Website builder pricing in 2026: what you actually pay.
Updated 28 April 2026
The price on the signup page is rarely the price you pay. Intro rates expire. Domain renewals cost extra. Email may not be included. This page lays out the real numbers and a calculator you can run for your own setup.
Year-2 cost calculator.
Compare up to three platforms side by side, including renewal pricing, domain renewal, and optional custom email.
- Year 1 total
- $192
- Year 2 total
- $208
- 3-year total
- $608
- Year 1 total
- $348
- Year 2 total
- $364
- 3-year total
- $1076
Every plan, every price.
Annual billing prices are shown as their monthly equivalent. Monthly billing carries a 20 to 40% premium. Always reverify pricing on the platform's site before subscribing.
| Platform | Plan | Annual /mo | Monthly /mo | Renewal /mo | Shop | Free domain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Squarespace | Personal | $16 | $23 | $16 | No | Extra | 1 year |
| Business | $23 | $33 | $23 | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Commerce Basic | $28 | $36 | $28 | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Commerce Advanced | $52 | $65 | $52 | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
Wix | Light | $17 | $23 | $17 | No | Extra | 1 year |
| Core | $29 | $36 | $29 | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Business | $36 | $42 | $36 | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Business Elite | $159 | $175 | $159 | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
Shopify | Basic | $29 | $39 | $29 | Yes | Extra | No |
| Shopify | $79 | $105 | $79 | Yes | Extra | No | |
| Advanced | $299 | $399 | $299 | Yes | Extra | No | |
WordPress.com | Personal | $4 | $9 | $4 | No | Included | 1 year |
| Premium | $8 | $14 | $8 | No | Included | 1 year | |
| Business | $25 | $33 | $25 | Yes | Included | 1 year | |
GoDaddy | Basic | $10.99 | $12.99 | $10.99 | No | Extra | 1 year |
| Standard | $15.99 | $17.99 | $15.99 | No | Included | 1 year | |
| Commerce | $20.99 | $24.99 | $20.99 | Yes | Included | 1 year | |
Hostinger | Premium | $2.99 | $11.99 | $10.99+268% | No | Included | 1 year |
| Business | $3.99 | $14.99 | $12.99+226% | Yes | Included | 1 year |
Hidden costs to budget for.
The plan price is only part of what you pay. These are the line items most owners miss.
Domain renewal after the free first year
Most builders include a free domain for the first year. After that, plan on around $12 to $20 per year for a .com renewal. Some builders charge more than independent registrars for the same renewal.
Custom email if it is not included
Squarespace, Wix, and Shopify do not bundle email hosting. Add Google Workspace at around $6/mo per mailbox. WordPress.com, GoDaddy Standard and up, and Hostinger include basic email.
Shopify apps
A typical Shopify store uses 3 to 5 paid apps for reviews, email marketing, SEO, and upsells. Each costs around $10 to $50/mo. Plan for an extra $30 to $200/mo on top of the plan price.
Transaction fees on lower tiers
Shopify charges 2% on sales when you don't use Shopify Payments. Squarespace Business charges 3% (Commerce plans are 0%). Webflow Standard charges 2%. At scale these become real money.
Premium templates and plugins
Most builders include free templates, but some premium options are around $50 to $200 one-off. WordPress plugins for advanced SEO, forms, or security can run another $50 to $300 per year each.
Which plan do I actually need?
A basic business website with a custom domain
Squarespace Personal, Wix Light, or GoDaddy Basic are all in the around $11-17/mo range and cover the basics with a custom domain.
A website that can sell products
Shopify Basic if selling is the primary goal. Squarespace Commerce or Wix Business if you want a full website with a shop attached.
A content-driven site with strong SEO
WordPress.com Business unlocks Yoast and full plugin support. Squarespace Business covers most needs without the same flexibility.
The cheapest professional site possible
Hostinger Premium has the lowest intro pricing but renews higher. GoDaddy Basic offers more stable long-term economics.