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How Much Does A Webside Builder Cost? All Costs Explained
If you’re launching an online presence, you’re probably asking: What’s the real website builder cost? Many developers, designers, sellers, or marketers list $30 or $50/month, but stop there; they rarely cover the whole story, like add-ons and growth costs, to ensure the best conversions.
This article examines typical cost ranges by business size, compares core website builders, and explores additional costs, providing practical strategies to help keep expenses under control. As a result, you can walk away ready to budget confidently and choose a website builder wisely.
Right now, let’s jump in!
How Much Does A Webside Builder Cost?
Website builder cost varies dramatically depending on your business size, what you need today, and how quickly you expect to grow. Below is a detailed breakdown to help estimate realistically.
#1. Personal/Portfolio/Blogging
The cost to build a website for a portfolio, hobby blog, freelance landing page, or resume-style site is relatively low because the technical requirements for design and functionality are minimal. Most users can expect to pay $5 to $30/month for a basic website builder plan, where you can generally access drag-and-drop editing, hosting, free templates, and essential SEO features.
A website for travel blogging with a simple but well-structured design
Optional add-ons, such as premium templates ($30 to $150) or plugins (SEO, gallery tools, custom fonts), may increase overall spend but are rarely essential for beginners. When you include domain registration and occasional upgrades, the total annual cost can range from $100 to $150/year. This makes personal sites the most affordable that we would like to highlight here.
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- Discover 35 Best Shopify Templates to Transform Your Store’s Design
#2. Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs)
SMBs often require more functionality than personal websites, including brand-centric design, service pages, product catalogues, contact forms, and basic eCommerce capabilities. Thus, upfront investment is significantly higher. A professionally built SMB site generally costs $3,000 to $8,000, depending on design requirements, number of pages, and extent of customization.
A cookie SMB based in the US builts its own website with Shopify and GemPages
After launch, businesses typically spend $20 to $200/month on platform subscriptions, hosting and custom domains (if needed), marketing tools, booking features, and essential apps/plugins. When combined, the real cost to maintain an SMB website often reaches $3,000 to $10,000.
#3. Large-sized Businesses
Apparently, large eCommerce stores require more technical depth than standard business websites. They typically control hundreds of products, multi-location inventory, advanced SEO, multiple sales channels, and robust automation. As a result, the total website builder cost is substantially higher, from $5,000 to $20,000 for a well-designed, high-performing online store.
Fraser has paid a significant website builder cost to have the best performance with an extensive range of products
Beyond design and development, these stores rely heavily on paid apps, integrations, analytics, and reporting tools, which can drive monthly operating expenses to over $ 500 per month. Brands that sell globally or offer subscriptions, bundling, or personalization may pay even more. That’s also why you need to consider everything carefully to maximize your financial resources.
#4. Enterprises
Enterprise-level websites fall into a completely different cost category, as they involve complex infrastructure, global operations, and deep system integrations. These businesses often require headless commerce setups, multi-store expansions, custom checkout experiences, and more.
Gymshark ultilizes Shopify Plus plans to establish a strong online presence globally
As a result, an enterprise can easily reach $10,000s to $50,000+, with some projects surpassing £100,000 depending on custom requirements. Monthly operating costs are significantly higher; platforms like Shopify Plus start at $2,300/month to access a range of robust functionalities and excellent support from eCommerce experts.
Enterprises often maintain ongoing contracts with UX agencies, CRO teams, and systems integrators. While expensive, this level of investment is essential to support large-scale operations, ensuring that you can get the best revenue annually.
A Quick Price Snapshot on Pricing Plans (Popular Builders)
Note: All pricing plans listed below are estimated based on annual billing. If you pay monthly, on a quarterly plan, or on any shorter billing cycle, the price will usually be higher by 10% to 40%.
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Pricing plans |
Exclusive deals |
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Shopify |
• Basic: $29/month • Grow: $79/month • Advanced: $299/month • Plus: $2,300/month (based on a 3-year term) |
• 3-day free trial • $1/ month for the first 3 months • Save 25% on the yearly payment |
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BigCommerce |
• Standard: $29/month • Plus: $79/month • Pro: $299/month • Enterprise: Custom |
• 15-day free trial - No credit card required • Save 25% on the yearly payment |
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Wix |
• Free: $0/month • Light: $17/month • Core: $29/month • Business: $36/month • Business Elite: $159/month • Enterprise: Custom |
• Recurring payment for daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly |
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Magento (license cost) |
• Magento Open Source: $0 • Commerce Pro: $22,000 - $125,000/year • Managed Services: $40,000 - $190,000/year |
• Magento Open Source will not incur any license costs. |
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Squarespace |
• Basic: $16/month • Core: $23/month • Plus: $39/month • Advanced: $99/month |
• 14-day free trial • Save 28% - 36% on the yearly payment |
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Webflow |
Sites • Free: $0/month • Basic: $14/month • CMS: $23/month • Business: $39/month • Enterprise: Custom eCommerce • Standard: $29/month • Plus: $74/month • Advanced: $212/month |
• Save up to 33% on the yearly payment |
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Hostinger |
• Premium: $3.19/month • Business: $3.49/month |
• Recurring payment for monthly, 12 months, 24 months, and 48 months • Get an additional 3 months for free |
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Weebly |
• Free: $0/month • Personal: $5/month • Pro: $12/month • Business: $25/month • Business Plus: $38/month |
• Save up to 25% on the yearly payment |
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GoDaddy |
• Basic: $16.99/month • Premium: $29.99/month • Commerce: $34.99/month (Note: The renewal price will increase) |
• Recurring payment for monthly, 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month • Save up to 40% for a 36-month term |
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WordPress (WordPress.com) |
• Free: $0 • Personal: $4/month • Premium: $8/month • Business: $25/month • Commerce (for online stores): $45/month • Enterprise: From $25,000/year |
• Get a free domain for higher-pricing tiers |
Also, don’t forget to consider the following factors: special introductory discounts (e.g., first-year offers); regional pricing differences, and higher renewal rates after the first term of registration. For the most accurate estimate of your website builder cost for long-term growth, it’s essential to compare annual versus monthly billing, review renewal prices, and get updates across years.
Additional Costs To Build A Website
Even after choosing a platform and paying for your main subscription, there are several additional expenses that affect your actual website builder cost. That’s why understanding these can help you budget accurately and effectively, further avoiding surprises later on your building.
#1. Domain & hosting
Your domain name is your site’s digital address, and it typically costs $10 to $30/year depending on the extension (e.g., .com, .store, .net). Some website builders offer a free domain for the first year, and most won’t charge for a platform-branded domain (as opposed to a custom one). Similarly, hosting expenses vary widely across the platform type that you decide to work with:
- Hosted builders (e.g., Shopify, Wix, Squarespace) include hosting in your subscription
- Self-hosting platforms (e.g., Magento) require separate hosting, from $5 to $30/month.
Because domain and hosting services are recurring essentials, they directly impact the total cost to build a website, especially on site builders where hosting and domains are not bundled.
The top hosting and domain services that every developer recommends
#2. Templates/Themes & Premium Designs
While most website builders for freelancers, SMBs, or large enterprises provide free templates, many eventually invest in premium designs to achieve better branding, advanced layouts, and improved UX/UI. These themes can cost between $30 and $300, depending on the level of customization. This cost is also one of the first upgrades you make after setting up a basic site.
Shopify offers 10 free, CRO, mobile-responsive Horizon themes for users
Shopify is currently one of the best eCommerce platforms for building a new website, as it offers users a broad range of templates that ensure high conversion rates and responsiveness. Even Shopify Summer '25 has expanded its library with 10 new free Horizon themes, providing merchants with modern, mobile-ready designs at no additional cost. You can also feel free to have Shopify theme customization to align the final store presence with your branding identity.
Notably, you can integrate your store directly with GemPages Shopify Landing Page Builder to offer users over 200 free, CRO-optimized templates across various industries, as well as lots of visual elements. As a result, you can effortlessly build a high-converting eCommerce website. Recently, GemPages has introduced Gem AI to help create a desired website layout in a snap.
Gempages Shopify Page Builder Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
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Pro Tip: Pair GemPages with GemX to unlock a powerful testing stack. This combination enables you to run accurate A/B tests on landing pages, product pages, and entire funnels. From that, you can understand what truly drives conversions and make proper refinements. |
#3. Apps/Plugins/Integrations
Most websites today require additional functionality, such as email marketing, product reviews, upselling and cross-selling, SEO, booking tools, inventory syncing, and more. While many apps offer free tiers, premium features often cost $5 to $400/month per app to deliver the best results.
As reviewed, eCommerce stores can use from 4 to 10 apps, which significantly determines your yearly website builder cost. Therefore, you need to choose apps wisely and avoid unnecessary add-ons/apps/ plugins/ extensions, especially when you are still on a tight budget or a startup.
#4. Payment processing
If you run an online store, you always need to pay processing fees. These fees cover the cost of securely handling buyer transactions, preventing fraud, and transferring funds to your account.
Depending on your platform and chosen payment gateway, you can expect to pay around 1.5% - 3.5% plus a fixed fee per transaction. The exact amount also varies with the card type, region, and payment provider (e.g., PayPal, Stripe, Adyen). For businesses with higher order volume, even slight differences in these percentages can significantly impact revenues and ROI.
With Shopify, you can benefit from this aspect by using Shopify Payments, where Shopify charges no additional transaction fees, and you will only pay the standard card processing rate. As a result, you save a significant amount of fees, thereby gaining a strong competitive edge.
Shopify allows users to set up with lots of payment providers for their optimal fees
#5. SSL certificate
An SSL certificate ensures your site is secure and encrypted, especially crucial for eCommerce.
- On hosted builders (Shopify, Wix, Squarespace, GoDaddy), SSL is included for free.
- Self-hosted platforms like WordPress or Magento allow free SSL via Let’s Encrypt, but some hosting providers charge $2 - $70/year for premium SSL options.
As SSL also impacts SEO and trust signals, it's non-negotiable for the website builder cost.
#6. Marketing & promotion
It’s time to market your website. In other words, you need to invest in marketing activities effectively. This is often the most underestimated part of the cost to build a website because your website itself won’t generate traffic, conversions, and sales without consistent promotion.
Below are typical monthly marketing expenses that you can take a look at for your reference:
- SEO tools: $10 - $100/month
- Email & SMS marketing: $10 - $300/month (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, SMS platforms)
- Paid ads (Google, Meta): $5 - $1,000+/month depending on goals
- Content creation: $50 - $500/month
- Social media automation tools: $10 - $50/month
Marketing spend varies widely, but you can expect to allocate at least $50 to $200 per month. This range is crucial to help you (even as a solo seller/ a small brand) to build early momentum.
Users can choose 1,300+ marketing apps in the Shopify App Store
Pro Tip: Master omnichannel marketing by combining SEO, social media, email, SMS, and ads. Brands that diversify channels see more substantial ROI and resilience against algorithm changes, as well as stay updated on emerging digital trends and adjust their strategy regularly.
Related articles:
- The Ultimate Guide to eCommerce Website Cost
- Understanding of 2025 eCommerce: How Much Does a Website Cost?
How to Choose the Right Plan for Your Website Builder
#1. Your Business Goals: Normal Websites vs. eCommerce Stores
If you just want to publish a website for blogs, a portfolio, or service pages, choosing lower-tier plans will be ideal. We don’t need shopping carts, inventory control, and payment processing.
Wix offers low pricing plans or even a forever-free plan to build a simple website
On the other hand, if you aim to build a well-performing eCommerce store, higher-tier or premium plans can satisfy your specific demands for checkout functionality and shipping tools. The more precise your business model, the easier it is to avoid paying for tools you don’t need.
Learn more: 11 Best Shopify Blog Examples You’ll Want to Copy
#2. Features included vs. Features You’ll Pay Extra For
Every website builder structures its plans differently. Some platforms include hosting, SSL, basic SEO, and analytics in the base plan, while others require paid add-ons. You should compare:
- What’s included in the core plan
- What features are locked behind premium plans
- Which tasks require extra apps, plugins, or custom themes
In fact, a low-cost plan with many paid add-ons can end up more costly than a higher-tier plan with built-in functionality. Thus, research or even ask experts to make informed decisions wisely.
#3. Traffic, Product Limits, and Usage Caps
Many pricing tiers depend on usage. As your website grows, your plan should evolve in tandem with it. Common limitations include: traffic/bandwidth; number of pages or products; storage and file upload limits; email sends per month; and number of staff accounts. If you reach these caps, platforms often force an upgrade, which increases your long-term website builder costs. Planning ahead helps you choose a plan that supports your growth without sudden expenses.
#4. Transaction Fees, Payment Processing, and Revenue Thresholds
Some website makers charge higher fees for third-party payment gateways, extra transaction fees per order, and higher plan requirements once your revenue exceeds certain thresholds. These fees are also highlighted in the “additional costs” that every builder needs to consider.
To address this aspect, you should review each platform’s rules before choosing a pricing plan:
- Whether the platform charges extra fees for PayPal, Stripe, or other gateways
- If using the platform’s native payment system removes transaction fees
- Whether your expected revenue could force an automatic plan upgrade
- How card processing fees vary by region and currency
- Whether the platform prefers revenue-based plans or not.
Generally, depending on your situation, you can look at fewer or more aspects to find the best fit for your website design. Yet, everything should be evaluated carefully for the best preparations.
Learn more: Shopify Payments vs. Paypal: What's Best for You?
Cost-Saving Strategies (Without Compromising Quality)
Here are some clever tactics to reduce your website builder cost while maintaining quality. These are especially useful for new founders, freelancers, solo entrepreneurs, and even SMBs.
1. Pay annually (or multi-year) to get discounts
Many platforms offer up to 40% discounts if you commit to long-term billing, typically between 12 and 48 months. For example, Shopify shows “Pay yearly (save up to 25%)” for all pricing plans. If you’re confident in your brand or have completed your testing, this saves a significant amount.
2. Use built-in/native payments to avoid extra fees
Platforms often charge additional fees when using third-party payment gateways. Therefore, choosing native payment providers, like Shopify Pay, removes these additional transaction fees. This matters more as your order volume grows, since higher sales magnify processing costs.
3. Start with a free theme or lower-cost template
Premium themes can cost from $30 to $300, but many reputable options offer high-quality, free themes. Starting with free resources lets you invest more in marketing or product development.
4. Use free trials and test before committing
Most builders offer 3 - 14-day free trials or even a forever-free plan. That’s why you can use this time to test the dashboard/ themes, check app compatibility, and validate whether the platform meets your needs. This can prevent you from committing to a plan that you might later outgrow.
5. Monitor performance and ROI
A website isn’t a one-time build; it’s a long-term asset. Let’s regularly evaluate which apps or subscriptions are truly driving revenue. If not, you should remove anything that doesn’t add any value. To achieve this, it’s crucial to track performance metrics like page speed, conversion rate, and abandoned cart rates to ensure you’re getting the maximum output from your current plan.
Conclusion
By now, you should have a much clearer understanding of the actual website builder cost, which is significantly higher than the advertised monthly subscription plans. Last but not least, whether you are a new builder or a growing e-commerce brand, choosing the best fit should strike a balance between affordability, functionality, performance, demands, and future growth potential.
Visit GemPages blogs today to learn more tips and tricks to design and optimize your website!
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