Cost guide
In 2026, a small business website costs anywhere from about $16 a month to well over $10,000, and the number depends almost entirely on who does the work. Below is what each option actually costs, where the money goes, and how to tell which one fits your business. Prices were last checked on August 22, 2026.
The same website can carry four very different price tags. The real difference is not quality, it is who does the work and who keeps doing it after launch.
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Option | Upfront cost | Ongoing cost | Who builds it | Who maintains it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builderWix, Squarespace, GoDaddy | $0 | $16 to $49 per month | You do | You do |
| Freelance web designerAn independent designer or developer | $1,500 to $8,000 | Hosting and maintenance billed separately, often hourly | The freelancer | Usually nobody, unless you keep paying |
| Web design agencyA full-service design and marketing firm | $2,000 to $10,000 and up | Hosting plus a maintenance retainer | The agency | The agency, for a retainer |
| Otter Collective StudioManaged monthly website | $0 | $49.99 per month | We do | We do, for as long as you are a customer |
Figures last verified August 22, 2026. Platform pricing changes, so check the linked sources at the bottom of this page for current numbers.
The subscription is the small part. The real cost is your time: choosing a template, writing every page, sizing images, wiring the contact form, and going back in every time something changes.
US freelance rates commonly run $50 to $150 an hour. The build is a one-time project, so updates a year later mean finding them again and paying their current rate, if they are still available.
Clutch, which collects verified project data, reports that most web design projects come in under $10,000, with design firms commonly billing $100 to $149 an hour. Larger custom builds go well past that.
One flat monthly price covers the build, hosting, SSL, security, updates, and content changes. There is no setup fee and no contract, and we build the site before you pay anything so you can see it first. If you later want to own the site outright, a one-time $500 buyout makes it yours with the full source code delivered.
Keeping a professionally built site hosted, updated, and secure is commonly quoted at $500 to $1,500 per year. With a freelancer or an agency that is on top of the build cost. Whatever quote you are looking at, ask what year two costs.
The honest math
We charge $49.99 a month, so it is fair to ask how that adds up. Year one costs $599.88, against $2,000 to $10,000 for a typical agency build. Over five years it comes to $2999.40, which lands right in the range of a mid-range one-time build.
The difference is what that number buys. The five year total includes five years of hosting, security, updates, and content changes, which are costs you would be paying separately in the other columns. And you never write a four-figure check to get started.
If you want to own a site outright and never pay anyone again, a one-time build from a freelancer is a reasonable choice, and we will tell you so.
If the monthly part suits you but being locked in does not, there is a middle path. At any time you can pay a one-time $500 and the site is yours, delivered as a complete copy of its source code, whether you then host it yourself or keep us on. See how the buyout works.
You genuinely enjoy the work, you have the hours, and your site needs to do very little beyond existing.
You want to own the finished site outright, you have the budget up front, and you are comfortable arranging maintenance yourself.
You need strategy, campaigns, and content production alongside the site, and you have the budget to match.
You want a professional site without an upfront bill, and you never want to log into anything or chase someone down to change your hours.
It depends entirely on who does the work. A DIY builder like Wix or Squarespace costs roughly $16 to $49 a month and you build and maintain the site yourself. A freelance designer typically charges $1,500 to $8,000 for the build. An agency typically charges $2,000 to $10,000 or more. A managed monthly service like ours is $49.99 a month with the build, hosting, and maintenance included and no setup fee.
On the invoice, yes. A DIY builder subscription is the cheapest line item you will find. The cost that does not show up on the invoice is your time, both to build it and to keep it current. If your hours are worth more in the field than at a keyboard, DIY is usually the most expensive option in practice.
Because "a website" describes anything from a single page to a custom booking and payment system. Page count, custom design versus a template, copywriting, photography, SEO work, and whether anyone maintains it afterward all move the number. Two quotes that differ by $8,000 are usually describing two different projects.
A clear description of what you do, the areas you serve, a phone number that is tappable on a phone, a working contact form, real photos of your own work, and pages that load fast on mobile. Anything beyond that is worth paying for only if it earns its keep.
Usually. The common ones are domain registration, hosting, an SSL certificate, premium plugins or apps, stock photography, and maintenance once the build is done. Ongoing maintenance alone is commonly quoted at $500 to $1,500 a year. Ask any quote to spell out what happens in year two.
That depends on the provider, and it is worth asking before you sign. On most managed monthly services the provider keeps the site and you use it for as long as you pay. Ours works that way too, with one difference: you can buy the website outright at any time for a one-time $500 and we hand over a complete copy of its source code, so you are never trapped. Your content and your domain are yours either way.
In the first year, almost always. Over enough years the totals converge. At $49.99 a month you would pay about $3,000 over five years, which is comparable to a mid-range one-time build, except it includes five years of hosting, security, and updates and you never pay a lump sum up front.
Every figure here was checked on the date above against the linked source. Squarespace prices were read directly off their rendered pricing page. Wix prices vary by region and were cross-checked against Wix's own plans page and their published US pricing. Re-verify before quoting these anywhere new, since platform pricing changes.
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