How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026? A Straightforward Breakdown
One of the first questions people ask us is "how much will my website cost?" And honestly, it depends. But that answer is not helpful, so let's break it down.
The truth is that pricing for websites is all over the place. You can pay $500 on Fiverr or $500,000 at a big agency, and both will call it a "custom website." So how do you know what's fair?
What the Industry Actually Charges
Here's what custom website development costs across the industry in 2026, based on real market data:
Simple business website (5-10 pages, contact form, mobile friendly): $5,000 to $15,000 at most agencies. Freelancers may charge $500 to $5,000 for simpler builds.
Marketing site with blog and SEO (custom design, content management, analytics): $15,000 to $30,000 at a mid-size agency.
E-commerce store (product catalog, checkout, payment processing): $10,000 to $50,000+ depending on whether you're using a platform like Shopify or building something fully custom.
Web application (user accounts, dashboards, custom features): $25,000 to $150,000+ is the typical range. Complex enterprise apps can exceed $300,000.
Mobile app (iOS and Android): $40,000 to $150,000 for a medium-complexity app. Simple apps can start around $10,000, but the industry average project cost is around $90,000.
These numbers come from agencies and studios charging $100 to $200 per hour for US-based developers. The ranges are wide because every project is different, and where you hire matters a lot.
Why the Range Is So Wide
Who you hire
A senior developer in the US charges $150 to $200 per hour. The same skill level in Eastern Europe runs $40 to $80 per hour. A big agency in a major city has overhead that pushes their rates even higher. A small studio or experienced freelancer can deliver the same quality at a fraction of the cost because there are fewer layers between you and the work.
Design complexity
A clean, modern design with a few pages costs a lot less than a site with custom animations, illustrations, and interactive elements on every page. Most businesses do great with a clean, professional look. You don't need to reinvent the wheel.
Number of pages and features
More pages means more design, more development, and more testing. A 5-page site takes a fraction of the time a 30-page site does. Same goes for features. A contact form is simple. A booking system with calendar integration, email confirmations, and payment processing takes real engineering time.
Content management
Do you need to update the site yourself? If so, you'll need a content management system (CMS), which adds cost upfront but saves money long term because you won't need a developer every time you want to change a paragraph or add a blog post.
Ongoing maintenance
Most people forget about this. Web app maintenance typically costs 15% to 25% of your initial development cost each year, or roughly $500 to $2,000 per month depending on complexity. Make sure you budget for it.
Where People Overpay
Paying for a big agency name. A 50-person agency has account managers, project managers, and layers of overhead. You're paying for that structure whether you need it or not. A skilled small studio can do the same quality work for a fraction of the cost.
Over-building from day one. You probably don't need every feature you've imagined on launch day. Start with what matters most, get the site live, and add features based on what your actual users need. This approach costs less upfront and leads to a better product.
Choosing the cheapest option. The $500 website from a random freelancer marketplace usually leads to a rebuild six months later. Cheap work tends to be slow, poorly coded, and hard to maintain. It's worth paying fair rates for someone who knows what they're doing.
Not asking about ongoing costs. Your site needs hosting, domain renewal, SSL certificates, and occasional updates. Some developers build on platforms with high monthly fees. Make sure you understand the total cost of ownership, not just the build price.
What You Should Ask Before Hiring
- Can I see similar projects you've built?
- What's included in your price? (Design, development, hosting setup, training?)
- Who will own the code and design files when we're done?
- What does ongoing maintenance look like, and what does it cost?
- What's your timeline, and what happens if it takes longer?
- How do you handle changes or additions after the site launches?
Good developers and studios will answer these questions clearly and without any pressure. If someone gets cagey about pricing or ownership, that's a red flag.
How We're Different
You might have noticed that the industry numbers above are pretty steep. That's because most agencies and studios are charging $100 to $200 an hour and building on timelines of several months.
At Orion Studios, we do things differently. Websites start at $1,000, web apps start at $2,500, and mobile apps start at $2,000. Those starting prices are for straightforward builds. The actual cost of your project depends on what you need, and it can vary widely based on the number of features, integrations, and custom work involved. A simple marketing site and a full e-commerce platform with inventory management are very different projects, even if they both fall under "website."
We keep our team small, our tools modern, and our process tight, which lets us deliver quality work at a fraction of what most of the industry charges. And we quote fixed prices based on the scope of work, so you know exactly what you're paying before anything starts. No surprises, no hourly billing that spirals out of control.
If you're trying to figure out what your project might cost, book a free call with us. We'll give you an honest assessment, even if it means recommending a simpler (and cheaper) approach than what you originally had in mind.