---
title: Website development cost in India (2026): what you get at each price
description: Business sites ₹25,000–₹1,50,000 and e-commerce ₹50,000–₹8,00,000. What each price band buys, and the recurring costs nobody mentions upfront.
source: https://samuelmarndi.com/blog/website-development-cost-india/
site: https://samuelmarndi.com
author: Samuel Marndi
contact: +91 82803 20550 · samuelmarandi6@gmail.com
updated: 2026-08-22
---


# Website development cost in India (2026): what you get at each price

*Cost guide · Updated 2026-07-02 · By Samuel Marndi*

## Short answer

**A small business website in India costs ₹25,000–₹1,50,000 in 2026 for a CMS-based site of 5–15 pages, and e-commerce runs ₹50,000–₹8,00,000** depending on catalogue size, features and integrations. Freelancers typically quote ₹15,000–₹80,000 for a full small-business site; agencies charge ₹1,00,000–₹5,00,000+ for custom builds.

The gap between a ₹30,000 quote and a ₹90,000 quote for the same page count is almost never the pages. It is design originality, content, technical SEO, integrations and post-launch support — each of which is either included or quietly absent.

## What each price band actually buys

| Budget | What you realistically get |
| --- | --- |
| ₹15,000 – ₹30,000 | A template site with your content dropped in. Fine for a basic presence; expect minimal SEO and no strategy |
| ₹30,000 – ₹80,000 | Custom-styled design, proper page structure, technical SEO, CMS, forms, analytics. The sweet spot for most SMEs |
| ₹80,000 – ₹1,50,000 | Original design, 10–20 pages, keyword-mapped service pages, schema, integrations, conversion-focused layouts |
| ₹1,50,000 – ₹5,00,000 | Custom functionality, portals, complex integrations, or agency overheads on the same scope |
| ₹50,000 – ₹8,00,000 (e-commerce) | Scales with catalogue size, payment and shipping integrations, GST invoicing and order management |

## The recurring costs that belong in the decision

| Item | Typical annual cost |
| --- | --- |
| Domain | ₹1,000 – ₹2,000 / year |
| Hosting | ₹2,000 – ₹50,000 / year depending on traffic |
| Maintenance & updates | ₹15,000 – ₹60,000 / year |
| SSL certificate | Usually free with modern hosting |
| Plugin / theme licences (WordPress) | Varies — ask for the list before you commit |

## Why the cheapest quote often costs more

Cheap quotes are usually cheap because something was excluded, and the exclusions are predictable: no keyword research, no schema markup, stock imagery, content you write yourself, no analytics configuration, no post-launch support, and hosting on a shared plan that makes the site slow enough to hurt rankings.

None of that is fraud — it is just scope. The fix is to compare line items rather than totals, and to ask every quote the same five questions below.

- Is keyword research included, and will I see the keyword map?
- Is schema markup and Search Console setup included?
- Who writes the content, and is copywriting in this price?
- What happens in the first 30 days after launch if something breaks?
- Do I own the domain, hosting, repository and CMS logins on day one?

## Related questions

### Is a freelancer cheaper than an agency?

Usually, for the same scope — you are not paying for account managers and office overhead. The trade-off is capacity and continuity, so ask what happens if the freelancer is unavailable for two weeks, and make sure you hold every credential yourself.

### How long should a business website take?

Two to four weeks for 5–8 pages once content is approved. The delay is almost always content, not development.

### Do I need to pay for maintenance?

WordPress sites genuinely need it — plugins are the usual attack path and unpatched sites get compromised. Statically generated sites need far less. Budget ₹15,000–₹60,000 a year for anything running a CMS.

## Related service

- [Website development](https://samuelmarndi.com/services/website-development/) — SEO-first sites, e-commerce and web apps


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*Published by [Samuel Marndi](https://samuelmarndi.com), independent IT consultant, Bengaluru, India.
Source page: https://samuelmarndi.com/blog/website-development-cost-india/
Enquiries: +91 82803 20550 (phone and WhatsApp) · samuelmarandi6@gmail.com · Mon–Sat, 9am–7pm IST
Quotes are written and itemised, issued within 24 hours.*