What actually makes up the price of a website
When you pay a notional $2,000 for a corporate site, you're not paying for "design and code." You're paying for at least six separate types of work, performed by different people.
First — analytics and structure: someone has to research your competitors, target audience, customer journey and decide which blocks go on the site and in what order. Second — UX/UI design: the prototype and visual design of all pages across screen sizes. Third — frontend development: turning the design into code that works in the browser. Fourth — backend and CMS so you can edit content yourself. Fifth — SEO structure: clean URLs, meta tags, schema markup, page speed. Sixth — integrations: CRM, analytics, forms, payment systems.
Real website prices in Ukraine in 2026
These aren't generic averages — these are the actual ranges that work in the market right now.
Landing page (single page)
The lower bound is a template solution on a builder like Weblium with minimal customization. The upper bound is a landing page with custom design, copywriting, A/B testing, CRM integration and configured analytics.
Corporate website (3–10 pages)
For $800 you get a template with your text and photos. For $4,000–$5,000 you get full custom development with thoughtful structure, unique design, SEO optimization and training for your team.
Online store
A Shopify or Хорошоп store with basic functionality costs $1,500–$3,500. A store with custom functionality, warehouse integrations, 1С, delivery services and payment systems — from $5,000. Large e-commerce projects with custom logic (B2B portals, product configurators, multi-language with separate catalogs) start from $12,000.
Why the same website costs three different amounts at three different teams
If you've ever asked for budget estimates from multiple vendors, you've probably hit this: someone says $1,500, someone says $4,500, someone says $9,000 — all for "the same landing page." What's going on?
The biggest factor is team composition. A freelancer works alone and only bills their own time. A small agency with a 4–6 person team accounts for the work of an analyst, designer, developer, project manager and QA. This is automatically more expensive — but the risk of failure is several times lower. A large agency also factors in office costs, accounting, executives — making it more expensive than average for the same quality.
The second factor is willingness to take responsibility. Cheap offers usually mean "we'll do what you tell us." More expensive ones mean "we'll analyze your business and propose a solution that brings leads." These are fundamentally different approaches.
The third factor is post-launch support. Cheap offers almost never include it. That means a month later, when you need to swap a banner or add a product, you pay extra. The cost of these small fixes from a freelancer is often higher than annual support at an agency.
Where you can really save and where you absolutely can't
You can save on platform: if you're a small business with a simple catalog, don't order custom development — Shopify or Хорошоп covers 95% of needs at a fifth of the cost. You can save on content: if you have the resources to write your own copy and source your own photos, that knocks $200–$500 off the budget. You can save on design: premium templates adapted to your brand often look just as good as fully custom design.
How much does post-launch website support cost
This question gets asked five times less often than "how much does a website cost" — and that's a mistake. Support costs from $50 to $500 per month depending on scope. Basic support (CMS updates, plugins, security monitoring, backups) — that's $50–$150. Active support with regular content edits, adding products, small improvements — $200–$400. Site development with ongoing improvements and A/B tests — from $500.
A site without support turns into a leaky boat within a year: plugins age, vulnerabilities appear, speed drops.
How to figure out the budget you need
Answer three questions.
First: what's the expected return from the site in dollars over the first 12 months? If you plan to get 50 leads per month at an average $1,000 ticket — a $5,000 investment in the site pays back in two or three weeks of operation.
Second: do you have an in-house team to fill and manage the site? If not — budget for support.
Third: do you want fast results or a long-term play? Fast — landing page plus paid ads. Long-term — corporate site with SEO structure and a blog.
Frequently asked questions about website pricing
Can you build a decent website for under $500?
Yes, if you're ready to work on a template without serious customization, write your own copy, source your own photos, and not expect deep analytics. For testing an idea — fine. For serious business — no.
How long does it take to build a website?
Landing page — 2–4 weeks. Corporate site — 4–8 weeks. Online store — 6–12 weeks. If someone promises "a website in a week" — it's almost always a template with minimal adaptation.
Do I pay separately for domain and hosting?
Yes, these are separate expenses. Domain — about $10–15 per year. Hosting — from $5 to $50 per month depending on traffic.
Why does a freelancer cost twice as much as an agency?
Because a freelancer doesn't have a project manager, analyst, QA tester or backup designer. Fine for small tasks. For business with risks — dangerous: if the freelancer gets sick or disappears, you're left without a site and without code.
Do I have to pay for website updates?
If you have technical support — updates are included in the monthly fee. If not — each edit is billed separately, usually $20–$80 per hour.
Want an exact estimate for your project?
Lúmi offers a free consultation where we'll give you a realistic estimate and show examples from our portfolio. No commitment — just a conversation with people who've been building websites that bring leads for 7 years.
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