How much does a website cost?

What do the costs of a website depend on?

The price of a website is almost never down to the technology alone. The largest share goes on concept, copy and design, in other words the work that turns a business into a clear online presence. A site with ten subpages for which you supply finished copy and photos is much cheaper than one for which content first has to be developed, images photographed and target groups defined.

Another factor is the content management system. This is the software you use to change text and images yourself later on. The more modules, languages and integrations it needs, the higher the effort. Integrations with other programs, such as appointment booking, an inventory management system or applicant management, are often the largest individual items.

• Scope: number of pages, languages and page types
• Content: existing copy and photos or newly created
• Design: adapted template or custom design
• Features: forms, appointment booking, members’ area, shop
• Integrations with other software
• Search engine optimisation, accessibility and loading speed

Running costs of a website

A website is not fully paid for once it goes live. Hosting, meaning storage space on a server, usually costs €5 to €50 a month for small business websites. A domain ending in .de usually costs €10 to €30 a year. If you use plugins or design templates with annual licences, you pay for these regularly too.

The most important running item is maintenance. Content management systems need regular security updates, backups and a check that everything still works after an update. Maintenance contracts usually cost between €50 and €300 a month. Without maintenance, the risk rises that the site gets hacked or, after a few years, can only be rescued at great effort.

• Hosting: around €5 to €50 a month
• Domain: around €10 to €30 a year
• Maintenance and updates: around €50 to €300 a month
• Licences for plugins, fonts or templates: depending on scope
• Content updates and search engine optimisation: based on effort

How much does an online shop cost?

With online shops, the range is particularly wide. A shop on a hosted platform can be set up for a few thousand euros, plus monthly fees and often a commission on each sale. Custom shops with connections to inventory management, accounting and shipping providers usually cost €15,000 to €80,000 and more. What matters most is the size of the product range, variants, trade prices and how many processes should run automatically.

Since 28 June 2025, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (German Accessibility Strengthening Act) has applied. It requires many online shops aimed at consumers to offer an accessible checkout process. Micro-enterprises that provide services are exempt. Plan for accessibility from the start, because retrofitting a finished shop is usually more expensive. You will also need legally compliant texts such as the cancellation policy, general terms and conditions and information on shipping costs.

Hidden costs when you have a website built

Many quotes look cheap because important services are missing. Copy, photos and image rights are often not included. If you use images from the internet without having the rights to use them, you risk costly legal warnings. A legal notice (Impressum), a privacy policy and a correctly configured cookie consent banner are also mandatory and take time if they are done properly. Further extra charges often arise from additional rounds of revisions or from transferring old content.

Also check who owns the website in the end. Do you get the login details for the domain, hosting and content management system? Can you change provider without having to rebuild? Some rental models look cheap at first glance, but tie you in for years and add up to more than a website you buy outright.

Web design costs: comparing quotes properly

Web design quotes can only be compared if they describe the same thing. Ask each provider for a breakdown by service rather than a total price. That way you can see whether copy, search engine optimisation, training and maintenance are included or charged extra later. A fixed price protects you from surprises, an hourly rate without a cap does not. These questions help with the comparison:

• Who writes the copy and who supplies the images?
• How many rounds of revisions are included?
• Is the site optimised for mobile phones, search engines and AI search?
• Which content management system is used and is there training?
• What do hosting and maintenance cost after launch?
• Do you own the domain, logins and content?

Ways to save without losing quality

Save on scope, not on quality. A smaller website with clear copy brings in more enquiries than a large site that is never finished. Start with the pages customers really need and add more later. Some digitalisation projects are eligible for funding programmes from the federal government and the German states; you can find an overview on our page about costs and funding.

• Prepare content early: services, customer questions, photos
• Start with a landing page and expand step by step
• Choose a proven content management system rather than custom development
• Plan for maintenance from the start instead of paying for costly repairs later