How much does a small business website cost in Australia?
Short answer: most Australian small businesses pay somewhere between $1,000 and $5,000 for a simple website from a freelancer, and from about $2,500 to well over $10,000 from an agency. On top of that, budget for ongoing costs, which range from almost nothing to a few thousand dollars a year depending on how the site is built.
Typical prices in 2026
| Option | Typical cost (AUD) | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| DIY website builder | About $200–500 a year in fees, plus your time (often 40+ hours) | Very small budgets, if you have the time |
| Freelancer | About $1,000–5,000 for a simple 5–8 page site | Most small service businesses |
| Small agency | About $2,500–6,000, with some quoting $8,000–25,000 | Larger sites, more design work, a team |
These ranges come from Australian pricing guides published in 2026, mostly by web businesses themselves, so treat them as a guide rather than a rule. Many don't say whether GST is included; always check.
What drives the price
- Number of pages and how much writing is involved. Content is often the slowest part.
- Custom design versus a template.
- Features: bookings, online payments, a shop or a members' area add cost and ongoing upkeep.
- Who's doing it. Australian freelancers commonly charge about $90–150 an hour, senior specialists more, and small agencies about $150–250 an hour.
Don't forget ongoing costs
The build price is only part of it. Guides commonly suggest budgeting $500 to $3,000 a year for hosting, maintenance, plugin licences and updates.
That's mostly the cost of looking after a server and software like WordPress: security updates, plugin updates, backups and fixes when an update breaks something. A static website served from a global network avoids most of it. For many small business sites the ongoing cost comes down to the domain name.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Who owns the domain, the hosting account and the website files?
- What are the ongoing costs, and what happens if I stop paying them?
- Is GST included?
- What's included after launch, and for how long?
- How fast will it load on a phone, and how is it found on Google?
What I charge
My small business websites start from $1,500 (no GST to add), one-off, with no monthly care plan. You own the domain, the accounts and the code. If you want a fixed price for yours, get in touch.