How much does a business website cost?

A DIY builder costs $0 to $40 a month plus about $30 a year for the domain. A freelancer typically charges $1,000 to $4,000. An agency starts around $5,000 and climbs. An AI-built and maintained site sits between DIY and freelancer and includes the updates.

The four ways to get a site, and what each costs

• DIY builder: $0 to $40 a month. Cheap, but your time is the real cost, and most DIY sites are never updated after launch.
• Freelancer: $1,000 to $4,000 one-off. Good value if you find someone reliable. Updates are extra and slow.
• Agency: $5,000 to $25,000. Worth it for complex sites and brands; overkill for a five-page local business site.
• AI-built and maintained: usually a monthly fee similar to a builder, with the site drafted for you and kept current as your business changes.

The costs people forget

• Domain: about $30 a year.
• Hosting: $0 to $30 a month, usually included with builders.
• Email at your domain: $6 to $15 a month per person.
• Photos: free if you take them; $300 to $1,500 for a half-day shoot.
• Updates: the biggest hidden cost. A site with last year’s prices costs you customers every week.

Where Kahu fitsKahu SitesTell Kahu what you do and it drafts your whole site in your own words, hosts it, and keeps it updated when your hours or prices change.Written in your words from one conversationHosting, domain and SSL includedHours and prices update themselvesSee Kahu Sites →bayphysio.co.nzPhysio in Mount Maunganui, same-week appointmentsBook onlinePricesACC claimsYou changed Saturday hours in chat · site updated 2 min ago

What you should not pay for

Search engine “submission”, monthly “SEO packages” with no specifics, premium templates you will change anyway, and any add-on sold at checkout that you did not ask for.

What actually decides the price

Number of pages, whether you need bookings or payments, how much writing you want done for you, and how often it will need changing. For most local businesses the honest answer is five pages, a booking button and monthly tweaks, which is the cheapest tier of every option above.

Rule of thumb

If your website brings you one extra customer a month, it has paid for any option except the agency. Choose the one you will actually keep up to date.