Custom design vs. template
A fully custom-designed site is built from a blank canvas: your brand, your layout, your feel. Templates are faster and cheaper but look like templates.
High impact · $2,000–$8,000+ difference
How much does a
website actually cost
in 2026?
A no-fluff breakdown by type, scope, and quality tier. Plus an interactive calculator so you know exactly what to budget before you talk to anyone.
- Updated
- May 2026
- Read time
- 8 min
- Written by
- Fred Twum-Acheampong
- Studio
- Plinth
The honest answer: it depends on three things.
Most agency sites either dodge this question entirely or answer with a useless "it depends." Both responses waste your time. You're budgeting; you need a number.
The real answer depends on three things: who builds it, how much custom work it needs, and what the site has to do once it ships. Every other variable rolls up under those three.
Here's a clean breakdown from a studio that builds sites in the $3,500 to $30,000 range, with public pricing and no junior handoffs.
By who builds it
The same brief gets very different numbers depending on who you hand it to. Here's the honest spread.
| Builder type | Typical range | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY (Squarespace, Wix) | $0–$500/yr$0–$500/yr | Personal sites, hobbies | Looks like every other DIY site. No SEO control. |
| Fiverr / freelance marketplace | $100–$800$100–$800 | Tiny budgets, simple needs | Often templated, minimal support. |
| Independent freelancer | $1,500–$6,000$1,500–$6,000 | Small businesses, basic sites | Single point of failure. Slow when busy. |
| Boutique studio (Plinth) | $3,500–$30,000$3,500–$30,000 | Founders, SaaS, brands that need to convert | More expensive than freelancers. Worth it for conversion work. |
| Mid-size agency | $15,000–$80,000$15,000–$80,000 | Established companies | Junior designers often do the work. |
| Large agency | $75,000–$500,000+$75,000–$500,000+ | Enterprise | Wrong fit for early stage. Months of process. |
By site type
Different types of websites have fundamentally different scopes. Here's what each type actually costs when built properly.
| Site type | Typical cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Simple landing page (1–3 pages) | $1,500–$4,000$1,500–$4,000 | 1–2 weeks |
| Startup / SaaS marketing site (5–15 pages) | $5,000–$15,000$5,000–$15,000 | 3–5 weeks |
| E-commerce store | $6,000–$25,000$6,000–$25,000 | 4–8 weeks |
| Corporate / brand site (15–30 pages) | $12,000–$40,000$12,000–$40,000 | 6–12 weeks |
| Web application | $25,000–$150,000+$25,000–$150,000+ | 3–9 months |
| Full rebrand + new site | $18,000–$60,000$18,000–$60,000 | 8–16 weeks |
The most common mistake
Most founders underestimate scope. A "5-page site" often has a homepage, about, services, pricing, contact, plus a blog template, case study template, and a legal page. That's 8 pages minimum. Know your real scope before getting quotes.
What actually drives the price up
Within any site type, specific factors move the number. Understanding these helps you make smart tradeoffs.
Copywriting
Writing strong website copy is a separate skill from design. If you provide it, cost drops. If the studio writes it, expect $300–$800 per page.
High impact · can add $3,000–$10,000
Animations & motion
Scroll-triggered animations, Lottie files, and custom interactions take significant dev time. They look great. They are not free.
Medium impact · $400–$1,200 per element
CMS integration
Want to update your blog or team page yourself? A CMS (Webflow, Sanity, WordPress) needs to be built and configured.
Medium impact · $1,000–$3,500
Number of pages
Every page is design plus development time. Templates and systems built early create leverage, so it is not purely linear.
Medium impact · $300–$800 per additional page
Integrations & functionality
CRM sync, booking systems, payment processing, memberships. Each adds scoping and development time.
High impact · $500–$5,000+ per integration
Timeline / rush delivery
Need it in 2 weeks instead of 5? Rush fees are real. Plan ahead and you pay standard rates. Compress the timeline and expect a premium.
Medium impact · 20–35% of project cost
Photography & brand assets
No brand photos? Expect either stock (cheaper but generic) or a full photography engagement. Professional photos make or break a premium site.
Lower impact · $0–$6,000 depending on approach
Estimate your cost
Answer four questions and get a ballpark in under 30 seconds. No email required.
What kind of site?
How many pages?
Do you need copywriting?
Extras
Estimated investment
$5,000 – $7,250
Startup / SaaS site · 1–5 pages · I'll provide copy · No extras
Range reflects scope variance. Final quote on the call.
How Plinth compares
An honest look at what you get at different price points.
| Feature | Fiverr / cheap freelancer | Plinth (boutique) | Large agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Custom design (no templates) | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Senior-level execution | ✕ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Public, transparent pricing | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| 3–5 week delivery | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| You own all files & code | Sometimes | ✓ | ✓ |
| On-page SEO included | ✕ | ✓ | Add-on |
| Post-launch care plan | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Typical cost (5–10 page site) | $200–$1,500 | $5,000–$12,000 | $20,000–$60,000 |
Ongoing costs to budget for
A website is not a one-time purchase. Here's what to expect annually after launch.
| Cost item | Annual range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | $10–$50/yr$10–$50/yr | .com on Namecheap or Porkbun |
| Hosting | $0–$300/yr$0–$300/yr | Vercel (free for small sites), Cloudways $25/mo |
| CMS platform | $0–$500/yr$0–$500/yr | Webflow $23–$39/mo, WordPress (hosting only) |
| Maintenance & updates | $1,800–$7,200/yr$1,800–$7,200/yr | Plinth Care Plans from $149/mo |
| SEO tools | $0–$1,200/yr$0–$1,200/yr | Ahrefs $99/mo or free (GSC + Plausible) |
| Email (domain email) | $72–$144/yr$72–$144/yr | Google Workspace $6–$12/mo per user |
Real total cost of ownership
A well-built $8,500 site with a $199/mo Care Plan costs roughly $11,000 in year one and roughly $2,400/year from year two onward. Spread over 3 years, that's about $5,300/year. Less than most companies spend on a single trade show booth.
What Plinth charges
No mystery quotes. Four tiers, all-in pricing, transparent scope. Full detail lives on the pricing page.
Launchpad
Starting at
$3,500
- Up to 7 pages
- Custom design (no templates)
- Mobile-optimized
- Basic on-page SEO
- 2 rounds of revisions
- 2–3 week delivery
+ Care Plan $149/mo
Accelerator
Starting at
$8,500
- Up to 15 pages
- Full design system
- CMS integration
- CRM / form integration
- On-page SEO + schema
- 2–3 custom animations
- 4 rounds of revisions
- 4–5 week delivery
+ Growth Plan $499/mo
Authority
Starting at
$22,000
- Up to 30 pages
- Brand + messaging workshop
- Full design system + component library
- Custom illustrations / motion
- Full copywriting included
- Marketing automation setup
- A/B testing setup
- 8–10 week delivery
+ Partnership $2,500/mo
Enterprise
Starting at
$50,000+
- Complex web applications
- Multi-market / multi-language
- Dedicated team
- Ongoing partnership
Custom retainer