How Much Does a Website Cost for a Small Business in 2025?

It's the first question every small business owner asks, and the answer is frustrating: "it depends." But it doesn't have to be that vague. Here's an honest breakdown of what websites actually cost in 2025, with real numbers and real trade-offs.

DIY Website Builders: $0-$40/month

Platforms like Wix, Squarespace, and GoDaddy Website Builder let you drag and drop a website together for a low monthly fee. Wix runs $17-32/month, Squarespace is $16-49/month, and GoDaddy starts at $10/month.

What you get: A functional website you can build yourself over a weekend. Templates, hosting, and a basic domain included.

What you sacrifice: Performance (most DIY sites score 30-50 on PageSpeed), design flexibility (you're locked into their templates), SEO control (limited structured data, bloated code), and ownership (leave the platform and your site doesn't come with you). Over 3 years, a Squarespace Business plan costs $1,764 — and you still don't own anything.

Freelance WordPress Developer: $1,000-$5,000

Hiring a freelancer to build a WordPress site is the most common route for small businesses. Expect to pay $1,500-3,000 for a standard 5-page business site with a premium theme and basic SEO setup.

What you get: A more professional-looking site than DIY, some customization, and someone who can handle the technical setup.

What you sacrifice: Long-term performance and maintenance simplicity. WordPress requires ongoing hosting ($15-50/month), plugin updates, security monitoring, and periodic developer intervention when things break. Budget $500-1,000/year for maintenance.

Web Design Agency: $5,000-$25,000+

Agencies offer the full package — strategy, design, development, copywriting, and ongoing support. Prices vary wildly based on location and agency size. Austin agencies typically charge $5,000-15,000 for a small business site.

What you get: Professional design, strategy consultation, and usually a dedicated project manager.

What you sacrifice: Budget. Most small businesses don't need a $10,000 website, and many agencies deliver WordPress sites that perform identically to what a good freelancer would build at a third of the price.

Hand-Coded Website: $1,000-$3,000

This is what we do at Hand Coded Web. Every site is built from scratch with clean HTML, CSS, and JavaScript — no WordPress, no page builders, no templates. Our packages start at $1,000 for a single-page site and go up to $2,999 for unlimited pages with full CMS integration.

What you get: The fastest-loading, most SEO-optimized website available at any price point. 90+ PageSpeed scores, 100/100 accessibility and SEO scores, schema markup, managed hosting on a global CDN, and professional email — all included. You own the code outright.

Monthly hosting: $29-79/month depending on package. No plugin fees, no security patches, no surprise costs.

The Real Cost Comparison (3-Year Total)

Here's what each option actually costs over three years when you factor in hosting, maintenance, and hidden fees:

The hand-coded option delivers the best performance at a competitive total cost — and you own the code at the end of it.

Our Recommendation

If you're a small business with a simple website need (1-15 pages, no complex e-commerce), a hand-coded site is the best value available. You get agency-quality performance at freelancer prices, with none of the ongoing WordPress headaches.

See how we compare to every option, check our full pricing breakdown, or get a free audit to see what your business needs.