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Website Design Cost in India: What a Website Really Costs in 2026

Quotes for the same website can range from ₹8,000 to ₹2 lakh. Here is what the market actually charges, what drives the difference, and the yearly costs that most quotes leave out.

By Nitish, Biz HoistPublished 22 September 20266 min read
Last updated September 2026

How much does website design cost in India?

The short answer: Website design cost in India is usually ₹10,000–₹30,000 for a simple static site, ₹20,000–₹80,000 for a 5–10 page WordPress business site, and ₹50,000 to several lakh for an e-commerce store. Custom-built sites and web applications start around ₹1.5 lakh. Add 18% GST to most agency quotes, plus ₹5,000–₹12,000 a year for domain, hosting and email.

These ranges come from comparing 2026 price lists published by Indian agencies and freelancers. They are wide because a "website" can mean a one-page business card or a store with a thousand products.

Type of websiteTypical costGood for
Static / one-page₹10,000 – ₹30,000Local shops, consultants, a simple online presence
WordPress business site (5–10 pages)₹20,000 – ₹80,000Clinics, service businesses, firms that update content
E-commerce store₹50,000 – ₹5,00,000+Selling products online with payments
Custom site or web app₹1,50,000+Bookings, portals, dashboards, unusual logic

Freelancers usually sit at the lower end of each band, and established agencies in Mumbai, Bengaluru or Delhi at the upper end. Neither is automatically better. What matters is whether the scope in the quote matches what your business needs.

What you get at each price level

₹10,000–₹30,000: a static site

Home, about, services and contact, usually built on a ready-made theme. It gives you a professional presence on Google and something to share on WhatsApp. Every text change needs the developer, and there is rarely any real SEO setup.

₹20,000–₹80,000: a WordPress business site

This is where most owner-run businesses land. You get 5–10 pages, a content system you can edit yourself, contact forms that reach your inbox, mobile layouts and basic search setup. The difference between the bottom and top of this range is mostly design effort and how much the theme is customised.

₹50,000 and up: e-commerce

Product pages, a cart, a payment gateway such as Razorpay, shipping rules and order emails. Cost rises quickly with the number of products, filters, integrations with inventory or courier software, and whether the store is built on WooCommerce, Shopify or custom code.

₹1.5 lakh and up: custom

Booking systems, customer portals, multi-branch setups or anything a theme cannot do cleanly. This is software development more than website design, and it is priced by the work involved.

What pushes website design cost up or down

Five things explain most of the gap between two quotes for the same website design cost in India:

  • Custom design or a template. A bought theme is cheaper; a layout designed around your business costs more but looks less generic.
  • Number of pages and features. Every booking form, calculator, language or login adds time.
  • Who writes the content. If the developer writes your copy, expect it to be priced in.
  • Integrations. Payment gateways, WhatsApp, CRMs and inventory tools each add setup and testing.
  • Speed and SEO work. A site built to load fast and rank properly takes more care than one that simply looks right.

The yearly costs most quotes leave out

The build price is only part of your website design cost in India. Budget for these every year:

  • Domain name: roughly ₹800–₹1,500 a year for a .com or .in.
  • Hosting: from a few thousand rupees on shared hosting to more on a managed server.
  • Business email: Google Workspace or Zoho Mail, charged per user.
  • Premium plugins or themes: some renew annually.
  • Maintenance: updates, backups and small fixes. Some agencies call this an AMC.

Most agency quotes in India are also ex-GST, so the final invoice is 18% higher. Confirm this in writing before you start.

Is a ₹5,000 website worth it?

Sometimes. For a tiny business that just needs its name, phone number and map on Google, a cheap site or even a free builder can be enough. The trouble starts when a very low price quietly skips things you need: a site that loads slowly, has no mobile layout, uses copied content, or sits on hosting you do not control. Rebuilding a bad site often costs more than building a decent one first time, so the lowest website design cost in India is rarely the lowest total cost.

Does the platform change the cost?

Yes, and it affects the running cost as much as the build. WordPress is the most common choice in India because the software is free, developers are easy to find and you can move hosts freely. Shopify suits product stores but adds a monthly subscription and app fees. Custom-coded sites cost more to build but can be faster and cheaper to run, because nothing is loading that is not needed.

When you compare quotes, make sure they use the same platform, otherwise you are comparing different products. A ₹25,000 WordPress quote and a ₹25,000 builder subscription over a few years are very different commitments. The platform shapes website design cost in India as much as the design itself.

What a good website should include at any price

Whatever you spend, a professional website should meet a basic standard. If a quote does not include these, ask why:

  • Mobile-friendly layouts that are tested on real phones, not just a resized browser.
  • Pages that load in about three seconds or less on mobile data.
  • A contact form that emails you reliably, plus a WhatsApp or call button.
  • Basic SEO: unique titles and descriptions, headings, a sitemap and a Google Business Profile link.
  • SSL (the padlock in the browser) and a backup arrangement.
  • Your own logins to the domain, hosting and site admin.

A site that ticks these boxes at ₹25,000 is better value than a flashy one at ₹60,000 that loads slowly and cannot be found on Google. Website design cost in India only makes sense measured against what the site does for your business.

How to compare website design quotes

  1. Ask for the exact list of pages and features, not just a total.
  2. Check whether content, images and SEO setup are included.
  3. Ask who owns the domain, hosting account and code at the end. It should be you.
  4. Confirm the yearly costs after launch and whether GST is included.
  5. Look at live sites they have built and test them on your phone.
  6. Ask what happens if something breaks in the first month.

If you are weighing up platforms first, our comparison of Wix vs WordPress vs Squarespace covers the trade-offs. For the search side, see what SEO costs in India.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a small business website cost in India?

Most small businesses in India pay ₹20,000–₹80,000 for a 5–10 page WordPress site with mobile layouts, contact forms and basic SEO. A simple static site can cost ₹10,000–₹30,000. Agency quotes are usually ex-GST, so add 18%.

Is GST charged on website design in India?

Yes. Website design and development is a taxable service at 18% GST when the provider is GST-registered. Many quotes show the price before GST, so ask whether the figure is inclusive.

How much does website maintenance cost in India?

It depends on the site. Basic upkeep of updates, backups and small edits is often a modest monthly or annual fee, while stores and busy sites cost more. Ask for a written list of what the maintenance fee covers.

How long does it take to build a website?

A static site can take one to two weeks. A typical WordPress business site takes two to six weeks, and e-commerce or custom builds take longer. Slow content and feedback from the client are the most common causes of delay.

Should I use a free website builder instead?

For a very small business, a builder can be a sensible start. You trade flexibility, speed and ownership for convenience. If the site needs to rank on Google or bring in steady enquiries, a properly built site usually pays for itself.

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