How much does a website cost? It depends on the route, and the gap between the cheapest and the priciest runs to thousands of dollars. There are four: a subscription website builder, hosting and a domain you set up yourself, a custom design, or building it yourself with AI. This guide compares them using published prices and builds one from start to finish: the site for Mile High Plumbing in Denver, with services and starting prices, photos, and a call button. It took 1 minute 43 seconds and cost $0.17 in credits.
The summary:
| Route | What it costs | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Website builder (Shopify) | Shopify Basic in the US: $39 a month, or $29 a month billed annually (varies by country) | no free plan, only a trial, and the fee keeps running while the site is up |
| Hosting and domain (Hostinger) | entry price of $1.99 a month, but you pay $95.52 up front for 48 months; then $10.99 a month | you get the space and the tools, not the site: you still have to build it |
| Custom design | $1,500 to $5,000 for a freelancer, per ManyPixels | the most expensive route, and every change goes back to someone else |
| Build it with AI (wanno, web app) | the one in this guide cost $0.17 (fits in one day of free credit) | sits on a wanno.dev subdomain, with a "Built with wanno" badge on the free plan |
01. Why website prices are so confusing
Most prices you see are "from" prices, per month, with a launch discount or tied to a long term. Before comparing, split the cost into three things: the site itself (designing or building it), where it is hosted, and its address (the domain). Each route bundles those differently, and that is where the surprises come from.
All prices below were checked on November 6, 2026 and can change or differ by country.
02. The 4 options and what each one costs
Subscription builder. Shopify Basic in the US is $39 a month, or $29 a month billed annually; the price varies by country. There is no free plan, only a trial. Squarespace has no free plan either: it offers a 14-day trial, and its price also depends on the country. The upside of a builder is that you install nothing. The downside is a monthly fee that never ends.
Hosting and domain. This is the route for people who want more control. Hostinger advertises its Premium plan at $1.99 a month, but that promotion requires paying for 48 months up front: $95.52 today. Renewal is $10.99 a month, roughly 5.5 times the entry price. The plan includes the domain free for the first year and an AI builder, but the site is still yours to build, or you pay someone to. After that first year you pay for the .com: Porkbun lists it from $11.81 a year, and Hostinger at $19.99 at its regular price.
Custom design. ManyPixels, which sells design services and so has a stake in the answer, puts a freelancer-built website at $1,500 to $5,000. You get the most professional judgment and the highest upfront price, and every later change (a new price, a new photo) goes back through that person. If you are also thinking about an app, see how much it costs to build an app.
Build it with AI. You describe your business in one message and the platform builds the site. Further down you can see what comes out and what it costs.
The first-year math. Shopify billed annually (US price): $348. Hostinger: $95.52, which covers 48 months. A freelancer: $1,500 to $5,000, plus hosting and a domain. wanno: $0 if the free plan is enough, or $59.88 on Starter. Before you pay anyone, ask three things: what it costs at renewal, whose name the domain is in, and who makes the changes.
03. How to build a website with AI, step by step
With wanno, you do it from your phone. The site in this guide was requested like this:
I want a website for my plumbing business in Denver, Mile High Plumbing: services with starting prices, photos, customer reviews, service area map, hours, a call button and a quote request form, plus a private panel to see requests and change prices myself. Everything visible in the app must be in English.
After sending it, wanno worked on its own: 1 minute 43 seconds, 22 steps, and the site was running on its test link. Up top are a "Call (303) 555-0142" button and a "Request a quote" button that scrolls to the form. Below that come six services with "from" prices (drain cleaning from $129, leak repair from $149, water heater install from $1200) and photos of plumbers at work.
The business, the phone number, the prices, and the reviews are examples made up for this guide, and the photos are illustrative: you replace them with your own. The site also includes three reviews, a Denver service-area map, weekly hours, a call bar that stays on screen on mobile, and a quote form that saves each request and notifies you. Your own panel, activated by choosing your password, lets you see requests and change prices from any device. A good habit: open your site and send a test request before you share it.
If you later want your own address, see how to connect a custom domain from your phone.
04. How much does a website cost when you build it with AI
The build used 1.7 credits, which is $0.17, less than a single day of free credit ($0.30). The free wanno plan gives that credit every day, with a monthly cap of $1.50. The site sits at a link ending in wanno.dev and carries a "Built with wanno" badge. You pay only if you want to remove the badge, use your own domain, or ask for more changes than the free credit covers.
To compare: $0.17 is paid once; the paid builder we checked (Shopify billed annually, $29 a month in the US) works out to about $0.97 a day, every day. And if you want your own domain with no badge, the wanno Starter plan costs $4.99 a month with $10 in credits included (see plans).
Pick the route that fits what you need
For a store with payments and a big catalog, a builder makes sense. For a brand polished down to the pixel, a custom designer is worth the price. For a services page you can have today and edit yourself, AI is the shortest path. Describe your business in wanno and see the result; trying it is free.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost for a small business? It depends on the route: from $29 a month (US price) on a builder billed annually, to $1,500 to $5,000 for a freelancer according to ManyPixels. Building it with AI on wanno cost $0.17 in credits in this guide's demo.
How much does website hosting cost? Hostinger advertises $1.99 a month, but you pay $95.52 up front for 48 months, and renewal is $10.99 a month. Those are promotional prices that can change, and the domain is included for the first year only; the site is still yours to build.
Can I get a website for free?
Yes, with limits. The free wanno plan gives daily credit (with a monthly cap of $1.50) and is enough for a site like this one, on a wanno.dev link with a badge.
Do I need to know how to code? No: you describe what you want in a message. What you do need is to review the result and replace the sample text, prices, and photos with your own.
Read also: Create an app for your business
Download wanno on the App Store · Download wanno on Google Play
