What Actually Determines the Price of a Website
Custom design vs. template
A template is cheaper upfront but looks like thousands of other sites. Custom design costs more but is the only way to look distinct in your market.
Number of languages
Every additional language means real translation, layout testing, and SEO metadata — not just a browser plugin. This is where most quotes quietly balloon.
Pages and complexity
A one-page landing site is a different project than a multi-page catalog, a booking flow, or an online store.
Who actually builds it
A solo freelancer, a small agency, and a DIY builder all carry different overhead — and that overhead is what you're really paying for, not just the pixels.
Ongoing costs
Subscription builders charge forever. A custom-built site is either a one-time cost or it isn't — read the fine print either way.
Real Price Ranges by Route (2026)
Cheapest to start, but you do all the work, and you're renting your own website for as long as it exists.
Often built on WordPress + a page builder plugin — real cost includes hosting, premium theme, and plugin renewals every year.
Strong quality and process, but slower delivery, account managers, and pricing that scales with agency overhead, not just the work.
Custom code, multilingual included from the start, no subscriptions, no middlemen — published prices, no quote-guessing.
What a Website Actually Costs by Type of Business
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
A €0/month builder isn't free — it's a rental with no end date, and the moment you stop paying, your site disappears. A €300 WordPress build usually needs a premium theme (€60–100/year), a page builder license (€100+/year), a translation plugin if you serve more than one language, and hosting that scales with traffic. None of this shows up in the initial quote. A custom-built, fixed-price site sidesteps all of it: you own the code, there's no plugin to renew, and "multilingual" means built-in from day one instead of a bolt-on plugin translating your menu badly.
How We Price Differently
Every tier on our /webdesign page has a real, published price — Basic, Pro, and Premium, plus a €149 MVP tier for tight budgets and a €39 Redesign Audit if you already have a site and just want an honest opinion before spending anything. Prices automatically adjust for purchasing power depending on where you're browsing from. No calls required to find out what something costs — you already know before you ever talk to us.
Website Pricing — Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a professional website cost in 2026?
For a custom-built, multilingual small business site, realistic pricing is €400–1,200 one-time. DIY builders start near €0/month but never stop charging; agencies often start at €2,500+ for similar scope.
Is it cheaper to use Wix or Squarespace than hiring a designer?
Cheaper upfront, more expensive over time — you're paying monthly indefinitely, doing the design work yourself, and the site rarely stands out since it's built on the same templates as everyone else on the platform.
How much does a multilingual website cost?
Expect a genuine premium over a single-language site — real translation and layout testing per language, not machine translation. Built in from the start, it's a fraction of what it costs to bolt on later.
Do I have to pay monthly for a website?
No — a custom-coded site with no page-builder subscription is a one-time cost. You still pay for a domain and hosting, but that's typically €10–20/year, not €20+/month.
How much does an e-commerce website cost?
Realistically €1,000–2,500+ for a small catalog with real payment integration, more for larger inventories — the complexity is in checkout, inventory, and payment logic, not the visual design.
How long does it take to build a website?
A landing page can go live in days. A full multilingual small business site typically takes 1–3 weeks. Agencies often quote months for comparable scope.
What's the real difference between a freelancer's price and an agency's price?
Mostly overhead — account managers, meetings, and internal process — not the underlying work. A skilled independent freelancer can deliver agency-quality work at a fraction of agency pricing.
See real, published prices for your website
No quote forms, no sales calls — fixed prices from €149, adjusted automatically for where you're browsing from.
💶 See Real Pricing →About
Patrick — independent designer-developer behind Sublimearts.io. Publishes real prices because guessing what something costs shouldn't be part of buying a website.
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