"Website design cost in Australia, explained with real AUD ranges from seven Australian price guides we checked in September 2026. See what a small business site, a WordPress build and an online store usually cost, what you pay every month, how GST works on a quote, and the questions that stop you overpaying."
Key Takeaways
- 1Published Australian guides put a professional small business website at roughly $3,000 to $10,000 and a custom online store at roughly $8,000 to $50,000, with each range named to its source below.
- 2Every figure here is a market range from a third party, not a FactoryJet price. None of the seven guides we checked says whether its numbers include GST.
- 3If the builder is registered for GST, expect 10% on top of an ex-GST quote. Ask before you compare quotes, because mixing inc-GST and ex-GST numbers skews the comparison.
- 4The build is only part of the bill. Hosting, domain, updates and changes recur every year, and one Sydney agency estimates $1,500 to $3,000 a year to run a $5,000 site properly.
- 5Price moves with scope: unique page designs, copywriting, bookings or payments, integrations such as Xero or MYOB, content migration, SEO setup and support after launch.
- 6Compare quotes line by line. A cheap quote that leaves out copy, SEO and support usually costs more by the end of year one.
The short answer
Website design cost in Australia for a professional small business site typically runs from about $3,000 to $10,000 in 2026, while custom online stores run from about $8,000 to $50,000 or more. These are typical Australian market ranges from published guides by WolfIQ, 23 Digital, WP Creative and Keen to Design, checked in September 2026. None of them states whether GST is included.
In this guide
- Website cost in Australia by type of site
- What seven Australian price guides say
- DIY vs freelancer vs agency
- 10 things that drive the price
- WordPress and ecommerce website cost
- Monthly and yearly running costs
- GST on a website quote
- Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane prices
- Website cost worksheet
- How to compare quotes
If you have searched for how much a website costs in Australia, you have probably seen ranges so wide they are useless: a few hundred dollars at one end, six figures at the other. Both ends are real. They describe different jobs. This guide narrows it down, whether you are asking about website build cost, the cost to build a website for a small business, or website development cost for something bigger. We read the Australian price guides that rank for website design cost, checked every number on the page, and put them side by side with the date each one was last updated. Then we explain what actually moves a quote up or down, what you keep paying after launch, and how GST fits in.
We are one of the options you might be comparing. FactoryJet designs and builds websites, online stores and AI agents for Australian businesses. That is why this guide sticks to third-party numbers: you should be able to check every figure without taking our word for it.
Website design cost in Australia by type of site
The type of site matters more than anything else. A brochure site that explains your services is a different job from an online store that takes payments, and both are different from a custom web application with logins. Here is how the main Australian guides price each type. Where two sources disagree, we show both.
| Type of website | Typical range | Source (last updated) | Good fit for |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY or AI builder | Under $1,000 to set up, about $50 a month | WolfIQ (Sep 2026) | Testing an idea, hobby sites |
| Template build by a semi-professional | $400 to $900 | Keen to Design (Apr 2026) | Very small budgets, simple needs |
| Landing page (one page, one goal) | $1,500 to $3,500 | Keen to Design (Apr 2026) | A single offer or campaign |
| Brochure or small business site | $3,000 to $7,000 (WolfIQ); $2,000 to $10,000 (WP Creative) | WolfIQ (Sep 2026); WP Creative (Mar 2026) | Local service businesses, tradies, clinics |
| Custom WordPress site (mid-range) | $7,000 to $15,000 | Keen to Design (Apr 2026) | Content-heavy sites, growing firms |
| Ecommerce store | $5,000 to $25,000 (WolfIQ); $20,000 to $50,000+ (WP Creative) | WolfIQ (Sep 2026); WP Creative (Mar 2026) | Retailers, brands, wholesalers |
| Custom web application | $20,000 to $100,000+ (WolfIQ); $30,000 to $150,000+ (WP Creative) | WolfIQ (Sep 2026); WP Creative (Mar 2026) | Portals, booking platforms, SaaS |
Notice how much the ecommerce ranges disagree. WolfIQ starts at $5,000 and WP Creative starts at $20,000. That is not an error. One is counting a well-set-up store on a platform such as Shopify, the other is counting custom design and development with integrations. When a source gives you a range, ask what it assumes is included.
What seven Australian price guides say (and when they were updated)
Most cost articles quote one number without telling you where it came from or how old it is. Here is every source we used, what it covers, and a note on how to read it. We opened each page on 26 September 2026 and read the figures directly from it.
| Source | Updated | Headline figures (AUD) | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| WolfIQ | Sep 2026 | Brochure $3,000 to $7,000; ecommerce $5,000 to $25,000; custom apps $20,000 to $100,000+ | Most recent guide we found; also lists monthly running costs per type |
| 23 Digital | Jul 2026 | Basic $3,000 to $8,000; intermediate $10,000 to $25,000; advanced $30,000 to $60,000+ | Says these reflect working with a reputable agency |
| Keen to Design | Apr 2026 | Professional site $3,000 to $25,000+; small business custom $3,500 to $7,000; custom WordPress $7,000 to $15,000 | Sydney agency; most detailed breakdown by site type |
| WP Creative | Mar 2026 | Professional site $6,000 to $25,000+; brochure $2,000 to $10,000; ecommerce $20,000 to $50,000+ | Also breaks a build into stages and lists hosting and maintenance costs |
| Digital Nomads HQ | 2026 edition | Average $5,000 to $10,000+ for 6 to 10 pages; ecommerce $8,000 to $20,000+ | Publishes its own package prices, so it is one agency’s rate card |
| Airtasker | Published Aug 2021 | Small business site $2,500 to $5,000; ecommerce $2,000 to $3,500; large sites $12,000+ | Marketplace view; older, so treat as a floor rather than a 2026 price |
| ServiceSeeking | Shown Sep 2026 | Web designers $25 to $45 per hour (indicative) | Marketplace rates; the site notes quotes may vary |
Two patterns stand out. First, the agency guides agree on a starting point of roughly $3,000 for a professional small business site. Second, not one of the seven says whether its figures include GST. That matters, and we cover it in the GST section below.
DIY vs freelancer vs agency: who builds it changes the cost
The second biggest factor is who does the work. Each option buys you a different mix of money, time and risk.
| Option | Typical Australian range | What you get | What you carry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself | $0 to $300 on a builder (Keen to Design, Apr 2026) | Fast start, full control of changes | Your time, design limits, SEO and security |
| Freelancer | $1,000 to $10,000 (WP Creative, Mar 2026) | One skilled person, often good value | Availability, holidays, gaps in skills such as SEO |
| Web design agency | $10,000 to $50,000+ (WP Creative, Mar 2026) | A team: strategy, design, build, testing, support | Higher price; quality varies between agencies |
Hourly rates show the same spread. ServiceSeeking listed an indicative $25 to $45 an hour for web designers in September 2026. WP Creative quotes $80 to $150 an hour for on-demand agency help, and WolfIQ uses $100 to $200 an hour for professional strategy work. A low hourly rate is not the same as a low total. Always ask for the full estimate.
10 things that drive the price of a website
Two quotes for a five page website can describe completely different jobs. These ten items explain most of the difference. Use them to compare quotes like for like.
- Custom design or a template. A template is quicker to set up. Custom design fits your brand and the way your customers decide, and takes more design time.
- Number of unique page designs. Ten pages that share two layouts can cost less than five pages that each need their own design.
- Who writes the words. Copywriting is often left out of a low quote, then becomes your job or an extra invoice. WP Creative puts content creation at $500 to $3,000 (Mar 2026).
- Photography and images. Your own photos, stock images or a shoot. Real photos of your team and work build trust faster than stock.
- Features. Bookings, quote forms, online payments, memberships and customer logins each add build and testing time.
- Integrations. Connecting your CRM, calendar, Xero or MYOB, or an email tool adds scope and makes the site far more useful.
- Content migration. Moving pages, posts and images from an old site, plus redirects to protect your Google rankings, takes real work.
- SEO setup. Page titles, descriptions, schema, a sitemap, page speed work and analytics. Digital Nomads HQ prices page optimisation at $150 to $300 per page.
- Accessibility and speed. Building to accessibility guidelines and fast load times on mobile takes care, and pays off in both search and enquiries.
- Support after launch. Updates, backups, security and small changes. Ask what happens in month two, not only on launch day.
| Cost driver | Keeps the price down | Pushes the price up |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Template, few unique layouts | Custom design for every page type |
| Content | You supply final copy and photos | Copywriting and a photo shoot included |
| Features | Contact form only | Bookings, payments, logins, calculators |
| Integrations | None, or one email tool | CRM, Xero or MYOB, stock and shipping systems |
| Migration | Brand new site | Hundreds of old pages and posts to move and redirect |
| Timeline | Normal schedule, quick feedback from you | Rush deadline, many review rounds |
WordPress website cost and ecommerce website cost
WordPress website cost in Australia
WordPress is a popular choice for Australian business sites because it is flexible and you own it. So how much does it cost to build a WordPress website? Keen to Design (April 2026) puts a custom mid-range WordPress site at $7,000 to $15,000. Digital Nomads HQ publishes its own WordPress packages: $2,997 to $5,997 for one to three pages, $5,997 to $8,997 for six to ten pages, $9,997 to $14,997 for 10 to 15 pages, and $14,997 to $24,997 or more for 15 to 25 pages. Remember the running side: premium plugins and themes carry yearly licence fees, and WordPress needs regular updates to stay secure. If you are choosing a builder, our guide to WordPress development companies in Australia compares the options.
Ecommerce website cost in Australia
Online stores cost more because there is more to build and test: product pages, variants, cart, checkout, payments, shipping rules, tax and emails. The published ranges are wide. WolfIQ (September 2026) says $5,000 to $25,000. Keen to Design (April 2026) says $8,000 to $25,000 or more, with platform fees on top every month. Digital Nomads HQ lists its own small WooCommerce or Shopify stores at $8,997 to $14,997 and large ones at $19,997 to $39,997 or more. WP Creative (March 2026) puts ecommerce at $20,000 to $50,000 or more.
What pushes a store to the top of those bands: a large catalogue, many product options, B2B trade pricing, integrations with stock and accounting systems, and moving from another platform. Australian details matter too: GST on every order, Australia Post or courier rates, and buy now pay later options such as Afterpay and Zip. If you are selling on Shopify, our Shopify cost guide for Australia covers plans, apps and build costs, and our ecommerce platform guide compares the main platforms.
Monthly and yearly running costs
The build is a one-off. Running the site is not. So how much does a website cost per month once it is live, and what is a fair website maintenance cost? Keen to Design (April 2026) estimates that a site that costs $5,000 to build can easily cost $1,500 to $3,000 a year to run properly, before any marketing. Here is where that money goes.
| Running cost | Typical Australian range | Source (updated) |
|---|---|---|
| Domain name | $20 to $50 a year; a .com.au listed at $22.95 a year (intro offer lower) | WP Creative (Mar 2026); VentraIP (Sep 2026) |
| Hosting | $20 to $100 a month; entry business hosting listed at $11.00 a month (intro offer lower) | WP Creative (Mar 2026); VentraIP (Sep 2026) |
| Brochure site, all-in monthly | $50 to $200 a month | WolfIQ (Sep 2026) |
| Ecommerce site, all-in monthly | $250 to $500 a month | WolfIQ (Sep 2026) |
| Maintenance plan | $100 to $2,000 a month | WP Creative (Mar 2026) |
| Tools, plugins and licences | $50 to $500 a year | WP Creative (Mar 2026) |
Hosting and domain prices from a host’s own page are retail prices shown to the public. The ranges from agency guides do not say whether GST is included. To see what a good care plan covers month to month, read our page on website maintenance in Australia. For a wider look at what sites cost to keep running, see website running costs per month.
GST on a website quote: what Australian buyers should know
GST is the most common reason two quotes look further apart, or closer together, than they really are. None of the seven price guides above says whether its figures include it, so here is how to handle it.
- The rate is 10%. According to business.gov.au, GST is a tax of 10% on most goods and services sold or consumed in Australia.
- Not every web designer charges it. A business must register for GST once its GST turnover reaches $75,000, according to the ATO. Many freelancers sit below that and do not add GST.
- Business quotes are often ex-GST. Agencies quoting other businesses usually show prices excluding GST. If you are comparing an ex-GST agency quote with a freelancer who does not charge GST, add 10% to the agency figure first.
- Advertised consumer prices must show the total. The ACCC says businesses must display the total price, including taxes and unavoidable fees, as a single figure. That is why a host’s public price page shows one number.
- You may get it back. If your business is registered for GST, you can usually claim the GST on a website build as a credit. Check with your accountant, because it changes the true cost of the project.
Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane: does location change the price?
People often search for website design cost in their own city. We looked for proof of a consistent city premium or discount and did not find one. Keen to Design, a Sydney agency, gives a national range of $3,000 to $25,000 or more and notes that a custom ecommerce platform built by a Sydney agency can exceed $25,000. Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide agencies publish figures in the same bands. What varies between cities is the cost base of each agency, such as office rent and team size, not the work itself.
Most web projects now run on video calls and shared documents. What matters more than the postcode is whether the team works in your time zone, answers quickly, and can meet in person when it genuinely helps. If you run a trade business, our page on websites for tradies covers what a tradie site needs. For dental practices, see dental website design.
Website cost worksheet: build your own estimate
A website cost calculator can only guess, because they cannot see your content or your systems. Answer these questions instead, then send the same answers to every builder you are comparing. Open each step for the detail.
Step 1. What must the site do?
Write one sentence: for example, “get quote requests from homeowners in the eastern suburbs” or “sell our skincare range online across Australia”. This decides the type of site, which is the biggest cost factor.
Step 2. How many pages, and how many unique layouts?
List the pages: home, about, each service, contact, blog, and so on. Then group the ones that can share a layout. Builders price layouts more than pages.
Step 3. Who supplies the words and photos?
If you will write the copy, set a date for it, because late content is the most common cause of delays. If you want the builder to write it, say so up front so it is in the quote.
Step 4. Which features and integrations?
Tick what applies: bookings, quote forms, payments, member logins, live chat, Xero or MYOB, your CRM, email marketing, stock or shipping systems. Each one is scope.
Step 5. Is there an old site to move?
Count the pages and posts on the old site and note which ones get traffic. Ask every builder how they handle redirects so you keep your Google rankings.
Step 6. What happens after launch?
Decide whether you want a monthly care plan or pay-as-you-go help, and who hosts the site. Add a year of running costs to the build price before comparing quotes.
How to compare website quotes: a 12-point checklist
Before you sign, check that every quote answers these questions in writing.
- Is the price fixed for a written scope, or an hourly estimate?
- Is it including or excluding GST, and is the builder registered for GST?
- How many pages and how many unique page designs are included?
- Who writes the copy and who supplies the photos?
- How many rounds of design changes are included?
- Which features and integrations are included, by name?
- Is basic SEO setup included: titles, descriptions, schema, sitemap, analytics?
- Will the site be tested on phones and meet accessibility basics?
- Who owns the domain, the hosting account, the design and the content at the end?
- What does support cost after launch, and what does it cover?
- What is the timeline, and what do they need from you to hit it?
- Can you see two live sites they built for businesses like yours?
A few red flags: a quote with no scope, a builder who registers your domain in their own name, hosting you cannot leave, and a low price that turns out to cover a template with your logo on it. If a quote seems far below the ranges in this guide, ask what is missing.
How FactoryJet quotes a website for Australian businesses
We do not publish a price list, because the same page count can hide very different work. Instead, you talk to the founder, we agree the scope, and you get a fixed quote per stage before anything starts. No hourly billing and no surprise invoices.
- 7-day delivery for sites up to 5 pages, once we have what we need from you. Larger sites and online stores get their own fixed timeline up front.
- 97% on-time delivery across our projects.
- You own everything: the domain, the hosting account, the design and the content.
- We stay after launch. We support and improve what we build, so you are not left looking for help when something needs changing.
FactoryJet has worked with 500+ businesses since 2014. For Australian businesses we build websites and online stores, including Shopify development and ecommerce development, plus SEO and AI SEO so people can find the site on Google and in AI answers. If search is next on your list, our SEO cost guide for Australia explains that side of the budget. See everything we do on the FactoryJet Australia page.
Get a fixed quote
Know the full number before you start
Send us your answers to the worksheet above. We will reply with a fixed quote for your scope, the timeline, and what the site will cost to run each year.
Talk to the FounderWant this done for you?
Get a free, no-pitch plan for your site.
Tell us where to send it. Bhavesh, the founder, reviews every request himself and replies within 24 hours, often the same day. Most sites ship in about 7 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Bhavesh Barot
Founder & CEO
Founder & CEO of FactoryJet, an ecommerce and AI services company that has served 500+ businesses across the US, UK, UAE, and India. Writes about ecommerce builds, AI agents, and AI search.
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