“How much does a website cost?” is the first question almost every client asks me — and most answers online are either vague or wildly different. Here's an honest answer: what I charge, what you get for it, and what makes a website cost more or less.
My starting price
From €2,000
A complete website, from first sketch to published — designed and built by one person.
Get a quoteHow much does a website cost? The short answer
A professional website designed and built by me starts at €2,000. That covers the whole journey: understanding your business, planning the pages, designing them, building the site and putting it live.
The final price depends on how big the site is and what it needs to do. A focused site for a small business sits near the starting price; a larger site with special features costs more. After a short call, I'll give you a clear quote — no surprises later.
What's included in a €2,000 website
Everything you need to go from an idea to a website that's live and working for you:
- A kick-off call to understand your business, your customers and your goals
- Structure and messaging: which pages you need and what each one should say
- Custom design that fits your brand — not a template everyone else uses
- A site that works on every screen, from phones to big monitors
- Build and launch, done by the same person who designed it
- Handover, so you can update text and images yourself afterwards
What makes a website cost more
The price goes up when there's simply more to design and build. The most common reasons:
- More pages — especially pages with different layouts
- Special features like online booking, an online shop or member areas
- More than one language, for example Romanian and English
- Writing all the content from scratch
- A new brand — if you need a logo and visual identity first, see Brand & logo
- Tight deadlines that mean putting other work aside
How to keep your website cost down
- Have your texts and photos ready before we start
- Start with fewer pages and add more once the site is live
- Be clear about the one thing the website must achieve
- Use your existing brand if it still represents you well
- Launch first, then improve — a live website beats a perfect plan
DIY, freelancer or agency: which is right for you?
Website prices vary so much because very different options are competing for the same job.
Doing it yourself (website builders and AI)
The cheapest option upfront. You pay with your time instead, and the result usually looks like a template — because it is one. Fine for a first test; harder when your website needs to win customers. I wrote more about this in Is building websites by hand dead?
A freelance designer
One person who designs and builds your site and talks to you directly. You get a custom result without paying for a large team's overhead. This is how I work.
An agency
A bigger team with more people and more process. A good choice for very large or complex projects, usually at a higher price and with more layers between you and the people doing the work.
Ongoing website costs to budget for
The design and build is a one-time cost, but every website also has some smaller recurring costs:
- Domain name — your address on the web, renewed every year
- Hosting — the server your website lives on
- Licences for any premium tools or plugins the site uses
- Updates and maintenance to keep everything secure and running smoothly
I'll tell you upfront which of these apply to your project. For keeping websites updated, I use Sitefar, a tool I built to manage WordPress sites from one place.
Is a cheap website worth it?
Sometimes, yes — if you just need to exist online. But a website is usually the first place a potential customer decides whether to trust you. A site that's unclear, slow or generic quietly loses you business every day, which makes it the most expensive option in the long run.
The better question isn't “how cheap can I get it?” but “what should my website bring in?” Answer that, and the budget usually becomes clear.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost in 2026?
It depends on who builds it and what it needs to do. A professional website designed and built by me starts at €2,000, from first sketch to published.
What's included in the €2,000 price?
A kick-off call, the structure and messaging of your pages, a custom design, a site that works on every screen, the build and launch, and a handover so you can edit it yourself.
Why do website prices vary so much?
Because DIY builders, freelancers and agencies are all offering very different things — and because the size of the site, its features and the content needed all change the amount of work.
Are there ongoing costs after the website is live?
Yes, usually small ones: the domain name, hosting, any premium tool licences and regular updates. I'll explain which ones apply to your project before we start.
Do you work with clients outside Romania?
Yes. I'm based in Bucharest and work with clients remotely.
Get a clear price for your website
Every project is different, so the best way to know the real cost is a short call. Tell me what you need, and I'll come back with a clear quote.
