Quick answer: Expect ₹8,000-₹35,000 for a 5-10 page small-business website, ₹25,000-₹1,50,000 for an eCommerce store with payment gateway, and ₹1,50,000+ for custom web applications — all indicative, plus 18% GST. Then budget the recurring layer separately: hosting ₹1,200-₹6,000/yr, domain ~₹500-₹1,200/yr, maintenance ₹3,000-₹12,000/yr.
"Website kitna kharcha hoga?" is the first question every Indian business owner asks, and the only honest answer is a range — because the price moves with what the site must *do*, not with how many pages it has. Here is how real quotes are built, so you can evaluate any of them in minutes.
What actually drives website design cost in India
Five variables move almost every quote:
- Pages and structure — a 5-page brochure costs a fraction of a 40-page catalog with filters.
- Custom design vs premium template — bespoke UI design costs 2-4x a well-customised template, and for most businesses a good template customised to brand colours wins on value.
- Content — who writes the text and takes the photos? Professional copywriting and photography are separate line items, and the difference is visible.
- Features — enquiry forms are cheap; booking systems, payment gateways, multi-language (Hindi + English), member logins and WhatsApp commerce integrations each add real engineering.
- Process — a freelancer iterating directly is faster and cheaper; an agency adds discovery, strategy, testing and account management, and bills accordingly.
Website cost by type (indicative)
| Website type | Typical range (₹)* | Timeline | Usually includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page | 3,000-10,000 | 3-7 days | One page, enquiry form, WhatsApp button |
| Small business site (5-10 pages) | 8,000-35,000 | 1-3 weeks | Mobile-responsive, basic on-page SEO, contact forms |
| WordPress business site | 15,000-60,000 | 2-4 weeks | Customised theme, blog, image gallery |
| eCommerce store (WooCommerce) | 25,000-1,50,000 | 3-8 weeks | Product catalog, Razorpay/PayU gateway, shipping rules |
| Custom web application | 1,50,000+ | 2 months+ | Discovery, UI/UX, development, QA, deployment |
*Indicative market bands for 2026 — final quotes TBC; add 18% GST.
Below roughly ₹5,000 you are buying a template paste with your logo on it — acceptable for a one-page digital visiting card, risky for anything representing a real brand.
The hidden second invoice nobody quotes you
Design is a one-time cost; running a website is a subscription. The recurring layer, asked about by few and billed to all:
- Hosting: ₹1,200-₹6,000/yr for shared; ₹4,000-₹18,000/yr for VPS/cloud or WooCommerce-grade plans. (Compare hosting and WordPress hosting.)
- Domain: ₹500-₹1,200/yr (.in sits cheaper, .com higher — and always check renewal rates).
- Business email: free tiers with hosting, or ₹600-₹2,000/yr for larger mailboxes.
- SSL: free with Let's Encrypt on good hosts; paid certificates only when warranty/validation is genuinely needed.
- Maintenance (AMC): ₹3,000-₹12,000/yr typically covers updates, backups, small edits and uptime checks. Clarify scope: "content changes" and "code fixes" are different services at different prices.
A realistic year-two budget for a small business site is ₹8,000-₹25,000 — ask for it in writing before signing year one.
Freelancer vs agency vs DIY builder
- Freelancer (₹8,000-₹40,000): best value for standard sites; single point of contact and single point of failure. Get the domain, hosting and files registered to you, not them.
- Agency (₹30,000-₹2,00,000+): process, team, accountability; right for eCommerce and brand-critical builds. You pay for coordination, which is worth it past a certain complexity.
- DIY builders (₹500-₹2,000/mo, forever): your time is the real cost, plus template sameness and SEO ceilings. Viable for a first-year experiment; migrating out later is painful.
Eight questions that expose a weak quote
- Will the domain, hosting and all files be registered in my name?
- How many pages and rounds of revisions are included — and what does page 11 cost?
- Who writes the content, and is copywriting in the price?
- Is the design tested on real budget Android phones, not just iPhone?
- Is basic on-page SEO (titles, meta, sitemap, speed) included?
- What is the page-speed target in seconds, and how is it verified?
- What exactly does year-two maintenance cover, and what does it cost?
- Will I get a GST invoice with my GSTIN?
A designer who answers all eight comfortably is quoting a real service; one who deflects is quoting a template.
What a fair bundle looks like
For most Indian small businesses, the honest sweet spot is a package: 5-10 page responsive site + one year of hosting + domain + business email + first-year maintenance, delivered as a single GST invoice — typically ₹15,000-₹40,000 all-in (indicative). It removes the classic trap of a cheap design fee recouped through inflated recurring bills.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a website cost in India?
Between ₹3,000 for a one-page landing site and ₹1,50,000+ for a custom web application in 2026 — with the typical build at ₹8,000–₹35,000 for a 5–10 page small-business site and ₹25,000–₹1,50,000 for a WooCommerce store (all indicative bands before 18% GST). Below roughly ₹5,000 you are buying a template paste with your logo on it.
How much should a small business website cost?
₹8,000–₹12,000 plus GST is a sensible floor for a clean 5-page responsive site on good hosting; ₹15,000–₹40,000 all-in buys the fair bundle — site plus first-year hosting, domain, business email and maintenance on one GST invoice. Year two then runs ₹8,000–₹25,000.
What is the cost of an e-commerce website in India?
₹25,000–₹1,50,000 for a WooCommerce store with product catalog, Razorpay/PayU payment gateway and shipping rules, delivered over 3–8 weeks. Large catalogs, custom flows and integrations push past the top of the band.
Do website prices include hosting and domain?
Usually no. Design is a one-time fee; hosting (₹1,200–₹6,000/yr shared), domain (₹500–₹1,200/yr) and business email are recurring. Some bundles include year one — the fair bundle does — so the question to ask is what renews, at what price, in year two.
Is a freelancer cheaper than an agency in India?
On the invoice, usually yes: a freelancer iterating directly is faster and cheaper, while an agency adds discovery, strategy, testing and account management and bills accordingly. Compare scope, not just the number — a ₹15,000 freelancer quote and a ₹15,000 bundle with hosting and email are not the same purchase.
What are the recurring costs after a website launches?
Hosting ₹1,200–₹6,000/yr on shared plans (₹4,000–₹18,000/yr for VPS, cloud or WooCommerce-grade), domain ₹500–₹1,200/yr, business email ₹600–₹2,000/yr, and maintenance ₹3,000–₹12,000/yr. A realistic year-two budget for a small business site is ₹8,000–₹25,000 — ask for it in writing before signing year one.
What is the minimum I can sensibly spend?
Around ₹8,000–₹12,000 (plus GST and ₹2,500/yr recurring) gets a clean 5-page responsive site on good hosting — the floor below which quality collapses.
How should I structure payments?
Milestone-based: roughly 40% on start, 40% on design approval, 20% on live handover. Avoid 100% upfront; also avoid demanding 100% on completion — milestones keep both sides honest.
How long should a small-business website take?
One to three weeks of build time, assuming content is ready. The single biggest delay in Indian web projects is not design — it is waiting for the client's own text, photos and approvals.
Can I maintain the site myself afterwards?
Yes, if it is built on WordPress with a page builder — editing text and images is self-service, and managed WordPress hosting handles updates and backups. Custom-coded sites need the developer for every change; price that in.
Is WebJi® an Indian company?
Yes. WebJi® is headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan and has operated since 2005. Billing, support and governance all run from India.
Do you provide GST invoices?
Every purchase and renewal gets a GST invoice with our GSTIN, and hosting prices are quoted exclusive of 18% GST. Claim input credit as applicable.