How much does website design cost?
The average website ranges from $1,000 to well over $100,000. The spread is enormous because price follows three things above all: the site’s style, its size, and its functionality. This guide is written for non-developers, so you can evaluate any quote you’re handed and know what you’re paying for.
Below we break pricing down by company size, by the type of website you need, by how you engage a team (hourly, per-project, or retainer), and by every major factor that nudges the number up or down. When you’re ready, the interactive calculator turns your choices into a live estimate.
What web design costs, by the size of your business
Small business
Brochure or portfolio sites, ~15–30 pages. Communicates your mission, captures leads, and converts them. Clean, functional, and on-brand.
Mid-sized business
More advanced features and integrations: deeper content architecture, richer interactions, and room to grow.
Enterprise
Complex, feature-rich builds: e-commerce, API and database integration, and heavy customization. For trusted, experienced teams only.
Cost by the type of website you need
Different sites do different jobs, and that shapes the build. Here’s what each common type typically runs in Canada.
Website builder, CMS, or custom development?
The technology behind your site is one of the biggest cost drivers. There are three broad routes, each trading cost against control.
Website builders
Wix, Squarespace, Webflow, and Weebly let you build with drag-and-drop and no code. Great for tight budgets, but design options are limited and sites can look generic.
Open CMS
WordPress alone powers 63.8% of the web; Joomla and Drupal serve larger, more technical builds. Free licenses, huge plugin ecosystems, and SEO-friendly, but they need upkeep and security care.
Custom development
Built from scratch for full control over design, performance, and security. It is the most powerful and the most expensive route. Simple static HTML sits at the low end.
eCommerce platforms & what they cost
Adding a store (catalog, cart, checkout, and payments) depends heavily on the platform you choose. The essentials scale from free to enterprise.
Cost also tracks the functionality you need. The core building blocks:
- Product display, high-quality images, detailed descriptions, and clean product pages.
- Online payments, secure checkout via a gateway like PayPal or Stripe; specialist work that adds cost.
- Personalized recommendations, suggestions based on purchase history to lift engagement and sales.
- Shipping options, multiple methods and calculated rates; often complex to wire up.
- Customer accounts & orders, profiles and order history so buyers can manage their purchases.
Site hosting
Hosting determines where your files live and how fast they load. Cost tracks the resources and support you need.
Shared
Many sites share one server. The most affordable option is best for small sites and blogs with modest traffic.
VPS
A dedicated slice of a server with its own resources and more control. Good for businesses with moderate traffic.
Dedicated
A whole server to yourself for top performance and scalability. For large or high-traffic sites.
Popular providers include Bluehost, HostGator, GoDaddy, Hostinger, and Cloudways. Most bundle SSL, backups, and support at competitive rates.
Three ways to pay for web design
Most studios price one of three ways. The right one depends on how defined your scope is and how much ongoing work you expect.
Hourly
Best for maintenance, small tweaks, or when scope is still fuzzy. You pay only for time spent.
Project-based
The most popular model. One fixed price for a defined build: simple sites from ₱60K and large platforms up to ₱3M.
Retainer
A set monthly fee for continuous work. Predictable budgeting and a team that keeps your site current.
Agency, freelancer, or in-house?
Agency
A full team and a wider toolkit. Best for complex builds and ongoing support at a higher, project-based price. Boutique agencies like Qadra sit in the sweet spot: specialized, senior, and more affordable than BPOs or IT firms.
Freelancer
Often the lowest rate and flexible terms. But pricing is inconsistent, oversight is limited, and support and resources rarely match a team’s.
In-house
Predictable salary and deep knowledge of your business if you already have someone who can manage designers and developers well. Approx. ₱18K–₱190K.
The factors that shape your price in 2026
No two projects cost the same. These are the levers that push a quote up or down. Most quotes are simply a sum of the choices you make across them.
Number of pages
More pages mean more layouts, more content, and longer testing. Lean sites cost less; sprawling ones cost more.
Design & UI/UX complexity
Minimal, clean designs are quicker to ship. Intricate layouts, custom graphics, and interactive flows take real planning and testing.
Mobile responsiveness
A single responsive system is cheaper than building a separate mobile site. Most modern teams bake this into the base price.
Copywriting
₱40K – ₱120KWords do the selling. Research-heavy, brand-aware copy adds cost and value.
SEO
₱20K – ₱150KFrom on-page basics to technical + content strategy. Priced fixed, hourly, or on retainer.
Animation
Pre-made Lottie/GIF is affordable; custom-coded GSAP motion is a craft and priced like one.
eCommerce functionality
Catalog, payments, shipping logic, and accounts. Platform choice (Shopify, WooCommerce…) shifts the cost.
Hosting
Shared, VPS, or dedicated: performance and support scale with price. VPS ~$20–30/mo, dedicated $100+/mo.
Revisions
Projects include a set number of rounds; extra rounds, especially structural ones, add time and cost.
Training, support & maintenance
₱20K – ₱70K/moOnboarding, ongoing help, and upkeep. Maintenance commonly runs ₱20K–₱70K/mo.
Mobile, SEO & copywriting
Three features deserve their own note. They quietly shape both the price and how well the finished site performs.
Mobile responsiveness
Your site has to work beautifully on every screen. A single responsive system is cheaper than building a separate mobile version, and modern teams bake it into the base price.
SEO
Planning, keyword research, clean structure, and fast, mobile-friendly pages help you get found. Priced in tiers by depth.
Copywriting
Words carry the message and move visitors to act. Research-heavy, brand-aware copy costs more and earns it back in conversions.
Training, support & maintenance
Launch isn't the finish line. These keep your site useful, secure, and current, often bundled into the initial price, with more available as you need it.
Training
Get your team confident managing and updating the site themselves. Cost scales with sessions and whether it's in-person or remote.
Support
Help when you need it: technical fixes, content updates, security monitoring, and performance tuning. Monthly, hourly, or per project.
Maintenance
Ongoing upkeep: content updates, broken-link fixes, image optimization, and security hardening so nothing slips.
The Philippines vs the US, India & Canada
Labor costs in the Philippines are meaningfully lower. Many US organizations report up to 50% savings when they outsource here, without a drop in quality. Canadian agencies typically charge around C$3,000–C$15,000 for a small-business website, often climbing well past C$20,000 in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal.
vs United States
Comparable quality at a fraction of the rate. Deep, English-fluent talent and strong time-zone overlap for APAC work.
vs India
Both offer low costs, but the Philippines ranks 22nd globally for English proficiency (India 52nd), smoothing communication and collaboration.
vs Canada
Canadian agency rates run far higher, especially in Toronto and Vancouver. Canadian firms increasingly outsource design work abroad. Our Philippine team delivers comparable quality with strong English fluency at a fraction of the cost, and can align with North American working hours.
What it costs to build a famous website
Wondering where the ceiling is? Here’s roughly what platforms of this scale cost to develop from scratch.
Web designer vs web developer
Web designer
Owns the visual and experiential side: layout, color, typography, and the user journey. Makes the site look right and feel effortless to use.
Web developer
Owns the technical build: the code that makes the design functional, fast, and interactive. More experience and custom functionality raise the rate.
On most modern teams the two work in lockstep: the designer defines the look, the developer brings it to life. A great website needs both.
The web design process
Discovery meeting
We dig into your goals, audience, content, and constraints, then scope the project and turn it into a clear, itemized proposal.
Design & development
Wireframes map the structure; high-fidelity mockups set the look; then we build it with clean, performant code.
Revisions
You review and we refine until it's right. Contracts include a set number of rounds. Extra structural changes add time and cost.
Finalization & launch
Final review, SEO and speed checks, hosting and domain setup, security hardening, then we ship.
What to sort out before your project
Start small and grow deliberately, and be realistic about budget, skills, and time. A little clarity up front saves real money later, so come ready to answer:
- What's your realistic budget? Sized against the scope, complexity, and customization you actually need.
- What are your design goals? The clearer your vision, the closer the result lands to it.
- What's your timeline? A firm launch date lets the team plan the work and avoid delays.
- Who will manage the site? Updates, backups, security, and performance: you, or a support plan?
- Which features are must-haves? Now, soon, and someday, so budget goes to what matters.
- Will you handle the technical side? Hosting and upkeep yourself, or leave it to professionals?
How to pick a reliable web partner
Define your goals
List objectives and requirements first. This reveals the exact skills and expertise your partner needs.
Do your research
Search, ask for referrals, and shortlist teams with experience in your industry or on similar projects.
Check portfolio & experience
Review real work and case studies for teams who've solved problems like yours.
Meet & ask for references
Talk through your project, learn their process, and speak with past clients.
Evaluate communication
Do they listen, update regularly, and stay reachable? It defines the whole experience.
Review pricing & terms
Competitive, transparent pricing, with everything in writing to avoid surprises.
How Qadra Studio prices web design
We price on three things: the skill and experience our team brings, the complexity and scope of the project, and the resources it takes to do it right. Depending on your needs, that’s billed by the hour, by the project, or by the page.
Higher skill means designs that don’t just look good but perform. Considered UX, SEO, and branding are built in, and the work is completed faster with fewer revisions. That’s the value we price for, and it’s why our estimates reflect the outcome, not just the hours.
Website design cost calculator
Select what your project needs and see a live estimate. It’s a starting point. For an accurate quote, talk to our team.
Scope
Revisions
Support & maintenance
Speed, security & analytics
Common questions
Absolutely. Request a consultation and we’ll scope your build and give you a clear, itemized estimate.
Yes. Every business has a different budget, so we work with you on a plan and staged payments that fit your situation.
By credit card or bank transfer through a secure payment processor. We invoice in detail and begin once the deposit clears.
Yes, a small deposit, sized to the scope of the project, covers initial costs and confirms commitment before work begins.
We don’t offer refunds, but we’re committed to exceeding expectations. If something’s off, tell us and we’ll make it right.
Get more out of Qadra
A full range of web design solutions to strengthen your presence, whatever stage you're at.
Web Design & Redesign
Launch or refresh your site with a modern, high-impact design built to perform.
Landing Page Design
Maximize conversions with a focused page that nails the first impression.
Rapid Web Design
A new or updated site in 30 days or less: fast, affordable, and performance-driven.
Advanced Business Website
Advanced features and integrations that wow visitors and win customers.
eCommerce Design & Development
User-friendly storefronts with smart recommendations and mobile optimization.
Website Maintenance
Backups, updates, and performance monitoring to keep everything running smoothly.