How Much Should I Charge for a Website in 2026?

I used to charge €1,200 for a full website. Five pages, responsive, CMS, the works. I was working 60-hour weeks and barely covering my rent.

The problem was never my skill. It was that I had no system for pricing. I pulled numbers out of thin air, matched whatever the last client paid, and hoped it was enough.

If you’re reading this, you’re probably doing something similar. So let’s fix it.

The short answer nobody gives you

There is no universal rate. But there are clear brackets, and where you land depends on three things: your experience, your market, and how you package your work.

Here’s what the market actually looks like in 2026:

Starter (0-2 years experience): €1,500-€3,000 per project. You’re building your portfolio, taking on simpler sites, and learning how to manage clients. This is fine. Don’t stay here longer than a year.

Mid-level (2-5 years): €3,000-€8,000 per project. You have a process. You can handle e-commerce, custom functionality, and more complex layouts. Most freelance web designers sit here.

Experienced (5+ years): €8,000-€25,000+ per project. You’re not just building websites. You’re solving business problems. You consult on strategy, conversion, and user experience. The deliverable happens to be a website.

These numbers shift based on your location, your niche, and whether you’re working with startups, small businesses, or established brands. A designer in Vienna charges differently than one in San Francisco. But the structure is the same everywhere.

Why most designers undercharge

It comes down to three patterns I see constantly.

You’re pricing by page count. “A five-page website costs X.” This ignores the complexity of what’s on those pages. A single landing page with a custom calculator, payment integration, and multi-language support is harder than a ten-page brochure site. Stop counting pages. Start counting features and complexity.

You’re comparing yourself to Fiverr. Someone on a marketplace will always be cheaper. That’s not your competition. Your competition is other professional freelancers who deliver quality work with a real process. If a client is comparing you to a €200 Fiverr gig, they’re not your client.

You’re afraid to lose the project. So you quote low “just to get it.” Then you resent the work, rush through it, and deliver something that doesn’t represent your ability. Lower prices don’t attract better clients. They attract clients who will squeeze you harder.

How to actually set your rate

Forget hourly. Hourly pricing punishes you for getting faster and better at your job. The more experienced you become, the less you earn per project. That’s backwards.

Instead, use a base-price-plus-add-ons model.

Start with a base price for your standard website package. This is your floor. It covers a set number of pages, responsive design, CMS integration, and basic SEO setup. Everything that’s always included.

Then layer on add-ons for anything beyond that base. E-commerce functionality, multi-language support, custom animations, newsletter integration, booking systems, accessibility audits. Each one has a fixed price. The client picks what they need. The quote builds itself.

This does two things. First, it makes your pricing transparent. The client sees exactly what they’re paying for. No surprises. Second, it lets you scale up without awkward negotiations. A three-page portfolio site costs less than a ten-page e-commerce build because the components are different, not because you charged a different hourly rate.

Structuring payments so you don’t get burned

Never take 100% on completion. You will get ghosted. You will chase invoices. You will do work for free.

Also never take 100% upfront unless you already have deep trust with the client. It creates the wrong dynamic and makes clients nervous.

The structure that works: milestone payments.

30% at project kickoff. This is your deposit. Non-refundable after the discovery phase begins. It commits both sides.

30% at design approval. The client has seen the mockups, given feedback, and approved the direction. You don’t write a single line of code until this is paid.

30% at development completion. The site is built, functional, and ready for review. Payment before launch.

10% at handover. Final files delivered, site goes live, documentation handed over. This small final payment keeps the client engaged through the last mile.

This protects you at every stage. If a client disappears after design approval, you’ve been paid 60% for 60% of the work. No chasing. No awkward emails.

The conversation nobody wants to have: raising your prices

If you’ve been freelancing for more than a year and you haven’t raised your prices, you’re falling behind. Your skills improve. Your process tightens. Your work gets better. Your prices should reflect that.

Here’s how to do it without losing clients:

Raise prices for new clients first. Your existing clients keep their current rate until their next project. New inquiries get the updated pricing. No drama. No uncomfortable emails to people you’re currently working with.

When you do raise rates for returning clients, frame it as growth. “My packages have expanded since we last worked together. Here’s what’s included now.” You’re adding value, not just adding cost.

And stop discounting. Every time you say “I can do it for less,” you’re telling the client your original price was made up. Quote what the project is worth. If they say no, they weren’t your client.

What your quote should actually look like

The best quote is not the cheapest one. It’s the one that’s easiest to understand and easiest to say yes to.

Your quote should show: what’s included (specific deliverables, not vague promises), what’s excluded (so there’s no ambiguity later), the timeline with milestones, the payment schedule tied to those milestones, and what happens if the scope changes.

Put the total at the top, not buried at the bottom. The client will scroll to find the number anyway. Make it easy. Then let the breakdown below justify that number.

Attach the quote to a contract. Not as a separate document. As one continuous flow. The client reads the quote, understands the scope, reviews the terms, and signs. One action, one link, done.

The bottom line

Your pricing is not a number you pull from a competitor’s website. It’s a system. Base price, add-ons, milestone payments, and a quote that makes it easy for the right clients to say yes.

Stop guessing. Set your rates based on the value of the work, the complexity of the build, and the experience you bring. Then make the whole thing frictionless for the client.

debrieft lets you set up your rates once, then generates instant quotes from every client brief. Milestone payments, add-ons, and contracts with e-signatures. Your client gets a portal. You get a dashboard. Both in sync. Try it free at debrieft.app