How Much Should a Small Business Website Cost in 2026?

If you have asked three people what a website costs, you have probably gotten three wildly different answers: "a few hundred bucks," "ten grand," and "it depends." Here is the honest version.

Photo by Khachik Simonian on Unsplash

The real ranges

• DIY builders (Wix, Squarespace): $0 to ~$50/month. Cheap, but generic, and the work is on you. Your site ends up looking like everyone else's.
• Freelancers: $500 to $5,000, wildly inconsistent. Quality is a gamble and timelines slip.
• Agencies: $10,000 to $50,000+, with big deposits and 6 to 12 week timelines.
• A custom studio like Maus & Co.: from $1,000, one-time, nothing upfront, live in days.

What actually drives the price

1. How many pages and features. A simple lead-generating site is far less than a full online store with checkout.
2. Custom vs template. Custom design costs more than a template, but it actually looks like your business and converts better.
3. Who builds it. Big agencies pass your project to junior staff and bill for the overhead. A solo studio charges for the work, not the office.

What you should expect for the money

A good small-business site should: load fast on phones, make it dead simple to contact or book you, look like the best business in your field, and be fully owned by you. If you are paying for a "brochure" that just sits there, you are overpaying.

The bottom line

For most small businesses, a professional, custom site that actually brings in customers should start around $1,000, be a one-time cost, and go live in days, not months. Anything that takes six weeks and five figures had better be doing a lot more than a website.

Want a real number for your project? Get a free quote. We send back a flat price and a timeline, usually same day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a small business website cost?

Most small business websites land between $1,000 and $5,000 for a custom build, depending on the number of pages and features. Template subscriptions look cheaper each month, but you never own them, so they cost more over time.

Is it cheaper to build my own website?

Doing it yourself saves money up front, but most owners spend weeks fighting a template and still end up with a site that does not bring in customers. A custom build pays for itself when it actually books leads.

What is included in the price of a website?

A good quote covers design, the build, mobile optimization, and launch on your own domain. At Maus & Co. you also own everything outright, with no monthly rental fees. See what is possible.

Do I have to pay all at once?

No. We take a 50% deposit to start and the rest on delivery, once it is live and you are happy with it.