How much does a website cost in India in 2026?

“How much will a website cost?” is the first question almost every client asks me, and the honest answer is “it depends”. That isn't very useful when you are trying to plan a budget, so this post puts real numbers on it: what different kinds of websites cost in India in 2026, what you keep paying every year, and what makes one quote three times bigger than another.

I'm a freelance website designer and developer in Navi Mumbai, and I've built business websites, an online store and admin panels for clients. The prices below are the ones I actually charge, plus the ranges you will commonly see from other freelancers and agencies.

The short answer#

The spread is wide because “a website” can mean a three-page site for a local shop or a store that takes payments and books courier pickups. Once you know which one you need, the price range becomes much narrower.

Cost by type of website#

These are typical ranges for a hand-built website from a freelancer in India, with a few notes on what pushes a project to the top of its range.

Agencies usually charge more for the same scope because the price covers a team: a project manager, a designer and developers. That is worth paying for on a large project. For a small business website it mostly means a higher bill.

What you pay every year#

The build is a one-time cost. A few things renew, and it is worth knowing about them before you sign anything.

For a simple business website, the yearly total is usually a couple of thousand rupees. If someone is quoting you a large “annual fee” for a three-page site, ask exactly what it covers. I've written more about what website maintenance should cost.

What changes the price#

When two quotes for “a website” are far apart, the difference almost always comes from one of these:

• Number of pages. Each service or area page needs its own content and SEO. Ten pages cost more than three.
• Custom design or a template. A design made for your brand takes longer than adapting an existing layout.
• Who writes the content. If the developer writes your service descriptions, that is extra work, and it is usually the part that decides whether you rank on Google.
• Online payments. Razorpay, PayU or similar, with proper checks that a payment really went through before an order is confirmed.
• Shipping. Courier integration (Shiprocket, for example) so orders create shipments and customers can track them.
• An admin panel. Any screen where your team logs in to manage enquiries, orders, products or customers turns a website into a small application.
• Integrations. WhatsApp, email reminders, Google Sheets, an existing CRM or billing software.
• Speed and SEO work. Titles, descriptions, structured data, a sitemap, Search Console and fast pages on mobile. Cheap sites often skip all of this.

The biggest jump is the moment a site needs logins and a database. A brochure website shows information; an application stores and changes it. That is why an online store or a booking system costs several times more than a business website with the same number of pages.

Costs people forget#

Most of the surprise bills I hear about from business owners come after launch, not during the build. Before you agree to a price, check these:

1. Who owns the domain. It should be registered in your name, on your account. If the developer owns it, they effectively own your website.
2. Renewal prices. Domains and hosting often cost much more in year two than in year one.
3. Paid themes and plugins. Common on WordPress sites. Their licences renew every year, and letting them lapse means no updates.
4. Hosting you can't move. Some agencies host your site on their own servers and charge yearly. Ask whether you can take the site elsewhere and what you would receive.
5. Small changes after launch. Ask what a text or price change costs, and whether you can make it yourself.

My prices#

These are my starting prices. Every project gets a written scope, timeline and price before any work starts, and you own the domain, hosting and code at the end.

For example, Ferrea Fashion's store confirms an order only after Razorpay confirms the payment, books shipping through Shiprocket and has an admin panel for products and orders. Panvel Placement started as a website and grew into a job portal that replaced the agency's Excel sheets. You can see both, and more, in my work.

How to get a quote you can compare#

Quotes are only comparable if every developer is pricing the same thing. Send each one the same short brief:

• What your business does and who your customers are
• The pages you need (a list is enough), and whether you will write the text
• Whether visitors need to pay, book, log in or track anything
• Whether your team needs an admin panel, and what they would manage in it
• Two or three websites you like, and what you like about them
• Your deadline and your budget range

Then ask every developer the same questions: what exactly is included, how long it will take, who owns the domain and code, what you pay every year, and what changes cost after launch. The cheapest quote is not always the cheapest website.

If you want a quote from me, see what I build for businesses or send me your brief. I'll reply with a written scope and price.