Quick answer: Most US small businesses pay $1,500–$5,000 for a freelancer-built website or $5,000–$15,000+ for an agency build, then $50–$500 a month if someone looks after it afterward. DIY builders run about $17–$50 a month if you build it yourself. The build price is the number everyone compares. The monthly part is the number that decides what the site costs you by year two.
Figures are in US dollars, before any state sales tax, and are the typical ranges published by US pricing guides in 2026. Your quotes will vary by state and by scope.
DIY builders (Squarespace, Wix, GoDaddy)
Typical cost: $17–$50 a month, plan and domain included.
The cheapest in dollars. The real cost is time. A first build usually eats several weekends, and that's before you learn what makes a site show up when someone nearby searches for your trade.
Marketplace freelancers
Typical cost: $300–$500 one-off, on platforms like Fiverr or Upwork.
It's real, and the quality is a lottery. At this price you're buying a template with your logo on it. Hosting, the domain and any fix after delivery are yours. We priced this route in full in cheap web designer vs website subscription.
Freelancers
Typical cost: $1,500–$5,000 for a standard small-business site, with more specialist builds running to $8,000.
A good freelancer is the right call for a clear, bounded build. Hosting and upkeep are quoted separately, often $50–$200 a month if they agree to maintain it at all. Expect two to six weeks.
Agencies
Typical cost: $5,000–$15,000+, with bigger builds well past that.
More process, more people and more polish, and the price reflects it. Many US agencies add a twelve-month contract and a retainer of $150–$500 a month for hosting and changes.
Managed subscriptions
Typical cost: one flat monthly rate that covers the build itself, not just what comes after.
This route gets misread against the others. The figures above are build prices with running costs added on afterward. A subscription puts the build, hosting, domain and updates into one figure from month one, with nothing paid upfront. That's what we do. Our US pricing is in dollars, with no contract.
A straight comparison
| Route | Typical cost (USD) | What's usually included | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY builder | $17–$50/month | Template, hosting, domain — you build it | Your weekends |
| Marketplace freelancer | $300–$500 one-off | Template reskin; nothing after delivery | 1–2 weeks |
| Freelancer | $1,500–$5,000 one-off + upkeep | Custom build; hosting and changes separate | 2–6 weeks |
| Agency | $5,000–$15,000+ one-off + $150–$500/month | Larger build; often a 12-month contract | Weeks to months |
| Managed subscription | One monthly rate, nothing upfront | Build, hosting, domain and updates together | Days |
Three US specifics
Sales tax. Whether web design and hosting are taxable depends on your state. Ask whether a quote is before or after tax before you compare two of them.
Accessibility. US small-business websites do get accessibility claims under the ADA. Headings, colour contrast, keyboard navigation and image descriptions belong in the build, not in a later invoice. Ask whether they're in the quote.
Content. Copywriting and photos are the most common thing left out of a US quote. If the quote assumes you'll supply every word and image, add that time or cost before comparing.
Which route is right for you?
DIY is genuinely fine for a simple site if you have the weekends. If you want something built once and are happy to own the hosting and changes afterward, a freelancer or agency makes sense. Just budget for year two. If you'd rather have one predictable line, a site live this week, and someone who still answers when it needs a change, that's what a managed subscription is for.
See how we build for US small businesses, or book a call. You'll speak to the person who would actually build the site.