed one-pagers typically cost $1,000 – $4,000, especially if you need copy, custom visuals, and animations.
How much does it cost to build an interactive website?
Interactive experiences that require custom front-end and API work typically start around $30,000 and scale to $300,000+ for complex apps. Costs depend on user roles, data flows, and performance targets. For deeper planning, review our custom web application development approach.
What is the cost to develop a website per year?
Outside of the initial build, most organizations spend $1,200 – $6,000+ per year on operations for a typical marketing site, and $3,000 – $12,000+ for e-commerce or higher-traffic properties.
Author
