Web Strategy
How much does a website actually cost? It depends on what you're building, but most people asking the question really want to know why two quotes for the same type of project can differ by thousands of euros. Here we walk through what different websites typically cost, what actually drives the price, and how to compare quotes before you decide.
These are rough price levels, and as you can see, the ranges are wide. A business website alone can cost anywhere from 2,500 to 6,000 euros. The obvious question is why the difference can be so large even within the same category.
Two websites can look almost identical to a visitor while differing by hundreds of development hours behind the scenes. It's rarely the design that determines the price, but the features, the technology, and how much needs to be built from scratch.
A simple business website with a few information pages and a contact form is usually quick to build. Add a booking system, login, multiple languages, e-commerce, or integrations with other systems, and both the development time and the cost go up.
That's also why two quotes can differ so sharply. One might be based on a ready-made template with minor tweaks, while the other includes custom design, custom-built features, and a solution made to hold up over time.
Development is almost always the biggest cost. It's where the features, integrations, and the technical solution get built.
Two projects of the same type, say two business websites, can still differ by 10,000 euros or more. The explanation almost always comes down to which features need to be built. Here are a few common examples:
| Feature | Impact on price |
|---|---|
| Contact form | Low |
| Blog | Low |
| Booking system | High |
| Member login | High |
| Payments | High |
| Business system integration | High |
| Multiple languages | Medium to high |
The more high-impact features a project includes, the more development time it needs, and the higher the price climbs. This is exactly the kind of difference to look out for when comparing quotes from different agencies.
Two quotes can differ by thousands of euros without it being obvious why. That's why it's worth comparing more than just the bottom line.
Check whether design, development, hosting, support, training, and future updates are included. A cheap quote can end up considerably more expensive if many of these are billed separately.
Ask what changes cost after launch, whether support is included, and whether there are recurring fees for hosting, licenses, or maintenance. WordPress, for example, can come with costs for premium themes and plugins, while a custom-built solution instead requires development hours whenever new features are added. No solution is always the cheapest over time, so it's worth calculating the full lifecycle cost rather than just the launch price.
A fast website gives visitors a better experience and can lead to more inquiries. That makes performance another factor worth weighing when you compare different solutions.
Once you know what drives the price and how to compare quotes, one question remains: which type of solution actually fits your business? Here are the three most common options.
Services like Wix and Squarespace make it easy to get started and often suit personal websites, portfolios, or smaller businesses with simple needs. The cost is usually between 10 and 50 euros per month.
The downside is that customization options are more limited than with a custom-built solution. If the business grows or requirements change, switching platforms down the line can become necessary.
For many smaller businesses, a website builder is a perfectly reasonable choice. But if the website is going to be a key part of marketing or sales, it can be worth investing in a solution that offers more freedom from the start.
WordPress is still the world's most widely used CMS and suits many types of websites. For simpler projects or smaller budgets, it can be a good option.
At the same time, many WordPress sites are built on themes and a large number of plugins. The more components that get added, the greater the need for updates, maintenance, and troubleshooting. How big a problem that becomes depends entirely on how the site was built from the start.
Next.js is a modern framework for building fast, flexible websites. It's used by everyone from small businesses to large international companies, and it's a popular choice when performance, user experience, and SEO are priorities.
Support for image optimization, server rendering, and smart caching is built in from the start, which means a lot works out of the box without extra plugins or heavy configuration. The result is a fast website that's easy to maintain and build on.
For businesses that want strong performance and a solution that's easy to adapt and develop further, Next.js is therefore usually our first choice. It's also why it's the technology we build with the most.
Our Next.js projects start at around 2,500 euros for simpler business websites and can go up to around 30,000 euros for more extensive solutions. Most small business projects land between 2,500 and 6,000 euros, depending on features, content, and integration needs.
The price includes a modern, mobile-friendly website with a focus on performance, SEO, and user experience. Hosting, content management, and the technical foundation are adapted to the project's needs.
For businesses that want to avoid a large upfront cost, we also offer websites on a subscription basis, from 250 to 750 euros per month. This includes development, hosting, security updates, technical maintenance, and ongoing improvements.
A major advantage of this model is that the website keeps evolving. New pages, content, and features can be added on an ongoing basis, without every change turning into a new project or a separate quote.
The model works especially well for businesses that publish new content regularly or want to keep developing their website over time. Instead of repeated one-off projects, it offers a simpler, more predictable setup, where the cost is known from month to month.
E-commerce projects are usually more extensive than a standard business website. Payment solutions, product catalogs, inventory management, and integrations all push up both the development time and the cost.
For simpler stores, Shopify or similar platforms can be a good starting point. For businesses with more advanced needs, their own business systems, or specific requirements around performance and flexibility, a custom-built solution can be a better fit.
What a website costs depends entirely on the business's needs. A simple information page can be built for a few hundred euros, while a custom-built solution with advanced features costs considerably more.
The important thing is not to compare only the starting price. Look at what's included, how the website will be maintained, and how easily it can be developed further down the line. The cheapest quote isn't always the best value in the long run.
Want help choosing the right solution or getting a quote based on your business's needs? You're always welcome to reach out to us.
It depends on the business's needs. A simpler website can cost a few hundred euros, while a custom-built business website usually falls between 2,500 and 6,000 euros. Larger projects with advanced features or integrations can cost considerably more.
Mainly the features, the number of pages, the design, and how much needs to be built from scratch. Integrations with other systems, e-commerce, and custom functionality also affect the total cost.
It depends on what you're trying to achieve. WordPress suits many simpler websites and is often a cost-effective option. Next.js is the better choice when performance, flexibility, and the ability to keep developing the site matter most. We have put together a detailed comparison of Next.js and WordPress with measured load times and three-year costs.
Beyond the initial development, there are usually costs for domain, hosting, and possibly maintenance or support. For many business websites, that stays under about 100 euros a month, though the cost varies depending on traffic, services, and technical requirements.
This varies between agencies. Always check whether the quoted price includes design, development, mobile optimization, SEO, hosting, support, and future updates. Two quotes can carry the same price tag while covering completely different amounts of work.
A one-time investment suits businesses that want to own the whole project outright and plan future updates themselves. A subscription model suits businesses that want to spread the cost over time while getting ongoing support, maintenance, and further development.
