As an indicative market range, having a website built in 2026 costs roughly between € 500 and € 10.000, depending on the approach and scope. A platform charges ongoing subscription fees, a template agency often starts at around € 750 and a bespoke site at around € 1.500. Bespoke work, pages, content and technology determine the price.
“How much does a website cost?” is a fair question with a frustrating answer: it depends. But “it depends” is not a cop-out — it is exactly what you need to pay attention to. Below, I set out the three ways to get a website in 2026, what they cost and where that money goes. No sales pitch, because I want you to make an informed choice, even if you do not choose me.
The three options, and what they cost
1. Build it yourself on a platform (Wix, Squarespace, Shopify)
You generally pay no professional build costs here, but you do pay an ongoing subscription. Price, currency, payment terms and included features vary by country and change regularly, so check the current Wix plans, Squarespace plans or your chosen platform before comparing. For a simple site that mainly needs to show ‘we exist’, building it yourself can be the cheapest way to start.
The hidden costs lie in your time and the system's limitations. You spend hours learning and maintaining it, your site looks like every other site on the same platform, and if you want something the system cannot quite do, you are stuck. Remember, too, that you never stop paying: cancel the subscription and your site disappears.
2. A template agency
An agency buys a ready-made theme (often WordPress), adds your logo and copy, and delivers the site. This usually costs € 750 to € 2.500. It requires little effort from you and is relatively quick.
What to look out for: you get a jacket worn by a thousand others. The site is often slower than necessary because the theme carries features you do not use, and you depend on updates to the plugins that keep the theme running. Always ask whether load time has been measured and whether you can manage the site yourself without a monthly contract.
3. Bespoke development
A bespoke site is built around your own story rather than from a theme. This generally costs € 1.500 to € 10.000, depending on its size. At Studio 053, a bespoke website starts at € 1.450 excluding VAT.
Here you pay for two things the other options do not automatically provide: a design based on your own story and technology without unnecessary baggage. This can result in a fast, low-maintenance site, but load time must be measured on the final live site and also depends on images, fonts and external scripts. Whether a custom build pays for itself then depends on your offer, traffic and follow-up.
What really determines the price
The number of images or how ‘beautiful’ they are has little effect on the price. These are the factors that drive the cost:
- Bespoke versus template. A unique design requires more thought and development work than filling in a theme. That is the main difference.
- Number of pages. Five pages is an afternoon's work; fifty is a project. Most developers charge less per page as the number increases.
- Technology and integrations. A booking system, payment module or integration with your accounting or inventory system — every piece of technology takes work and therefore costs money.
- Copy and images. Having them ready saves money. If they need to be written and photographed, allow for that in your budget. This is often the hidden cost that delays a project.
- Multiple languages. A second language involves more than translation: it is a second site that needs maintaining.
When paying more makes sense — and when it does not
Spending more can be sensible if your site genuinely needs to work for you: supporting enquiries, being found and building trust around a significant purchase. Speed, a bespoke design and a solid search foundation help, but they do not guarantee revenue or rankings. For a business that depends heavily on online contact, a demonstrably better route may be worth the extra investment.
Spending more is not sensible if you only need people to find your name and phone number online. Are you a freelancer who works mainly through referrals? Then a compact, polished site is enough, and expensive custom development would be a waste of money. I will simply advise against it — see the page about a website for freelancers.
Consider the costs after the build
The build price is not the whole story. Always ask about the fixed costs:
- Hosting and domain: from a few dozen to several hundred euros per year, depending on the technology.
- Maintenance: costs increase with a theme that uses many plugins, as they need regular updates. A bespoke static website requires little maintenance.
- Edits: can you change the copy yourself, or do you pay for every comma? Over time, this difference will cost you more than the build price.
How to find out what it will cost you
The only way to turn “it depends” into a specific figure is one good conversation. Who your customer is, how many pages you need and what technology is involved — these determine the price, not a price list.
Want to know what could be improved in your current situation before you spend anything? Request the free video scan. I review your site or plans and send you an honest video with three specific points within two working days — even if the answer is that you do not need to have anything built for now.
Method and current relevance
The build costs in this article are indicative market ranges and Studio 053's published starting prices as at 19 July 2026. They are intended to compare service models, not as a comprehensive market study. For platform costs, I link to the official pricing sources; these show the current currency, billing period and terms. Results depend on your offering, evidence, traffic and follow-up — the build price alone cannot predict revenue.
Sources checked: Wix — subscriptions and Squarespace — subscriptions, accessed 19 July 2026.
Update log: 19 July 2026 — official platform sources, methodology, landing page from € 745 and currency warning added.