You ask for a quote for "a website". The first provider says €99, the second €1,500, the third €8,000. You wonder which one is trying to rip you off. The honest answer: none, probably. They simply aren't talking about the same site.
A website isn't an off-the-shelf product with a price tag. It's an assembly of choices, and each choice has a cost. Understanding those choices is the only way to read a quote, compare like with like, and pay a fair price. Here's how to find your way.
Why the same "site" can cost from a few hundred to over €10,000
Before talking figures, you need to understand what weighs on a bill. Five factors explain most of the gaps.
- The number of pages. A single presentation page isn't the same work as a fifteen-page site with a blog and a page per service.
- How custom the design is. A ready-made template costs little and looks like thousands of others. A design built for your business, your logo and your colours takes time, and sets you apart.
- Whether there's a store. Selling online adds a catalogue, a basket, secure payment and logistics. It's another job, and another budget.
- The SEO included. A site that isn't built for Google stays invisible. The work of local optimisation, structure and content is part of the price, or it isn't part of the site.
- Who builds the site. A platform you build on yourself, a freelancer or an agency don't involve the same time, the same expertise, or the same assurance of a result.
That's exactly why Pixel Prisme starts every project with a conversation, not a quote sent blind: we look at your business, your goal and your budget before pricing anything. You can talk it through with us in 30 minutes, no strings attached.
The three ways to build a site, and what you really pay for
For the same need, you have three broad routes. Each has its own pricing logic, and none is bad in absolute terms: it all depends on your time and what's at stake.
The DIY platform
Website builders like Wix or Squarespace let you build a site on your own, for a modest monthly subscription, generally €10 to €40 a month depending on the plan. It's the cheapest route to buy, and it suits anyone with time, the willingness to learn and simple expectations.
Its real cost is elsewhere: the hours you spend on it instead of your job, an often generic result, and SEO that few people manage to sort out alone. For a site that has to bring in customers, the upfront saving is sometimes paid for in customers who never show up.
The freelancer
A freelancer charges for their work at a mid-range rate, and brings real know-how. For a showcase site, the budget is often between €500 and €2,500 depending on the scope. It's frequently good value. The thing to check: their availability over time, and what happens the day they're no longer reachable.
The agency
An agency costs more, because it involves full support: advice, design, SEO, and a point of contact over the long term. At a traditional agency, a custom site often starts at several thousand euros and can go beyond €10,000 for an ambitious project. It's the route for those who want to delegate entirely and aim for a result.
Pixel Prisme sits here, but with a specific promise: clear plans with published prices, designed for freelancers and small businesses in Toulouse, from €770. You get an agency's support without the entry ticket of the big firms, and you know what you're paying, and why.
How much a site costs by type
Once you've chosen the way to build, the price mostly depends on the type of site. Here are the benchmarks for professional, transparent work, using our own plans as an anchor.
A one-page showcase site works to get started: who you are, what you offer, how to reach you. It's the quickest way to exist on Google. At Pixel Prisme, our one-page site starts at €770 and is delivered in a week.
A multi-page showcase site becomes necessary as soon as you have several services to detail, work to show, a story to tell. It inspires more trust and ranks for more searches. Our multi-page plan starts at €1,370, up to six pages, delivered in two weeks.
An online store is a step up, because selling involves a catalogue, secure payment and well-crafted product pages. Our e-commerce store starts at €2,970, on Shopify or WooCommerce depending on your project. If you're torn between the two, we've written a dedicated guide to choosing between Shopify and WooCommerce.
In each of these plans, the design suited to your business, the mobile version, local SEO and the launch are included: the essentials aren't billed as extras. These figures are starting points, not rigid packages. The final price depends on your content, your features and how demanding you are on the design. That's exactly what Pixel Prisme scopes with you before pricing, so the quote reflects your real project and not a standard grid.
The costs people forget, and the false economies
The creation price isn't the only one to watch. A few items often slip under the radar, and that's where the nasty surprises hide.
- The domain name. Your address on the web costs around €12 a year. It's little, but it must be in your name, not the provider's.
- Hosting. Your site has to be stored somewhere and load fast. With a host, expect a few dozen euros a year; in our plans, we handle it so your site stays fast, which we explain in why a slow website loses you customers.
- Content. Text and photos take time. Are they included, or down to you? A low quote that leaves you to write all the content isn't so low.
- Maintenance. A site is alive: updates, backups, small changes. You can handle it yourself or delegate it. At Pixel Prisme, it's available as an option from €37 a month if you want it, never imposed.
The most common false economy is the endless "site for €29 a month". On paper, it's painless. Over three years, you've often paid the equivalent of a straightforward site bought once, sometimes more, and you own neither your domain nor your content: the day you leave, everything stays with the provider. It's the opposite of what Pixel Prisme stands for: a site that's yours, in your name, with your content.
What makes a fair price, not the lowest price
The right question isn't "which is cheapest", but "what will this price bring me". A site is an investment, not an expense: if it regularly brings you new customers, it can pay for itself quickly against what it earns you.
A fair price is one where you understand every line, where the expected result is clear, and where nothing essential is pushed into a hidden extra. A very low quote that leaves out SEO, mobile or content isn't a bargain: it's an incomplete site that will cost you a second time. That's why Pixel Prisme builds fast, well-ranked sites from the start, because catching up afterwards always costs more than doing it right the first time.
The right questions to ask a provider
Before signing, these questions save you most of the disappointments. A good professional answers them without hesitation.
- Will the domain name be in my name? The answer has to be yes, no conditions.
- Is the content included, or down to me? So you know what you'll have to produce.
- Will the site be optimised for Google and for mobile? These are two non-negotiables today.
- Will I be able to edit my site myself? Independence changes everything day to day, and we explain it in editing your own website without depending on an agency.
- What happens after delivery? Maintenance, support, changes: best to know beforehand.
- Is the price a clear fixed quote, or full of surprise charges? A detailed quote beats a vague hourly rate.
If you also want to know whether it's better to start from scratch or improve what you have, we've covered it in optimise or rebuild your site.
A concrete example
Take two cases. A florist starting out mainly wants to exist on Google and show her opening hours: a well-optimised one-page site is enough, and the investment stays light. Six months later, she adds an "events" page and a gallery, and moves to multi-page without redoing anything.
An independent consultant, meanwhile, has to inspire trust and detail several services: multi-page is the obvious choice from the start, with polished content and testimonials. Same word, "website", two budgets, and each is justified by a different goal.
The lesson is simple: the right price isn't an absolute figure, it's the one that matches your stage. Better an impeccable one-page site today than a big half-finished one for lack of budget. It's the approach Pixel Prisme favours: start at the right level, then grow the site with your business, rather than selling you too big too soon. We're happy to discuss it before pricing your project.
In short
A website has no single price because it has no single form. Its cost depends on the number of pages, the design, whether there's a store, the SEO included and who builds it. The useful benchmarks: from €770 for one page, €1,370 for a multi-page site, €2,970 for a store, plus the domain and optional maintenance. Beyond the amount, look at what the price includes and what it will bring you.
That's the transparency Pixel Prisme applies to every project: published prices, a quote that reflects your real need, and a site that's yours. Let's talk for 30 minutes, no strings attached, to price yours clearly.