One of the most common questions asked by business owners is simple:
“How much does a website cost?”
In 2025 and moving into 2026, the honest answer remains: it depends.
That answer may sound vague, but it reflects reality. A website is not a fixed product with a universal price tag. Two websites can look similar on the surface, yet differ drastically in how they are built, secured, optimized, and maintained behind the scenes.
Indicative budgets can range from around MUR 15,000 ($330) for a very simple informational website to MUR 150,000+ ($3,300+) for a fully custom, scalable platform. These figures are not fixed prices — they simply reflect common ranges based on scope, complexity, and long-term requirements.
Understanding why these differences exist helps you make better decisions and avoid costly mistakes.
A website is not “just a website”
Many people think of a website as a set of pages: Home, About, Services, Contact.
But in reality, a modern website is often:
- A marketing tool
- A sales channel
- A trust signal
- A performance-sensitive system
- A long-term business asset
The more responsibility a website has, the more planning, logic, and engineering it requires — and that directly affects cost.
Template websites vs custom-built websites
One of the biggest factors influencing price is how the website is built.
Template-based websites
Template websites use pre-designed layouts and existing structures. These are often built on popular website builders or CMS platforms with minimal customization.
Why templates cost less:
- The design already exists
- Limited customization
- Faster setup
- Minimal logic or automation
These websites can be perfectly fine for:
- Personal projects
- Very small businesses
- Temporary or informational needs
However, template-based websites often come with limitations:
- Restricted design flexibility
- Performance constraints
- Generic structure shared by thousands of sites
- Limited scalability
When someone offers a very low-cost website, it is often because they are using a template and adjusting content rather than building functionality.
Custom-built websites
Custom websites are designed and developed specifically for your business, goals, and users.
Why custom websites cost more:
- Custom design and layout
- Tailored user experience
- Custom logic and features
- Optimized performance
- Scalable architecture
Custom development means more code, and more code means:
- More planning
- More development time
- More testing
- More responsibility
The benefit is control, flexibility, and long-term reliability.
Complexity and logic: why “more features” increases cost
Every additional feature adds complexity.
Examples include:
- Advanced contact forms
- Booking systems
- Dashboards
- Multilingual content
- User accounts
- Integrations with third-party tools
- Custom business logic
Each feature requires:
- Planning how it should work
- Writing the code
- Testing edge cases
- Ensuring security
- Maintaining it over time
A simple website displays information.
A complex website processes information — and that requires engineering, not just design.
Hosting: one of the most misunderstood costs
Hosting is where your website lives. It affects:
- Speed
- Security
- Reliability
- Scalability
Shared hosting
Shared hosting means your website shares a server with many others.
Pros:
- Low cost
Cons:
- Slower performance
- Limited resources
- Higher security risks
- Less control
Many low-cost websites rely on shared hosting because it keeps upfront costs down. However, performance and security are often compromised.
VPS or dedicated hosting
More professional websites use VPS or dedicated servers.
Pros:
- Better performance
- Improved security
- More control
- Scalability
Cons:
- Higher cost
- Requires monitoring and maintenance
The hosting choice alone can significantly influence website pricing and long-term stability.
Domain costs: small but necessary
Domain names usually involve:
- Initial registration
- Annual renewal
While domain costs are relatively low compared to development, they are recurring and essential. Premium domains or special extensions may cost more.
Maintenance: the “hidden” cost many people ignore
A website is not a one-time delivery.
Technology evolves constantly. Browsers update. Frameworks change. Security threats evolve. Without maintenance, even a well-built website can become slow, buggy, or vulnerable.
Maintenance may include:
- Software updates
- Bug fixes
- Performance optimization
- Security patches
- Backup monitoring
Skipping maintenance saves money short term but increases risk long term.
Server monitoring and security
Professional websites often include:
- Server uptime monitoring
- Error logging
- Security scans
- Spam protection
- Backup verification
These elements are invisible to visitors but critical for business continuity.
Low-cost websites often exclude these services entirely.
Performance and speed optimization
Website speed is no longer optional.
Slow websites:
- Lose visitors
- Rank lower on search engines
- Reduce conversions
Optimizing performance requires:
- Clean, efficient code
- Optimized images
- Proper caching
- Server configuration
These optimizations take time and expertise — and therefore affect cost.
SEO: more than just keywords
Search Engine Optimization is not just adding keywords to a page.
Professional SEO involves:
- Technical structure
- Page speed
- Mobile optimization
- Metadata
- Clean URLs
- Content hierarchy
SEO-friendly development is often part of higher-quality websites, while cheaper builds may ignore it completely.
Updates and evolving technology
Web technologies change rapidly.
What works today may need adjustment tomorrow. Keeping a website updated helps:
- Fix bugs
- Improve compatibility
- Increase speed
- Maintain security
A website built without considering future updates may require a full rebuild sooner than expected.
Why very low prices should raise questions
When someone offers a very low-cost website, it usually means:
- Heavy use of templates
- Minimal customization
- Shared hosting
- Limited security
- No long-term maintenance
This does not automatically mean “bad”, but it often means limited scope.
Problems usually appear later:
- Slow performance
- Security issues
- Poor SEO
- Need for a full rebuild
This is why low-cost websites can become expensive over time.
Cost vs value: the real comparison
The real question is not:
“How much does a website cost?”
But rather:
“What does this website include, and how long will it last?”
A professional website is built to:
- Support business growth
- Adapt to change
- Remain secure and fast
- Avoid frequent rebuilds
Final thoughts
Website pricing varies because websites vary.
Templates and custom builds serve different purposes.
More complexity means more logic, more code, and more responsibility.
Hosting, maintenance, security, performance, and SEO all contribute to the real cost of owning a website.
Instead of focusing on the lowest price, focus on fit, quality, and long-term value.
A well-built website is not an expense — it’s an investment in your business.