How much does a website cost in Australia?
Most small businesses pay $1,000 to $3,750 for a website someone else designs and builds. Budget packages start at about $399, but you usually write every word yourself. Website builders cost nothing up front and a plan fee every month.
Published prices of 16 web designers selling to Australian small businesses, checked 28 October 2026.
The options, side by side
| Option | Up front | Each month | Who writes the words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build it yourself (Wix, Squarespace and similar) | $0 | A plan fee, every month | You |
| Subscription website | $0 to build | From about $59 | Usually you |
| Budget web company | $399 to $995 | Hosting, often extra | Usually you |
| Strategic Studios | $1,000 (SEO setup $600 more, free for tradies until Christmas) | $0, or $60 for hosting and changes | We do |
| Independent designer or small studio | $1,800 to $3,750 | Often platform fees | Usually extra |
| Agency | Usually a quote | Retainers are common | Varies |
What changes the price
Who writes the words
This is the biggest difference between quotes that look the same. Of the 16 designers we checked, only two at or under $1,500 say they write the copy. Writing ten pages yourself takes most owners a couple of weekends.
How many pages
Budget packages are usually one to five pages. A service business normally needs a page per service, an about page, a contact page and a page for the areas it covers, which is closer to eight or ten.
Custom design or a template
A template is cheaper and looks like other sites built on it. Custom design costs more at most studios. Ours is custom at $1,000.
Shops, bookings and members areas
A big online shop, a custom booking system or a login area moves the price into the thousands. Most small service businesses link to a booking tool they already use instead.
SEO setup, and ongoing SEO
SEO setup means titles, headings, schema, a sitemap, Search Console and a Google Business Profile. It's a one-off job. Ongoing SEO is monthly work on content and links; the plans we checked started at about $1,000 a month.
The costs after launch
- Domain nameAbout $20 to $40 a year for a .com.au.
- Hosting$0 for a simple, fast site on a free plan. Website builders include it in the monthly fee.
- Platform feesWix, Squarespace and subscription sites charge every month for as long as the site is up.
- ChangesSome designers charge by the hour; some include small changes in a monthly plan. Ours is $60 a month, or nothing if you host it yourself.
Five questions to ask before you pay
- Who writes the words? If it's you, add your time to the price.
- Do I own the site and the domain? Some subscription sites end when the payments do.
- What do I pay each month, and for what? Get it in dollars.
- How many pages, and which ones? Ask for the list.
- Is my Google Business Profile set up? For a local business it often brings in more calls than the website.
What $1,000 gets you here
Custom design, every page written for you, and the build, up to 10 pages, live in about two weeks. $500 to start and $500 when it goes live. SEO setup is $600 more, and free for tradies until Christmas.
Questions
How much does a small business website cost in Australia?
Most small businesses pay $1,000 to $3,750 for a website someone else designs and builds. Budget packages start at about $399, but you usually write every word yourself. Prices from 16 web designers, checked 28 October 2026.
How much does a website cost each month?
From $0 to about $60 for most small sites. A simple site can be hosted for nothing; website builders and subscription sites charge a monthly fee; a domain name is about $20 to $40 a year. Ongoing SEO is the big one: the plans we checked started at about $1,000 a month.
Is a $500 website worth it?
It can be, if you are happy to write the words and the price covers the pages you need. Check who writes the copy, how many pages you get, and what you pay each month after the first six months.
How much does a tradie website cost?
Ours is $1,000 for any trade, with the SEO setup free for tradies who book by 24 December 2026. Across the market, tradie packages we checked ran from $990 to about $2,500.
How long does a website take to build?
One to three weeks for a small business site, where the price is published. Ours is about two weeks, with a first draft around day 7.