"How much for a website?" is one of those questions that gets a different answer depending on who you ask, and most of those answers are useless because nobody explains what's actually driving the number. A quote of ₹8,000 and a quote of ₹1,50,000 for what sounds like "the same website" aren't actually comparable unless you know what's included in each.
Here's what a business website actually costs in 2026, broken down by what you're really paying for, so you can tell a fair quote from a red flag.
The real price ranges by website type
Basic informational site (4 to 6 pages). Expect ₹10,000 to ₹25,000 from a freelancer or small local agency. This gets you a template-based build with your logo, content, and contact details, usually on WordPress. It's a reasonable starting point if your business genuinely just needs a digital presence, not lead generation.
Professional business website (5 to 15 pages, custom design, basic SEO). This is where most established small and mid-sized businesses land, typically ₹25,000 to ₹80,000. This tier includes a properly structured site, mobile optimization, a working contact or inquiry system, and foundational SEO setup rather than SEO as an afterthought. For most businesses, this is the range that actually pays for itself instead of needing a redo within a year.
E-commerce websites. A small store with 10 to 50 products on WooCommerce or Shopify starts around ₹40,000. A mid-sized store with 50 to 500 products and more custom features runs ₹1,00,000 to ₹2,00,000. Fully custom-built e-commerce platforms with unique functionality can exceed ₹3,00,000.
Custom platforms and larger builds. Anything involving custom backend logic, integrations with other business systems, or SaaS-style functionality typically starts around ₹2,00,000 and can run well past ₹10,00,000 depending on scope. If you're being quoted in this range for a standard business site with no unusual functionality, that's worth questioning.
Why the range is so wide
The number alone doesn't tell you much because "website" covers wildly different amounts of actual work. A few factors move the price more than anything else.
Template versus custom design. A templated design that gets customized with your branding is faster and cheaper. A fully custom design built around your specific business and user research costs more because it involves actual design strategy, not just color swapping.
Freelancer versus agency. A freelancer might charge ₹8,000 to ₹50,000 for a basic site, working solo with lower overhead. An agency typically charges more for the same scope but brings a full team, project management, and accountability if something breaks. Neither is automatically the right answer. It depends on how much support and reliability you need versus how tight your budget is.
Platform choice. WordPress remains the most cost-effective option for most businesses that need a content management system with room to grow. Fully custom-coded sites cost more upfront but offer more flexibility long term.
What "SEO included" actually means. Some quotes include real foundational SEO: proper page structure, meta data, a Google Business Profile setup, and mobile performance optimization. Others just mean "we typed keywords into the content." The difference doesn't show up until months later, when one site ranks and the other doesn't.
The costs that don't show up in the first quote
This is where a lot of businesses get surprised after the fact.
Domain and hosting. A .in domain runs roughly ₹500 to ₹800 per year. Decent shared hosting costs ₹2,500 to ₹8,000 per year, more if you need VPS or cloud hosting for higher traffic.
GST. Website design, development, hosting, and maintenance are all taxed at 18% GST in India. A quote of ₹50,000 is actually closer to ₹59,000 once tax is added, and any quote that doesn't clarify this upfront should raise a question.
Maintenance and updates. A website isn't a one-time purchase. Budget roughly ₹6,000 to ₹10,000 or more per year for updates, security patches, and basic support, depending on the complexity of the site.
Content and copywriting. If you're not writing your own page content, professional copywriting typically runs ₹500 to ₹3,000 per page. This gets skipped in a lot of budget quotes, which is part of why cheap sites often read like they were written in a hurry, because they were.
Red flags worth knowing before you sign anything
A quote for a full website with e-commerce functionality at ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 isn't a good deal, it's a sign the build will be a stripped-down template with no real support behind it. Be cautious of any quote that doesn't clearly state what's included, doesn't mention GST, or can't show you live examples of past work rather than just screenshots.
The more reliable signal isn't the price itself, it's whether the person quoting can clearly explain what you're getting at that price and why it costs what it does.
Frequently asked questions
What is a realistic budget for a small business website in 2026? For most small businesses, ₹25,000 to ₹80,000 covers a properly built, mobile-optimized site with basic SEO. Going lower usually means sacrificing either design quality, SEO setup, or long-term support.
Is it cheaper to hire a freelancer or an agency? Freelancers are typically cheaper for the same base scope, while agencies charge more but offer a full team and more accountability if issues come up after launch. The right choice depends on your budget and how much ongoing support you expect to need.
Does website cost include hosting and domain? Not usually. Domain and hosting are typically separate, ongoing costs, roughly ₹3,000 to ₹9,000 per year combined for a standard business site. Always confirm whether a quote includes the first year of hosting or not.
Why do some website quotes seem too good to be true? Because they usually are. Extremely low quotes typically mean a bare template with no real SEO setup, no mobile optimization testing, and little to no support after the site goes live, all of which cost more to fix later than they would have cost to do properly the first time.
If you're trying to figure out what your specific business actually needs, and what that should realistically cost, we're happy to give you a straight answer instead of a generic quote.
Start a project