Website Development Cost in 2024: Price to Build a Website

The process of developing a website is straightforward, but the way website development costs are calculated is anything but. We wrote a guide to help you derive your estimate and be prepared for conversations with freelancers and website development outsourcing agencies.

Whether you’re running a business or engaged in another worthwhile endeavor, having a website and maintaining an online presence is crucial in our modern digital world. If you don’t have one, it’s quite easy to find a high-profile website development team with a relevant portfolio. However, typically, you won’t find a price list as easily.

It makes you wonder how much does it cost to create a website. After all, another crucial element of business is budgeting.

Well, the quick answer is that it depends on a wide range of factors. Let’s take a closer look at some of those factors, compare the different routes you can take to build a website, and get a few estimates of the website development costs.

The Cost to Make a Website at a Glance

If one of your friends has recently built a website and paid, say, $5,000 for it, that doesn’t mean you’ll pay the same. The cost of making a website includes a whole range of factors, from choosing a domain name and hosting provider to creating content, website development, and ongoing maintenance. So, to answer the question of how much a website should cost, it all comes down to your specific requirements. 

The cost could be as low as $16 per month if you build a basic site of just a few pages using self-built tools. And if you want to create something more elaborate and feature-rich with the help of a professional team of developers, content writers, and web designers, the price tag will be $5,000, $10,000, and more. And that’s without the maintenance and marketing costs you’ll incur over time to keep your website running smoothly and attracting visitors.

As you can see, how much a website costs isn’t a question that can be answered easily. There are a number of things to take into account to get your estimates right. Let’s explore the key factors that directly affect website development costs. 

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What Determines How Much It Will Cost to Build a Website

Before we look at some of the average estimates of how much a website can cost, let’s first take a look at the price factors. These can be grouped into two categories: flat costs and variable costs.

Flat website cost in 2024: development, hosting cost and more

To get your website on the internet, there are several flat costs you’ll have to deal with. These include:

• domain costs;
• hosting fees;
• subscription costs for a website-building tool (optional).

Domain

One of the essential first steps and often the first cost of creating a website is registering a domain name. It is the address you type into a browser that navigates to a website – google.com is an easy example. 

Domain names have to be unique, so you’ll need to register yours on a domain name registrar. This fee needs to be renewed annually if you want to keep the name. The average price for top-level domains (TLD) such as .org, .net, and .com can range between $6 to 20, whereas newer domains with extensions like .club and .site will cost you up to $25 per year. And if you want to buy an already registered domain from an auction, the price can go well into the thousands range depending on its authority score. 

Hosting

Once your website is complete and ready for use, it has to be hosted on a webserver to make your website available to others. Many companies rent out their servers and the prices can range from just a few dollars to hundreds of dollars per month, depending on the size and functionality of your website.

Prices usually start around the $1.99 mark for a WordPress or single shared hosting service and can go up to $250 for a dedicated server.

SSL Certificate

If your website is going to collect any data from your visitors, you will have to purchase an SSL certificate. Many personal and small-business websites do just fine with a free SSL certificate. However — the more data protection your users expect (and the more data your website handles), the higher the cost of your SSL certificate.

So, how much does it cost to provide peace of mind to your visitors? You can get it for free with some of the hosting providers like Hostinger or BlueHost, while if you choose to get it as an additional service, the price can be as much as $1,000 a year, depending on the provider.

Subscriptions

Many website builders provide a quick and easy way to get a website up and running, but they also come with a fee attached – for paid templates or a subscription. The latter usually covers hosting so you don’t have to pay for that separately. And some services even offer free domain names during the first year.

Depending on your needs, you might find these platforms suitable for building a website. Their pricing plans usually range from as little as $6 per month to as much as $50 per month, depending on the number of features and resources you need.

Let’s now look at the variable costs involved in website development.

Variable costs to develop a website: Wix quick fix or WordPress website?

How much it costs to build a website can also vary depending on the platform you choose to build your site on. This can be a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) builder, such as Wix, or a static website with a static site generator, such as Jekyll or Gatsby. 

If you’re creating a content-based website like a blog or eCommerce site, you can leverage free, open-source content management platforms, such as WordPress and Drupal. Let’s take a closer look at these options and how they impact development costs.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the different platforms you can use when building a website.

Paid platforms

A number of website-building tools offer free plans that allow users to create basic websites. However, if you need to create a fully featured site for your business, you’ll often have to upgrade to premium plans.

Let’s take a look at some of the best premium website builders that can help you create a small business website (and not only!) quickly. 

• Wix. Wix is a popular website builder that offers a wide range of tools and features for building a functional website without much hassle. There’s a library of template designs that you can modify to suit your needs, as well as several third-party integrations that you can leverage to add functionality to your site. The Wix price range is from $17/month for the Light plan to $159/month for the Business Elite plan.  
• Squarespace. Squarespace is another popular option for building beautiful websites quickly. Its visual editor isn’t the most intuitive option out there and might require some getting used to, but the templates are very well designed and professional-looking. Squarespace’s pricing ranges from $16/month for the Personal plan to $52/month for the Advanced Commerce plan. 
• Weebly. Weebly is an easy-to-use website builder that is great for building simple websites. While it doesn’t offer as much flexibility as Wix does, it packs a lot of great features and a generous free plan. Its premium plans are also quite affordable, costing just $10, $12, and $26 per month for the Personal, Professional, and Performance plans. 

Self-built platforms

Another way to save hours and reduce the cost of website development is to use a static site generator. These tools make it easy to generate a website from raw data and templates. Some of the more popular static site generators include Jekyll, Gatsby, and Hugo.

• Jekyll. Jekyll is an easy-to-use static website generator that is ideal for building different kinds of websites. With only a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS, you can put together a static site using Jekyll.
• Gatsby. Gatsby is another static site generator that uses the JAMstack architecture. It also uses the popular front-end library—React.js—for the front end, and GraphQL for the data access layer. Gatsby is scalable, easy to set up, and free to use. 
• Hugo. Hugo is a fast static site generator that was written in the Go programming language. It’s very flexible and easy to configure and works well for building blogs and other content-based websites.

Open-source platforms

Open-source software refers to software products that are designed to be used and modified by anyone as they see fit. These products are often developed by communities of programmers and released under an open-source license. 

Currently, there are several open-source website builders that you can use to create a website with reduced costs. Some of the popular options include Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress.org.

• Drupal. Drupal is a free, open-source content management system that you can use to build a website without coding. You can choose from thousands of free themes available in the Drupal theme directory when building your site and customize them as needed. There are also lots of free modules that allow you to extend the functionality of your site.
• Joomla. Joomla is another open-source website builder and content management system. You can design your website without knowing HTML and CSS by using Joomla’s WYSIWYG editor. There are also lots of free and paid Joomla templates to choose from. Read our 10 speed up tips for Joomla. And there are over 6,000 extensions that you can use to add features to your website.
• WordPress.org. WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems in use today. It’s very versatile and can be used to build both simple and more complex websites. There are thousands of free themes on the internet and a lot of premium options too. 

While these open-source website builders are great options for building small-scale personal websites, you’ll still need to hire skilled website developers to create a fully customized website that suits your needs and business objectives. In this case, you’ll need a tech stack.

Let’s now look at how the cost of building a website might vary depending on what tech stack you choose for development. 

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Custom Website Development Tech Stack: For a Small Business or Enterprise

If you’re planning to build a complex website or web application, you’ll have to select a tech stack, i.e, the different languages and frameworks that you will leverage during the development process. You’ll need to choose solutions for the front end, back end, and database of your application.

Front-end technology

The front end or user interface of your site can be developed using the standard web development languages: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Some development teams use additional design frameworks, such as Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS, or advanced front-end frameworks, like Angular, React, Vue.js, and JQuery.  

Back-end technology

When building out the back end for your site, you can either use the traditional server-based approach, which works well for monolithic applications, or utilize the modern serverless approach in conjunction with microservices. You’ll need to select from back-end frameworks such as Node.Js, .NET, and Java, and cloud services such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. 

Database technology

In addition to choosing a back-end architecture and framework, you’ll have to select a suitable database for storing your application’s data. Some of the popular relational databases in use today include MySQL, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, and Oracle. If you opt for serverless architecture, options such as Amazon Aurora, DynamoDB, and MongoDB will be more suitable.

Further, you might need to consider other technologies that your web design and development team will use. For example, during development and certainly before deployment, they’ll need to test the website. In terms of QA, this includes everything from UI testing to load testing.

Overall, the website development cost will depend on how the technology stacks up. But other factors can also have an impact on the eventual cost of getting your site up and running.

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Non-Functional Criteria That Determine Website Costs

Some additional criteria that often play a role in determining website development costs include project requirements, future scalability, deadlines, and security level.

Project requirements

When choosing a technology stack for building your website, you’ll need to ensure that the chosen technology is ideal for implementing all the required functionality on your site. The scope of the project requirements and the type of technologies needed for development will impact the overall cost of the website. 

Future scalability

If you’re building a web application that will have to accommodate a growing number of users in the future, you’ll have to set it up for scalability from the start. Doing so will require choosing reliable technologies and implementing a scalable architecture that later won’t skyrocket your maintenance costs. The kind of architecture you choose will affect your maintenance and server costs in the long run.

Deadline

Another factor that could affect your development costs and choice of technologies is time to market. If you’re a startup looking to release a project as quickly as possible, you’ll need to go for the technologies that are ideal for rapid application development. You might also need to hire a larger or more experienced development team to get the job done quicker.

Security level

If you’re building a website that requires a high level of security, you’ll need to invest in the necessary tools and frameworks to provide secure authentication to your users. You’ll also need to ensure that your site complies with privacy rules and regulations such as the GDPR policies.

How Do Business Objectives Affect the Cost of Websites in 2024?

In addition to the aforementioned factors and criteria that determine the website development cost, the objectives of your business will likely play a major role in defining the scope and eventual cost of your website.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the different types of websites based on business objectives and the important factors to consider when evaluating web development costs.

Entertainment websites

How much does a website cost if its ultimate goal is to go viral? Entertainment websites are often designed to keep users engaged with enjoyable content in many multimedia formats. These sites often feature content such as videos, podcasts, music, games, slideshows, and chat forums. Some popular examples of entertainment sites include YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify.

If you’re building an entertainment website, you’ll need to take into account the additional costs that hosting dynamic media content on your site will incur. You might also need to invest in teams of software engineers that have experience working with online multimedia systems. And, unfortunately, truly entertaining website content is not free at all — think creation cost, copywriters, experts who will optimize your website for search, etc.

eCommerce websites

If you’re looking to sell your products online, you’ll need to build an eCommerce-focused website. These generally include functionality that allows shoppers to purchase items and pay via different payment methods. They also provide an efficient way for your team to receive and process orders. Some popular examples include Amazon, eBay, and AliExpress.

The cost of integrating eCommerce functionality into your website will vary depending on the size of your product line, the average number of orders over a given period, and the overall size of the business. The larger your business, the higher the costs of building an eCommerce website will be. 

In addition, the approach you take to building an eCommerce site will have an impact on your expenses over time. While WYSIWYG eCommerce platforms such as Shopify and Squarespace are quick to set up and might be cheaper initially, stand-alone eCommerce solutions are usually more affordable in the long term but have a higher upfront cost. 

Corporate websites

These sites are designed to serve as marketing tools for the organizations or businesses they represent. They are useful tools for providing prospective customers with information about the company and its products or services. Some popular examples include Pixar, Blab Studio, and Apple.

If you run a business, the scope and cost of your professional website will depend on the size of your business and the range of products and services you provide. Your website will need to be adequately optimized for search engines and well designed to make a good first impression on visitors. 

Thus, you’ll need to ensure that your site has a responsive design i.e., it looks great on any device. It should have proper navigation so that visitors can find information quickly. And it should also be rich in visual content to resonate with a wider audience.

Web applications

Web applications are software programs that run in a web browser. These applications are invaluable tools for businesses that need to exchange information with their customers and facilitate collaboration. Some examples of popular web applications include Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, and Gmail.

If you need to develop web applications for your business, you’ll have to invest in capable teams of software developers to work on the frontend, backend, and database portions of the apps. Web applications can range in complexity from simple contact forms to large data management portals. The scope and functionality of your application will determine the development costs.

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How Much Does It Cost to Hire Developers in 2024? Cost Breakdown by Country

As we have seen, there are many different factors that determine the cost of developing a website. However, if you’re looking to create a website, it can be helpful to go over estimates of web development costs around the world. Here’s a quick rundown of the hourly cost of hiring web developers around the world. 

While these hourly rates can give you an idea of how much you can expect to spend when hiring web developers, it’s also helpful to know how long the average web development process takes. Let’s take a quick look at the average time it takes to build a website.

How long does it take to build a website?

The duration of custom website development will vary depending on several factors including the scope of the project. Nevertheless, it usually takes development teams an average of two to four months to create a standard business website. 

The first week or two is ideally spent evaluating the scope of the project and creating a plan. During this phase, the developers acquire a clear idea of what needs to be built. Over the next few weeks, the web design work is done and detailed mock-ups of the site are created.

Once the website-design stage is completed, the main development begins. This phase can take between one to two months to complete. After development is complete, the website will likely go through a final round of revisions to ensure that the final product meets the specified requirements.

For a quick fix, you can utilize any of the popular website-building tools out there to create a simple website and invest in a more robust custom solution later. However, you might end up needing to build a custom solution from scratch instead of improving what there already is.

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Website Development Cost: Outsourcing to a Development Partner

Depending on your location, outsourcing to onshore, nearshore, or offshore software development companies might be a better solution. It often provides more security and a higher quality of service.

North America

While North America is home to some of the most productive and skilled software developers, especially in the United States, it’s also one of the most expensive outsourcing destinations with average web development rates ranging from $90 to $350 per hour.

South America

Web development rates across South America range from $30 to $50 per hour. Its leading outsourcing hubs include Brazil, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia.

Asia

The average web development rates in Asia range from $18 to $80 per hour. India is one of the top outsourcing destinations in Asia due to the low developer rates. China and the Philippines are also popular among those wanting to outsource. 

Europe

Western Europe generally has high software development rates due to the stable economy and high standards of living. Web development rates in countries such as Germany, France, and the Netherlands can range from $65 to $170 per hour.

Eastern Europe

Eastern Europe is home to over one million skilled developers. Countries such as Ukraine, Poland, Belarus, and Romania are major outsourcing hubs, and the average web development rates in these countries range from $20 to $150 per hour. 

Australia

The software development rates in Australia are among some of the highest in the world. Average web development rates range from $80 to $150 per hour. 

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What Is the Cost of Hiring Freelancers Worldwide to Create Your Business Website? 

While freelance gigs are a less secure option, it might be a cheaper investment. 

North America

Freelancers in the United States and Canada charge for development an average of $65 to $70, per hour. 

South America

Freelance web developers in South America cost an average of $51 per hour. 

Asia

Freelance rates in Asia are among the most affordable in the world with an average cost of $49 per hour.

Europe

Freelance web developers in Western Europe charge an average of $63 per hour. 

Eastern Europe

The cost of web developers in Eastern Europe is generally lower than their western counterparts and the same holds true in the freelance space. Freelance web developers in Eastern Europe cost an average of $56 per hour. 

Australia

Freelance web development rates in Australia are among the most expensive on the global market at an average of $70 per hour.

Other Costs Involved in Website Creation

Website development price is one thing to think about but not the only one. In addition to development prices, there are a number of other factors that should be considered when working out website creation costs. Let’s take a closer look at them:

Maintenance costs

When estimating the cost of a website, make sure to include maintenance costs. Even though these aren’t the costs that you will pay upfront, you’ll need to pay them on an ongoing basis to have your website running smoothly and keeping it up to date. Maintenance costs vary based on the complexity of a site, integrations, content updates, and so on. In general, the cost of maintaining a website ranges from $50 to $2,000 per month. 

Regular updates

Website builders come with premium plugins and themes. If you choose to use these plugins, you’ll need to pay an extra for renewals every year – otherwise, the site may see a decrease in speed and become an easy target for cyber attacks. The average annual subscription fee for plugins and themes typically ranges from $50 to $200 each. 

Marketing and promotion

There’s not much sense in building a website if your target audience can’t find it. Whether you’re building a website for a small business or an enterprise-level solution, every website requires investment in marketing and promotion to become visible in search engines and drive desired outcomes, such as leads, sales, or brand awareness. Here are some of the key components that effective marketing and promotion strategies include:

• Content marketing – besides paying for development services, you will need content for your website. Content is the king in the digital space and one of the key factors determining the site’s success. The more relevant and informative the content, the higher the chance it will show up on the first page of search engine results and hence attract more traffic. Depending on the industry, the price per one page can be from $200 to $350. 
• Search engine optimization (SEO) – SEO is required for optimizing your website for search engines like Google, Bing, Yandex, and the like. Your spending on SEO can vary greatly depending on the size of your business and the amount of work that needs to be done. In general, businesses invest in SEO from $500 to $10,000 monthly. 
• Social media marketing – leveraging social media tools is important to drive engagement and sales. One way to do this is by hiring a social media manager. The average cost of hiring an SMM specialist ranges from $300-1,500 depending on their experience and your business needs. Alternatively, you can take advantage of promotion tools such as Buffer or Hootsuite. These tools allow you to effectively manage social media content and automatically distribute it across various channels. Buffer is a free tool, while the cost for Hootsuite starts at $99 per month.
• Email marketing – no matter which website type you build, most definitely, it will need email marketing integration. Through email marketing tools, businesses nurture leads, build relationships with their potential customers, and drive conversions. The price of email marketing may vary depending on the scale of your business, the frequency and volume of your emails, and the level of customization required for your email campaigns. Typically, SMBs pay around $50-500 monthly. 
• Analytics and measurement tools – even if you build a simple website for your business, you need tools to track its performance. Many companies opt for Google Analytics, but if you want to gain more comprehensive insights, you would need to use more advanced tools like Ahrefs or SemRush, the price of which starts at $108 with annual billing. 

All of these are the costs that may not be obvious but go into website development and should be factored in from the start. A website that is set up but doesn’t attract an audience is only half the battle won. To win the game, it’s essential to invest time, resources, and effort into ongoing marketing efforts and keeping the site up to date. 

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Average Cost of Website Development: Conclusions

We have tried to give a comprehensive answer to how much does website development cost depending on various factors, requirements, demands and goals. Hopefully, now you already have at least a basic idea of how much it is going to cost to create your target website from scratch given the development time you have in mind. 

Here is one more insight. The shortcut to creating a great business website that fulfills its purpose and your requirements is to hire professionals who know how to make a website and make it work for you. But the website development cost in 2024 (from website design to website maintenance) cannot be just defined by the cost of hiring a full-stack team or web developers.

No matter whether you are a small business or a big enterprise looking for a complete redesign or website creation from scratch — you will have to juggle some extra numbers defining the web development cost. 

The overall price depends on the type of platform you choose for building the website, technologies for the frontend, backend, database, and QA, as well as some nonfunctional criteria, such as scalability and security requirements.

If you want a more detailed scope of expenses, it’s best to discuss your requirements with a web developer and get a quote.