How much does a business website cost in India? The honest answer spans a huge range — anywhere from ₹8,000 for a basic template site to ₹15,00,000+ for a fully custom e-commerce platform with integrations. That range isn’t an agency dodging the question; it genuinely reflects how differently “a website” can be scoped depending on complexity, platform, and what the business actually needs it to do.
This guide breaks the number down properly — by website type, by platform, by industry, and by what’s often left out of the initial quote — so you can budget accurately instead of getting blindsided by a “final bill” that’s double the number you were first given.
Why Website Costs Vary So Widely in India
Before the price breakdown, it helps to understand the five factors that actually move the number:
- Number of pages and complexity — A 5-page brochure site costs a fraction of a 50-page catalogue or multi-location business site
- Custom design vs. template — Fully custom UI/UX design costs significantly more than a customised premium theme, but delivers stronger brand differentiation
- Functionality required — Booking systems, payment gateways, membership logins, and multi-language support all add development time and cost
- Platform choice — WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, and fully custom-coded (React/Next.js) builds all have very different cost structures
- Agency vs. freelancer vs. DIY — The same scope can cost 3–5x more or less depending on who builds it
Website Cost in India by Type (2026 Pricing)
| Website Type | Typical Cost Range (₹) | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Basic brochure/informational site (5–8 pages) | ₹15,000 – ₹40,000 | 1–2 weeks |
| Small business website with CMS | ₹35,000 – ₹80,000 | 2–4 weeks |
| Business website with booking/enquiry system | ₹60,000 – ₹1,50,000 | 4–6 weeks |
| E-commerce website (WordPress/WooCommerce or Shopify) | ₹80,000 – ₹3,00,000 | 4–8 weeks |
| Custom-coded website/web app | ₹2,50,000 – ₹15,00,000+ | 8–16+ weeks |
| Landing page (single page, campaign-specific) | ₹8,000 – ₹25,000 | 3–7 days |
These ranges reflect what businesses in India typically pay working with a professional website design and development team — DIY builder costs (Wix, basic Shopify themes) sit lower, but usually require significantly more of the business owner’s own time and come with real limitations on customisation and performance.
What’s Actually Included in the Price — And What’s Often Not
A quote that looks cheap on paper often becomes expensive once you discover what’s missing. Here’s what a complete website project should include, and what commonly gets left out:
Usually included in a proper quote:
- UI/UX design (custom or premium template customisation)
- Responsive development (mobile, tablet, desktop)
- Basic SEO setup (meta tags, sitemap, schema markup)
- Content upload for existing copy
- Contact forms and basic integrations (WhatsApp button, Google Maps)
- One round of revisions
Frequently excluded — ask explicitly:
- Domain and hosting — Domain costs ₹800–₹1,500/year; hosting ranges ₹3,000–₹25,000/year depending on traffic and server type
- SSL certificate — Often bundled with hosting, but confirm; standalone SSL can cost ₹2,000–₹8,000/year
- Copywriting — Many quotes assume you’ll supply your own website content; professional copywriting typically adds ₹15,000–₹50,000 depending on page count
- Stock photography or custom photography — Licensed stock images or a photoshoot can add ₹5,000–₹50,000
- Payment gateway integration fees — Razorpay/PayU setup is usually free, but transaction fees (typically 2%) apply per sale
- Ongoing maintenance — Covered separately below, and one of the most commonly underestimated costs
Platform Comparison: WordPress vs Shopify vs Custom-Coded vs Website Builders
WordPress (Most Common for Indian Businesses)
Typical cost: ₹35,000 – ₹2,50,000 WordPress remains the most cost-effective option for content-heavy business websites, blogs, and most service businesses, largely because of its flexibility, plugin ecosystem, and strong SEO foundation. It’s our default recommendation for most small businesses and hospitality clients unless there’s a specific reason to go custom-coded.
Shopify (Best for E-commerce)
Typical cost: ₹80,000 – ₹3,00,000 (plus ₹1,999–₹9,999/month subscription) Shopify’s monthly subscription model shifts more cost into ongoing fees rather than upfront build cost, but it offers the most reliable out-of-the-box e-commerce infrastructure — inventory, payments, shipping — without needing custom development for standard features.
Custom-Coded (React/Next.js or similar)
Typical cost: ₹2,50,000 – ₹15,00,000+ Custom-coded builds make sense for startups needing unique functionality (marketplaces, SaaS dashboards, complex booking logic) that off-the-shelf platforms can’t support well. This is overkill for most small businesses, but essential for tech-driven startups building a product-led business.
Website Builders (Wix, Squarespace)
Typical cost: ₹5,000 – ₹30,000/year (subscription-based, DIY) The lowest upfront cost option, suitable for solo entrepreneurs or very early-stage businesses testing an idea. The tradeoff is limited SEO control, slower page speeds on higher-traffic sites, and difficulty migrating away later without rebuilding from scratch.
Website Cost by Industry — Real Examples
Hotels & Resorts: ₹80,000 – ₹2,50,000, typically including a booking engine integration, photo galleries, and virtual tour support. Given how much organic traffic and direct bookings depend on site speed and structure, this is one category where investing above the minimum tier consistently pays off — see our hotel digital marketing page for how the website fits into a broader booking strategy.
Restaurants & Cafes: ₹25,000 – ₹70,000, usually a WordPress build with menu display, table booking or ordering integration, and Google Maps embed.
Real Estate: ₹60,000 – ₹2,00,000, often requiring property listing management, filters/search functionality, and lead capture forms tied into a CRM.
Healthcare & Clinics: ₹40,000 – ₹1,20,000, typically including appointment booking, doctor profiles, and content structured for medical trust signals (relevant to Google’s YMYL standards).
E-commerce/Retail: ₹80,000 – ₹3,00,000+, scaling with product catalogue size, payment gateway complexity, and whether inventory syncing with a physical store (POS integration) is required.
B2B/Professional Services: ₹35,000 – ₹1,00,000, usually prioritising case studies, service pages, and lead-gen forms over transactional functionality.
Don’t Forget: Ongoing Website Maintenance Costs
A website isn’t a one-time expense. Budgeting for annual maintenance avoids the common trap of an outdated, vulnerable, or slow site within 12–18 months of launch.
- Basic maintenance (updates, backups, uptime monitoring): ₹3,000 – ₹10,000/month
- Content updates (blog posts, page edits): ₹5,000 – ₹20,000/month depending on volume
- Hosting renewal: ₹3,000 – ₹25,000/year
- Domain renewal: ₹800 – ₹1,500/year
- Security and SSL renewal: ₹2,000 – ₹8,000/year
Across a full year, budgeting roughly 15–20% of your original build cost for maintenance and hosting is a reasonable planning benchmark.
Agency vs. Freelancer vs. In-House: Cost Comparison
| Option | Typical Cost | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | 30–50% lower than agency | Higher risk of delays, limited post-launch support, single point of failure |
| Agency | Full quoted range above | Higher cost, but includes design, dev, QA, and ongoing support as a team |
| In-house developer | ₹4,00,000 – ₹8,00,000+/year salary | Only cost-effective if you need continuous development beyond just the initial site |
For most small and mid-sized businesses, an agency delivers the best cost-to-reliability ratio — freelancers can be cheaper for simple sites, but the risk of project abandonment or unavailability for urgent fixes is a real, frequently underestimated cost.
Is a Cheap Website Actually Cheaper?
A ₹15,000 website that loads slowly, isn’t mobile-optimised, and has no SEO foundation often costs more in the long run than a properly built ₹60,000 site — because it generates fewer leads, ranks poorly, and typically needs a full rebuild within 18–24 months. Website cost should be evaluated against what it needs to do — generate leads, support SEO, convert visitors — not just against the lowest quote received. Our post on what an SEO company in India actually does covers how site structure and technical health directly affect how well a website performs in search, regardless of how much was spent on visual design alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a basic business website cost in India? A basic 5–8 page brochure website typically costs ₹15,000–₹40,000 with a professional agency, or less through DIY builders with more limitations.
Is WordPress cheaper than a custom-coded website? Yes, significantly — WordPress builds typically cost ₹35,000–₹2,50,000, while custom-coded websites start around ₹2,50,000 and can exceed ₹15,00,000 depending on complexity.
What is the average website maintenance cost in India? Most small business websites cost ₹3,000–₹10,000/month for basic maintenance, plus annual hosting and domain renewal of roughly ₹5,000–₹25,000.
Do I need a custom website or is a template enough? A well-customised premium template is sufficient for most small and mid-sized businesses; custom design is worth the added cost mainly for businesses where brand differentiation is a core competitive advantage, or where functionality can’t be achieved through existing themes/plugins.
Final Thoughts
So, how much does a business website cost in India in 2026? For most small to mid-sized businesses, a realistic, properly scoped budget falls between ₹35,000 and ₹1,50,000 for the initial build, plus ongoing maintenance of roughly 15–20% of that cost annually. E-commerce and custom-functionality sites push well beyond that range, but for most local and service businesses, a well-built WordPress site remains the most cost-effective foundation for both lead generation and long-term SEO growth.
If you want an accurate, no-surprises quote for your specific business and industry, get in touch with RND Digital for a free consultation — we’ll scope exactly what you need before quoting a number.
