How much does a website cost in 2026? Real prices by profession
The short answer
In 2026, a professional website costs between 1,500 € and 6,000 € for a showcase website, and between 3,000 € and 20,000 € for an e-commerce website. A custom-made website (application, platform, business tool) starts at around 8,000 €. In addition, there are 400 to 2,000 € per year in recurring costs: hosting, domain name, maintenance, and updates.
The price mainly depends on three things: the number of pages, the level of SEO included, and whether the design is an adapted template or a custom creation. The profession also matters. A restaurant needs online booking, a lawyer needs credible expertise pages, and a tradesperson needs pages by city and by service.
My showcase websites start at 2,000 € excl. VAT, including SEO referencing and optimization for AI engines. I display my prices because a client who knows the budget in advance makes better decisions.
In this guide, you will find the real market price ranges by website type and profession, what causes the bill to vary, and the pitfalls that turn a "cheap" website into a wasted expense.
By Antoine Cazals, SEO and GEO consultant in Paris. He designs websites built to be found on Google and cited by AI engines, for tradespeople, firms, and SMEs. See his LinkedIn profile
In brief
- Showcase website: 1,500 to 6,000 € (average: 2,000 to 5,000 €)
- E-commerce website: 3,000 to 20,000 €
- Custom-made website: from 8,000 €
- Annual fees: 400 to 2,000 € (domain, hosting, maintenance)
- What determines the price: number of pages, design, SEO, AI optimization, features, languages
Price of a website in 2026 according to the type of site
A professional showcase website costs on average 1,500 to 4,000 € with a freelancer and 3,000 to 8,000 € with an agency. The ranges below combine the price lists published by a dozen French agencies and freelancers in 2026.
| Website type | Pages | Freelancer | Agency | Timeline | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simple showcase website | 3 to 8 | 800 to 3,000 € | 2,000 to 6,000 € | 2 to 5 weeks | Tradesperson, freelancer, VSE |
| Premium showcase website | 8 to 20 | 2,500 to 5,000 € | 5,000 to 10,000 € | 4 to 8 weeks | SME, firm, brand |
| E-commerce (Shopify, WooCommerce) | < 500 products | 2,000 to 8,000 € | 4,000 to 20,000 € | 4 to 12 weeks | Retailer, brand |
| Custom-made (platform, business tool) | variable | 8,000 € and up | 15,000 € and up | 2 to 6 months | Startup, specific project |
| All-inclusive subscription | 1 to 5 | 30 to 150 €/month | — | 1 week | Very small budget |
Sources of ranges: Fenxi, Codecircle, ipaoo, faire-son-site.fr.
My rates: showcase website from 2,000 € excl. VAT. Each package includes technical SEO, structured data, and optimization to be cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
Receive a precise quote for my project
Example: what a 3,000 € showcase website quote looks like
A serious quote details each item; a one-line quote often hides the essentials. Here is a typical breakdown (illustrative example) for an 8-page showcase website for a VSE.
| Item | Content | Amount excl. VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Framing and strategy | Workshop, competitor analysis, keyword research | 400 € |
| Information architecture and mockups | Site map, key page mockups | 450 € |
| Development and integration | 8 responsive pages, quote form, speed optimization | 1,100 € |
| Optimized writing | Texts for 8 pages, title and meta tags | 600 € |
| Technical SEO and GEO | Structured data, sitemap, llms.txt, IndexNow, Google My Business profile | 300 € |
| Go-live and training | Production launch, administration handover | 150 € |
| Total | 3,000 € |
What must appear in black and white: who writes the texts, what exactly SEO covers, who owns the website and the domain, and the amount of annual maintenance.
Price of a website by profession
The profession changes the price because it changes the essential functions. These ranges are my estimates for a site created by a professional, based on the typical needs of each sector.
| Profession | Creation budget | Features that drive the price |
|---|---|---|
| Tradesperson (Construction) | 1,500 to 4,500 € | Pages by service and by city, project gallery, quote form |
| Restaurant | 1,500 to 4,000 € | Editable menu, online booking, Google Business Profile, photos |
| Lawyer, law firm | 3,000 to 8,000 € | Pages by area of expertise, ethical compliance, appointment booking |
| IT Services, consulting firm | 4,000 to 12,000 € | Detailed offers, case studies, recruitment, English version |
| Local business | 1,500 to 6,000 € | Click & collect or small shop, opening hours, Google Business Profile |
| Health and wellness professional | 1,200 to 3,500 € | Appointment booking, service presentation, communication rules |
Tradesperson (Construction): 1,500 to 4,500 €
A tradesperson acquires clients through local searches like "plumber Nanterre" or "bathroom renovation Lyon". The website must therefore have a page per service and per intervention zone, photos of real projects, and a visible quote form on each page. It's this local mesh that makes the price difference with a one-page website.
Restaurant: 1,500 to 4,000 €
For a restaurant, the website primarily serves for booking and consulting the menu. It needs an easily editable menu, a booking module linked to your tool (TheFork, Zenchef, or equivalent), and perfect consistency with the Google Business Profile. Professional photos are often the most profitable item.
Lawyer and law firm: 3,000 to 8,000 €
A firm sells trust. The budget increases because a solid page is needed per area of expertise, accurate legal content, and a presentation compliant with the profession's communication rules. These pages are also the ones cited by AIs when a user asks a legal question.
IT Services and consulting firm: 4,000 to 12,000 €
B2B decision-makers compare several providers before calling. The website must detail offers, prove expertise with quantified case studies, and often exist in English. A recruitment section is almost always added.
Local business: 1,500 to 6,000 €
The difference comes from online sales. A showcase website with opening hours and a Google Business Profile stays at the lower end of the range; a click & collect or a small shop with a few dozen products pushes it up.
Health and wellness professional: 1,200 to 3,500 €
The main need is appointment booking and a clear presentation of services. Regulated health professions must adhere to strict communication rules, which requires sober and informative content.
Your sector is not on the list? I work for 19 sectors: see all covered sectors.
Why a 300 € website often ends up costing more
A 300 € website isn't necessarily a scam, but it's rarely designed to bring you clients. It serves as a business card. The problem arises when you expect it to generate inquiries.
The most common hidden costs:
- Invisible on Google. No keyword research, no pages per service or city, generic tags. The site exists, but no one finds it.
- Absent from AI responses. ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overviews cite structured, clear, and factual pages. A generic template without structured data is unlikely to appear there (see the complete GEO AI guide).
- You are not the owner. Some low-cost offers rent the site: if you stop the subscription, the site and sometimes the domain name disappear.
- Slow on mobile. An overloaded theme drives visitors away and penalizes SEO.
- Almost mandatory redesign. After 12 to 24 months, everything is redone. The total cost then exceeds that of a well-designed site from the start.
Before signing, ask three questions: who owns the site and the domain? Is SEO included, and specifically what does it entail? What happens if I stop the subscription?
What makes a website's price vary
Six factors explain most of the difference between two quotes.
- The number of pages. Each page requires writing, layout, and optimization. A 5-page site and a 25-page site are not the same amount of work.
- The design. An adapted template costs less than a custom graphic creation, but you will look more like your competitors.
- Included SEO. From basic tag configuration to a real strategy (keywords, local pages, structured data), the difference can amount to several thousand euros.
- Optimization for AIs (GEO/AEO). Structuring content to be cited by generative engines: direct answers, tagged FAQs, Schema.org schemas, llms.txt file.
- Features. Booking, payment, client area, connection to a CRM or business software.
- Multilingual. Each language adds translation, adaptation, and its own SEO. Often count 30 to 60% of the initial budget per language.
How much does a website cost per year?
| Item | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Domain name | 10 to 20 € |
| Hosting | 50 to 500 € |
| Maintenance and updates | 360 to 1,800 € (30 to 150 €/month) |
| Continuous content and SEO | variable, often 300 to 1,500 €/month for ongoing support |
Source of fixed costs: Le Cerveau Web. For a showcase website, therefore, expect at least 400 to 2,000 € per year, excluding SEO support.
Freelancer, agency or no-code tool: which to choose?
The right choice depends on what the site needs to produce: a simple presence, or clients.
| Option | Showcase budget | Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| No-code tool (Wix, Squarespace) | 0 to 500 € + subscription | Fast, cheap initially | Your time, limited SEO, platform dependency |
| Freelancer | 800 to 4,000 € | Good value for money and responsiveness | Variable skills, single person |
| Traditional agency | 3,000 to 12,000 € | Complete team, follow-up | Higher price, overhead margin |
| SEO/GEO specialist | 2,000 € and up | Site designed to be found on Google and cited by AIs | Less suitable if you only want a showcase |
Sources: Les Créavores, Codecircle. To compare two quotes, bring them to the same scope: number of pages, writing included or not, detailed SEO, site ownership, and annual cost.
How to get a reliable quote: the checklist
A good quote requires preparation: the more precise your request, the fairer the price will be. Before contacting a provider, gather these elements.
- Your main objective: to get calls, quotes, bookings, or sales
- Your customer area: a city, a region, France, international
- The number of services or products to present
- Three competitor or reference sites you like, and why
- Your existing content: logo, photos, texts, customer reviews
- Essential features: booking, payment, client area, multilingual
- Your creation budget and your annual budget
- Your desired go-live date
Then, request two or three quotes based on the same brief. Beware of a price given in a few seconds without asking about your activity: it cannot match your project.
Fill out the brief and receive my quote
FAQ: website price
How much does a website cost for a professional?
A professional showcase website costs between 1,500 € and 6,000 € in 2026. The average price observed in France is around 2,000 to 5,000 € for a site made by a professional.
How much does a website cost per month?
Once created, a showcase website costs approximately 35 to 170 € per month for hosting, domain, and maintenance. All-inclusive subscription offers range from 30 to 150 € per month, but you often do not own the site.
What is the price of a website for a tradesperson?
Count 1,500 to 4,500 € for a tradesperson's site designed to generate quotes, with pages by service and by city. A single-page site costs less but rarely brings inquiries.
How much does an e-commerce site cost?
An e-commerce site costs from 2,000 to 8,000 € with a freelancer and from 4,000 to 20,000 € with an agency. The number of products, payment methods, and logistics vary the price.
Why are website creation quotes so different?
Because they don't cover the same scope. A quote may or may not include writing, SEO, custom design, training, and maintenance. Always compare on an equal scope.
Is a site created with AI or a free tool sufficient?
To test an idea or have a minimal presence, yes. To be found on Google and cited by AIs in a competitive sector, a structured and referenced site remains necessary.
Is SEO included in the price of a website?
Not always. Many quotes only include basic configuration. Ask precisely: keyword research, local pages, structured data, and optimization for AI engines. At Antoine Cazals, these elements are included from 2,000 € excl. VAT.
How long does it take to create a website?
Two to five weeks for a showcase website, four to twelve weeks for e-commerce, and two to six months for a custom project.
Get the exact price for your website
Ranges provide an order of magnitude; only a quote considers your profession, your area, and your objectives. Describe your project in two minutes: I will respond with a detailed, line-by-line quote, without obligation.
Article updated on October 1, 2026. Ranges verified based on public pricing grids from French agencies and freelancers.
Sources
- Fenxi: website prices and timelines in 2026
- Codecircle: website prices in 2026
- ipaoo: showcase website prices in 2026
- faire-son-site.fr: pricing grid
- Le Cerveau Web: creation prices and annual fees
- Les Créavores: freelancer or agency