Guide
How much does a small business website cost in 2026?
What you're actually paying for
Every website has the same handful of costs, whoever builds it. Knowing them makes quotes easy to compare.
- Design and build (once): the pages, the layout, making it work on phones, and putting your words and photos in. This is most of the price.
- The domain (every year): your address, like yourbusiness.com. A .com usually costs about $10 to $30 a year.
- Hosting (every month or year): the server that keeps the site online. On a website builder it's part of the plan; with a designer or an agency it's often a care or maintenance plan.
- Changes and upkeep (as you go): new photos, prices, hours, a new page. Some plans include a few small edits; otherwise they're billed by the hour or the job.
- Extras (once, if you need them): a logo, copywriting (often an extra, sometimes included), professional photos, booking or ordering systems.
What each way of getting a website costs
These are typical US prices for a site of about five to fifteen pages in 2026. They vary a lot by provider and by what's included, so read every quote for what it leaves out.
| Option | Up front | Ongoing | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website builder, on your own | $0 beyond the plan | Usually about $15 to $50 a month for a business plan, plus the domain | You do: the design, the words, the photos and every change |
| Freelance designer | Often a few hundred to several thousand dollars | Hosting and changes, priced by each freelancer | They do, at a pace that depends on one person's schedule |
| Website subscription service | Often little or nothing | Often a hundred dollars or more a month, for as long as you keep the site | They do; you usually can't take the site with you |
| Web design agency | Often several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars | Usually a monthly retainer for hosting and care | They do, after a discovery phase and rounds of meetings |
| Cider Websites | Fixed: $499, $999, $2,000, or a custom quote | Optional care plan: $49 a month or $490 a year, hosting and the domain included | We do, from a five-minute brief; you see a free first draft before you pay |
The cheapest option isn't always the cheapest
A website builder costs the least in cash, but you pay in hours: most owners spend several evenings or weekends on a first version, and the result often looks like a template. A subscription service looks cheap up front, but the monthly fee runs for as long as you have the site, and over a few years it can cost more than a site you own outright.
What a website costs with Cider Websites
Our prices are fixed and published, and you choose by how many pages your site needs. Every launch includes a free first draft, a design that works on phones, search-ready page titles and descriptions, and the launch on your own domain. We write the words for every page, on every launch.
| Launch | Pages | Changes before launch | Price (one time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website launch | Up to 5 pages | 5 rounds of changes | $499 |
| Pro launch | Up to 15 pages | Unlimited rounds of changes | $999 |
| Signature launch | Up to 30 pages | Unlimited rounds of changes | $2,000 |
After launch, the optional care plan ($49 a month, or $490 a year) keeps the site hosted, registers and renews your domain, and includes small edits and support; without it, we give you the site's files to host yourself. Monthly add-ons: SEO & AEO care ($249 a month), Fresh content ($149 a month), Google Business Profile ($49 a month), Extra edits ($39 a month). Every price is on our pricing page.
Three example budgets
Worked examples for the first year, with the care plan paid yearly. Your own total depends on the pages and extras you choose.
| Business | What they chose | First year | Each year after |
|---|---|---|---|
| A café or bakery with five pages | Website launch and the yearly care plan | $989 | $490 a year |
| A plumbing company with twelve pages and a logo | Pro launch, logo design, yearly care | $1,638 | $490 a year |
| A law firm with twenty-five pages and written copy | Signature launch (a logo included), yearly care | $2,490 | $490 a year |
Add-ons like SEO & AEO care are billed monthly on top of the care plan, and you can drop them at any time.
What makes a website cost more
- More pages. Each service, location or product range that needs its own page adds design and writing time.
- Writing the words. Many designers charge extra to write the copy, or include it only in bigger packages. We write the words for every page, on every launch.
- A logo or brand. A new logo costs extra; one you already have costs nothing.
- Special features. Members' areas, custom calculators or complex integrations take scoping. Linking your existing booking, ordering or review pages doesn't.
- Speed. A first draft in days rather than weeks usually costs more.
- Several locations or brands. Each needs its own pages, details and sometimes its own look.
How to keep the cost down
- Start with the pages you need now: home, services, about and contact cover most businesses. You can add pages later.
- Gather your photos, logo and a few sentences about what you do before you start.
- Link the tools you already use for booking, ordering and reviews instead of paying for new ones to be built.
- Use a domain you already own, or one included in a care plan.
- Pay for hosting yearly rather than monthly when it's cheaper.
Costs to ask about before you sign
- What does it cost to renew each year: the domain, the hosting, the plan?
- How many rounds of changes are included, and what does another one cost?
- Do you own the site and its files when you've paid, and can you leave with them?
- Is there a commission or fee on bookings or orders made through the site?
- What does it cost to cancel, and how much notice do you need to give?
If a quote doesn't answer these, ask before you commit. Ours are answered on the pricing page and in our terms.
Questions people ask
Is $500 enough for a small business website?
Yes, for a focused site of up to 5 pages: our Website launch is $499, designed and built for you, with 5 rounds of changes. Bigger sites or a logo cost more. To keep it online with us, add the care plan ($490 a year), with hosting and the domain included.
How much does a website cost per year to run?
Usually the domain (about $10 to $30 a year) plus hosting and any care plan. With us, the care plan is $490 a year and includes hosting, the domain, small edits and support.
Are there ongoing costs after the build?
Yes, at least the domain and hosting, whoever builds the site, plus any changes you pay for. With us, the build is a one-time fee; to keep the site online with us, you add the optional care plan, or you take the files and host them yourself. Do you have to pay monthly for a website? goes into the details.
Is a website builder cheaper than hiring someone?
In cash, usually yes. In time, rarely: you do the design, writing and every change yourself. Website builder or web designer? compares the two.
How much does a website redesign cost?
About the same as a new site of the same size, since most redesigns rebuild the pages. With us, a redesign uses the same fixed launch prices, from $499, and you keep your domain.
Read next
- Do you have to pay monthly for a website?What you must pay to keep a website online, what monthly website fees really buy, who owns your site, and how to own it outright with a one-time build.
- How many pages does a small business website need?Most small business websites need 5 to 15 pages, larger firms more. How many yours needs, typical page sets for cafés, trades and firms, and how to plan.
- Website builder vs web designer: which should you choose?Website builder or web designer? A comparison of cost, time, design, upkeep and ownership, when doing it yourself makes sense, and when to hire help.
- PricingWebsite design packages at fixed prices: $499, $999, $2,000 or a custom quote, plus an optional care plan with hosting. You pay only when you launch.
Want it done for you? The first draft is free
Tell us about your business and we'll do the rest. Questions first? Email hello@ciderwebsites.com.
You pay only when you launch.