Does it cost money to make a website? The honest answer is: it depends on what you want to build – and whether you want it to just exist online, or actually earn you money. You can get a basic site up for free. But if your goal is to make real income, the cost question gets a lot more interesting than most guides let on.
Quick Answer: Making a basic website can cost nothing, but a functional, professional site typically runs between $0 and $500 per year. If your goal is to earn money online, a free turnkey store with digital products already loaded is often a faster and lower-cost path than building a website from scratch.
This guide breaks down every real cost involved in making a website in 2026 – domain names, hosting, builders, and the hidden fees most comparisons skip. By the end, you will know exactly what you need to spend, what you can skip, and which path actually makes sense for your goals.
What does it mean to “make a website” in 2026?
When people ask does it cost money to make a website, they are usually thinking about very different things. A personal blog is not the same as a portfolio. A portfolio is not the same as an online store. And a store built on a drag-and-drop builder is a completely different beast from a self-hosted custom site.
In 2026, making a website generally falls into one of four categories: a simple informational or personal site, a content or blog site, a service or portfolio site, or an online store built to earn money. Each one comes with very different cost expectations – and different chances of actually generating income.
The tools available today have brought entry costs down dramatically compared to even five years ago. You do not need a developer or a design agency to get a professional-looking result anymore. What you do need is clarity on your goal. Are you building to share content? Attract clients? Sell products and earn income?
That answer determines which costs are worth paying – and which you can skip entirely.
Here is something most website cost guides gloss over: the question is not just how much does it cost to make a website – it is what kind of website makes sense for what you are actually trying to accomplish. If the goal is financial freedom or a real side income, there are faster routes than spending 60 to 90 days building a site from scratch.
How much can you realistically earn from a website?
Before diving into website costs, it is worth asking the income question directly. Because the amount you should invest in a website depends heavily on what it can realistically earn you back.
Here is an honest look at what different types of websites earn and what they cost to build:
As you can see, the cost of making a website and the income it generates are two very different things. A blog can technically be free to start, but it might take 12 to 18 months to earn its first dollar. A self-managed store gives you control but demands months of setup and testing. A turnkey store is the fastest path from zero to first sale.
One note on the free tier: Free website tiers are real, but they come with platform branding in your URL, display ads, and very limited storage. For anything you want to earn from, free tiers will hold you back more than help you.
Most people starting out find the sweet spot is somewhere between $50 and $200 per year for a clean, functional website. That covers a domain name ($10–$20/year) and basic hosting or a paid builder plan. After that, what matters most is whether the site is actually set up to earn – and that is where most DIY sites fall short.
The main costs of making a website – broken down
Whether you are asking does it cost money to make a website for the first time, or you are comparing options before committing, here is a clear look at every cost category you will encounter.
Domain names
What a domain name costs
A domain name is your web address – the part people type to find you. In 2026, a standard .com domain costs between $10 and $20 per year through registrars like Namecheap or GoDaddy. Premium or very short domains can cost hundreds, but for a new site, a standard .com is more than enough.
Important: Many website builders offer a free domain for the first year with a paid plan. Always check the renewal rate – some registrars charge $1 for year one and $15–$20 from year two onward.
Earning potential: A custom domain improves perceived credibility and can lift click-through rates from search results by 10–20% compared to a subdomain URL.
Free subdomain vs. custom domain
If you use a free website builder, you get a subdomain – something like yourshop.wixsite.com. That is functional, but it signals to visitors that you have not invested in your own brand. For a hobby project it is fine. For anything commercial, a custom domain is worth the $10–$20 per year almost every time.
Web hosting
Shared hosting
If you build on WordPress.org – the self-hosted version – you need web hosting. Shared hosting is the most affordable option and costs between $3 and $10 per month (roughly $36–$120 per year) from providers like Bluehost, SiteGround, or Hostinger. These entry plans are fine for sites with under 10,000 monthly visitors and require very little technical setup.
Why this works in 2026: Shared hosting has become faster and more reliable as infrastructure has improved. For most new websites, it is genuinely all you need to start.
Managed hosting and VPS
Managed WordPress hosting or a virtual private server (VPS) gives you better performance and more control, but costs $20–$80 per month. This is worth considering once your site has real traffic. For a site you are just launching, it is not necessary. Start with shared hosting and upgrade when your numbers demand it.
Website builders and platforms
Wix
Wix is one of the most popular drag-and-drop builders for personal and small business websites. The free plan gets you online with a Wix subdomain and display ads on your pages. Paid plans start around $17 per month (billed annually) for a custom domain and ad-free pages, rising to $35 per month for light online store features.
For a basic website without coding, Wix is competitive – but the store features on lower plans are limited.
Squarespace
Squarespace is a favourite among creatives and portfolio builders for its polished templates. Plans start at around $16 per month (billed annually) and include a free custom domain for the first year. Online store functionality starts from $23 per month. There is no free tier – only a 14-day trial.
If design quality matters and you are willing to pay a premium, Squarespace delivers. If you are focused on keeping website creation costs low, other options go further for the money.
WordPress.org (self-hosted)
WordPress.org is free software that you host yourself. The platform costs nothing, but you pay for hosting ($3–$10 per month), a domain ($10–$20 per year), and potentially a premium theme ($30–$100 one-time) or plugins that vary widely in price. Total first-year cost typically lands between $80 and $200.
The trade-off is that WordPress requires more hands-on management – updates, security, backups – than a hosted builder.
Shopify
Shopify is the most widely used dedicated online store platform and costs $39 per month (billed monthly) or $29 per month on an annual plan. Add a domain, potential app fees, and transaction costs if you are not using Shopify Payments, and your annual cost to make an online store can easily reach $400–$700 per year.
Shopify is powerful, but the cost of making a website on this platform is higher than most beginners expect once all the extras are factored in.
Hidden and ongoing costs
Premium themes and templates
Most builders include free themes, but premium templates from marketplaces like ThemeForest typically cost $30–$80 as a one-time fee. On WordPress, popular premium themes like Divi or Astra Pro cost $70–$90 per year. These are optional – free themes are perfectly functional – but they can save significant design time if you need something polished quickly.
Plugins and apps
If you are on WordPress or Shopify, plugins and apps are where costs quietly accumulate. A contact form, an SEO tool, a backup solution, a page builder – each might cost $0 to $10 per month. In aggregate, plugin costs can add $50–$300 per year to your website creation cost if you are not careful. Always check whether the free version of a plugin meets your needs before upgrading.
SSL certificates
An SSL certificate (the padlock in your browser address bar) was once a paid add-on. In 2026, almost all reputable hosts and builders include SSL for free. You should never need to pay for a basic SSL certificate. If a host is charging extra for it, that is a sign to look elsewhere.
Email hosting
A professional email address (yourname@yourdomain.com) is not included in most basic website plans. Google Workspace starts at $6 per user per month. Zoho Mail offers a free tier for one custom domain. This is optional when you are just starting out – but a branded email adds credibility quickly for any business-facing site.
Can you make a website completely for free?
Yes – technically. Platforms like Wix, WordPress.com, Weebly, and Google Sites all offer free tiers that let you publish a website without spending anything. But “free” in this context means accepting some real limitations.
On a free plan you typically get a subdomain instead of a custom domain, platform branding or ads on your pages, limited storage and bandwidth, no online store functionality, and reduced or no customer support. For a simple personal project, a classroom assignment, or testing an idea, a free website is a completely reasonable choice.
For anything you want visitors to take seriously – a freelance portfolio, an online store, a business landing page – free tiers fall short. The moment you start thinking about converting visitors into customers, even a basic paid plan at $10–$20 per month pays for itself quickly.
Important note: “Free” website builders are not the same as a free online store. A builder gives you a blank canvas you still have to design, fill with products, and figure out how to drive traffic to. A turnkey store from Sellvia comes designed, stocked with digital products, and ready to launch – at no upfront cost.
What affects the cost of making a website most?
If you are comparing website costs and trying to figure out where to put your money, four factors have the biggest impact on what you will end up spending.
The first is whether you build it yourself or hire someone. DIY using a builder costs between $0 and $500 per year. Hiring a freelance web designer typically costs $500–$3,000 for a basic site. A web development agency can run $5,000–$20,000 or more for a custom build.
Unless you have specific technical requirements, the modern builder tools are more than adequate for most business needs in 2026 – and building it yourself is almost always the smarter financial decision when starting out.
The second factor is your store requirements. Adding a shopping cart and payment processing to a site costs significantly more than a simple informational site. Platforms like Shopify come with monthly fees, transaction fees, and the cost of apps to handle everything from tax to marketing.
The third factor is traffic volume. A site that sees 500 visitors per month has very different hosting needs than one handling 50,000 per month. Start cheap and scale when your numbers require it. Do not over-invest in infrastructure before you have the audience to justify it.
The fourth factor is ongoing maintenance. Domain renewals, hosting renewals, plugin updates, security monitoring – these recurring costs are small individually but add up. Budget roughly $100–$200 per year for the ongoing cost of keeping a basic website alive and healthy.
Legal and ethical considerations when making a website
Making a website comes with a few legal responsibilities worth knowing before you launch – and most beginner guides skip right over them.
If your site collects any data from visitors – even just an email address through a contact form – you are subject to privacy laws. In the EU, that means GDPR. In California, it means CCPA. At a minimum, you need a privacy policy on your site. Free privacy policy generators like Termly and iubenda make this straightforward and cost nothing or a small annual fee.
Key principle: Transparency with your visitors is both a legal requirement and good business practice. A privacy policy, cookie notice, and clear terms of use protect you and signal credibility to first-time visitors.
If you are running an online store, you also need to be clear about your refund policy and delivery timeframes. Visitors do not need to know the technical details of how your products are delivered – they just need accurate information about what they are getting and when.
What to avoid absolutely: fake reviews or testimonials, misleading income claims in any ads you run, and purchasing followers or traffic to inflate the appearance of popularity. These carry real legal and platform risks. What to do instead: build genuine social proof through product quality, responsive service, and earned reviews on verified platforms like Trustpilot.
Final thoughts – which website option fits your goals?
The answer to does it cost money to make a website is: a small amount, if you do it right. But the more useful question is what kind of website you actually need – and whether a traditional website is even the best route to your goal in 2026.
Complete beginner
If you are brand new and your goal is to earn money online, the lowest-friction path is a free turnkey store. You skip the domain research, the hosting setup, the theme decisions, the product sourcing, and the plugin maze. You get a store that is built, designed, and stocked with digital products – and you can start driving traffic from day one.
For a beginner with an income goal, this is a genuinely better starting point than spending 60–90 days building a DIY website from scratch.
Intermediate / part-time
If you have some experience and want to build a content-driven site or a portfolio alongside an income-generating store, a self-hosted WordPress site at $80–$150 per year is a solid investment. Pair it with a Sellvia store to generate product revenue while you grow your content audience.
At this stage, the combination of organic content and a monetized store gives you multiple income streams without huge upfront costs.
Advanced / full-time goal
If your goal is a full-time income from your website within 12 months, the website creation cost question matters less than the revenue model question. A well-run online store targeting $30–$80 per day in profit is achievable within 60–90 days with consistent effort, the right products, and focused marketing.
Start free with a turnkey store and reinvest early profits into scaling – that is a smarter approach than spending $400–$700 upfront on a Shopify setup before you have proven your model.
Just a personal or hobby site
If you genuinely just want a personal blog, a portfolio to share with friends, or a creative outlet, a free tier from Wix or WordPress.com is perfectly fine. Upgrade to a paid plan when you want a custom domain and a cleaner experience. There is no need to over-invest in hosting or tools until the site has a purpose that justifies the cost.
The online economy in 2026 is more accessible than it has ever been. Whether you spend $0 or $500 setting up your site, the gap between a basic web presence and a profitable online business is no longer about the tools – it is about the model. Choose a model that earns.
Why Sellvia is a game-changer for your online store 🚀
Sellvia isn’t just another ecommerce tool. We are a trusted name in the industry, recognized by Forbes and even ranked in Inc.’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. So if you’re serious about starting as a solopreneur, this is a smart place to begin.
Starting an online business can feel overwhelming, but that’s exactly where Sellvia steps in. It takes care of the tricky parts, so you can focus on making sales and growing your brand. Let’s break down what makes it such a great choice.
Get a ready-to-go store hassle-free 🎯
Want to start selling but don’t know where to begin? No worries! Just share your ideas, and Sellvia’s team will build a free ecommerce website that’s fully set up and ready to take orders from day one. No coding, no stress – just a store that works right out of the box.
A $100 gift voucher to grow your business faster 🎁
Starting a business takes momentum – and Sellvia gives you a head start. When you claim your free store today, you also get a $100 gift voucher to put toward growing your business. Use it to upgrade your store, boost your marketing, or unlock new tools. It is a real dollar value, handed to you on day one, with no catch and no hoops to jump through.
A massive catalog of digital products to sell 🏆
One of the biggest struggles in starting an online business is figuring out what to sell. Sellvia solves that completely. Your store comes pre-loaded with digital products – guides, courses, checklists, and tools – all created by Sellvia. You keep 50–70% of every sale. No inventory. No logistics headaches.
Everything in one easy-to-use platform 🔥
Managing an online store shouldn’t be complicated. With Sellvia, you can handle orders, add new products, and even chat with customers – all from a simple and user-friendly platform. No need to mess with confusing tools or deal with unnecessary tech stuff. It’s all smooth sailing.
No upfront costs, just start selling 💰
A big reason people hesitate to start an online business is the cost. But here’s the good news: With Sellvia, you don’t need to invest in stock, storage, or any upfront costs. You can run your store risk-free while still making money.
Support that’s always got your back 🤝
Running a business comes with questions, but you’re never alone. Sellvia’s dedicated support team is available 24/7 to help with anything you need. Whether it’s a small question or a big challenge, they’ve got you covered.
Making a website is one thing – making one that earns money is another, and that is exactly the gap Sellvia closes. Get your free store and $100 voucher and start selling today.
Does it cost money to make a website?
What is the cheapest way to make a website?
The cheapest way to make a website that still looks professional is to use a self-hosted WordPress installation with a free theme. You pay for shared hosting at roughly 3 to 5 dollars per month and a domain at 10 to 20 dollars per year, bringing your total first-year cost to around 50 to 80 dollars. Website builders like Wix and Weebly also offer free tiers that cost nothing but come with a branded subdomain and limited features. For an online store specifically, a free turnkey store from Sellvia is one of the lowest-cost starting points available in 2026, with no upfront setup fees and digital products already loaded and ready to sell.
How much does it cost to make a website per month?
The monthly cost of running a website depends heavily on the platform and your goals. A basic personal site on shared WordPress hosting runs 3 to 10 dollars per month. A Wix paid plan starts at around 17 dollars per month. A Squarespace personal plan costs about 16 dollars per month. An online store on Shopify starts at 29 dollars per month, and additional apps and transaction fees can push that higher. If you are using a free website builder on a free tier, the monthly cost is technically zero, though you trade meaningful functionality and branding control for that saving.
Can you make a website for free and still earn money?
It is possible to earn money from a free website, but it is significantly harder. Free website tiers often restrict monetization options, prohibit running ads on your pages, and do not allow you to connect payment processors for selling products. The most common path to earning from a free site is affiliate marketing or linking visitors to third-party platforms. For serious income goals, investing even 10 to 20 dollars per month in a proper setup dramatically improves your ability to convert visitors into paying customers. A Sellvia store offers a free starting point with real earning potential built in from day one.
How much does it cost to build an online store from scratch?
Building an online store from scratch typically costs between 200 and 600 dollars in the first year if you manage it yourself. This includes a domain at 10 to 20 dollars, a platform plan at 29 to 50 dollars per month, a premium theme at 30 to 80 dollars, and essential apps for payments and marketing. Hiring a developer to build a custom store can cost 2000 to 10000 dollars or more. A free Sellvia store removes most of these upfront costs entirely, giving you a designed, stocked store with digital products and a built-in advertising system ready to activate from day one.
