Website Costs / As of October 2026
How much will a website cost in 2026? Honest pricing, with a calculator.
What the price is made up of, what gets added the following year, and how to compare offers. Based on 19 years of experience, using our own prices.
With us, a one-page website starts at €2,000, a company website costs between €4,000 and €12,000, and a project with special features costs between €10,000 and €20,000—all net. On top of that, there are ongoing domain and hosting costs, which range from about 6 to 35 € per month (including VAT) with major German providers. For small businesses with basic needs, we offer a website for 999 €.
Dustin Tatarowicz, founderof marschfahrt, web designer for 19 yearsPrice ranges. What you should realistically budget for.
(01)One-pager
A page for an offer, a person, or a campaign.
- Custom Design
- Optimized for mobile phones
- SEO Basics and Data Protection
Company Website
The typical website with 5 to 12 subpages designed to generate inquiries.
- Concept and Structure
- Contact Form, Integrations
- Accessibility as a Foundation
With special features
Multiple subpages, booking, members-only area, or integration with other systems.
- Custom Functions
- Integrations with CRM, newsletters
- Multilingualism
Platforms
Custom applications, multiple markets, complex processes.
- Custom Application Logic
- International Performances
- Six-figure amounts are also possible
Small business, clear needs? Our website for €999 (net) works because the process is set: a questionnaire instead of meetings, a proven system, and one round of revisions. Hosting afterward is €5 per month, with monthly cancellation.
View the website for €999All prices are net, plus 19% VAT. These are price ranges based on our projects; the exact fixed price will be included in the quote following the initial consultation.
Cost Calculator. Get an estimate in 30 seconds.
(02)What do you need?
What else should be added?
- Company website with up to 12 subpages€4,000 – €12,000
Domain and hosting costs are added on an ongoing basis, ranging from about 6 to 35 € per month. The calculator uses our own price ranges; we’ll give you a fixed price after a brief conversation.
Request a fixed priceWhat you're paying for. Four factors that determine the price.
(03)Concept
Who is the website for, what is its purpose, and what content does it need? With cheap packages, this part is left out—you end up with a template that wasn't tailored to anyone in particular.
Design
A purchased template costs between €50 and €200 and takes a few hours to customize. A custom design takes 30 to 80 hours to create and will truly be tailored to your business.
Development
A website builder or a custom-built site: Both result in a website. The difference lies in loading time, maintenance, and costs over three years.
Contents
In our experience, text and images are the most common cause of delays. If you write the text yourself, it takes time; a professional copywriter charges €50 to €150 per page, and a photo shoot costs €500 to €2,000.
Build It Yourself, Freelancer, or Studio? A Comparison of the Options.
(04)| Path | Costs | This works if … | Keep an eye out for … |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website builders: Wix, Squarespace, Jimdo | Starting at about 12 € permonth. For example, Squarespace, plus your time | you have time and want to create the design and copy yourself | Ongoing costs, limitations regarding charging time, and moving |
| Freelancers are often billed by the hour | Average of €103 perhour across all fields of study, DACH | you know exactly what you want and coordinate things yourself | Agree on an upper limit; arrange for a substitute in case of absence |
| Studio like marschfahrtFixed price | 4,000–12,000€Company website, net | The website is supposed to generate leads, and you don't want to have to handle everything yourself | Fixed Price, Ownership of Code and Access Rights |
| Website for €999Package from marschfahrt | 999 €one-time payment or 4 × 249.75 €, net | you have a small business and a fixed system is sufficient | deliberately without any special requests |
Sources: Squarespace pricing page (Basic: €12 per month with annual billing, accessed on October 4, 2026); freelancermap Freelancer Compass 2026 (average €103 per hour, approximately 5,400 participants in the DACH region, all fields); pricing from marschfahrt.
What comes on top of that every year: the running costs.
(05)Example: Three Years of the Company Website
Website: €5,000 net, plus €10 for hosting and €1.30 per month for the domain (including VAT); consent tool at the free tier.
5,000 € + 36 × 11.30 € = 5,406.80 €. A modular system costing 18 € per month would cost 648 € over the same period, plus the time you spend setting it up and maintaining it.
Sources: Pricing pages of IONOS, STRATO, ALL-INKL, DENIC, Let's Encrypt, Cookiebot, Usercentrics, e-recht24, and Squarespace (Core plan: €18 per month), accessed on October 4, 2026. Introductory prices for the first year were not included.
Obligations that cost money. And who they apply to.
(06)Accessibility (BFSG)
Effective June 28, 2025, the Act to Strengthen Accessibility applies to services where consumers enter into contracts online, such as online stores or bookings. Excluded are micro-enterprises that provide services: those with fewer than 10 employees and an annual revenue or total assets of no more than €2 million (Section 3(3), Section 2(17) of the BFSG). Nevertheless, we always incorporate accessibility principles into our planning.
Legal Notice, Privacy Policy, Consent
You always need a legal notice and a privacy policy. If you use analytics or advertising services, you also need your visitors’ consent. There are generators and consent tools available with free tiers; if you use more services or have more pages, they cost a monthly fee.
This is not legal advice. Text of the law: gesetze-im-internet.de/bfsg.
Four Cost Traps. And How to Avoid Them.
(07)Hourly rate with no upper limit
“It took longer than expected” is the most expensive excuse in web design. Insist on a fixed price—or at least a cap.
Mandatory Hosting
Anyone who ties you to their hosting service can set the monthly rates as they see fit. Ask in advance if you can move your website at any time.
Surcharges for Things We Take for Granted
Mobile optimization, data protection, and SEO basics are all part of the package in 2026. If they’re billed separately, that’s a red flag.
Introductory prices in the first year
Many web hosting providers and website builders are inexpensive in the first year but become significantly more expensive afterward. Always base your calculations on the regular price over three years.
Frequently Asked Questions. Quick Answers.
(08)How much does a simple website cost?+
A custom-designed one-pager starts at €2,000 (net) with us. For small businesses that are satisfied with a standard system, we offer a website for €999 (net) with a fixed process. Using a website builder is even more affordable—in that case, you’re mainly paying with your own time.
Why do website prices vary so much?+
Because you’re not paying for “a website,” but for the concept, design, development, and content. Each of these components can take anywhere from a few hours to several weeks. A template with a swapped-out logo and a custom-designed site with original text are both called “websites,” but they’re not comparable.
What are the ongoing costs of a website?+
At a minimum, you'll need a domain and hosting. A .de domain costs around 1 to 7 € per month, depending on the provider, and basic web hosting from major German hosting providers typically costs about 5 to 28 € per month. Depending on the website, you'll also need a consent tool, legal notices, and optional maintenance.
Fixed Price or Hourly Rate: Which Is Better?+
For you, as the client, it’s almost always a fixed price. That way, the provider bears the risk if the project takes a little longer. If you’re paying by the hour, you should at least agree on a cap. We build websites exclusively for a fixed price.
How much does a website cost with Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress?+
Website builders cost a monthly fee: Squarespace, for example, starts at €12 per month when paid annually. WordPress itself is free, but you’ll need hosting, a theme, plugins, and someone to keep an eye on updates and security. It’s only affordable if you do the work yourself.
How long does it take to have a website built?+
With us, a company website typically takes four to eight weeks from the initial consultation to launch. In our experience, missing text and images are the most common causes of project delays, which is why we address this right from the start.
Can I pay for a website in installments?+
You can pay for the website, priced at €999, in four installments of €249.75 each (net, no surcharge). For custom projects, we’ll specify the payment terms in the quote.
Who owns the website after the project is complete?+
Note: We'll provide you with the code, design files, and all access credentials. We can handle hosting and maintenance upon request, but you're free to host the site elsewhere at any time. Make sure this is specified in writing with any provider.
A response within 24 hours. Personalized, with no sales pitch.
Tell us in two minutes what you have in mind. We'll get back to you with an initial assessment and, if it works out, a fixed price.