Get an estimate

Website budget field guide

Know what you’re buying.
Then put a number on it.

Start with the job your website needs to do. Each guide gives you a defined scope, editable estimates and the questions a real proposal should answer.

Estimate my project Compare existing quotes

01 / Define the project

Which website are you planning?

Landing pageOne offer, one audience and one primary action.$800 in the starting freelancer scenario Business websiteSeveral services, company information and an inquiry journey.$2,900 in the starting freelancer scenario Ecommerce storeA product catalog, checkout and order management.$5,300 in the starting freelancer scenario SaaS MVPA defined user workflow that needs accounts or application logic.$16,198 in the starting freelancer scenario Website redesignReplacing an existing site while planning what to preserve.$4,060 in the starting freelancer scenario

Card amounts are model outputs for different scopes in USD, not comparable market starting prices. Open a guide to see the assumptions, exclusions and all three delivery scenarios.

02 / See the whole budget

The build is one part of the decision.

Worked website budgetsSee how a brief becomes a number, with formulas you can reproduce and change.First-year cost plannerAdd content, domain, hosting, subscriptions and support using your actual quotes.Freelancer, studio or agency?Compare responsibilities, coordination and handover against the same scope.

03 / Resolve the details

Read before you approve a proposal

Website maintenance cost: build a monthly care budgetWebsite maintenance costs depend on what somebody agrees to maintain. Separate hosting and software renewals from hands-on care, content changes and emergency support before comparing monthly plans.How to compare website quotes using the same scopeCompare website quotes by deliverables, assumptions and recurring commitments. A single total cannot tell you whether two suppliers are offering the same work.Hidden website costs: a checklist before you approve a quoteHidden website costs are usually unassigned work or misunderstood billing terms. Make every launch dependency, renewal and usage charge visible before approving the development budget.WordPress website cost: separate software, hosting and workA WordPress budget needs more than a software price. Account for the website you need built, the services it runs on and the work needed to keep the setup usable.Shopify store cost beyond the monthly subscriptionA Shopify subscription is one part of a store budget. Add implementation, product preparation, selected apps and payment-related charges using the plan and country terms that apply to your business.Webflow website cost: a project and subscription worksheetWebflow website cost combines the implementation project with the paid services your site needs. Check the current plan limits against your content, team and language requirements before accepting a quote.Wix vs WordPress cost: compare the work you will ownThe lower-cost choice between Wix and WordPress depends on the work your team will do and the features your site needs. Compare one defined brief over the same period, including renewals and editing time.Shopify vs WooCommerce cost: compare one store briefTo compare Shopify and WooCommerce costs, use the same store brief and sales assumptions. Include both the money paid to providers and the work needed to operate each setup.AI website builder vs developer: calculate the handover costAn AI website builder can produce a useful starting point, but the budget decision concerns the complete working website. Measure the remaining design, content, integration and testing work before comparing it with a developer quote.

A brief that makes quotes easier to compare

Outcome: who the website serves and the action they need to complete.
Scope: pages, unique layouts, features and the systems they connect to.
Content: who writes, approves, translates and enters the material.
Acceptance: what must work at launch and who tests it.
Ownership: source files, accounts, licenses, training and support.
Budget: one-time work, recurring commitments and anything still unpriced.

Share one brief with every provider. Use our quote comparison guide to check inclusions before comparing totals.

Where the numbers come from

SiteCost uses a published planning model maintained by Neaptide. The figures are internal assumptions, not a survey of real projects. Read the calculation methodology to reproduce a result, or learn who maintains the tool.