The cost of creating a website in 2026

Factors affecting the cost of website development

The main aspects that determine the cost to build a website include design, functionality, platform selection, and the amount and complexity of content. Together, these parameters shape the final website development cost.

Types of websites and their costs

Choosing the type of website is the first step in determining the overall cost of website development. Different types imply different complexity, functionality, and therefore the price of creating them. Let’s consider the main types to understand how much it costs to create a turnkey website for each.

Business card site

A business card site is the simplest type designed for small companies or individual entrepreneurs. Usually contains basic info about the company, services, contact details. The turnkey website development cost for a business card site usually starts from 30,000 rubles and can reach 100,000 rubles depending on design and specific requirements of the client. This bracket is a typical landing page cost when the scope is minimal.

Landing-page

A landing page is designed to promote a specific product or service and drive conversions. These pages often require high-quality design and unique content. The cost of creating a landing page can range from 80,000 to 200,000 rubles depending on the website design cost, analytics, and integrations.

Corporate website

A corporate website serves as an official representation of the company and fulfils many functions: news, services, support, careers, etc. The corporate website cost starts from 300,000 rubles and can reach several million depending on project complexity, integrations (CRM/ERP), and custom website development cost for unique features.

Online shop

An e-commerce site requires complex functionality: catalogues, payment systems, user accounts, analytics, omnichannel integrations. The ecommerce website cost usually starts from 500,000 rubles and can grow significantly depending on product volume and the need for integrations with logistics, marketplaces, and inventory systems.

Portal

Portals are large information/service sites with wide functionality—social features, large databases, advanced search, personalization. The web portal development cost can start from 800,000 rubles and reach several millions, depending on features and scale.

Vadim Yakovlev

Creating a turnkey website is not just the development of a few web pages, it is a complete creation of a product that will work effectively for your business, attract customers and increase sales.

The choice of site type depends on your goals. Each type has its own stages and risks, which directly affect website development pricing. Investments in quality website development services often pay off through new customers and higher conversion.

Website Development Technology

The technologies used in website development play a crucial role in determining a project’s budget. Building a website “from scratch” can vary significantly in cost depending on the technologies and tools selected. Here are the key factors to consider:

• Platform choice. Using ready-made CMS (e.g., WordPress, Joomla) can reduce the cost to build a website. Custom frameworks (Laravel, Django) or fully bespoke code increase the custom website development cost. The platform also affects SEO; for example, the WordPress website cost may be lower initially thanks to plugins, but scalability can impact long-term website development pricing.

• Frontend & backend. Modern stacks (React, Angular, Vue; Node.js, Ruby on Rails) influence cost due to complexity and time.

• Responsive design. Adds effort and affects the website design cost.

• Integrations & APIs. Raise scope and budget.

• Security. E-commerce and corporate portals require encryption/auth, adding to the website cost.

• There are three primary platforms for building web projects: website builders, content management systems (CMS), and custom development using frameworks. Let’s explore which type of project each platform is best suited for:

Here are some examples of popular CMS and builders and their features:

How much it costs to develop a website from scratch depends on what technologies will be chosen and how they will be implemented. Using the latest technologies and modern approaches may increase the initial cost, but in the end result in a more functional, fast and secure site.

Domain Name

A domain name is the unique address of your website on the internet, and choosing the right domain can have a significant impact on the success of your web project. Important aspects related to domain name:

• Uniqueness: A domain should be memorable and original.
• Simplicity: An easy to pronounce and easy to remember name makes it easier for users to find your website.
• Keywords: Using keywords can improve SEO optimisation.
• Domain Extension: Extensions like .com, .ru, .info have varying costs and popularity.

The price of registering a domain name ranges from a few hundred to thousands of rubles per year, depending on its popularity and registrar.

Hosting for websites

Hosting is one of the key elements to the success of any website as it affects the loading speed, site availability and data security. Choosing the right hosting is an important step to take based on the needs of your project. A few aspects to consider when choosing a hosting service:

• Type of hosting: There are several basic types of hosting – shared, VPS (virtual private server), cloud and dedicated server. The choice depends on the resources required and financial capacity.
• Performance: Fast loading speed of the website is essential for user engagement and SEO.
• Reliability: High availability of the hosting provider (uptime) ensures that your website is available to users.
• Technical Support: Quality technical support is essential for the successful operation of your website to quickly resolve possible problems.
• Security: The use of security features such as backup and DDoS protection ensures that your site and data are protected.
• Scalability: The ability to increase resources without having to move to another server makes it easier to grow your site.

The cost of hosting can vary greatly – from a few hundred rubles per month for shared hosting to several thousand for a dedicated server or cloud solutions. The amount of costs for the creation of the site and its support depends on the type of hosting chosen.

Vadim Yakovlev

Hosting is not just a place for your site, it is the foundation of its stable and secure operation.

What work is included in the cost of creating a website

The cost of creating a website includes: UX research, prototyping, website design, frontend, backend, content, QA, deployment, analytics. Each stage requires time and skills, forming your website development pricing package.

Prototyping

Prototyping is a key stage of creating an online shop, allowing you to visualise the structure and functionality of the site before it is developed. This helps prevent design errors and improve the user experience.

The table below shows an example of work allocation for prototyping an online shop:

*Price may vary depending on project scope, website size, and business objectives.

Prototyping not only simplifies development, but also reduces the cost of rework in the future, making the project more predictable.

Website design

Website design development is critical to attracting and retaining customers. It involves creating a visual style that is consistent with the brand and enhances the user experience.

The table below summarises the main stages of design development for an online shop:

These works ensure that an attractive and functional design is created that promotes better conversion and user interaction.

Frontend development of a website

Frontend development of a website covers the entire client side of the project, including page layout, implementation of interactive elements and adaptation for different devices. This stage is critical to ensure the site’s usability and visual appeal.

The table below summarises the key tasks of frontend development for an online shop:

These works ensure technical serviceability and high quality of the user interface, which directly affects the success and popularity of the online shop.

Backend development

Backend development of the website covers the server side, including databases, server logic and API integration. This is a key step to ensure the functionality, security and scalability of the website. Backend developers create the necessary functionality to process user data, orders, payments and other operations.

The table below summarises the main backend development work for an online shop:

These tasks are the basis for the stable operation of the online shop, ensuring reliability, security and efficient data management.

Content Filling

Content is important for user acquisition and retention, as well as for SEO. It involves the creation of text, images and videos that are tailored to the purpose and audience of the site.

The table below summarises the key aspects of content for an online shop:

These elements contribute to a better perception of products and services, increasing the chances of successful sales.

QA (Testing)

Testing a website is a critical step to ensure its stability and security. QA specialists conduct various types of tests to eliminate errors and confirm compliance with technical requirements.

The table below summarises the main types of testing work for an online shop:

These measures ensure that the site will function correctly, providing a good user experience and data security.

Publishing the site

Publishing a website includes hosting it and testing it in real-world working conditions, which is the final stage of development.

The table below summarises the key stages of website publishing for an online shop:

These actions ensure that the site is successfully launched, available to users, and functionally functional once published.

Analytics

Analytics is an important part of website development, especially for an online shop, as it helps to understand user behaviour and optimise processes to increase sales. It includes collecting and analysing data, setting up reporting and optimising based on the results.

The table below shows an example of how analytics work is allocated to create an online shop:

These works help to fine-tune the site to the needs of the target audience and increase its commercial effectiveness.

Additional costs in the creation of the site

Creating a website is often accompanied by hidden and additional costs that can significantly increase the total cost of the project. It is important to consider the following aspects:

• Website promotion: SEO-optimisation, contextual advertising, social networks.
• Maintenance: Regular content updates, technical support.
• Licences: Purchase of licences for fonts, images, software.
• Staff training: Training on CMS and other management systems.

These costs should be taken into account when planning the budget, as they affect the total cost of creating and promoting the site.

Average cost of website development

Determining the average cost of website development depends on many factors, including the type of website, complexity of design, functionality and technology chosen. Depending on your business goals and requirements, the cost of services can vary significantly. It is important to consult professionals to get an accurate project estimate.

Approximate prices for the development of different types of websites:

• Business card website: Ideal for small companies or individual entrepreneurs.
• Corporate website: Required to represent the company on the Internet, publish news and provide information about products and services.
• Online shop: Required for trading goods on the Internet, has sophisticated functionality for managing products and orders.
• Portals and services: Complex systems with integration of various online services and a large amount of user information.

The table below shows average prices for creating different types of websites:

If you are interested in building a website, visit our website building services page for more information and to book a service. We offer a full range of development from initial concept to full launch and support of your project. Don’t miss the opportunity to improve your business with a quality website!

Who is better to outsource development to, an agency or a freelancer?

The choice between an agency and a freelancer depends on your budget, timeline and the complexity of the project. Agencies usually offer a more comprehensive range of services and reliability, while freelancers can be more flexible and affordable.

Freelancers

Turning to freelancers to build a website can be a favourable solution for many businesses, especially when budgets are limited or flexibility in project management is required. Freelancers tend to offer lower prices than agencies due to the lack of additional overheads. Here are the main advantages of working with freelancers:

• Cost: Often more affordable rates due to lower operating costs.
• Direct communication: Direct contact with the contractor, which can make it easier to negotiate changes and adjustments.
• Flexibility: Freelancers can offer more flexible terms of cooperation and individual approach.
• Specialisation: The possibility of choosing a specialist with the right set of skills for a particular task.

However, it is worth considering potential risks, such as failure to meet deadlines and lack of additional resources that the agency may have. When choosing a freelancer, it is important to carefully check their portfolio and feedback from previous clients to make sure they are reliable and professional.

Agencies

Turning to a professional agency for website development ensures a comprehensive approach and a high level of responsibility. Agencies offer a wide range of services including design, programming, SEO and post-launch support. They have teams of specialists, which guarantees higher stability and quality of work.

Vadim Yakovlev

By choosing an agency, you get not only a contractor, but also a reliable partner at all stages of website development and support.

Agencies are ideal for large projects and those who value full-cycle service and minimal risks

FAQ

1. What deadlines should I aim for?
   The timeframe for developing a website depends on its complexity and the amount of work. For a business card site it may take from 1 to 4 weeks, for a corporate site – from 4 to 8 weeks, and for a large online shop or portal – from 2 to 6 months.
2. How much does it cost to maintain a website?
   The cost of website maintenance can vary from several thousand to tens of thousands of rubles per month, depending on the requirements for technical support, frequency of updates and the need for SEO-optimisation.
3. Is it not more profitable to buy a ready-made site?
   Buying a ready-made site can be advantageous in terms of time and initial investment, but such a site may not fully meet your unique requirements and business needs.
4. How much higher is the cost of a website with a CMS than without one?
   The cost of building a website on a CMS can be higher due to CMS licence fees and additional work to set up the system. However, using a CMS greatly simplifies content management and subsequent maintenance, which can reduce the overall cost of long-term site maintenance.