The range is genuinely huge: $500 to $500,000. Both numbers are real. Here's what actually determines where you land on that range - and what you should pay for your specific situation.
The 5 Categories (With Real Prices)
1. Landing Page / Single-Page Site
$800 - $4,000 | 1-2 weeks
One page. One goal. Convert visitors into leads or sales.
What you get: custom design, copywriting, contact form, mobile-optimized, basic SEO setup.
When to choose: New product launch, event, lead generation campaign, MVP validation.
Red flag: Anyone quoting under $500 for a custom-designed landing page is using a template with minimal customization. That's fine if you know what you're buying - just be clear about it.
2. Corporate / Brochure Website (5-15 pages)
$3,000 - $15,000 | 3-6 weeks
Home, About, Services (multiple), Team, Blog, Contact. CMS so you can update content yourself.
What you get: custom design, CMS integration (usually WordPress or custom), basic SEO, contact forms, Google Analytics.
When to choose: Established business that needs a professional web presence. Most B2B companies.
3. E-Commerce Website
$8,000 - $50,000+ | 6-16 weeks
Product catalog, shopping cart, checkout, payment processing, inventory management, order tracking, admin panel.
What you get: depends heavily on scope. 50 products vs 50,000 products are completely different projects.
Key cost drivers:
- Payment gateway integrations (each adds $1,000-3,000)
- Inventory sync with warehouse/ERP
- Number of product variants
- Custom checkout flow
- Multi-currency / multi-language
When to choose: Selling physical or digital products online.
4. Custom Web Application / SaaS
$15,000 - $200,000+ | 3-12 months
Not just a website - software that runs in a browser. User accounts, dashboards, data processing, APIs, integrations.
Examples: CRM, booking platform, marketplace, subscription service, analytics tool.
Price is primarily determined by: number of user roles, complexity of business logic, integrations required, real-time features.
5. Website Redesign
60-80% of a new build
Redesigning an existing site is almost as expensive as building new. You're often fighting legacy decisions. Budget as if you're building new unless the existing codebase is clean and well-documented.
What's NOT Included in Most Quotes
Always ask explicitly about:
- Domain: $10-20/year (you buy separately)
- Hosting: $20-500/month depending on traffic
- SSL certificate: Usually free (Let's Encrypt) but confirm
- Content writing: $50-300 per page if you need it written
- Photography/video: $0 (you provide) to $2,000+ (professional shoot)
- Logo/brand design: $500-5,000 if not already done
- SEO setup beyond basics: Keyword research, technical audit = separate project
- Ongoing maintenance: $100-1,000/month for updates, security, hosting management
Why Prices Vary So Much
Geography
| Location | Mid-level developer rate |
|---|---|
| USA / Western Europe | $100-200/hour |
| Eastern Europe | $40-80/hour |
| Central Asia (KG, KZ) | $25-50/hour |
| India / Southeast Asia | $15-40/hour |
Same quality is possible at any price point - but you need to vet the team more carefully at lower rates.
Tech Stack
WordPress site: faster to build, lower cost, higher long-term maintenance.
Custom Next.js site: more expensive upfront, faster, better SEO ceiling, lower maintenance.
Agency vs Freelancer vs In-House
Freelancer: 30-50% cheaper, higher coordination risk, no team backup.
Agency: More expensive, project management included, consistent quality, can scale.
In-house: Only makes sense at $150,000+/year in ongoing development needs.
How to Read a Quote
A professional quote should break down:
- Discovery / planning phase
- Design (wireframes, mockups)
- Frontend development
- Backend development
- Testing / QA
- Deployment
- Post-launch support period
If you get a single number with no breakdown - ask for the breakdown. You need to understand what you're paying for.
The Hidden Cost of Cheap
A $1,000 website that needs $500/month in fixes is more expensive over 2 years than a $8,000 website that runs cleanly.
Ask to see live examples of their work. Check Google PageSpeed scores on their portfolio sites. Look for HTTPS, mobile responsiveness, page load time. These are objective quality indicators that take 2 minutes to check.
Quick Reference
| Type | Budget | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page | $800-4,000 | 1-2 weeks |
| Corporate site | $3,000-15,000 | 3-6 weeks |
| E-commerce (small) | $8,000-20,000 | 6-10 weeks |
| E-commerce (large) | $20,000-80,000 | 3-6 months |
| Web application / SaaS | $15,000-200,000+ | 3-12 months |
Get a quote for your project →
Aunimeda develops websites and web applications for businesses - corporate sites, e-commerce, portals, and custom platforms.
Contact us to discuss your web project. See also: Web Development, E-commerce Development