WHAT IT COSTS
What a small business website should cost each month
A working small business website has three mandatory line items: a builder plan, a domain, and business email. Everything else is optional. Done yourself, the whole thing comes to roughly $25–40 a month.
Quoted prices run from $100 to $30,000, which is exactly why the number gets lost in the fog. Strip out the intro offers and the first-year freebies, and what remains is a short, predictable bill you can check against your own statement.
Pick the builder plan first, then add a domain at about $10–15 a year and business email at roughly $7 per user a month. That is the whole ledger, and every figure on this page is one you can verify against the builder's own pricing page.
Priced line by line, per month
Add your own bill: a builder plan, a domain and business email come to roughly $25–40 a month before booking.
- $10–29
- Builder plan per month
- ~$1
- Domain per month
- ~$7
- Business email per user
- $25–40
- Total once booking is added
Booking software runs $0–16 a month, with Squarespace needing Acuity from $16. A Google Business Profile is free.
The renewal arc: why year two is the real price
The headline price is what a builder pays to get you through the door. The bill that matters arrives at the first renewal, when the site is live, the domain is yours and moving feels like more work than paying. Plan for that figure, not the promo.
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1
Sign up at the intro rate
Hostinger's Premium plan shows $2.99 a month. That number is only available on a 48-month prepay, so you pay $143.52 on day one for the whole term.
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2
The prepaid years run
Nothing changes for four years. The site stays live and the price stays put, which is why the intro figure feels like the real cost until the term ends.
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3
The renewal price applies
When the term ends, the same plan renews at $10.99 a month. That is about 3.7 times the intro rate, and it is the figure to budget against from the start.
The same pattern shows up elsewhere. GoDaddy's Premium plan moves from $14.99 a month toward a $29.99 list rate at the time of checking, and GoDaddy's own fine print says intro pricing lasts only the first term.
Builders earn their margin in year two. Read the renewal figure before you enter a card, and compare the five builders on the ranked board, where each price is shown with what it becomes after the first term.
Quick answers on what a website costs
The questions owners ask before they sign up, answered with the same figures we use on the board. Check the renewal number, not the intro number, and the fastest website builder for small business with lead capture is easier to spot.
How much does a website builder cost per month?
Roughly the price of a few coffees on a builder, at $10 to $29 a month on annual billing. The honest figure is the renewal rate, because Hostinger's $2.99 becomes $10.99 once its four-year prepay ends.
Do I need a developer?
Not for most small businesses. A developer earns the fee only for custom functionality a builder cannot reach, such as integrations with your trade software.
Is a builder cheaper than hiring someone?
Far cheaper, both up front and to maintain. Hiring fits custom needs or owners with no time, and a professional build starts from about $1,500 (see what a small business website should cost).
When does hiring a professional pay off?
When the site is the storefront, needs custom integrations, or you know you will not finish it yourself. A half-built site earns nothing, so $1,500 for a finished one can beat a $204 plan that never leaves draft.
Which builder has hidden fees?
Read the renewal figure. Wix Light cannot take payments, so online deposits need Core at $29 a month, and Squarespace booking is a separate Acuity subscription from $16 a month. Compare them on the ranked board. Ongoing costs beyond the plan are covered in our small business website maintenance cost guide.