How much does a website cost? Honest prices for freelancers and small businesses
Published · 6 min read
‘How much does a website cost?’ is the question we get most. The honest answer: anywhere from a few euros a month to a few thousand. Here’s what you get for the difference.
Four ways to get a website
Roughly, there are four routes. The figures below are rough Dutch market prices, excluding VAT. They vary a lot between providers, so treat them as a guide, not a quote.
- Build it yourself with Wix, Squarespace or a similar site builder: often around €15 to €40 a month, plus your own time. Fine to start with, but you’re tied to the platform and the site is often slow.
- A template filled in by a freelancer: often between €500 and €1,500. Quick and affordable, but you look like a thousand other sites and the plugins need upkeep.
- Custom work from a small studio: often between €1,500 and €5,000. A design that fits you, faster and easier to find, with no plugins to maintain.
- A large agency: easily €5,000 and well beyond. Makes sense for complex sites with integrations, often more than a freelancer needs.
The costs people forget
The build is only part of the bill. Also count your domain name (usually a few tens of euros a year), hosting, updates and security, and your own time for copy and photos. On a WordPress site with plugins, maintenance isn’t optional: a plugin or PHP version that isn’t kept up to date is one of the most common ways sites get hacked.
What sets the price?
- The number of pages, and whether each one gets its own design.
- Who supplies the copy and photos.
- Whether the site needs two languages.
- Integrations: a booking system, shop or form that has to send data somewhere.
- How much attention goes into speed, accessibility and search.
What we charge
Our prices are fixed and public. A Launch site is €1,450 and goes live within ten working days. A Studio site with more pages is €3,450. If you want us to look after the site afterwards, that’s €49 a month. Want to know where your current site stands first? That’s the Website Check, €195. All prices exclude VAT; the details are on our services page.
How to choose
Start with what the site has to do. If it mostly needs to exist, so you have a link to share, a site builder is enough. If it has to bring in customers from your area, speed, clear copy and local search matter, and custom work usually pays for itself. Ask every provider three things: what happens after launch, who owns the site and the domain, and what a change costs.
Questions?
Send us a message with what you do and what your site needs to do. You’ll get an honest answer, even if it’s ‘start with a site builder’.