Website Builder Pricing Comparison 2026: What You Will Actually Pay
Updated 16 April 2026
The monthly price on the signup page is not the price you will pay. Introductory rates expire. Domain renewals cost extra. Email may not be included. This page shows the full picture so you can budget accurately.
True Cost Calculator
Compare the real cost of up to 3 platforms side by side, including renewal pricing, domain, and email.
Every Plan, Every Price
| Platform | Plan | Annual billing | Monthly billing | Renewal rate | Ecommerce | Free domain | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squarespace | Personal | $16/mo | $23/mo | $16/mo | No | Extra | 1 year |
| Business | $23/mo | $33/mo | $23/mo | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Commerce Basic | $28/mo | $36/mo | $28/mo | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Commerce Advanced | $52/mo | $65/mo | $52/mo | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Wix | Light | $17/mo | $23/mo | $17/mo | No | Extra | 1 year |
| Core | $29/mo | $36/mo | $29/mo | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Business | $36/mo | $42/mo | $36/mo | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Business Elite | $159/mo | $175/mo | $159/mo | Yes | Extra | 1 year | |
| Shopify | Basic | $29/mo | $39/mo | $29/mo | Yes | Extra | No |
| Shopify | $79/mo | $105/mo | $79/mo | Yes | Extra | No | |
| Advanced | $299/mo | $399/mo | $299/mo | Yes | Extra | No | |
| WordPress.com | Personal | $4/mo | $9/mo | $4/mo | No | Included | 1 year |
| Premium | $8/mo | $14/mo | $8/mo | No | Included | 1 year | |
| Business | $25/mo | $33/mo | $25/mo | Yes | Included | 1 year | |
| GoDaddy | Basic | $10.99/mo | $12.99/mo | $10.99/mo | No | Extra | 1 year |
| Standard | $15.99/mo | $17.99/mo | $15.99/mo | No | Included | 1 year | |
| Commerce | $20.99/mo | $24.99/mo | $20.99/mo | Yes | Included | 1 year | |
| Hostinger | Premium | $2.99/mo | $11.99/mo | $10.99/mo+268% | No | Included | 1 year |
| Business | $3.99/mo | $14.99/mo | $12.99/mo+226% | Yes | Included | 1 year |
All prices in USD. Annual billing prices shown as monthly equivalent. Pricing verified April 2026. Always confirm current pricing directly with each platform.
Hidden Costs to Budget For
The monthly plan price is only part of what you will pay. These additional costs catch many small business owners off guard.
Domain renewal after free first year
Most builders include a free domain for the first year. After that, expect to pay $12 to $20 per year for a .com domain renewal. Some platforms charge more than registrars like Namecheap or Cloudflare for the same renewal.
Custom email (if not included)
Squarespace, Wix, and Shopify do not include email hosting. You will need Google Workspace ($6/mo) or similar. WordPress.com and GoDaddy Standard+ include basic email. Hostinger includes email on all paid plans.
Shopify apps
A typical Shopify store uses 3 to 5 paid apps for reviews, email marketing, SEO, and upselling. Each costs $10 to $50 per month. This can add $30 to $200 per month to your Shopify bill that is not reflected in the plan price.
Transaction fees on lower tiers
Shopify charges 2% on sales if you do not use Shopify Payments. Squarespace Business charges 3% transaction fees (Commerce plans charge 0%). Webflow Standard charges 2%. These add up fast at scale.
Premium templates and plugins
Wix and WordPress.com have free templates, but some premium options cost $50 to $200 one-time. WordPress plugins for advanced SEO, forms, or security can cost $50 to $300 per year each.
Which Plan Do I Actually Need?
A basic business website with your domain
Squarespace Personal ($16/mo), Wix Light ($17/mo), or GoDaddy Basic ($10.99/mo). Any of these gives you a professional site with a custom domain.
A website that can sell products
Shopify Basic ($29/mo) if selling is your primary goal. Squarespace Commerce Basic ($28/mo) or Wix Business ($36/mo) if you want a full website with an online shop added.
A content-driven site with strong SEO
WordPress.com Business ($25/mo) for access to Yoast SEO and full plugin support. Squarespace Business ($23/mo) if you prefer simpler management with good built-in SEO.
The cheapest possible professional site
Hostinger Premium at $2.99/mo (first term only). Be aware this renews at $10.99/mo. GoDaddy Basic at $10.99/mo offers more stable pricing long-term.