How much does a website cost in 2026?

From free AI builders to agency projects: what a website really costs in 2026, what drives the price, and the costs people forget.

The short answer

Anywhere from free to many thousands. An AI website builder can get a professional site online for free or a small monthly fee; a freelancer or agency custom build costs far more. Domain names, ongoing changes and your own time are the costs people forget.

01The main options

AI website builder: free to start, then a monthly plan.
Template platform: a monthly plan, plus your time to customise.
Freelancer: a one-off project fee, then hourly for changes.
Agency: the highest cost, for strategy, brand and complex builds.

02Costs people forget

The domain name, renewed every year.
Changes after launch: new pages, prices and photos.
Your time writing content and gathering photos.

Where Orlume fits

The Free plan includes 10 message credits and builds with the standard engine. Paid plans start at $10 a month. They come with more credits, generate with the full design engine and add Think Mode, Dream Mode and image uploads.

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Written by the Orlume team · Updated October 2026

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Questions

Questions, answered.

The things people ask before they start building.

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How much does a small business website cost?

With an AI builder it can start free; custom builds by freelancers and agencies cost considerably more.

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