How much does a professional website cost in 2026?

It is often the first question business owners ask: how much does a professional website cost? The honest answer is: it depends. But behind that vague answer lies a reality you deserve to understand before signing a quote.

Price ranges by type of website

Here are real market rates in 2026, excluding hosting and domain name costs:

Brochure website (5 to 10 pages)

A website that presents a service business, a tradesperson or an independent professional. Prices range from €800 to €4,000 depending on the level of customisation and the provider you choose.

• Under €500: a website builder such as Wix or Squarespace. You do everything yourself. The result is often generic and poorly optimised for SEO.
• €800 to €1,500: a freelancer or small agency working from a customised WordPress theme. A good option to get started.
• €1,500 to €4,000: bespoke design, integrated visual identity, SEO optimisation and carefully built responsive design. This is where the return on investment becomes real.

Online shop (e-commerce)

Selling online involves more technical work. Expect to pay between €2,000 and €8,000 for a serious online shop.

• Integration of a secure payment system
• Stock and order management
• Product pages optimised for SEO
• A checkout process designed to reduce cart abandonment

Custom website

For specific features (bookings, customer area, product configurator and so on), custom development generally starts at around €4,000 and can exceed €15,000 depending on complexity.

What really drives the price

Two quotes for the same project can differ by a factor of three. Here is why:

The number of pages and features

A five-page static website does not require the same work as a 30-page site with a blog, a members’ area and complex forms. Every additional feature means hours of development and testing.

Design work

A WordPress theme bought for €50 does not cost the same as a design created specifically for your brand. Bespoke design means studying your audience, your competitors and your positioning before any software is even opened.

Built-in SEO optimisation

A technically well-built website (loading time, HTML structure, tags, structured data) goes hand in hand with good visibility on Google. Doing this work upfront avoids much higher SEO costs later on.

Copywriting

Your website’s text is part of the project. Either you supply it, or the provider writes it (which accounts for a significant share of the budget). Well-written copy converts; rushed copy drives visitors away.

Recurring costs you should not forget

Beyond its creation, a website generates annual costs:

• Hosting: €5 to €30 per month depending on server quality
• Domain name: €10 to €20 per year
• Maintenance and updates: €50 to €200 per month depending on the contract
• SSL (HTTPS): often included, but check

Pitfalls to avoid

Some very low quotes conceal hidden costs or questionable practices. Be wary of:

• Rented websites that belong to you only while you keep paying, and that you lose if you stop
• Generic themes sold as “bespoke”
• Contracts that lock up ownership of the source code
• No handover of skills: you cannot update your own website

What budget should your business plan for?

If you are just starting out on a tight budget, a well-made brochure website costing €1,000 to €2,000 is a reasonable investment. It will be your best salesperson, working around the clock.

If your business is established and your current website embarrasses you or generates no enquiries, a redesign costing €2,000 to €5,000 can pay for itself with just a few extra contracts.

The real question is not “how much does it cost?” but “how much can it bring in?” A well-designed website is an investment, not an expense.