Look up the price of a small business website in India and you'll get three different answers. One agency's price list says ₹20,000–50,000. Another says ₹40,000–1.2 lakh. A third says ₹80,000–2 lakh.
All three were published in 2026, and all three describe a site for a small or mid-sized business.
If you're a business owner holding three quotes, that spread is the real problem. It's not that websites are expensive. It's that you can't tell which quote is fair, what's missing from the cheap one, or what you're paying for in the expensive one.
Almost every article about website development cost in India is written by an agency selling websites. This one is written from your side of the table. It covers the 2026 price bands, why quotes differ so much, what a fair quote must include, and the costs that start after launch.
Website development cost in India: the 2026 price bands
These ranges come from Indian agency price lists published in 2026 (Zethic, Dnexa, SolutionBowl). They're what the market says, not what any one project will cost.
| Type of website | Typical range | What you usually get | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | ₹10,000–25,000 | One page built to capture leads from ads | Dnexa |
| Basic business site 5–10 pages | ₹15,000–80,000 | Template design, contact form, mobile layout | Dnexa, SolutionBowl, Zethic |
| Small business site with CMS | ₹40,000–2,00,000 | Custom design, WordPress or similar, lead capture, basic SEO | SolutionBowl, Zethic |
| Corporate website | ₹60,000–6,00,000 | Many pages, strong branding, integrations | Dnexa, Zethic |
| E-commerce store | ₹50,000–8,00,000+ | Shopify or WooCommerce, payments, catalogue | Dnexa, Zethic |
| Custom web application | ₹2,00,000–20,00,000+ | Portals, dashboards, SaaS, APIs | Dnexa, Zethic |
Developers' time is the biggest input. One Indian agency puts hourly rates at ₹500–1,200 for juniors, ₹1,200–3,000 for mid-level developers and ₹3,000–6,000+ for senior developers (Zethic). A project staffed mostly by juniors and one staffed by seniors can look identical on paper.
Why website development quotes differ so much
When I review website quotes for business owners, the gap is rarely about greed. Usually the quotes describe different websites, and nobody has noticed. These are the seven things that move the price most.
01Template or custom design
A template site reuses a ready-made design and changes the colours, logo and text. A custom design starts from your brand and your customers. The second can cost five to ten times more, and for many small businesses the template is the right answer.
02Who does the work
A freelancer, a small studio and a large agency all have different overheads, seniority and testing habits. Ask who will actually build your site, and how senior they are.
03Content
Writing the text, sourcing photos and translating pages take real time. Many cheap quotes assume you'll supply all of it. If you won't, the project stalls.
04The content management system
Can your team edit pages, add products or publish a blog without calling the developer? WordPress, Shopify, Webflow and custom systems all cost different amounts to set up and to run.
05Integrations
Payment gateways, CRMs, WhatsApp, booking systems and ERPs each add work. One agency lists payment gateway integration alone at ₹5,000–15,000 for custom setups (Dnexa).
06Speed, SEO and testing
A site that loads fast on a mid-range Android phone, works on every page and can be found on Google takes more effort than one that only looks good in a demo. That effort rarely shows up in a quote unless you ask for it. Here's why testing belongs at the start, not the end.
07What happens after launch
Some quotes include a year of hosting, maintenance and small changes. Others end the day the site goes live. Two quotes can differ by lakhs on this alone.
Got two or three quotes that don't line up? Send them to me for a free second opinion. Within 48 hours, I'll tell you whether they describe the same website, what's missing and which one I'd question.
What a fair website development quotation includes
A fair quote lets you compare like with like. Before you sign, check that it covers all of these:
- A page list: every page, by name, not "up to 10 pages"
- The design approach: template or custom, and how many rounds of revisions
- Who writes the content: you, the agency or a copywriter, and by when
- The platform: WordPress, Shopify or custom, and why it suits you
- Integrations: each one named (payments, CRM, WhatsApp, analytics)
- Mobile and speed: tested on real phones, with a target load time
- Basic SEO: page titles, descriptions, a sitemap and Google Search Console set up
- Forms and consent: enquiry forms that work, with a clear consent notice. That matters under the DPDP Act, and here's what to change in your forms.
- Launch and training: go-live steps, and a short handover so your team can edit the site
- Warranty: how long bugs are fixed free after launch
- Ownership: the domain, hosting, code and admin logins all in your company's name
- Ongoing costs: hosting and maintenance priced as separate yearly lines
If a quote is one line ("Website development: ₹X") with no page list, ask for a breakdown before you compare it with anything.
Website maintenance cost in India, and other costs after launch
The build is a one-time cost. These are the ones that keep coming:
| Cost | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | ₹800–3,500 a year | Depends on the extension (.com, .in) |
| Hosting | ₹4,000–20,000 a year | More for e-commerce or high traffic |
| SSL certificate | Free–₹15,000 a year | Free certificates suit most business sites |
| Maintenance (AMC) | Ask for it as a separate line | Updates, backups, security fixes, small changes |
| Content and SEO | Ongoing | New pages, blog posts, landing pages for campaigns |
Domain, hosting and SSL ranges: Dnexa, 2026.
Website maintenance cost in India varies more than anything else on this list, because "maintenance" means different things to different agencies. Ask exactly what's included: plugin and security updates, backups, uptime monitoring, and how many hours of changes each month.
Overspending happens here too. At RightLife, the servers had been sized for huge traffic before the app had a single user, and restructuring them cut monthly server costs by about 66%. Here's what else that audit found. A small business website rarely needs premium hosting on day one.
Freelancer, agency or DIY builder?
| Option | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| DIY builder Wix, GoDaddy, Shopify themes | A simple site you can set up yourself, on a small budget | Your time, design limits and being tied to one platform |
| Freelancer | A clear, small scope with an owner who can manage it | One person, so no backup if they disappear, and testing is often light |
| Small studio or agency | Custom design, integrations, ongoing support | Price, and who actually does the work |
There's no universally right answer. A ₹30,000 template site that's fast, accurate and easy to update beats a ₹3 lakh custom site that nobody on your team can edit. If you're going the do-it-yourself route, here are the basic checks for a good website.
Red flags in a website quote
- No page list or scope, just a price
- The domain or hosting will be "registered for you" in the agency's name
- "Free hosting forever" tied to the agency, so leaving means rebuilding
- No mention of mobile, speed or testing
- Unlimited revisions with no design process behind them
- 100% payment upfront, with no milestones
- No handover: no logins, no documentation, no training
The ownership points matter most. Over the last year, bidding on government tenders, I've repeatedly seen incumbent agencies refuse to hand over code or account logins when a contract ends. The client then either pays to rebuild from scratch or gives the next contract to the same agency. Here's what to check in your contract so you own your code and accounts.
Before you rebuild: what is your current site costing you?
Many businesses ask for a new website when the real problem is something specific. A contact form that silently fails, a home page that takes six seconds on a phone, or Google showing the wrong page can all cost enquiries.
Before you spend lakhs on a rebuild, run a free Website Health Check. It grades your current site, shows the problems that are losing you enquiries and what they may be costing you each month, and compares you with your competitors. Sometimes fixing three things beats rebuilding everything.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a website cost for a small business in India?
Most small businesses pay ₹20,000–80,000 for a basic template site, or ₹80,000–2 lakh for a professionally designed site with a content management system and lead capture. Add domain and hosting each year.
Is ₹10,000–20,000 enough for a business website?
For a simple landing page or a DIY builder site, yes. For a multi-page site with custom design, content and testing, usually not. Check exactly what a very low quote includes.
How much does an e-commerce website cost in India?
Published ranges run from about ₹50,000 to ₹8 lakh or more. The platform (Shopify, WooCommerce or custom), the number of products, payment and shipping integrations, and any custom features make the difference.
What are typical website development charges for changes after launch?
It depends on the agency. Many offer a yearly maintenance contract (AMC) covering updates, backups and a set number of hours for changes. Others charge per change. Get it in writing before launch.
Should the domain and hosting be in my name?
Yes, always. Register the domain and hosting account with your company's email and payment details, and give the agency access. Don't let them own it for you.
How long does it take to build a website?
A simple template site can take 2–4 weeks. A custom small business site usually takes 6–12 weeks, mostly depending on how quickly content and feedback come back from your side.