What does a website cost to build in 2026?

One of the first questions I get is: what does it cost to have a website built? The honest answer is that it strongly depends on what you need. A simple one-pager is a very different thing from a platform with logins and data. In this article I lay out the price-determining factors, so you get a realistic picture.

What does the price depend on?

The cost of a website is mainly determined by the amount of custom work and functionality. These factors weigh the heaviest:

• Number of pages and the complexity of the structure
• Custom design versus an existing theme
• A CMS so you can edit text and images yourself
• Connections to external tools, like a CRM or payment provider
• SEO, speed and the tech under the hood

Indication per type of website

Roughly speaking you see three categories. A professional one-pager or small business site usually sits in the lower segment. A more extensive site with multiple pages, a blog and a CMS sits in the mid-segment. As soon as logins, dashboards or data come in, you move toward a web app and the investment rises accordingly. I always give a clear indication upfront, so you're never caught off guard.

Why custom often works out cheaper

A cheap template site looks attractive, but you often pay later: slow load times, plugins that clash and a site you can't extend. A clean, custom-built site with Next.js lasts for years, loads fast and ranks better in Google. That pays off in visitors and customers.