Why "it depends" isn't a good enough answer
Every project is different, but the variables that drive cost are the same every time.
Project type sets the base price. Features add to it. Scale multiplies it. Once you know those three things, you can get a real range — not a guess.
Most agencies won't give you a number until you book a call. That's understandable — final pricing does depend on specifics. But you shouldn't have to go into a sales conversation with zero idea whether you're looking at $2,000 or $20,000. Here's the real range for each project type.
Base cost by project type
Informational website
$1,500 – $4,000A homepage, services pages, an about page, and a contact form. The most common starting point for service businesses.
Typical timeline: 2–4 weeks
E-commerce store
$3,000 – $8,000Product catalogue, cart, checkout, and order management. Cost climbs with product count, payment complexity, and inventory needs.
Typical timeline: 4–7 weeks
Web app / client portal
$6,000 – $20,000Users log in, data is personalised, and the software itself is the product — a CRM, a dashboard, a booking platform.
Typical timeline: 6–12 weeks
Mobile app
$10,000 – $35,000iOS, Android, or both. App store submission, device testing, and ongoing platform updates add to both cost and timeline.
Typical timeline: 10–18 weeks
What pushes the price up
On top of the base price, specific features add a fairly predictable amount. These are the most common additions and what they typically cost:
Why freelancers quote less — and what that costs you
A freelancer will often quote 30–50% less than the ranges above. Sometimes that's a fair price for genuinely good work. Often it means no ownership of outcomes, no accountability if they disappear mid-project, and no one thinking about whether the site actually generates enquiries — just whether it gets built.
The real cost of a website isn't just the build — it's whether it does its job. A cheap site that doesn't convert visitors into leads is more expensive than a properly priced one that does, once you account for the leads you never got.
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