Website development costs: prices in 2026

In short

Expect 1,000 to 3,000 euros for a freelancer site, 3,000 to 8,000 for a business site and 8,000 euros or more for custom work
Over three years, the monthly costs of hosting and maintenance often outweigh the build itself
Copy, photos and SEO are rarely included in the build price; always ask about them

Having a website built in the Netherlands costs somewhere between 1,000 and 15,000 euros, depending on what the site needs to do. A simple site for a freelancer sits at the bottom end, a business site with custom work, integrations and a solid SEO foundation at the top. On top of that come fixed costs for hosting, maintenance and your domain name, usually between 30 and 150 euros a month. The price is determined by four things: the number of pages, the design, the technology and who creates the copy and images.

Search for “website laten maken kosten” and every agency shows you a different amount. That is not unwillingness. A website is not a product with a fixed price, but a combination of design, technology and content. In this article we list the guide prices, explain where the money goes and show where you can save without your site paying for it later.

Guide prices per type of website

The price of a website depends mainly on the type of site. A one-pager or small freelancer website costs 1,000 to 3,000 euros, a business website with ten to twenty pages 3,000 to 8,000 euros, and a website with custom work, integrations or multiple languages starts at around 8,000 euros. A web shop is a category of its own and usually starts at 2,000 to 4,000 euros for a basic version.

Below are the ranges as we see them in the market in 2026. They are guide prices excluding VAT and excluding monthly costs.

Freelancer website or one-pager (1,000 to 3,000 euros). One to five pages on a proven theme, with a contact form and a tidy mobile view. You supply the copy and photos yourself.
Business website (3,000 to 8,000 euros). Ten to twenty pages, a custom design in your brand identity, a news or knowledge base section, an SEO foundation and integrations with, for example, your CRM or newsletter.
Custom website (8,000 to 15,000 euros or more). Your own functionality, such as a configurator, members’ area, multiple languages or integrations with your ERP. Here the number of development hours determines the price.
Web shop (from 2,000 to 4,000 euros). A basic web shop on Shopify or WooCommerce. With custom work, such as integrations with bol.com, Amazon or your accounting software, you quickly reach 5,000 euros or more. In our article on the cost of having a web shop built we work this out further.

Watch the comparison: an agency advertising “from 349 euros” usually delivers a template site where you fill in everything yourself. That can be perfectly fine for a freelancer just starting out. It is simply a different product from a site that brings you customers.

Where the money goes

The cost of a website consists of four parts: strategy and design, technology and build, content and images, and the fixed costs after launch. For an average business website, roughly a third goes to design, a third to build and technology and a third to content, SEO and delivery. Agencies that are much cheaper usually leave one of those parts to you.

Strategy and design

Before anyone writes a line of code, it has to be clear who visits the site and what that visitor needs to do. An introductory call, a sitemap, wireframes and a design in your brand identity usually take an agency 15 to 40 hours. That is also the part where a good UX designer makes the difference between a site that looks nice and a site that brings in enquiries.

Technology and build

Most business websites in the Netherlands run on WordPress. That is no coincidence: it is flexible, easy to manage and there is always someone who knows it. The build covers the theme, the pages, forms, speed, security and the integrations. With custom work the hours go up here, and so does the price.

Content and images

This is the part most often forgotten in the quote. Writing copy, taking or commissioning photos, and setting up the site easily takes 20 to 40 hours for twenty pages. If you supply everything yourself, you save that amount. But be honest and count your own time too.

Fixed costs after launch

A website is never finished. Hosting, updates, backups and security together cost between 30 and 150 euros a month. Over three years that is 1,000 to 5,000 euros, often as much as the build. At BrandMonks, maintenance and hosting come in one package from 85 euros a month, so you do not have to call three different parties when something goes wrong.

Hourly rate or fixed price: which is smarter?

A web designer or agency in the Netherlands usually charges 65 to 125 euros an hour. For a website with a clear scope, a fixed price is almost always more pleasant: you know in advance what you will pay and the agency carries the risk of setbacks. An hourly rate is a better fit for custom work whose size is not yet fixed.

With a fixed price, always ask what is and is not included. The three points that cause the most discussion: the number of feedback rounds, who uploads the content and what happens to wishes that come up during the project. A good agency puts that in writing before you sign.

How to save on your website without regretting it later

The best place to save on a website is at the start: fewer pages, a proven theme instead of a fully custom design and supplying the copy yourself. Do not save on speed, security, mobile view and the SEO foundation. Those are the things your visitors and Google notice straight away, and they are more expensive to fix afterwards than to get right first time.

Start small, build out. Five strong pages achieve more than twenty half-finished ones. You can always expand.
Choose a platform you can manage yourself. Every copy change through the agency costs money. With WordPress you adjust whatever you want yourself.
Supply your content complete. Copy, photos and logo in one go, in the right files. Partial deliveries cost everyone time.
Ask about the monthly costs. A cheap build with expensive hosting is not a cheap website over three years.
Do not save on the basics. Speed, SSL, backups and a mobile view are not extras.

What a good website brings in

A website is only expensive if it brings in nothing. A 5,000-euro business site that brings two extra customers a month pays for itself within a year in most sectors. So do not just calculate what the site costs, but also what one extra enquiry is worth to you. That determines how much you can sensibly invest.

At BrandMonks we build websites and web shops for more than 125 companies, from freelancers in Groningen to national brands. Our starting point is always the same: a site that loads fast, gets found and turns visitors into enquiries. We are happy to work out what that costs in your situation.

Frequently asked questions about website costs

What does it cost to create a website?

A professionally built website costs between 1,000 and 15,000 euros, depending on size and custom work.

Creating a site yourself with a website builder costs 10 to 30 euros a month, but then you do the design, copy and technology yourself. For a business site that needs to bring in customers, an agency is usually the better investment.

What does a website cost per month?

Expect 30 to 150 euros a month for hosting, maintenance, security and your domain name.

Cheap hosting starts at a few euros a month, but without updates and backups. An all-in maintenance package, such as the one from BrandMonks, starts at 85 euros a month.

What does a web designer charge per hour?

A freelance web designer usually charges 50 to 90 euros an hour, an agency 75 to 125 euros.

The difference lies in what you get: at an agency, a designer, developer and copywriter work together and there is someone who keeps an eye on the project. For a small site a freelancer is often enough.

How long does it take to have a website built?

A small website is live within two to four weeks, a business website takes six to ten weeks.

The turnaround time depends mainly on how quickly copy and images are supplied and how many feedback rounds are needed. Custom work takes longer, because it has to be developed and tested.

Is WordPress a good choice for my website?

For most business websites and web shops in the SME sector, WordPress is a good and affordable choice.

You manage the site yourself, there are integrations for almost everything and with WooCommerce you can build a web shop on it. For web shops that mainly sell through marketplaces, we also look at Shopify.

Calculate the cost of your website over three years, not over one quote

Having a website built in 2026 costs between 1,000 and 15,000 euros, plus 30 to 150 euros a month for hosting and maintenance. The price is determined by the type of site, the design, the technology and who creates the content.

So do not compare quotes on the final amount, but on what is included and what the site will keep costing you each month. Save at the start on size and content, never on speed, security and findability.

Want a website that gets found and brings in enquiries? BrandMonks builds websites and web shops from Groningen for companies all over the Netherlands. Request a quote and you will know where you stand within two working days.

Looking for an agency nearby? Read more about having a website built in Groningen.

What does it cost to have a website built in 2026? Prices and guidelines