How much does it cost to build a website in 2026?

"How much does a website cost?" is by far the most common question we get. The honest answer is: it depends on what you need. A website is not a product with a single fixed price: it is a service whose cost is driven by scope, complexity and the goals you want to achieve. In this article we make the pricing fully transparent, so you can judge any quote without surprises later.

Why there is no fixed price

Commissioning a website is like commissioning a building. "What does a house cost?" is impossible to answer without context: a studio or a four-bedroom detached home? The same applies to websites. A simple five-page brochure site is technically a very different thing from a webshop with inventory management or a customer portal with logins.

What you pay for is essentially time: the hours of a developer and designer solving your specific problem. The clearer your scope, the more accurate the price. That is why every serious project starts with a conversation about your goals, not with a price list.

The six factors that drive the price

At WKD Solutions we base every quote on the same six factors. Together they explain why two websites that look similar on the surface can differ significantly in price.

1. Scope and number of pages

A landing page is faster to build than a thirty-page site. But page count is not the whole story: ten pages on an identical template are cheaper than five pages that each need their own layout and functionality.

2. Design complexity

Are we working from an existing brand, or designing the full visual identity? Custom design, with bespoke typography, animations and a unique grid, takes more time than an adapted template, but produces a site that does not look like a thousand others.

3. Integrations

Connections to external systems raise the price according to their complexity: a payment provider, accounting software, a CRM, a newsletter service or a booking system. Every integration requires development and testing.

4. Custom functionality

This is the biggest variable. A quote configurator, a members area, a filtered search or a dashboard are each software written to measure. Read more in our article on how internal software can increase your revenue.

5. SEO and findability

A technically sound foundation (fast load times, clean structure, schema markup) is standard in our work. If you also want keyword research, optimised copy and a content strategy, that is additional work. Speed and findability are closely linked.

6. Content

Do you supply your own copy and imagery, or do we write and source them? Professional copywriting and photography are a separate investment that strongly affects the quality of the result.

Realistic price ranges in 2026

Below are guide prices based on what we see in practice on the Belgian and Dutch market. They are ranges, not fixed rates: your exact price depends on the six factors above.

Project type	Indicative price	For whom
Simple business website (custom)	from €1,000	Freelancers and small businesses
Larger site with integrations	€2,500 – €6,000	SMEs with multiple services
Custom webshop	€4,000 – €12,000	Retailers and brands
Web application or customer portal	€8,000+	Businesses digitising processes

At WKD Solutions a professional custom website starts from €1,000. That is deliberately a floor for genuine custom development, not for a hastily assembled template. What you get is a site that is entirely yours: fast code, no unnecessary plugins and a design that fits your brand.

The cheapest quote is rarely the best value. What you save up front you often pay back twice over in maintenance, slow performance or a rebuild after two years.

We go deeper into this in why a cheap website often ends up more expensive.

One-off cost versus ongoing cost

A common mistake is treating a website as a one-off expense. In reality there are two cost components.

• The build cost: a one-off investment in design and development.
• The ongoing cost: hosting, maintenance, security and updates. With us this starts from €150 per year and includes hosting, monitoring, updates, backups, technical maintenance and security checks.

That annual cost is not a luxury. A website is living software: browsers change, vulnerabilities appear and your business evolves. We explain the full breakdown in hosting for websites: what you pay and why.

Custom versus an off-the-shelf template

You can build a website on a standard platform with ready-made themes and plugins, or choose custom development. Both have their place. A platform solution can start cheaper, but brings dependency on plugins and their updates.

Custom often costs slightly more up front, but delivers better performance, stronger security and lower maintenance over time. Which choice suits you is covered in WordPress versus custom and website security.

Reading a quote properly

When comparing quotes, look beyond the total. Ask yourself:

• Is it clear what is and is not included (page count, revision rounds, content)?
• What are the ongoing costs after launch?
• Do you own the code and content, or are you locked to one supplier?
• Are hosting, maintenance and security included?
• What happens when you want to expand later?

A transparent quote answers these up front. Unsure about a quote you received elsewhere? Feel free to ask for a no-obligation second opinion.

A website as an investment, not a cost

The right question is not "what is cheapest?" but "what does it return?". A website that loads faster, ranks better in Google and converts visitors smoothly into customers pays for itself. For many businesses the site is the hardest-working sales channel: it works 24/7, with no salary.

If the site also takes work off your hands, such as online bookings, automated quotes or a customer portal, the story shifts from cost to return. Read more in from website to growth platform and automation for SMEs.

What do you get at each price level?

A figure means little without context. So here is concretely what you can typically expect as the budget rises. Treat these as guidelines, not hard boundaries.

Around €1,000 – €2,500

A professional, few-page business site built custom on your own brand. Fast, clean code with no unnecessary plugins, a contact form, foundational SEO (correct structure, metadata, schema markup) and a responsive design that works on every screen. Ideal for freelancers and small businesses that want to look credible online and be found.

€2,500 – €6,000

More pages, a distinctive custom design and real integrations: a booking calendar, a newsletter connection, a multilingual setup or a simple customer portal. At this level the website starts to take work off your hands rather than merely inform.

€6,000 and up

Webshops with inventory management and payment integration, or web applications such as dashboards, booking systems and portals. Here you are no longer building a brochure but software that runs a business process. Read more in from website to growth platform.

Fixed price or hourly rate?

For most projects with a clear scope we work on a fixed price. That gives you certainty: you know up front what you pay, and the risk of overrun sits with us, not you. The condition is a clearly defined scope.

An hourly rate or a budget in blocks works better when the direction is still evolving: for example, the ongoing development of a web application where you learn what users need as you go. Both models are legitimate; what matters is that it is clear in advance which model applies and why. Unsure which fits your project? We are happy to think along during a no-obligation conversation.

How does payment work?

For custom projects a phased payment is common and fair to both parties. A typical structure:

• Deposit at the start: often a third, to lock in the planning and begin the design.
• Interim instalment: on approval of the design or delivery of a first working version.
• Balance at launch: when the site goes live and meets the agreed scope.

This way you always pay for visible progress and the risk stays manageable. The ongoing cost for hosting and maintenance (from €150 per year) sits separately on top and only starts after launch.

Common budgeting mistakes

People commissioning a website for the first time tend to hit the same pitfalls. A few to avoid:

• Looking only at the starting figure. Always reckon with the total cost over three to five years, including hosting, maintenance and any rebuild. More in the hidden costs of bad web development.
• No budget for content. Copy and imagery shape the result. Underestimating this delays the project or yields a half-empty site.
• Forgetting maintenance. A site without maintenance ages technically and becomes more vulnerable. See hosting for websites.
• Wanting too much too soon. Start with what you need now and extend modularly. A well-built site grows with you without starting over each time.

Conclusion

A professional custom website starts from €1,000, with realistic ranges rising according to scope, design, integrations and functionality. Add an ongoing cost from €150 per year for hosting and maintenance. The cheapest option is rarely the best value over time: look at the total value over several years, not the lowest starting figure.

Want to know what your specific project realistically costs? Request a no-obligation quote and we will prepare a transparent estimate tailored to your goals.