How much does a web designer cost in 2026?
The honest answer is a range, because a website can mean a one-page site you build yourself in an afternoon or a custom store with integrations. Here’s what each route costs, with real numbers, and how to choose between them.
Costs by route
| Route | What you pay | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Build it yourself | A builder subscription: Squarespace $19–$99/month and Wix from about $18/month, billed yearly | Simple sites, tight budgets, owners with time |
| Marketplace freelancer | $15–$30/hour typical on Upwork; $45–$75+/hour for full custom design | Small, clearly defined jobs |
| Experienced freelancer or studio | A fixed project price; my custom sites start at $5,000 | Custom design and a site built to bring in business |
| Agency | Quoted per project, usually above a solo designer for the same scope | Large sites that need a team |
Building it yourself
Website builders charge a monthly fee instead of a design fee. Squarespace costs $19, $29, $49, or $99 a month billed yearly ($25 to $139 billed monthly), and its cheapest plan takes 2% of store sales (Squarespace). Wix’s paid plans run from about $18 to about $160 a month, billed yearly (Wix). For an online store, Shopify starts at $29 a month billed yearly, plus card fees; see Shopify pricing.
The subscription is the smaller cost. The bigger one is your time: picking a template, writing the copy, sourcing photos, and setting up SEO.
Hiring a freelancer
On Upwork, web designers typically charge $15 to $30 an hour, and full custom site design runs $45 to $75 or more an hour (Upwork). Multiply by the hours the job needs, which can be ten for a small design and many more for a full site. For how freelancers set their prices, see freelance web designer rates.
What a web design price usually includes
- Design of the key pages, and the build on your chosen platform
- Mobile layouts and testing
- Basic SEO setup: titles, descriptions, headings, and a sitemap
- Training so you can update the site, and a short support period
Often not included unless you ask: copywriting, photography, a logo, hosting, your domain, and updates after the support period.
Costs after launch
- Hosting or a builder subscription, every month or year
- Your domain, renewed every year
- Paid plugins, apps, or themes
- Updates, fixes, and new pages, by you or a designer
How to choose
Build it yourself if you need a simple site soon and have more time than budget. Hire a marketplace freelancer for a small, well-defined job you can describe exactly. Hire an experienced designer when the site has to win customers on its own, through search, ads, or referrals, because that’s where custom design, speed, and SEO pay for themselves.
What I charge
My custom sites start at $5,000, and most projects land between $5,000 and $50,000+, depending on pages, ecommerce, and integrations. Design takes about 2–4 weeks and the build 4–8 weeks, and every site includes 30 days of support after launch. You get one fixed price after a free discovery call. See freelance web design, or website design in Los Angeles.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to hire a web designer?
On Upwork, web designers typically charge $15 to $30 an hour, and full custom design runs $45 to $75 or more an hour. Experienced freelancers and studios usually quote a fixed project price instead; my custom sites start at $5,000.
How much does a website cost per month?
On a builder, Squarespace costs $19 to $99 a month billed yearly and Wix starts at about $18. A custom site still needs hosting and a domain, plus paid plugins or apps if it uses them.
Is it cheaper to build a website yourself?
In cash, yes: a builder subscription costs far less than a designer. You pay in time instead, for the template, copy, photos, and SEO setup, and the result depends on how much of that you can do well.
What should a web design quote include?
The number of pages, the platform, design rounds, mobile testing, SEO setup, training, and support after launch. It should also say who provides copy and photos and who owns the domain and hosting accounts.
Want a custom site at a fixed price?
I design and build custom websites, Shopify stores, and WordPress sites. Projects start at $5,000, with one price agreed before work starts.
See freelance web design