The Honest Answer: It Depends on What You Need
Every web developer has heard this question, and most give vague answers. I am going to give you real numbers based on what I charge and what the market charges for comparable work. I cover the full breakdown in my website cost breakdown for small businesses. Website costs vary because the work varies. A 5-page business site and a custom SaaS platform are as different as a shed and a house. Here is what each type actually costs in 2026.
Business Websites: $3,000 to $8,000
A professional business website with 5-10 pages, responsive design, contact forms, and basic SEO configuration. For Sacramento businesses, I have specific data on Sacramento website pricing trends. WordPress sites with custom themes land around $3,000 to $5,000. Custom-built sites with Astro or similar static site generators land around $5,000 to $8,000. The higher end includes original design work, custom graphics, and more intensive SEO configuration.
Ongoing costs: hosting runs $20 to $100 per month, domain registration is $12 to $50 per year, and maintenance runs $100 to $200 per month if you want someone keeping it updated and secure.
E-commerce Stores: $8,000 to $25,000
An online store with product catalog, payment processing, shipping calculation, and order management. WooCommerce on WordPress starts around $8,000 for a straightforward product catalog. Custom e-commerce builds with subscription billing, complex product configurations, or marketplace features range from $15,000 to $25,000+.
Ongoing costs include hosting ($50-200/month), payment processing fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction with Stripe), SSL certificate (usually free), and maintenance ($150-300/month). E-commerce sites need more maintenance than informational sites because payment integrations, inventory sync, and shipping APIs require ongoing attention.
Custom Web Applications: $10,000 to $50,000+
A custom web application with user accounts, database, API layer, and business logic. Simple CRUD applications with a single user role start around $10,000. Applications with multiple user roles, third-party integrations, and complex workflows range from $25,000 to $50,000. The cost scales with the number of data models, user interactions, and integration points.
I build web applications with TypeScript end-to-end and deploy on Cloudflare Workers for applications that need global performance and automatic scaling. The infrastructure cost for edge-deployed applications is typically $5 to $50 per month regardless of traffic, which is significantly cheaper than traditional server hosting for most usage levels.
SaaS Platforms: $15,000 to $80,000+
A SaaS platform adds multi-tenant architecture, subscription billing, and self-service account management on top of web application complexity. MVPs start at $15,000 to $30,000 and include the core product workflow, Stripe billing integration, and basic admin tools. Full-featured platforms with analytics, team management, enterprise features, and API access range from $40,000 to $80,000+.
Ongoing costs include hosting ($20-200/month), Stripe fees (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction plus $0.50 per active subscription for Billing), and maintenance/feature development ($300-500/month). Most SaaS products also need marketing budget, which is separate from development cost.
What Drives Cost Up (and Down)
Custom design vs. templates. A custom design with original graphics costs more than adapting a template. Both can look professional. Templates save money when the standard layouts fit your content.
Number of integrations. Each third-party integration (payment processing, CRM, email marketing, shipping, inventory) adds development time. Stripe takes 2-3 days. WordPress API sync takes 3-5 days. Each integration has its own authentication, error handling, and edge cases.
User roles and permissions. A site where everyone has the same access is simpler than one with admin, editor, viewer, and customer roles. Each role needs its own interface, navigation, and data access rules.
Content volume. Migrating 50 pages costs more than creating 10 from scratch. Data migration, URL redirects, and content reformatting take real engineering time.
How to Get an Accurate Estimate
Tell me what your business does, who your users are, and what you need the website or application to accomplish. If you are still evaluating options, my guide on choosing a web design company covers what to look for. I will tell you which platform fits, what features are essential versus nice-to-have, and what the project will cost. No hourly billing surprises. No scope creep without a conversation. Milestone-based payments tied to deliverables you can review before paying.