How much does it cost to make a website? It depends on how you build it. A drag-and-drop builder runs about $10 to $21 a month, a freelancer or small agency can charge $500 to $5,000 for a one-page site, and a large custom build starts around $15,000. This guide breaks down each route, the ongoing costs people forget, and what different kinds of sites tend to cost.
If you want the lowest-cost route, you can build a website with Base44 by describing what you want in plain language. Base44 has a free plan, so you can see what you get before you spend anything.
TL;DR
A website costs anywhere from $0 to well over $15,000, depending on who builds it and what it needs.
Your biggest cost choice is the build method. A site builder is a small monthly fee, a freelancer or agency is a one-time project fee, and an AI builder like Base44 starts free. Domain, hosting and upkeep come on top.
- DIY site builders: about $10 to $21 a month.
- Freelancer or small agency: $500 to $5,000 for a one-page site.
- Base44: free plan, then paid plans from $16 a month billed annually.
What affects the cost of a website
Four things move the price more than anything else: who builds it, how many pages and features you need, whether you sell products online, and how much upkeep you want to handle yourself.
- Who builds it. You, a freelancer, an agency or an AI builder. This is the biggest swing.
- Size and features. A one-page site costs far less than a site with bookings, memberships or a store.
- Ecommerce. Selling online adds payment, product and checkout needs, and the price steps up.
- Upkeep. Security updates, backups and content changes are a recurring cost.
A website can pay for itself in trust alone:
18%
Of US consumers decided not to contact a local business because they couldn't find a website for it, while 20% chose a business because it had a professional-looking website.
Tip
Decide what your site has to do in its first month before you ask for any quote. A short list of must-have pages and features keeps quotes comparable and stops you paying for extras you do not need yet.
Website cost by build method
Here is how the four main routes compare. Ranges come from published website cost guides and from Base44's own pricing page, and they change, so check current pricing before you commit.
| Method | Typical cost | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| DIY site builder | About $10 to $21+ a month | Drag-and-drop editing, hosting usually included |
| AI builder (Base44) | Free plan, then paid plans billed annually | Site built from a prompt, no design or development fee |
| Freelancer or small agency | $500 to $5,000 for a one-page site | A person designs and builds it for you |
| Agency (small business site) | From $640 one-time | Professional design and build |
Table 1.Website cost by build method.
Base44 pricingChecked 9 nov 2026
DIY site builder
A site builder is the common starting point. Published cost guides put DIY builder plans at about $10 to $21 a month, and plans usually include hosting, which keeps the cost predictable. Advanced commerce plans can run up to about $99 a month.
Watch out
A fair heads-up: a low monthly price is usually the entry plan. Features like extra storage, advanced commerce or removing the builder's branding often sit on higher tiers, so compare the plan you need, not the plan on the banner.
Freelancer or agency
Hiring a person gets you a custom design and someone to ask when things break. Published guides cite $50 to $150+ per hour for developers and $500 to a couple of thousand dollars for design from a freelancer. Agencies cost more as scope grows. For a deeper look at what professionals charge compared with building with AI, read our guide to the cost of building a website with AI.
$45.85
Median hourly pay for US web developers and digital designers in 2024 ($95,380 a year), roughly double the $49,500 median across all US occupations.
U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsMay 2024
Building with an AI builder
An AI builder is the lowest-cost route because you describe the site and the builder generates it, so there is no design or development fee. If you want the full walkthrough, see how to create a website with AI.
Expert view
We launched it within a week. Just before Gift My Book, we worked with developers and it took a few months, and then we basically built it in a week.
Yoav Hornung
Founder of Gift My Book
Base44 has a free plan at $0 a month, with 25 message credits and up to 5 apps. Paid plans start at $16 a month billed annually, and include a custom domain free for 1 year. See the Base44 pricing page for every plan (read 9 November 2026).
Tip
One thing worth knowing: the AI builds the first version quickly, but what it produces is a starting point. Plan a little time to refine wording, images and page details before you publish. You can start on the free plan and move up only when you need more credits.
The ongoing costs people forget
The build is only part of what a website costs. Three recurring costs show up on almost every site.
- Domain name. Published guides list $0 to $30 a year, with about $20 a year as a common figure. Some extensions, such as .ai, can cost more.
- Hosting. Standalone hosting runs about $6 to $25 a month on a typical hosting plan. Site builders usually bundle it into the plan, so you may not pay for it separately.
- Maintenance. Budget up to $500 or more a year for security updates, backups and content changes if you manage a self-hosted site.
On self-hosted setups, premium themes can run from free to over $100 and premium plugins $5 to $100.
Watch out
Practical context: the cheapest way to avoid surprise bills is to pick a route that bundles hosting and security. A self-hosted site gives you control, but you carry the upkeep and the cost of anything that breaks.
Website cost by site type
What you build matters as much as how. These figures are typical ranges from published cost guides.
- One-page site: $500 to $5,000 with a freelancer or small agency. If you only need a single page, see how to build a one-page website.
- Small business site: from $640 one-time with a professional service. For the full build, read how to create a business website.
- Small to medium ecommerce site: from $5,000 one-time. Advanced commerce plans on a DIY builder top out around $99 a month if you build it yourself. Our guide on how to make an ecommerce website with AI shows the alternative.
- Large ecommerce site: from $10,000 one-time.
- Large custom business site: from $15,000 one-time.
How to keep your website cost down
You can cut the bill without cutting quality if you make a few choices early.
Before you pay for anything
0/5 Done
Expert view
When it comes to making a website, it's worth considering building a plan for all your website pages from the start of the process. This means creating a clear website plan that includes your planned and potential future pages.
Nitzan Eiges
Tech SEO Team Lead at Wix
Time is part of the cost too. If you are weighing speed against budget, read how long it takes to build a website with AI.
Ready to build? Learn more by site type
If you already know what you are making, these guides walk you through building it with Base44. For a plain explainer first, read what a website builder is:
Start free
Build your website with Base44
Frequently asked questions
It can cost nothing or a lot, depending on the route. Base44 has a free plan at $0 a month, while site builders start around $10 a month and freelancers or agencies charge a project fee.
Published guides list small business sites from $640 one-time with a professional service. A DIY builder or an AI builder can cost much less per month.
Add the plan or project cost to a domain, which runs $0 to $30 a year, and any maintenance, which can be up to $500 or more a year on self-hosted sites.
Yes. Base44's free plan gives you 25 message credits a month and up to 5 apps, which is enough to build and test a simple site before you decide on a paid plan.
An AI builder or a DIY site builder is usually the lowest-cost route, because you skip design and development fees and hosting is often included.
Not always. Builder plans usually include hosting, while standalone hosting runs about $6 to $25 a month.