How Much Does a Website Cost in 2025? Pricing, Value & What You're Really Paying For

“How much does a website cost?” is probably the most Googled question in web design — and the most frustrating to answer. The truth? It depends. But we're going to give you an honest, no-BS breakdown so you know exactly what you're paying for.

The Quick Answer

What Actually Affects the Price?

Number of Pages

A simple 3-page site (Home, About, Contact) costs significantly less than a 15-page site with service pages, blog, portfolio, and landing pages. More pages means more design, more content, and more development time.

Custom Design vs. Templates

Templates are cheaper upfront but they limit your brand. A custom design is built around your business, your customers, and your goals — and it shows. Your site looks like yours, not like a hundred other businesses using the same Squarespace theme.

SEO & Performance

A cheap website that doesn't rank on Google is not actually cheap — it's a waste of money. Professional builds include on-page SEO, fast load times, structured data, and mobile optimization that actually bring in traffic.

Ongoing Costs

Don't forget hosting ($10–$50/mo), domain renewal ($10–$20/year), SSL certificates, maintenance, and content updates. Some designers bundle these into a monthly plan — others charge separately.

The Real Question: What's the ROI?

A $3,500 website that brings in 5 new clients a month at $500 each pays for itself in the first week. A $200 website that brings in zero clients costs you money every single day it's live. The question isn't “how much does it cost?” — it's “how much is it costing me NOT to have a good one?”

Our Pricing at Brightlight

We offer two straightforward options: a one-time build starting at $3,500, or a monthly plan at $175/mo with everything included. No hidden fees, no surprise invoices. Check out our pricing page for full details.