A website can cost a few hundred or tens of thousands of euros. The difference lies not only in scope, but also in what the site is meant to achieve: business card, generate enquiries, sell or attract applicants. Here is what you should realistically budget for.
In short
| Scope | Typical scope | Typical market range |
|---|---|---|
| Small website | One-pager or up to 5 pages, template or simple design | €1,500 to €4,000 |
| Company website | 5 to 15 pages, custom design, contact and search engines set up properly | €5,000 to €12,000 |
| Large website or shop | 15 pages or more, shop, portal, integrations | from €15,000 |
| Ongoing costs | Hosting, domain, maintenance and security | €30 to €250 per month |
As of November 2026. Figures based on experience in the German market, not a Lumen/21 price list. You will receive a fixed-price quote after the initial call.
What the price depends on
1. Scope and structure
How many pages, how many different page types? Ten service pages with the same layout are built faster than five pages that are all supposed to look different.
2. Design
An adapted template is cheaper; a custom design makes you distinctive and is tailored precisely to your content. For companies that want to stand out from the competition, the difference is usually worth it.
3. Content
Copy, photos and videos are often the real bottleneck. Supplying them yourself saves money but takes time. Good copy that gets found on Google and turns visitors into enquiries is a service in its own right.
4. Features and integrations
Appointment booking, a shop, multiple languages or enquiries that land in the CRM automatically. Every feature adds value, but also effort in implementation and upkeep.
5. Technology
Site builder, WordPress or hand-written HTML: ongoing costs, load time and maintenance effort depend on this. A fast, lean site is no more expensive, but saves years of upkeep and fees.
The calculator: roughly what will your website cost?
Select what your website needs. The calculator shows the typical market range for a project of this scope.
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One-off costs for concept, design, implementation and launch. Hosting and maintenance are added on an ongoing basis, usually €30 to €250 per month.
The calculator is for guidance and is not a price quote. What your website actually costs, we clarify in the initial call.
The hidden costs
- Monthly fees: Site builders and premium add-ons cost money every month, over five years often more than the build itself.
- Maintenance: A content management system needs regular updates, otherwise it becomes a security risk.
- Moving without redirects: If old addresses are not redirected during a relaunch, you lose Google rankings that took years to build.
- Legal: Legal notice, privacy policy and, depending on the company, accessibility under the BFSG (German Accessibility Act) are part of it.
How to recognise a fair quote
- Number of pages, features and feedback rounds are described.
- Ongoing costs are listed separately and transparently.
- The website belongs to you, including source code and login details.
- Redirects for the move are planned.
- Load time and display on smartphones are part of acceptance.
- There is a fixed price instead of open-ended hourly billing.
FAQ
Isn't a site builder cheaper?
At the start, yes. Over the years, though, the monthly fees add up, and you are tied to the platform. Site builders hit their limits sooner on load time, design and discoverability. For a small project, a site builder can still be the right choice.
What ongoing costs are added?
Hosting and domain usually cost between €5 and €50 per month. Maintenance, security updates and small changes cost roughly €50 to €250 per month, depending on scope. With a static website without a content management system, part of the maintenance is no longer needed.
Can I change content myself?
That can be planned in, for example with a simple editing system. Many of our clients prefer to have us make small changes, though. That is often faster and cheaper than having your own system that needs looking after.
How long does it take until the website is ready?
A smaller company website is often online in four to eight weeks. The bottleneck is usually the content, meaning copy and images. That is why it pays to start early or to commission them right away.
