Let’s dig in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud83d\udcda Table of contents<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we get any further, let’s play a little game. Which one of these websites do you think cost more? And more importantly, how much do you think they cost? $500? $5,000?<\/p>\n\n\n Ready? \ud83d\ude0e<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is kind of a trick question because both of those websites are something you could build for less than $100<\/strong>, even if you’re not a technical user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that’s my point – building a website in 2025 costs a lot less than you might think!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n When it comes to the cost of a website, you can break things down into two broad categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond that, there’s also the question of whether you want to pay someone to set that stuff up for you, or if you’re happy to go the DIY route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s break down the essential costs of a website first (that is, the stuff you’d need to pay if you did it yourself<\/em>). Then, we’ll discuss what it might cost if you want someone else to build your website.<\/p>\n\n\n There are three main backend infrastructure costs that you’ll need to consider when building a website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your domain name<\/a> is your website’s permanent address on the Internet – ours is You’ll purchase your domain name from a domain registrar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The exact cost of your domain depends on your TLD<\/a>, which is the part that comes after your name – e.g. “.com”, “.net”, etc. However, a regular “.com” domain will usually cost you ~$10 to $15<\/strong>. You’ll need to pay this ~$10 to $15 every year to maintain ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, for our valued readers, we’ve arranged a special deal with Bluehost<\/a>, one of the most reputable WordPress hosting companies, so that if you sign up for a hosting plan with them, they will include a free domain name registration. You’ll also get an ultra low discount that you wouldn’t get otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n It will cost you only $33 for your entire first year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Considering that you’d normally have to pay around $10 to $15 just to register the domain name itself, the per-month hosting cost at that point is less than a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n\n\n Nowadays, the vast majority <\/em><\/strong>of websites aren’t coded from scratch. Instead, you’ll use premade website software, called a content management system<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, about 42.5% of all the websites on the Internet are powered by one single piece of software – WordPress<\/a> [1]<\/sup>. Yes – that number is as crazy as it sounds – more than one-third of all the websites on the Internet really do use WordPress.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond being super flexible, one of the reasons why WordPress is so popular<\/a> is because the software is 100% free<\/strong>. So if you use WordPress, you won’t need to pay a dime for your website software. Side note – we mean the free open-source software at WordPress.<\/em>org<\/em><\/strong>, not WordPress.<\/em>com<\/em><\/strong> – <\/em>they’re different things<\/em><\/a>. Check out our previous article that deals with all the aspects of your WordPress budget to know exactly how much should a WordPress site cost<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another popular route that you could go is a dedicated website builder<\/a> – like Squarespace<\/a> or Wix<\/a>. These tools charge you a monthly fee in order to use them, which you’ll pay for as long as you want your website to work. Here’s what you can expect to pay:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want the absolute simplest way to build a website, using one of those website builder tools can be a good choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to see what real websites built using those tools look like? Check out these posts<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What a hosting company does for your website, is that it provides space on a computer to power your website and make it available to visitors from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you choose a website builder like Squarespace and Wix, those services already include hosting in their prices, so you won’t need to pay anything else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, if you use self-hosted software like WordPress, or other free content management systems like Joomla<\/a> or Drupal<\/a>, you’ll eventually need to purchase your own hosting to install and run that software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you’re just getting started, free hosting<\/a> is available from a number of hosting companies, with InfinityFree<\/a> being arguably the best one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, all free hosting comes with significant limitations. It’s fine for a proof-of-concept type of project or to have a personal online journal, but for any kind of serious website or a site that\u2019s intended to stay online long-term, you\u2019re better off with investing a small amount into a cheap hosting<\/a> plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we mentioned earlier, if you go with Bluehost<\/a>, one of our recommended WordPress hosts<\/a>, it will cost you a mere $3.79 per month to start. Plus they’ll throw in the free domain name<\/strong> for you as we already talked about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (Pro Tip: If you purchase multiple years upfront, you’ll save even more.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n As you grow, you might need to pay more to handle the increase in traffic<\/a> – but that’s a good “problem” to have.<\/p>\n\n\n To sum things up, paying for the backend infrastructure for your site in the first year<\/strong> will cost you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember that unless you pay for multiple years ahead of time, these hosting packages and domains will need to be renewed every year. So you’ll need to consider not only the upfront website development costs, but also the ongoing costs to run and maintain your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And as you just saw, for both website design cost and for website maintenance cost, WordPress tends to give you more for your money. Even after the first year with Bluehost, when the promotional rate is replaced by the regular rate, it’s still less than the annual cost of the website builder options.<\/p>\n\n\n Once you pay for the stuff above, you’ll have a working website…but it won’t look or function how you want it to…yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Next, let’s discuss how much you’ll need to pay to add your own design and functionality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s go back to the examples before. How much do you think these two websites paid for just their designs<\/em>:<\/p>\n\n\n \ud83c\udfaf The answers are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exhibit A: $0 How does that happen? Well, one big benefit of using a content management system like WordPress is that you can change your website’s design<\/a> using pre-built “themes”, rather than needing to design your site from scratch. The best part is that there are about 14,000+ for you to choose from in the official WordPress repository so lack of options will never be an issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can install a theme in only a few clicks. Then, you’ll be able to customize that theme to meet your needs using either the WordPress Customizer<\/a> or the Full Site Editor<\/a> – depending on which type of theme you choose. Both of them are very user-friendly though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All the website software options – WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, etc. – offer both free<\/strong> and premium themes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So if you’re on a budget, it’s totally safe and fine to choose a free option<\/a>. For example, the first site above is using the free Neve theme<\/a>. The second site was built with the Hestia PRO theme<\/a>, however, Hestia also has a free Lite version that would allow you to build an equally aesthetic site, albeit with less functionality than the PRO version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you find a premium theme that you love, here’s what you can expect to pay:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the category that has the biggest variability because a lot of this depends on your needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like themes, pretty much all of the major website builder options let you add functionality to your site via third-party extensions. Usually, these are called “plugins” or “apps”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And again like themes, these come in both free and premium packages. For example, the official WordPress.org plugin directory<\/a> offers 62,000+ free plugins alone<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a basic site, you might be able to entirely get by with free solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, for more professional sites or ones that have a business purpose, you might consider using premium extensions. That’s irrespective of whether you decide on WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s impossible to tell you the exact price “per extension,” because the prices are set by the developers of the extensions and vary widely. However, we can point out a difference in payment structure<\/em> between different platforms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The total cost for design and functionality depends entirely on your needs. For a basic site, you could get by without spending a dime. However, if you want lots of advanced functionality, be prepared to increase your budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most<\/em> simple sites will probably spend at least $100 on extensions.<\/p>\n\n\n Okay, so if you’re willing to go the DIY route, website development costs can be surprisingly affordable. You’re looking at just a couple hundred dollars for your entire first year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most websites simply don’t require custom functionality, which means you can be totally fine with an off-the-rack solution. What’s more, the technical part of creating a website has become a lot easier, and it’s possible for anyone to create their own website.<\/p>\n\n\n Our how to make a website guide shows the whole process<\/a> \ud83d\udc48<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n So if you’re just looking to get your business online<\/a> with a basic brochure site, or if you’re looking to create a blog<\/a>, you definitely don’t need to spend a fortune or hire someone to do it for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In fact, you can create something that looks good and functions well for as little as $33 in your first year. Although as you continue to develop your site and start including some premium extensions, a more realistic long-term budget would probably be $200-$300 per year.<\/p>\n\n\n Going the DIY route is the cheapest way to make a website, but it’s also cheaper in part<\/em> because you’re putting your own sweat equity into the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to hire someone to build your website, you’re going to pay for the same basic infrastructure costs…plus that person’s sweat equity…plus a hefty premium for their expertise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what does that cost? \ud83d\udcb8<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sorry if this comes across as repetitive, but again it depends on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, to give you a rough idea, ZipRecruiter, a popular job search app, currently has the average hourly rate set at $35 per hour<\/a>. That’s in the United States. If you look elsewhere, particularly in regions where the cost of living is lower, you will likely find better deals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s also worth noting that web design cost can be arranged to be by the hour<\/em> or a flat fee<\/em> can be charged for the entire website. For hourly rates, the average freelance web designer might charge between $50+ per hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That amount can vary based on a number of factors. One of them is the difference between website design cost (i.e. – the cost to design the layout, colors, and general aesthetic appearance of the site<\/em>) versus website development cost (i.e. – the cost to make it a fully functioning website with security against hackers<\/a>, custom functions, plugins, etc<\/em>). Think of website design as the outward appearance, and website development as the stuff going on internally that makes everything work properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ZipRecruiter also has a page<\/a> that breaks down the salary rates for web developers. Comparing the two, you’re looking at the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The going rate to design<\/em> a website ranges between $26 to $49 per hour. In contrast, the price to develop<\/em> the site can go up to $35 to $55+ per hour. These ranges exclude the outliers on both the low end and the high end, and are once again, specific to the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n Because it’s now possible for regular people to make a website, the cost of building a website is less than you might think.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Squaring away the basic infrastructure will cost you ~$33 for the first year if you use WordPress, or ~$150 for a pricier website builder like Wix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From there, you could get by with using exclusively free extensions, or, if your site requires it, you might spend another $100-$200 on premium extensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, if you want to hire a professional, the rates can vary significantly, but most likely you’ll end up paying ~$2,000 for a basic website at a bare minimum<\/em>. If you need a larger site or more advanced functionality, like an ecommerce store<\/a>, be prepared to invest even more. \ud83d\uded2\ud83d\uded2<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have any remaining questions about how much a website should cost? Ask away in the comments!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
But first – how much do you think a website costs?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Website](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Website-built-with-the-free-Neve-WordPress-theme.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n![\"Website](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Website-built-with-Hestia-Pro.webp\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe main components of website cost<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How much does the backend infrastructure cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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1. Domain name – $10 to $15+ per year<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
themeisle.com<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Bluehost](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Bluehost.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n2. Website software – Free OR $16+ per month<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. Hosting – Free, but if you want a legitimate website, then $3.79 per month to start<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Bluehost](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bluehost-pricing.png\")
\n\n\n\nWebsite infrastructure cost summary – As little as $33<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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How much do design and functionality cost?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Website theme\/design – Free to $69+<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Exhibit B: $69<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Neve](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Neve.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"Hestia](\"https:\/\/mllj2j8xvfl0.i.optimole.com\/cb:c5QE.37290\/w:auto\/h:auto\/q:mauto\/f:best\/https:\/\/themeisle.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Hestia.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
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2. Website functionality – Free to ???<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Website design and functionality cost summary – $0 to $100+<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Total cost of a DIY website = not that much<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Total cost of hiring a web designer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Final things to consider<\/h2>\n\n\n\n