How much does a website cost for a small business in 2026?

If you want a website built for the first time, you will hear prices anywhere between a few hundred and several thousand euros. That is confusing. Here is an overview with figures you can check yourself.

Market ranges

Overviews from German web agencies for 2026 put a simple business website at around 800 to 3,000 euros with freelancers and 3,000 to 8,000 euros with agencies. Specialised providers for trades businesses offer one-pagers from about 700 to 950 euros and sites with several subpages from around 1,300 euros (sources: seiten-werk.com/webdesign-preise, werbeagentur-landau.com/webdesign-kosten, pixlwerk.de).

Website builders like Wix or Jimdo look cheap at first, usually 10 to 50 euros per month. Over three years that quickly adds up to 400 to 1,800 euros, and in the end the site does not belong to you.

What drives the price

• Number of pages: a one-pager costs much less than ten subpages.
• Texts and photos: do you provide them, or does someone have to create them?
• Features: a contact form is standard, a booking system or shop costs extra.
• Design: custom or based on a template?
• Running costs: domain, hosting, maintenance.

What a fixed price should include

Make sure at least these points are included: design for mobile and desktop, contact form, legal notice and privacy policy, technical basics for Google (title, description, clean structure) and the connection to your Google Business Profile. Ask whether you own the code and the domain once the project is finished.

Running costs

A domain costs 10 to 20 euros per year with most providers. Hosting for a small site is between 5 and 15 euros per month. Maintenance plans, where someone changes texts and photos for you, start at around 29 euros per month with most providers.

My prices

At DEVOSWEB a one-pager costs 249 euros, a website with up to five pages 499 euros and up to ten pages 999 euros. Hosting is 39.99 euros per year. As a small business under § 19 of the German VAT Act I do not charge VAT, so the price is the final price. All packages are listed on the pricing page.

Hidden costs to watch out for

• Hourly rates instead of a fixed price: change requests get expensive quickly. Ask for a fixed price with a clearly described scope.
• Licences for themes, plugins or images that have to be renewed every year.
• Setup fees for hosting or email mailboxes.
• Contract terms: some providers tie you to a subscription for twelve or 24 months.
• Handover: does it cost extra if you want to move the site to another provider later?

Frequently asked questions

Can I deduct the website from my taxes?

Costs for a business website are business expenses. How exactly they are depreciated depends on the amount and type. Your tax advisor can tell you.

Do I have to add VAT to the price?

With agencies and most freelancers, 19 percent VAT is added to the quoted net prices. Small businesses under § 19 UStG do not charge VAT, so the quoted price is the final price. Ask beforehand whether a price is net or gross.

How long does it take?

A one-pager with finished texts and photos takes me about a week. Even sites with five to ten subpages are usually finished in 7 days at most, often sooner. What usually takes longest is collecting the content on the client's side.