Honestly, most "how much does a website cost" articles answer with "it depends" and then never give you a number. So I'm going to use myself as the example: what Squarespace charges, what I charge, why, and why my prices are going up on December 18 (for the New Years).
The short answer: a Squarespace website can cost you a few hundred dollars a year if you build it yourself, or a few thousand if you hire someone. Here's what goes into each.
The cost you'll pay no matter who builds it
Every Squarespace site needs a Squarespace subscription. Plans run roughly $16 to $39 a month when you pay yearly, depending on the features you need, with commerce plans costing more. Your domain is usually free for the first year on a yearly plan, then about $20 to $30 a year after that.
That's the floor. Whether you build it yourself or hire me, you'll own the site and pay Squarespace directly.
Option 1: Build it yourself
Cost: your subscription, plus your time.
Squarespace's templates are free, and the demos look beautiful. The catch is that they're built for a made-up business with perfect photos and placeholder words. You'll fill in every section, decide what goes where, and figure out what to cut.
If you're just starting out and you like figuring things out, this is a great option. Just count your hours honestly. If a site takes you 30 hours and your time is worth $50 an hour, that's a $1,500 website, built on nights and weekends.
Option 2: A template, set up for you
Cost: a few hundred to about $1,300.
This is the middle ground: a designed template, with someone placing your branding, words and photos into it. You get a professional result fast, as long as your business fits the layout.
Option 3: Hire a designer for a custom site
Cost: usually anywhere from about $1,500 to $10,000+.
That range is huge because designers price on experience, how custom the work is, and how much they handle for you. Here's exactly where I sit right now:
What it costs to work with me (until December 18, 2026):
Custom landing page
$850–$1,000 · about 2 weeks
Custom website, up to 7 pages
$2,000–$3,500 · 3–4 weeks
Refresh of an existing Squarespace site
From $1,200 · 2–3 weeks
Adding pages to your site
From $1,800 · 2–3 weeks
Copywriting (I write your words)
+$450 for a landing page, +$900–$1,300 for a full site · adds about a week
What actually changes the price
Number of pages. A one-page site and an eight-page site are very different projects.
Your words. If you write your own copy, your site costs less. If you'd rather I write it, that's an add-on, because it's real work: an interview, a full draft and a round of edits.
Custom features. Booking, galleries, online stores and integrations all add time.
Timeline. Need it faster? Rush projects cost more, if the calendar allows.
Revisions. Two rounds are included. Unlimited revisions is how projects drag on for months.
Why my prices are going up
Here's the honest part. When I started, my first three clients got a discounted rate. One of them was my husband. I was learning, and the discount was fair for that.
Since then I've launched 10 websites. I've built a process that gets sites live in weeks instead of months, cut everything I wasn't great at, and gone deep on one platform instead of dabbling in five. Every project makes me faster and better at knowing what a site needs before you even ask.
So on December 18, my packages change:
Landing Page: $1,100
Starter Website (up to 5 pages): $2,800
Signature Website (up to 8 pages): $3,600, now including setup for Google and AI search, your Google Business Profile matched to your site, and your first month of website care
That's how pricing should work. As the skill, the customization and the results go up, so does the price. And the clients who book early get the benefit of where I am right now.
If you're thinking about a website in the next few months, any project booked with a deposit before December 18 keeps my current pricing, even if we start in January.
Don't forget the cost after launch
After your site is live, you'll keep paying your Squarespace subscription. Some people update their own site, and that's totally fine. Others would rather never log in. That's what my care plans are for: you send your updates once a month, and I handle them. They start at $95 a month at founding rates.
So what should you budget?
Just starting and handy with tech: $200–$500 a year to DIY
Want it done fast with a proven layout: $600–$1,300 for a template setup
Want a site built around your business: $2,000–$4,000+ for a custom site
Not sure which one you need? Apply and tell me about your business. If a template or DIY is the better fit, I'll tell you honestly.
