How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026?
For a five-page business site on a .com, the cheapest three-year route is Hostinger's Premium plan at $140.88 including the domain, with WordPress installed by you. That is an intro price that renews at $10.99 a month after month 48. Prices were checked on vendor pages in October 2026. Among the builders, the cheapest is WordPress.com Personal at $166.16 over the same 36 months, billed yearly. A store costs more: Shopify Basic runs $2,388 a year at 1,000 orders of $60, before apps.
Nine routes costed over three years for one five-page business site, with domains, renewals and payment fees, prices checked on vendor pages in October 2026.
A website's sticker price is the wrong number to budget. A builder's monthly rate, a hosting intro rate and a domain fee each look small on their own, and the bill that matters is the sum of the plan, the domain and the renewal that follows the intro term. This guide prices nine routes for one scenario: a five-page service business on its own .com, one editor, a contact form and no online store, costed over three years.
Toolradar data: of the 202 website builders we track, 63% offer a free or freemium plan. Free plans rarely help a business address, though, and the best free website builders guide covers the free tiers in depth. None of the four free plans in the route table below includes a custom domain, so each one stays on a subdomain of the vendor. For a closer look at the cheapest tiers, read the cheapest website builders guide, and for the fit side of the decision, the best website builders for small business guide ranks the same vendors by use case.
Methodology: nine routes, one scenario, and each plan's price read on the vendor's own pricing page in October 2026. Where a plan bills yearly, the table uses the yearly per-month price. Where a hosting plan sells an intro rate, the table uses that rate for the months it covers and the renewal rate after. A .com domain is priced at $11.08 a year, the Porkbun rate, and counts as free in year one only where the vendor's own page says so. Wix holds a paid placement on our website builders category. On this page the routes are ordered by their three-year total, and Wix ranks seventh of nine on that total.
Top Picks
Picked by editorial review, informed by G2 and Capterra review volume and rating and by media mentions, the signals behind our category rankings. How we rate
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger Premium (WordPress you install) | From $2.99/mo (48-month term) | 4.4 1,487 reviews | A budget owner who can install, update and back up WordPress without a developer. |
| Bluehost Starter | From $3.99/mo (36-month term) | 3.4 281 reviews | Owners who want a 36-month intro price and a first-year domain on one bill. |
| WordPress.com Personal | From $4/mo billed yearly | 4.5 17,713 reviews | A business that wants WordPress without running its own server. |
| IONOS Essential | From $4/mo intro (1-year term) | n/a | A small site owner who accepts a second-year price rise for a free first-year domain. |
| Framer Basic | From $10/mo, custom domain on Basic | 4.4 177 reviews | A designer or freelancer who wants a visual editor and a custom domain. |
| Webflow Basic | From $15/mo billed yearly | 4.5 265 reviews | A designer who wants a visual builder with a custom domain and can pay yearly. |
| Wix Light | From $17.77/mo billed yearly | 4.2 1,908 reviews | A brochure site with a contact form and no payments or bookings. |
| Squarespace Basic | From $19/mo billed yearly | 4.5 4,558 reviews | A service brand that wants a designed site and no online store. |
| Shopify Basic (store route) | From $29/mo billed yearly | 4.5 11,858 reviews | A business selling products online with card payments, and an inventory to manage. |
A budget owner who can install, update and back up WordPress without a developer.
- Pro: The three-year total counts the domain at the Porkbun rate, on top of the plan
- Pro: Full control of the WordPress site, its theme and its plugins
- Pro: The $143.52 upfront payment covers the full 48-month intro term
- Con: Renews at $10.99 a month after month 48, which is $131.88 a year against $35.88 at intro
- Con: The $143.52 is billed upfront, so the cash cost arrives on day one rather than month by month
However, these prices require a significant 4-year commitment, which might be a barrier for some.
Owners who want a 36-month intro price and a first-year domain on one bill.
- Pro: A first-year domain is included on the plan
- Pro: Its intro rate is the second-lowest in the table, behind Hostinger
- Pro: Only $0.36 behind WordPress.com Personal over three years, so features decide between them
- Con: Renews at $9.99 a month from month 37, two and a half times the intro rate
- Con: The intro rate applies only for the 36-month term, so the bill rises in year four
It's best for individuals or small businesses looking for an affordable entry point into web hosting for a 36-month commitment.
A business that wants WordPress without running its own server.
- Pro: A first-year domain is included on annual plans
- Pro: Hosted on WordPress.com, so there is no server for you to run
- Pro: Yearly billing costs less than half the $9 monthly price, so the annual plan is the one to buy
- Con: The free plan has no custom domain, so a business address means paying for Personal
- Con: Monthly billing removes the included domain and costs $9 a month
That entry price includes hosting.
Watch out
Free sites show WordPress.com ads to visitors until you pay.
A small site owner who accepts a second-year price rise for a free first-year domain.
- Pro: A first-year domain is included on the plan
- Pro: The intro rate needs only a one-year term, against 36 and 48 months at Bluehost and Hostinger
- Pro: The intro rate is among the lowest in this table
- Con: Renews at $8 a month after the first year, so the plan alone costs $240 over 36 months
- Con: At the intro rate alone, 36 months would cost $144, so the renewal adds $96
This pricing is aggressively competitive, especially for beginners.
A designer or freelancer who wants a visual editor and a custom domain.
- Pro: The free plan lets you try the editor before paying, on a Framer domain
- Pro: Basic includes a custom domain
- Pro: Pro at $30 a month is three times Basic, the step up for a larger site
- Con: The free plan cannot use a custom domain, so a business address needs Basic
- Con: Basic's price is shown as one per-month figure, and the billing cycle is chosen at checkout
Framer's pricing is quite generous, especially with its robust Free tier and the accessible Basic tier at $10/month for custom domains.
A designer who wants a visual builder with a custom domain and can pay yearly.
- Pro: Starter is free on a webflow.io domain, enough to try the builder
- Pro: Basic adds a custom domain, which Starter does not include
- Pro: Premium at $25 a month billed yearly adds the Webflow CMS for a blog or case studies
- Con: Basic has no CMS, so a blog or a list of listings needs Premium, the next plan up
- Con: Webflow lists both paid plans only as yearly prices, so the monthly bill is not shown
Webflow charges separately for Workspace plans (per-seat, for team collaboration) and Site plans (per-site, for hosting).
Watch out
The Starter (free) site plan limits you to 2 pages, 50 CMS items, and a webflow.io subdomain. It is a sandbox, not a production environment.
A brochure site with a contact form and no payments or bookings.
- Pro: Lowest Wix price on the page
- Pro: A one-year domain voucher comes with a first paid plan
- Pro: Core adds payments and bookings, so the upgrade path is clear
- Con: Light cannot take payments or bookings, so a service business that needs deposits pays $12 a month more for Core
- Con: The domain voucher lapses if it is not redeemed within 60 days
Wix is a solid all-in-one website builder at reasonable prices, but costs add up fast once you factor in payment processing, apps, and the steep jump to Business Elite.
Watch out
Light plan cannot accept any payments, Core minimum for ecommerce
A service brand that wants a designed site and no online store.
- Pro: Custom domain on every plan
- Pro: A first-year domain is included on annual plans
- Pro: Core at $29 a month billed yearly sets the store fee to 0%, which beats Basic above $6,000 a year in sales
- Con: Basic takes a 2% online store fee, which is $120 on $6,000 of sales
- Con: Basic costs $25 a month billed monthly, $6 more than billed yearly
It's best for individuals and small businesses looking for an all-in-one, aesthetically pleasing website solution.
Watch out
2% transaction fee on Basic plan
A business selling products online with card payments, and an inventory to manage.
- Pro: The bill is predictable: a fixed plan fee plus a per-sale card rate, both on the pricing page
- Pro: Basic's card rate is 2.9% plus 30 cents per sale
- Pro: The 30 cents per sale is a fixed charge, so small orders pay the highest fee share
- Con: Basic adds a 2% fee on third-party payment gateways on top of the card rate
- Con: There is no free plan: the trial is 3 days, then $1 a month for 3 months, which is a promotional offer
The biggest cost driver is transaction fees: using any payment provider other than Shopify Payments triggers a 2% surcharge ON TOP of the processor's fees, effectively forcing you into Shopify Payments.
What a website really costs in 2026
A website has four cost lines: the plan that serves the site, the domain name, the renewal that follows an intro term, and the add-on for a feature you need, such as payments, bookings or a CMS. Most budgets count the first line and miss the other three.
A builder plan is a subscription that runs as long as the site does, so its three-year total is the monthly price multiplied by 36. Hosting is usually cheaper per month, but on a hosting plan you install, update and back up the site yourself. For hosts beyond Hostinger, Bluehost and IONOS, see the best web hosting guide. The totals in this guide cover the plan and the domain. They do not cover design time, copy or the hours spent on maintenance, which vary too much from one owner to the next to put a single number on.
Why the renewal sets the budget, not the intro price
Intro rates are real, and they expire. Hostinger's Premium plan costs $2.99 a month over a 48-month term, billed as $143.52 upfront. After month 48 the same plan renews at $10.99 a month, which is $131.88 a year against $35.88 a year at the intro rate. The totals in this guide stop at month 36, before that renewal starts, so an honest budget for that plan has to look past month 48.
IONOS works the same way on a shorter clock. Essential's intro rate covers one year, then renews at $8 a month. Over 36 months the plan alone costs $240, not the $144 the intro rate suggests, so the second year doubles the monthly bill.
Feature gates matter as much as renewals. Wix Light, at $17.77 a month billed yearly, cannot take payments or bookings. Wix Core, at $29.77 a month billed yearly, can. A service business that needs deposits pays $12 a month more for Core, or $144 a year, from the first day it sells. The Wix vs Squarespace comparison shows how the two builders differ once the plan you actually need is on the table.
Key Features to Look For
Billing cycle moves the monthly price (Essential)
WordPress.com Personal costs $9 billed monthly, more than twice its yearly rate. Squarespace Basic is $19 billed yearly, and Shopify Basic is $29 billed yearly and $39 billed monthly. Take the yearly price when the vendor offers it, then check the monthly figure against your cash flow.
The first-year domain (Important)
Squarespace and WordPress.com include a domain for one year on annual plans. Bluehost and IONOS include one for the first year, and Wix gives a one-year domain voucher on a first paid plan, to be redeemed within 60 days. Framer lists its custom domain as complimentary on yearly billing. Webflow and Hostinger do not show a first-year domain on the plan pages we read. Every year after the first, the domain renews, at $11.08 a year for a .com.
Payments and bookings sit on a higher tier (Essential)
Wix Light cannot take payments or bookings, and Wix Core can for $29.77 a month billed yearly. Squarespace Basic charges a 2% online store fee and 7% on digital content and memberships, while Core sets the store fee to 0%. Check the feature list against the job the site has to do before you choose the cheaper tier.
Free plans stop at a subdomain (Important)
Wix Free carries no custom domain. Framer's free plan includes a Framer domain, and WordPress.com's free plan has no custom domain. Webflow Starter is free on a webflow.io domain. A business address needs a paid plan on all four.
Card and gateway fees on a store (Important)
Shopify Basic charges 2.9% plus 30 cents per card sale, and a 2% fee on third-party payment gateways. At 1,000 orders of $60, Basic's card fees come to $2,040 a year on top of its $348 plan.
Evaluation Checklist
Multiply the monthly price by the months you plan to keep the site, then add the domain and any upfront payment.
Check whether the first-year domain is free, and what the same domain costs at renewal.
Find the feature that takes payments or bookings before you buy the cheapest tier that includes it.
Read the renewal price on the checkout page, not only the intro figure on the pricing page.
For a store, multiply expected sales by each plan's fee, then compare the totals at your real volume.
Pricing Comparison
| Route | Entry price | Cost at scenario (36 months) | Free plan | Billing basis | Hidden costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
$2.99/mo intro | $140.88 | No free plan | 48-month term, $143.52 upfront | Renews at $10.99/mo from month 49; domain $11.08 a year | |
$3.99/mo intro | $165.80 | No free plan listed | 36-month term | Renews at $9.99/mo from month 37; first-year domain free | |
$4/mo | $166.16 | Free: no custom domain | Billed yearly; $9/mo billed monthly | Monthly billing drops the free domain; Business has a 2% transaction fee | |
$4/mo intro, 1-year term | $262.16 | No free plan listed | $8/mo after year one | Second year doubles the monthly price; first-year domain free | |
$10/mo | $382.16 | Free: Framer domain, no custom domain | Billing cycle set at checkout | Pro is $30/mo; custom domain complimentary on yearly billing | |
$15/mo billed yearly | $573.24 | Starter: webflow.io domain | Billed yearly | CMS needs Premium at $25/mo billed yearly | |
$17.77/mo billed yearly | $661.88 | Free: no custom domain | Billed yearly | No payments or bookings on Light; Core is $29.77/mo | |
$19/mo billed yearly | $706.16 | No free plan | Billed yearly; $25/mo billed monthly | 2% online store fee; 7% on digital content and memberships | |
$29/mo billed yearly | $1,077.24 | 3-day trial, then $1/mo for 3 months | Billed yearly; $39/mo billed monthly | 2.9% plus 30 cents card rate; 2% third-party gateway fee |
Prices checked on each vendor's pricing page in October 2026: Hostinger pricing, Bluehost hosting, WordPress.com pricing, IONOS hosting, Framer pricing, Webflow pricing, Wix plans, Squarespace pricing, Shopify pricing and Porkbun domains for the .com rate. The Shopify row is a store route, so it is not directly comparable with the brochure routes.
Mistakes to Avoid
- ×
Budgeting the intro rate for the whole term. Hostinger's intro rate covers 48 months, and the renewal starts after that.
- ×
Buying the cheapest tier that cannot take the payment or booking the business needs, then paying $12 a month more for Wix Core.
- ×
Choosing monthly billing on a plan that is cheaper yearly, and losing the included domain in the process.
- ×
Forgetting the domain. A .com looks cheap at one fee, but it renews every year after the first.
- ×
Comparing a store plan with a brochure plan as if they did the same job. Shopify Basic is priced for selling, not for a contact form.
Expert Tips
- →
Compare routes over three years, not the first invoice. WordPress.com Personal and Bluehost finish within 36 cents at the scenario, so features decide between them.
- →
If the site needs a blog or listings, price the CMS tier from day one. Webflow's Premium costs $10 a month more than Basic.
- →
For a store, the fee is the cost. Basic's plan plus its 2% fee matches Core at $6,000 of annual sales, so Core is the cheaper plan above that point.
Red Flags to Watch For
-
An intro rate on a 36 or 48 month term, where the renewal is two to more than three times higher.
-
A free plan that publishes the site on a subdomain only, with no custom domain for a business address.
-
A price shown only as a yearly figure, which leaves the monthly cash cost unstated.
-
A cheap tier that lists the payment or booking feature only on a higher plan.
The Bottom Line
For a five-page business site on a .com, the three-year bill runs from $140.88 to $1,077.24 by route. The cheapest route is self-installed WordPress on Hostinger's intro plan, and its renewal rate is the number to budget for after month 48. Among the builders, WordPress.com Personal is the cheapest, at $166.16 over three years with the domain. Design-led builders run from $382.16 for Framer to $706.16 for Squarespace over the same term, and a store costs more again.
Cite this: Toolradar, "How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026?", October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a website cost in 2026?
For a five-page business site on a .com, the three-year cost runs from $140.88 on Hostinger's intro hosting plan, with WordPress installed by you, to $706.16 on Squarespace Basic, domain included. The Shopify store route is the highest at $1,077.24 over the same term. Prices were checked on vendor pages in October 2026. The totals cover the plan and the domain, not design or content.
Is there a free website builder with a custom domain?
Not among the free plans in this table. Wix Free, Framer Free, WordPress.com Free and Webflow Starter all leave the site on a subdomain. Among the builders, the cheapest custom-domain plan is WordPress.com Personal, billed yearly, with the first-year domain included.
How much does a domain name cost?
A .com costs $11.08 a year to register and renew at Porkbun, the rate used for this scenario. Several builders include a domain for the first year on yearly plans, so year one can cost nothing, but the renewal is due every year after.
What is the cheapest way to host WordPress?
Hostinger Premium at $2.99 a month over 48 months is the lowest three-year price in this guide once the domain is counted. The plan renews at a higher monthly rate after month 48, and you install and maintain WordPress yourself.
How much more does Wix cost if I take payments?
Wix Light at $17.77 a month billed yearly cannot take payments or bookings. Wix Core at $29.77 a month billed yearly can, so the step up is $12 a month, or $144 a year.
How much does an online store cost per year?
Shopify Basic costs $348 a year on yearly billing, plus 2.9% and 30 cents per card sale. At 1,000 orders of $60, that comes to $2,388 a year before apps. Squarespace Basic's 2% store fee would cost $1,200 on the same $60,000 of sales.
Cite this page: Toolradar, "How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026?", updated October 2026, https://toolradar.com/guides/how-much-does-a-website-cost
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