Do you need a new website but you are unsure how much all of this will cost for you?
Small business websites in 2026 typically feature 10-15 landing pages, a blog, and perhaps some online booking, appointment scheduling, or eCommerce functionality.
That’s a standard set of assets for driving website traffic and building awareness around your products or services.
Let’s find out how much this will cost for you depending on which tools and services you plan to use:
1. Building with WordPress
You can build a small business website on WordPress yourself. It’s reasonably easy and remains the most flexible option heading into 2026. All you need to do is:
- Get a hosting plan
- Buy a domain name
- Download and install WordPress.org
- Choose and customize a website theme
- Add plugins for extra functionality
- Write and upload website content
Voilà, that’s the DIY way of building your small business website.
Starting costs for 2026 ($95-$180):
To set up a website using WordPress, you need a domain name ($12-$25 per year), web hosting ($40 to $150 for 1 year) and a premium design/theme ($30-$100 one-time) which is optional as WordPress offers great variety of unique templates and themes. Many hosting providers now include AI-powered website setup tools that streamline the initial configuration.
Maintenance costs ($60-$150/year):
Website maintenance costs are primarily domain name renewal which is around $12-$25/year. Web hosting typically ranges from $40 to $150 per year for most small business needs in 2026. That’s the core costs associated with a WordPress website.
Pros of using WordPress
- Completely free website building tool
- Highly customizable with thousands of themes and plugins
- Many experienced developers available ($50-$95/hour in 2026)
- Lower annual costs for maintaining your website
- Strong community support and regular security updates
Cons:
- Comes with a slight learning curve
- Requires regular updates and security maintenance
2. Building with Website Builders
Website builders provide out-of-the-box functionality for building a website without any coding. Most have drag-and-drop page builders that you use to design your website with pre-made elements and native features. In 2026, many platforms have integrated AI design assistants that can generate layouts based on your industry and preferences.
Starting costs for 2026 ($200-$800):
Monthly subscription plans for businesses range from $17 to $120, or $204-$1,440 per year. Popular platforms like Wix offer plans from $17-$159/month, while Squarespace ranges from $23-$120/month when billed annually. Most premium plans now include AI content generation tools and advanced SEO features.
Maintenance costs ($220-$700/year):
Website builder plans usually renew at standard rates, so you’d expect to pay $18 to $60/month after any introductory pricing expires. If you bought a domain name through the website builder, you can also expect to pay anywhere from $15 to $30 per year additionally.
Pros:
- Fast way to build a small website—often launch-ready in days
- Simple and easy to use platform with no technical knowledge required
- AI-powered design tools and templates that adapt to your brand
- Built-in hosting, security, and automatic updates included
Cons:
- Unlike WordPress, not every website builder lets you customize everything. You are limited to the tools/features they provide.
- Vendor lock-in — migrating from one platform to another can be technologically challenging and expensive.
- Higher long-term costs compared to self-hosted solutions
3. Hire a Freelancer/Agency
Hiring a freelancer or agency makes sense if you don’t have anyone in-house to deal with your website (and don’t want to invest your time into that either).
WordPress developers charge around $50-$95 per hour on average for 2026 projects. A small business website will take roughly 40-80 hours to develop (reduced from previous years thanks to AI-assisted development tools), so the total will round up to $2,000-$7,600. That’s without factoring in other costs such as a website theme/template or builder subscription, hosting plan, domain name, and premium plug-ins.
For full-service agencies, expect to pay $5,000-$15,000 for a complete small business website including strategy, design, development, and content.
Pros:
- Get a professional, on-brand website with all the features you need
- No need to hire a new employee or re-train an existing one
- Access to specialized skills and experience
- Faster development thanks to professional workflows and AI tools
Cons:
- Longer development timeline (4-8 weeks on average)
- Whenever you need something changed, you need to pay for your developer
- Higher upfront investment required
Let’s Sum Up: Typical Website Costs for 2026
You need to factor in different types of website development costs to make an accurate estimate. Here are the most important costs to take into account.
Domain Name Costs ($12-$50/year)
You can register a domain name for as little as $12 for a year, or get one for free from your hosting provider or a website builder. Standard .com domains typically cost $12-$25 per year, while newer extensions like .ai, .site or .app can range from $20-$50 annually.
Mind that domain renewals can be more expensive than the original purchase, especially when obtained via a hosting company. Privacy protection (WHOIS privacy) is now standard with most registrars.
Website Hosting Costs ($40 to $250/year)
If you are using a website builder, hosting is already included in your plan. For a self-hosted website (e.g. built on WordPress), you’ll have to research and buy a separate hosting plan. In 2026, shared hosting plans range from $40-$150 per year, while managed WordPress hosting can cost $60-$250 annually for small businesses. Many hosting providers now include free SSL certificates, automated backups, and built-in CDN services.
Website Building Platform ($0 to $1,440/year)
A CMS provides graphical controls for managing your website. These come in-built with online website builders as well as SaaS eCommerce platforms.
Also, you can use one of the popular free content management systems:
- WordPress (free)
- Wix (paid – $17-$159/month)
- Squarespace (paid – $23-$120/month)
- Joomla (free)
- Drupal (free)
For an enterprise website, you might want to build a custom CMS. Depending on your specs, this can cost between $20,000-$75,000 to develop in 2026.
Web Design Costs ($0-$15,000 on average)
Design costs will vary significantly depending on your needs. All website builders provide free-for-members templates that can be customized in a couple of clicks, many now enhanced with AI customization features.
For a more unique look, you can purchase a premium theme for your website and then hire a designer to customize it. Premium themes typically cost $30-$100.
Finally, you may want to hire a UX/UI designer to create a memorable, on-brand online experience. In this case, the design costs for 2026 can be anywhere from $3,500-$15,000, depending on your brief and complexity. Many designers now use AI tools to accelerate the design process while maintaining quality.
Content Costs ($30 to $65 per hour)
Content writing is not strictly an upfront website cost, but it is an important one to consider as you do the maths.
In particular, you’ll want to invest in good content. Great content is the foundation of content marketing and SEO performance. Freelance content writers in 2026 typically charge $30-$65 per hour, or $0.12-$1.50 per word depending on their experience and the project complexity. Many writers now use AI tools to improve efficiency, though human expertise remains essential for quality and brand voice.
If you are not looking to invest much money on a website, feel free to read our step-by-step guide on how to make a website yourself.
