In 2027, a professional WordPress showcase website will cost between €1,500 and €6,000 excluding VAT. If done by a freelancer, the cost is between €5,000 and €15,000 excluding VAT if done by an agency. Then you must factor in... €100 to €250 per year for the domain name and hosting, and €50 to €150 excluding VAT per month if you entrust the maintenance to a professional.
These price ranges are wide because "brochure website" encompasses very different realities: a presentation page put together in a weekend is nothing like a website designed to be found on Google and convert visitors into customers. In this article, I detail what makes up the price, item by item, along with the rates I see in the market.
I've been building WordPress websites for fifteen years, for my own businesses (including a group of four restaurants in Paris) and for freelancers and shops. I've been on both sides of the quote process, and that's precisely what I want to help you avoid: paying too much, or not enough, for a website that's useless.
The 4 ways to create a showcase website, and their cost in 2027
| Option | Starting price | Deadline | For whom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Do it yourself (AI, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify) | €15 to €40 per month | A few days | Testing an idea, very tight budget |
| WordPress theme installed and customized | €800 to €1,500 excluding VAT | 1 to 2 weeks | Simple online presence, little content |
| Custom website by an independent | €1,500 to €6,000 excluding VAT | 3 to 6 weeks | Independents, businesses, and very small businesses that want customers |
| Custom website by an agency | €5,000 to €15,000 excluding VAT | 2 to 4 months | SMEs with multiple stakeholders and a marketing budget |
All-in-one platforms may seem the cheapest, but the subscription runs as long as the site exists: €30 per month adds up to €1,800 over five years, for a site you can't take anywhere else. Conversely, a WordPress site belongs to you: you can change hosting providers without starting from scratch.
What really makes the price vary?
The number of pages and their complexity
A typical website has 5 to 8 pages: homepage, services, about us, portfolio, contact, and legal notices. Each additional page generally adds €150 to €400 (excluding VAT), depending on whether it's a simple page or a more elaborate sales page.
The design: adapted theme or custom creation
Adapting an existing theme is cheaper, but your site will look like thousands of others. A custom-designed site starts with your positioning: who your customers are, what differentiates you, and the image you want to project. It's this positioning work, more than the graphic design, that makes a website generate leads.
The texts and the photos
This is the most underestimated aspect of the job, and the primary cause of project delays. If you provide your own text and photos, the price remains stable. If the service provider has to write them, expect to pay €100 to €300 (excluding VAT) per page for SEO-optimized text, and €300 to €800 for a professional photoshoot.
Fan of the WordPress ecosystem? Discover the best of my articles on WordPress as well as my WordPress extensions to make your site shine!
Features
- Contact form and map: included on any reputable website
- Online appointment booking or reservation: €200 to €800 excluding VAT, depending on the tool
- English or multilingual version: €300 to €1,000 excluding VAT
- Member area, online quotes, or automations: sur devis is already more than just a showcase website.
The starting referencing
A well-built website should have a clean foundation: title structure, speed, tags, sitemap, and a linked Google Business Profile. If this isn't specified in the quote, it probably hasn't been done.
The recurring costs that we forget
| Job | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Domain name (.fr or .com) | 10 to 20 € |
| High-quality WordPress hosting | 80 to 250 € |
| Possible paid extensions | 0 to 200 € |
| Maintenance (updates, backups, security) | €600 to €1,800 excluding VAT |
Maintenance is not a luxury: a WordPress site that is never updated will sooner or later be hacked or break down. You can do it yourself if you're comfortable doing so, or entrust it to a professional. In either case, factor it into your budget from the start.
What I propose
My showcase website package includes your brand's positioning and visual identity, 5 to 8 custom-designed pages using the native WordPress editor, a fast and mobile-friendly website, a contact form, basic SEO, and one hour of training so you can manage it independently. Delivery takes 3 to 4 weeks, provided the content is delivered on time. The price is listed on my Services page.
Concrete example: for this jewelry store In Paris, the goal was to be found by people who wanted to sell their jewelry near their homes, and then to bring them into the store. A clean, fast website, optimized for local SEO, which the jewelry store updates itself. It absolutely had to avoid anything too luxurious, as that's not the brand's positioning. You'll find other examples on my Projects page.
And for what comes next, I propose a monthly support : hosting, updates, backups, monitoring and time each month for your changes or questions, with no commitment.
5 traps to spot in a quote
- The site does not belong to you. Check that you own the domain name and the website, and that you can leave with it.
- A proprietary builder. Some service providers use a proprietary tool: it is then impossible to change providers without starting from scratch.
- Mandatory and expensive maintenance. It must be offered, not imposed, and can be terminated.
- An "SEO included" without details. Ask what is actually being done.
- The forgotten content. Who writes the texts, who provides the photos, and at what price?
How much should you expect to pay depending on your situation?
- Craftsman, self-employed, professional €1,500 to €3,000 excluding VAT for a website that clearly presents your offer and generates contact requests.
- Restaurant, shop, local business : €2,000 to €4,500 excluding VAT, including the card or catalogue, reservation or click and collect, and a lot of work on local referencing.
- Consulting firm, SME, training organization : €3,500 to €6,000 excluding VAT and more, with more pages, sometimes several languages and tools connected to your business.
What I would do in your place
Set a realistic initial budget, but focus primarily on the cost over three years: creation, hosting, and maintenance included. Ask each provider to show you a website they've built that actually generates customers. This is the best way to compare quotes that are otherwise quite different.
If you want a precise quote for your project, I can give it to you in 30 minutes, free of charge and without obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to create a showcase website?
Allow 3 to 6 weeks with a freelancer. In most cases, what causes the schedule to slip is the writing and photos, not the development.
Can a showcase website be paid for in installments?
Yes, that's common: usually a deposit at launch, then the balance upon going live. Some providers accept payment in three installments.
Is Wix or Squarespace really cheaper?
Initially, yes, but not necessarily in the long run. The subscription lasts as long as the site exists, and you can't move your site elsewhere. For a serious project that you plan to maintain for several years, WordPress is often less expensive.
Who owns the site once it's delivered?
For you, if the quote is well-prepared: a domain name in your name, administrator access, files and content. This is a question to ask before signing.
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