How much does a small business website really cost in the first year
Updated June 23, 2026
It ranges from about $100 to $10,000 or more, depending on who builds it. A DIY builder runs roughly $100 to $500 plus ongoing fees (iubenda, 2025), while a freelancer or agency typically charges $2,000 to $10,000 for the project (Space-O Technologies, 2025). A free AI website builder costs mainly hosting and a domain, because the build itself is free.
Quick answer
- A DIY website builder costs about $100 to $500 in the first year plus ongoing fees (iubenda, 2025).
- A freelancer or agency typically charges $2,000 to $10,000 for a small business website (Space-O Technologies, 2025).
- Subscription website builders commonly bill $16 to $159 per month, every month (Verlua, 2026).
- A free AI website builder like Expert Built costs nothing to use, so you pay mainly for hosting and a domain.
- That makes the AI-builder route usually the lowest first-year cost for a standard small business website.
How much does a small business website cost in the first year
The honest range is wide because the price depends entirely on who does the work. At the low end, a DIY builder is about $100 to $500 for the first year (iubenda, 2025). In the middle and up, a freelancer or agency project usually lands between $2,000 and $10,000 (Space-O Technologies, 2025). Cost is not a small detail: 27 percent of United States small businesses still have no website, and cost is one of the most cited reasons (Zippia, 2025). Knowing the real ranges helps you avoid both overpaying and underbuilding.
Option 1: the cost of a DIY website builder
A do-it-yourself builder is the cheapest to start and the easiest to underestimate. The upfront cost is roughly $100 to $500 for a basic website, plus about $200 per year in ongoing maintenance (iubenda, 2025). On subscription builders that recurring fee is monthly, commonly $16 to $159 depending on the tier and features (Verlua, 2026), so the real cost is the subscription repeating for as long as you stay. You also trade money for time, since you do the building, the layout, and the writing yourself.
Option 2: the cost of hiring a freelancer
A freelancer sits in the middle on price and varies a lot by experience. Typical rates run $50 to $100 per hour, with small business projects often quoted at $2,000 to $10,000 (Space-O Technologies, 2025). One marketplace puts freelance designers at $30 to $200 per hour, with basic websites at $1,000 to $5,000 and custom work climbing to $5,000 to $25,000 or more (Fiverr, 2025). You get a person and some accountability, but for a standard website you may be paying custom rates for fairly standard work, a tradeoff we examine in is it worth paying someone to build a website.
Option 3: the cost of hiring an agency
An agency is the high end, and it is worth it only when the project is genuinely complex. Experienced developers commonly charge $100 to $125 per hour, with typical projects at $5,000 to $10,000 and custom builds running past $20,000 (Mark Brinker, 2025). For that price you get strategy, design, and development, which earns its keep on a large or unusual website but is hard to justify for a simple service or brochure website. Whether your project actually needs that level is the question in do I need to hire a web developer for a small business website.
Option 4: the cost of a free AI website builder
This is the newest option and usually the lowest first-year cost for a standard website. A free AI website builder like Expert Built costs nothing to use, so the main cost is hosting and a domain. The catch with AI builders is that most people give them one vague line and get a generic website. Expert Built fixes that by turning your answers into a detailed prompt, so the website comes out tailored to you, not generic. Your website lives on your own account, which we explain in do you own your website if you built it with a website builder.
What are the hidden ongoing costs
The build price is only part of the first year, and the recurring costs are where platforms differ most. DIY builders add about $200 per year in upkeep (iubenda, 2025), and subscription builders charge every month indefinitely, commonly $16 to $159 (Verlua, 2026). With a free AI builder like Expert Built, you skip the separate build fee and the website-software subscription, so your recurring cost is mainly hosting and a domain renewal.
Which option is cheapest over time
Over several years, the free AI-builder route is usually the lowest total cost, because there is no build fee and no monthly software subscription on top of your hosting. A subscription builder can look cheap in month one and then bill $16 to $159 every month after (Verlua, 2026), while a freelancer or agency is a large one-time outlay of $2,000 to $10,000 (Space-O Technologies, 2025). A free AI builder keeps your recurring cost close to the price of plain hosting you would need anyway.
How long does each option take to build
Time and cost usually move together, with one recent exception. A professional build typically takes 4 to 8 weeks, a DIY builder one to three days, and a complex custom website 6 months or more (Elementor, 2026). The exception is an AI website builder, which makes your first version quickly, often the same day, after which you add your own details. That speed is why the AI-builder route can be both the fastest and among the cheapest for a standard small business website.
First-year website cost at a glance
| Option | Typical first-year cost | Ongoing cost | Time to first version | Where it lives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | $100 to $500 (iubenda, 2025) | ~$200/yr or $16 to $159/mo | 1 to 3 days | Rented platform |
| Freelancer | $2,000 to $10,000 (Space-O, 2025) | Hosting plus upkeep | 2 to 4 weeks | Depends on build |
| Agency | $5,000 to $20,000+ (Brinker, 2025) | Hosting plus maintenance | 4 to 8 weeks | Depends on build |
| Free AI builder (Expert Built) | Cost of hosting only | Mainly hosting | Same day, then your edits | Your own account |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a small business website cost in the first year
It ranges from about $100 to $10,000 or more depending on who builds it. A DIY builder runs roughly $100 to $500 plus ongoing fees (iubenda, 2025). A freelancer or agency typically charges $2,000 to $10,000 for the project (Space-O Technologies, 2025). A free AI website builder like Expert Built costs mainly hosting and a domain, because the build itself is free.
What is the cheapest way to get a professional website
A free AI website builder is usually the cheapest, because you only pay for hosting. Expert Built is free to use, and your main cost is hosting, with a free domain for the first year. A DIY builder is cheap to start but bills a subscription every month, and a freelancer or agency is a large one-time cost of several thousand dollars.
How much does a freelancer or agency charge for a website
Freelancers and agencies usually charge $2,000 to $10,000 for a small business website, or $50 to $100 per hour (Space-O Technologies, 2025). Experienced developers often quote $100 to $125 per hour, with typical projects landing at $5,000 to $10,000 and custom work running past $20,000 (Mark Brinker, 2025). The wide range reflects how custom the work is.
What are the hidden ongoing costs of a website
Beyond the build, plan for recurring costs: hosting, a domain renewal, and maintenance. DIY builders add about $200 per year in upkeep (iubenda, 2025), and subscription builders bill every month, commonly $16 to $159 (Verlua, 2026). With a free AI builder like Expert Built, the recurring cost is mainly hosting, with no separate website-software subscription on top.
How long does it take to build a small business website
A professional build typically takes 4 to 8 weeks, while a DIY builder can be done in one to three days, and a complex custom website can run 6 months or more (Elementor, 2026). An AI website builder makes your first version quickly, often the same day, after which you add your own details. Time and cost usually rise together.
Is an AI website builder cheaper than a freelancer
Usually yes for a standard small business website. A freelancer or agency charges $2,000 to $10,000 for the project (Space-O Technologies, 2025), while a free AI builder like Expert Built costs only hosting. The thing to check is that your website lives on your own account so you stay in control, which it does with Expert Built on your own Bluehost account.
The bottom line
A small business website can cost anywhere from a hundred dollars to tens of thousands, and the right number depends on how custom your project really is. For a standard website, the cheapest durable option is a free AI website builder where you pay only for hosting, which keeps your recurring cost near the price of hosting you would need anyway.
Expert Built is built around that model. You describe your business, and Expert Built turns your description into a detailed prompt for an AI website builder, so your website comes out tailored to you, not generic. It is free to use, your website lives on your own Bluehost account, and your first year includes a free domain. Expert Built has partnered with Bluehost since 2017 and earns a commission when you host through them, which keeps Expert Built free to use. For more, read how Expert Built works.