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How Much Does a Website Cost in 2026: Complete Breakdown
Real breakdown of the cost of making a website in 2026: domain, hosting, design, plugins, payment gateway and maintenance. No surprises.
Introduction
“How much does a website cost?” It’s the million-dollar question, and the correct answer is: it depends. But that doesn’t help much, so in this article I give you a real breakdown of costs, no fine print.
Website costs are divided into two
- Creation cost (one time): design and configuration.
- Maintenance cost (recurring): domain, hosting, updates.
Cost breakdown
1. Domain (recurring: annual)
| Extension | Approximate price/year |
|---|---|
| .com | €10-15 |
| country-specific | €10-15 |
| .net / .org | €12-18 |
| .shop / .store | €20-40 |
The domain is paid every year. At miHosting you can register it together with hosting.
2. Hosting (recurring: monthly or annual)
| Hosting type | Approximate price/month |
|---|---|
| Basic hosting | €3-8 |
| Professional hosting | €5-15 |
| Optimized WordPress hosting | €5-20 |
| VPS | €10-50 |
| Dedicated server | €50-200+ |
For most websites, professional hosting at €5-10/month is sufficient. At miHosting, professional plans include SSL, email and support.
3. SSL (recurring)
- Let’s Encrypt: free.
- Paid certificate: €50-200/year.
At miHosting, SSL is free on all plans. You shouldn’t pay for a basic SSL.
4. Design and development (one-time cost)
| Option | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Do it yourself | €0 (your time) |
| Business website with template | €99-300 |
| Custom website | €500-2,000 |
| Basic online store | €350-1,000 |
| Advanced online store | €1,000-5,000+ |
| Complex corporate website | €1,000-5,000+ |
At miHosting, business websites start from €99 and online stores from €350, with domain and hosting separate.
5. Theme or template (one-time cost)
- Free theme: €0.
- Paid theme: €40-80 (one-time).
- Builder theme (Divi, Elementor Pro): €50-200/year.
A quality free theme (like Astra or GeneratePress) is sufficient for most websites.
6. Plugins (recurring or one-time)
- Free plugins: €0.
- Paid plugins: €30-200/year each.
- Essential plugins: cache, SEO, security (usually free).
You don’t need paid plugins to start. With free ones you can make a professional website.
7. Payment gateway (for stores)
- Commission per sale: 1.5-4% per transaction (Stripe, PayPal, Redsys).
- No fixed cost in most cases.
8. Maintenance (recurring: monthly or annual)
| Service | Approximate cost/month |
|---|---|
| Basic updates | €0 (you do it) |
| Professional maintenance | €20-50/month |
| Advanced maintenance | €50-150/month |
At miHosting we offer monthly website maintenance services: updates, backups, security and support.
Total cost examples
Example 1: Simple business website
- Domain: €12/year
- Professional hosting: €60/year (€5/month)
- SSL: €0 (free)
- Design: €99 (one time)
- Total first year: €171
- Subsequent years: €72/year
Example 2: Online store with WooCommerce
- Domain: €12/year
- Professional hosting: €90/year
- SSL: €0 (free)
- Store design: €350 (one time)
- Theme: €0 (free)
- Plugins: €0 (free)
- Total first year: €452
- Subsequent years: €102/year
- Sales commissions: variable
Example 3: Custom website by professional
- Domain: €12/year
- Hosting: €120/year
- SSL: €0 (free)
- Custom design: €1,500 (one time)
- Maintenance: €30/month (€360/year)
- Total first year: €1,992
- Subsequent years: €480/year
Hidden costs to consider
- Your time. Making the website yourself costs €0 in money, but many hours.
- Updates. If you don’t do them, your website becomes vulnerable.
- Backups. If you don’t have a backup and lose the website, recovery cost is high.
- SEO. Appearing on Google doesn’t cost money, but takes time or requires investment.
- Marketing. A website without visits is useless. Consider advertising budget.
Useful tips
- Start with the basics. You don’t need the most expensive website to start. Grow according to your business.
- Cheap hosting is expensive. A €1/month host is usually slow and problematic.
- SSL should be free. If they charge you for SSL, switch providers.
- Get a written quote. Before hiring, have them detail what’s included and what’s not.
- Maintenance isn’t optional. A website without maintenance breaks or gets hacked.
Frequently asked questions
Is it better to make the website myself or hire a professional?
If your website is simple and you have time, make it yourself. If you need something professional or don’t have time, hire.
Why are there €99 websites and €5,000 websites?
The difference is in design (custom vs template), functionality (static website vs complex online store) and level of customization.
Are domain and hosting paid every year?
Yes. They’re recurring services. The domain is paid annually; hosting, monthly or annually.
Do I need to maintain my website?
Yes. WordPress, plugins and themes need updating. Without maintenance, your website becomes vulnerable.
Can I switch hosting providers later?
Yes. You can migrate your website to another host at any time. At miHosting, migration is free.
The real cost of a website
Making a website isn’t as expensive as some think, nor as cheap as others promise. With a budget of €100-500 you can have a professional website working the first year, and maintain it for €70-150/year.
If you want a clear quote with no surprises, at miHosting we offer business websites from €99 and online stores from €350, with everything included. Open a ticket from your client panel and we’ll advise you.