A 5–8 page small business website from an experienced freelancer costs $1,500–$5,000 in 2026. Under about $1,000 usually means a template install with little strategy; well above this range for that scope is agency territory. Add $100–$400/month if you want someone responsible for it after launch.
| Build type | Freelancer range |
|---|---|
| Template-based (client provides content) | $1,500 – $2,500 |
| Semi-custom design | $2,500 – $4,000 |
| Fully custom design + copywriting | $4,000 – $5,000+ |
| Single landing page instead | $900 – $2,400 |
| Monthly care plan after launch | $100 – $400 /mo |
2026 market ranges · public surveys, marketplace data, and 54+ client projects · reviewed July 2026. Freelancer pricing for US and EU clients, not agency pricing. Methodology →
What moves the number
- Design level. A reused design system keeps costs down; fully bespoke design roughly doubles the design line.
- Content. "We'll send the text next week" is where timelines die — freelancers charge more to write it, and it's worth it.
- Bookings, forms, integrations. Anything transactional adds real cost, and deserves to.
- Rush timelines. Two weeks instead of six carries a 25–50% premium.
The most useful thing to understand about these ranges is that they describe different products, not different levels of greed. A template install and a custom build are both legitimate purchases; they differ in how much thinking is included and who is accountable when something breaks.
If you are commissioning the work, the question that separates quotes fastest isn’t “how much” — it’s “who writes the content, and what happens after launch.” Two quotes that answer those differently are not comparable at any price.