How Much Does a Small Business Website Cost in Australia? (2026): $0 vs $249 vs $5,000 Agency

“How much does a website cost?” gets answers from $0 to $50,000 because people are describing different things. Below are the four realistic options for a small Australian service business, with current published prices, the ongoing costs people forget, and how to choose.

Website costs in Australia at a glance (October 2026)

Option 1: Free website builders ($0)

Several builders have free plans. Wix’s free plan needs no credit card; you upgrade to a premium plan to connect your own domain and remove Wix branding. WordPress.com’s free sites show WordPress.com ads and use a wordpress.com address. GoDaddy offers a free start with AI credits. Free is fine for testing an idea, but a subdomain and someone else’s ads don’t help a new business look established.

Option 2: DIY builders on a paid plan

Published Australian prices on 19 October 2026:

The real cost of DIY is your time: choosing a template, writing the pages, sizing photos and getting it to look right on phones. Watch for introductory prices that renew higher, and check whether GST is included.

Option 3: A done-for-you starter website ($249)

If you’re starting a service business and signing up for online booking, our New Business Website is a one-off $249 including GST. Under our Terms and Conditions it includes:

• A mobile-responsive WordPress website on our standard design, with up to 5 standard pages.
• Your business and service information (which you supply), a contact page and your contact details.
• Your InstantBookingPro booking system connected, so visitors can book from the site.
• Initial domain setup where your preferred domain is available, and up to two rounds of reasonable revisions.
• 12 months of basic website hosting. From year two, hosting is optional: $86.90 a year including GST if you choose to renew.
• You own the content you supply and the completed website.

It’s typically delivered within 10 business days after we receive your content and the access we need. Domain registration and renewal fees aren’t included; you register the domain in your own name. See the full starting cost, booking plan included, on our starter page for new service businesses.

Want more pages or to edit it yourself? Our website packages are Starter $399, Growth $799 and Premium + CMS $1,299, all plus GST, with hosting, SSL and maintenance at $79 + GST a year from year two if you opt in.

Option 4: An agency or freelance web designer

Agency prices vary widely. Some published examples from Australian businesses on 19 October 2026:

• A Sydney agency’s launch package: from $3,500 + GST for up to 8 pages, with larger builds from $6,500.
• A Perth web designer’s packages: $597 (1 page), $797 (5 pages) and $997 (8 pages) setup, plus an annual hosting fee.
• An Adelaide agency estimates starter websites at $2,500 to $7,000 and small business websites at $4,000 to $10,000, with freelancers at $80 to $150 an hour and agencies at $150 to $250 an hour. These are that agency’s market estimates.

You’re paying for custom design, strategy and someone else doing the work. For a brand-new service business, that budget is often better spent on getting your first customers, then upgrading the website later.

Is there a monthly fee to have a website?

Usually, yes, even if the build was a one-off. The ongoing costs are:

• Domain name: a .com.au needs an Australian presence and a connection such as an ABN or business name, under auDA’s licensing rules. On 19 October, published .com.au prices included $9.95 a year at VentraIP and from $20.99 at Crazy Domains, with first-year offers at several registrars.
• Hosting: often included with builders. Standalone hosting can start from a few dollars a month on a long term, renewing higher. SSL (the padlock) is commonly included free.
• Business email: Google Workspace Business Starter is $9.90 a user a month on an annual commitment, excluding tax, and Microsoft 365 Business Basic is AU$10.50 a user a month paid yearly, excluding GST.
• Your time or a maintainer’s for updates, new photos and price changes.

What is the average cost of a 5-page website?

There’s no official average. From the published examples above, a 5-page site ranges from free (DIY) to roughly $250 to $800 for a simple done-for-you or small-designer site, to several thousand dollars from an agency. The difference is mostly who does the work and how custom the design is.

Is it worth having a website for a small business?

A website isn’t required to take bookings: a booking page with its own link works on Google, Instagram and in text messages from day one. But a website gives customers somewhere to check you’re real, see your services and prices, and book. For a new service business, a simple, fast site with a clear Book now button does most of the work. See how to take bookings online and how to add a Book now button to Instagram and Google.

Starting a cleaning business? Our guide to starting a cleaning business in Australia covers ABN, insurance and pricing. See how booking works for salons and barbers and car washes, or try the live booking demo.

Frequently asked questions

Prices checked on vendors’ and registrars’ own pages on 19 October 2026 and shown as published. They change often; confirm current prices before buying.