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Website cost · United States

Website cost · United States

How much does a website cost in the United States?

The honest answer is that it depends on what the site has to do, and on who will keep it running afterwards. This guide explains what moves the price for a US website, what to budget for each year, and where our own starting prices sit.

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Currency: United States dollar (USD)
Payments: Stripe, PayPal, WooPayments
Data protection: No single federal law; state laws led by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the CPRA
Time zone: UTC-5 (UTC-4 in summer), 5 to 6 hours behind Lagos (Eastern Time)

Overview

The short answer, and the honest one.

Ask ten American agencies for a website price and you will get ten very different numbers, because they are quoting for different things. One quote covers a template with your logo on it; another covers discovery, custom design, accessibility testing, integrations and a year of support. Neither number is wrong. They simply describe different projects, and the comparison only works once you know what is inside each one.

We would rather help you understand the drivers than give you an average that does not fit your project. Below we cover the kinds of website US organisations ask us for, the costs that continue after launch, and how to get a quote you can rely on. Where we mention money, the only figures are our own published starting prices in US dollars.

In detail

What drives the cost.

What actually drives the price

Five things decide most of the cost. First, how many distinct page types the site needs, because each template is designed and built once. Second, whether the design is custom or adapted from an existing theme. Third, functionality: payments, bookings, memberships, courses or integrations with a CRM or accounting tool. Fourth, content: who writes it, and how much must move from an old site. Fifth, compliance work such as accessibility testing and privacy controls. Two sites with the same page count can differ widely once these are counted.

A focused marketing site

Many small US businesses, consultancies and non-profits need a clear site that explains what they do and turns visitors into enquiries. The work is mostly strategy, content structure, design and a careful build: a handful of templates, forms connected to email or a CRM, analytics, basic SEO and accessibility checks. Strategy and design projects with us start from $1,500. A static-looking site still benefits from WordPress, because your team can edit it without a developer.

Ecommerce, learning and membership sites

Sites that take money cost more because there is more to get right. An online store needs product structures, a tested checkout with Stripe, PayPal or WooPayments, shipping rules and sales tax settings that reflect where you must collect. A course or membership platform needs enrolment, access rules, certificates and often subscriptions. Our BFI School build for a US client combined payments in four currencies, certificates and affiliates. Development projects like these start from $5,000, and the final figure follows the agreed scope.

Custom platforms and migrations

At the larger end are web applications: portals, dashboards, approval workflows and integrations with the tools your staff already use. These are priced from a detailed scope because each one is different. If you already have a site on another platform, moving it to WordPress is a separate piece of work covering content, URLs, redirects and checks. Migrations with us start from $1,000. Redesigns that keep your domain and search history follow our strategy and design pricing.

Running costs to budget for every year

A website keeps costing money after launch, and a fair quote says so. Budget for domain renewal (a .com, or a .us if you meet the nexus rules), hosting, a business email service such as Google Workspace or Microsoft 365, and payment processing fees charged per transaction by your gateway. Premium plugins and licences renew annually. Then there is care: updates, backups, security monitoring and fixes. Our Managed Services, covering hosting through Cloudways or Hostinger and maintenance, start from $2,000 per year.

How to get an accurate quote

Bring three things to the first conversation: what the site must achieve in the next year, the features you know you need, and who will own content. Share your current site and analytics if you have them, plus any requirements from your counsel about accessibility or privacy. We will turn that into a written proposal with phases, deliverables, exclusions and a price in US dollars. If a cheaper route would work, such as starting smaller and adding features later, we will say so.

Costs to plan for in a US website budget

Costs to plan for in a US website budget.

Strategy & Design from $1,500 · Development from $5,000 · Managed Services from $2,000 per year. See pricing

Discovery and content planning before any design
Design of each distinct page template
Build, integrations and payment gateway setup
Accessibility testing against WCAG 2.1 AA
Privacy and consent controls where state laws apply
Domain renewal, hosting and business email each year
Payment gateway fees on every transaction
Ongoing updates, backups and security monitoring

See our starting pricesThe full detail on our approach, process and what is included.

Our work

Platforms we have built.

These builds show what sits behind higher budgets: BFI School for a US client, with multi-currency payments and certificates, and a ticketing platform that sold and scanned more than 10,000 tickets.

BFI SchoolOnline school with payments in four currenciesRead the case study

Technext Events10,000+ tickets sold and scannedRead the case study

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the average website cost in the USA?

We do not publish an average because it hides more than it shows. A small marketing site and a membership platform are both called websites but involve very different work. Our starting prices are clearer: $1,500 for strategy and design, $5,000 for development, $1,000 for a migration and $2,000 per year for managed services, each confirmed in a written scope.

Why is your pricing in US dollars?

All our starting prices are set in US dollars, and that suits American clients well: you see the same currency on the proposal, the invoices and your own books. There is no conversion to estimate before you approve a scope.

Is a WordPress website cheaper than a custom-coded one?

Often, because WordPress gives you a proven editor, user management and a large plugin ecosystem to build on. You pay for the parts that are specific to you, such as the design, custom features and integrations, rather than rebuilding basics. It also lowers future costs, since many developers know WordPress and you are not tied to one supplier.

Does accessibility work add to the cost?

Building to WCAG 2.1 AA from the start adds little, because it shapes decisions we make anyway: colours, headings, forms and navigation. Fixing an inaccessible site later usually costs more. For an existing site we can audit first, so you see the size of the job before committing.

What will we pay each year after launch?

Expect domain renewal, hosting, business email, any premium plugin licences and payment processing fees, plus maintenance. You can buy these yourself or let us handle hosting and care through Managed Services, starting from $2,000 per year. Either way, the accounts stay in your name.

Can we start small and grow the site later?

Yes, and it is often the sensible route. We can scope a first phase that launches the essentials, then plan later phases for features such as a store, member area or integrations. Because the foundation is built to grow, later phases do not mean starting again.

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Tell us what you need WordPress to do.

A new website, a redesign, a client portal, a booking system, or a move from another platform. Tell us what you need and we will tell you how WordPress can carry it.