"How much does a website cost?" is a bit like "how much does a car cost?" It depends what you need it to do. Here's an honest breakdown of the main options for a local service business in 2026, including the costs that don't show up on the price tag.
- The cheapest option up front is rarely the cheapest over a year, once you count your time.
- Ask what happens after launch. That's where most of the value (and most of the hidden cost) is.
- The real question isn't the price, it's whether the website wins more work than it costs.
The three main options
| DIY website builder | Agency or freelancer | Managed website (like ours) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up-front cost | $0 (your time instead) | About $3,000–7,000 for a small business site | $1,990 setup |
| Ongoing cost | About $21–55/month for most plans (Wix tops out at $199), plus apps | About $150–400/month for a care plan, plus hosting | $349/month, all-inclusive |
| Who writes and builds it | You | They do | We do |
| After launch | Up to you | Usually updates and backups only | Monthly report, plan and 2 hours of work |
| Your time | 5–15+ hours to set up, then ongoing | Some, during the build | Very little |
Prices are rough ranges at the time of writing. Check each provider's current pricing.
DIY website builders
Wix, Squarespace and similar builders are a sensible choice for some businesses, for example if your budget is very tight or you enjoy doing it yourself. Many now include AI tools that draft a site quickly.
The costs people forget:
- Your time: making the AI draft accurate, adding real photos, and setting up email, forms, Google and tracking.
- Paid apps for bookings, chat or better forms.
- Every change after launch is yours to make, forever.
- Most hosted builders don't let you export your site if you want to move later.
Agencies and freelancers
A good agency or freelancer will build you something custom and do the work for you. A small business site is commonly about $3,000–7,000, plus around $150–400 a month if you want a care plan to keep it updated.
Ask before you sign:
- Who owns the website, domain and content if we part ways?
- What's included after launch, and how quickly are changes made?
- Who writes the words on the website?
- Will I be able to edit it myself?
Managed websites
A managed website is a middle path: a custom website built for you, plus everything needed to run and improve it, for one setup fee and a monthly price.
Here's exactly what ours costs:
The $349/month includes hosting, security, backups and updates, an enquiry inbox with instant alerts on your phone, an AI assistant that answers customers 24/7, a monthly report with an action plan, and 2 hours of changes every month. Year one comes to about $6,178. There's a 12-month minimum, and you own everything: the domain, content, design and code.
So which is cheapest?
Over the first year, roughly:
- DIY: about $300–1,500, plus your time.
- Agency build plus care plan: commonly $5,000–12,000.
- Ours: about $6,178, with almost nothing for you to do.
The better question is what does the website win you? For most service businesses, one extra job a month covers $349. A website that brings in an extra job or two a month pays for itself, whichever option you choose.
Want a straight answer for your business?
Book a free consultation and we'll tell you honestly what you need, even if it's not us.
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Rhys builds and looks after every Reactive Web website himself, from Redwood Park in Adelaide, for local service businesses that want more calls, bookings and enquiries.
