"How much for a site?" THE question agencies get asked — and often the one they answer worst. Here are honest ranges, without marketing fluff.
Showcase site
| Type | Budget | Timeline | For whom? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | $500-1,500 | 1-2 weeks | Product launch, event |
| 5-page showcase | $2,000-4,000 | 3-5 weeks | Small business, craftsman, freelancer |
| 10-15 page showcase | $4,000-8,000 | 5-8 weeks | Classic SMB |
| High-end showcase | $10,000-20,000 | 8-14 weeks | Big brands, B2B companies |
E-commerce
| Type | Budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Classic Shopify | $3,000-7,000 | 4-8 weeks |
| Shopify with customizations | $7,000-15,000 | 8-14 weeks |
| Custom WooCommerce | $8,000-25,000 | 10-16 weeks |
| Headless commerce (Next.js + Shopify) | $20,000-60,000 | 3-6 months |
Custom platform
| Type | Budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Simple MVP (SaaS prototype) | $15,000-40,000 | 2-4 months |
| V1 platform | $40,000-100,000 | 4-8 months |
| Platform with dashboards and APIs | $80,000-250,000 | 6-12 months |
What drives the variation
Factors that push costs up
- Content written by the agency (+ 20 to 40%)
- Brand identity to create (+ $1,500 to $5,000)
- Photos/videos to produce (+ $1,000 to $10,000)
- Multilingual (+ 20 to 30% per language)
- Specific features (client area, payment, calendar, external APIs…)
- Design level (customized theme vs full custom design)
Factors that lower costs
- You provide the written content
- You already have a brand guide
- You accept a premium theme over full custom
- You provide visuals (pro photos, logos)
Recurring costs not to forget
- Hosting: $10-100/month depending on size
- Domain name: $10-30/year
- Maintenance: $100-500/month for a serious site (security updates, backups, monitoring)
- Evolutions: budget 10-20% of initial cost per year
- Plugin/SaaS licenses: $50-500/month
Red flags in a quote
- $500 for a full e-commerce. Impossible without ultra-basic templates.
- $30,000 for a 5-page showcase site. Inflated unless clearly justified.
- No detail on deliverables. Always ask for precise scope.
- No mention of maintenance. Sign they want to leave you with an orphaned site.
How to compare quotes
- Same brief → minimum 3 quotes
- Compare at equivalent scope (not gross total)
- Check recent client references
- Ask to speak to a former client
- Look at the maintenance contract offered
Conclusion
A website is a business investment, not an object purchase. The budget depends above all on what the site should generate. A $10,000 site that generates $100,000 in revenue is profitable. A $2,000 site that doesn't convert is pure loss.
Have a project in mind? Contact us for a personalized quote.
