“How much does a website cost?” gets answers from ₹3,000 to ₹3 lakh, which is useless if you’re trying to plan a budget. So here are the ranges I actually quote in 2026, what each one gets you, what a website costs to keep running, and what pushes a price up or down.
These are freelance prices from someone with eleven years of experience. Agencies usually charge more; very cheap template sellers charge less and deliver less.
Website design prices in India, by type
| Type of website | Typical range | In US dollars (approx.) | Pages included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brochure website | ₹15,000 – ₹20,000 | $170 – $230 | up to 5 pages |
| Business website | ₹20,000 – ₹35,000 | $230 – $400 | up to 10 pages |
| Multi-service website | ₹35,000 – ₹60,000 | $400 – $700 | up to 18 pages |
| E-commerce website | ₹45,000 – ₹90,000 | $500 – $1,000 | up to 12 main pages |
| Custom system (PHP & MySQL) | ₹75,000 – ₹2,00,000+ | $850 – $2,300+ | up to 15 modules/pages |
Extra pages add roughly $15–45 each depending on the type of site. Common add-ons: copywriting, logo and brand basics, SEO setup, online booking, a payment gateway, a second language, or migrating an old site. The website cost calculator puts all of this together for your project and shows the result in seven currencies.
What you get at each level
Brochure site
A clean, fast site that explains what you do and makes it easy to get in touch: home, about, services, a gallery or work page, and contact. Right for a new business, a consultant or a local service.
Business site
A separate page for each service, stronger proof — testimonials, case studies, certifications — and proper on-page SEO so each service page can rank on its own.
Online shop
Product catalogue, cart, payments, shipping rules and stock, on WooCommerce, Shopify or a custom build. Most of the cost is in setting up products and checkout properly, not in the design. See e-commerce solutions.
Custom system
For businesses whose process doesn’t fit an off-the-shelf product: quotation systems, booking rules, customer portals, admin panels. Covered under custom PHP & MySQL development.
What a website costs to keep running
- Domain name — renewed every year; a .com or .in is a small yearly cost.
- Hosting — shared hosting is enough for most small sites; online shops and busy sites need better plans.
- Email — a business address on your own domain, if you want one.
- Licences — premium themes or plugins on WordPress, apps on Shopify, plus Shopify’s monthly plan.
- Care plan — updates, backups and small changes, from about $15–40 a month if you want someone looking after it.
Ask for these running costs in writing before you start. A cheap build on an expensive platform can cost more over three years than a better build on a simpler one — the trade-offs are in WordPress vs Shopify vs custom PHP.
Five things that move the price
- Content. If your text and photos are ready, the job is faster. If the designer writes the copy, that is real work and costs more.
- Number of unique page layouts, more than the number of pages.
- Integrations — booking systems, CRMs, payment gateways, marketplaces.
- Revision rounds. Two rounds is normal; unlimited revisions are priced in somewhere.
- Deadline. A site needed in five days means other work gets moved.
Why some websites cost ₹5,000
At that price you are usually buying a ready-made theme with your logo and text dropped in, no real SEO work, and nobody to call when something breaks. For a business that just needs a placeholder, that can be fine. For a business that expects the website to bring in enquiries, it rarely is.
How to get an accurate quote
Send a designer a short brief: what the business does, the pages you think you need, anything the site must connect to, two or three websites you like, your deadline and a budget range. You’ll get a much more accurate price, and it’s easier to compare quotes. Or send it to me and you’ll get a written scope and a fixed price, usually within one working day.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost in India in 2026?
With an experienced freelancer, a brochure site typically costs about ₹15,000–₹20,000, a business site ₹20,000–₹35,000, a multi-service site ₹35,000–₹60,000, an online shop ₹45,000–₹90,000 and a custom system ₹75,000–₹2 lakh or more.
What are the yearly costs of running a website?
Domain renewal, hosting, optional business email, any paid theme, plugin or app licences, and a care plan if you want someone to handle updates and backups.
Why do website quotes vary so much?
Quotes depend on content, the number of unique page layouts, integrations, revision rounds and the deadline — and on whether you are paying a freelancer, an agency or a template seller.
