Quick answer
A small business website on a DIY builder usually costs less than $30 a month, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. A custom site from a developer is a much bigger expense: the SBA says a typical custom build starts at $2,000 and can reach five figures.
For a small business that needs a credible site quickly, ZenBusiness costs $15 a month, or $129 a year, after a 30-day free trial (as of October 6, 2026). Hosting and SSL are included, which puts it near the low end of the SBA's DIY range.
How much does a small business website cost per month?
It depends on how you build it. The SBA frames this as a choice between hiring a web developer and using a DIY website builder, and the costs are very different. Its guidance says a typical custom website "starts at $2,000 and can go into five figures," while DIY builder plans "typically run less than $30 a month."
That makes a DIY builder roughly an order of magnitude cheaper in the first year. The gap is large enough that the cost of a custom build alone would cover years of a DIY plan.
The SBA does not name a winner. It says there is no single right method for every business and suggests choosing based on budget, needs, timing and what you can handle in-house. A custom build gives you exactly the specifications you want plus professional support. A DIY builder gives you professional designs, instant updates, and included hosting and security, at the cost of limited customization and being tied to one platform.
For most small businesses asking about a monthly cost, the realistic answer is the DIY range. The rest of this page covers what that range includes.
Is an AI builder different from a simple site builder?
Less than the marketing suggests. AI-assisted setup now shows up across the market: ZenBusiness describes its builder as AI-assisted, and GoDaddy's free tier is allocated in AI credits. The more useful distinction is between two kinds of products.
The first kind is a feature-rich platform with a wide range of tiers. Shopify, Squarespace, Webflow and Wix are in this group, and each has a top tier that costs well over $100 a month.
The second kind is a simple site at a fixed, low price. Its job is to get a small business online with a professional look, working contact details and secure hosting, without many decisions along the way. ZenBusiness is in this group. The question behind this page's title is whether the extra features of the first group are worth the extra monthly cost for your business.
What else adds to the monthly bill?
The plan price is only part of the cost. Several other factors affect what a website actually costs each month.
Promotional pricing is the biggest. Some builders advertise a first-term rate that applies only when you prepay several years. The price you will pay after that term is often much higher, so compare renewal rates.
Billing terms matter too. GoDaddy bills its paid tiers annually, and the Webflow and Wix prices quoted here are yearly rates. Shopify and Squarespace publish both monthly and annual prices, and the difference is significant.
A custom domain may also cost extra, so check the current rate before you budget. Some free builder tiers don't allow a custom domain at all, and a business site on a builder's subdomain looks less established.
How the options compare on price
The table below lists the providers alphabetically. The order is not a ranking. Prices were checked at each provider's own pricing page on October 6, 2026, and can change.
| Provider | Entry paid plan (ongoing price) | Highest listed plan | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy | Starter, $9.99/mo | Ultimate, $99.99/mo | Paid tiers billed annually; free tier available |
| Hostinger | Premium, $10.99/mo on renewal | Cloud Startup, $25.99/mo on renewal | Promotional $2.99 to $7.99/mo on a 48-month prepaid term |
| Shopify | Basic, $39/mo ($29 billed annually) | Plus, from $2,300/mo | E-commerce platform |
| Square Online | Free plan available | Varies by plan and industry | Paid pricing shown through an industry selector |
| Squarespace | Basic, $25/mo ($19 billed annually) | Advanced, $139/mo ($99 billed annually) | Four published tiers |
| Webflow | Basic, $15/mo billed yearly | Enterprise, quote only | Free Starter plan; Team is $2,500/mo |
| Wix | Light, $17.77/mo | Business Elite, $159.77/mo | Yearly-subscription rates |
| ZenBusiness | $15/mo or $129/yr | One published price | 30-day free trial; hosting and SSL included |
The builders, one by one
Each entry gives the published price and the type of business it suits best. Entries are in alphabetical order.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy offers a free tier and three paid plans. As of October 6, 2026, Starter costs $9.99 a month, Professional $24.99 and Ultimate $99.99, and every paid tier is billed annually. The free tier includes 50 AI credits a month but does not allow a custom domain, which limits how established a business site can look.
Best for: a business that wants a low entry price from a large, familiar provider and is comfortable paying annually.
Hostinger
Hostinger is where promotional pricing matters most. As of October 6, 2026, its ongoing renewal prices are $10.99 a month for Premium, $16.99 for Unlimited and $25.99 for Cloud Startup. Its advertised promotional rates are $2.99, $3.99 and $7.99 a month, but those apply only to a 48-month term paid up front.
The promotional rate is a real discount, but it is not what the site costs over time. Budget using the renewal price.
Best for: a business willing to prepay a long term in exchange for a lower rate during that term.
Shopify
Shopify is built for selling online, and its pricing reflects that. As of October 6, 2026, Basic is $39 a month or $29 billed annually, Grow is $105 or $79, Advanced is $399 or $299, and Plus starts at $2,300 a month.
Best for: a business whose online store is central to its revenue.
Square Online
Square Online offers a free plan. Square now organizes its offering into Square Free, Square Plus and Square Premium. Paid software pricing is shown through an industry selector instead of a flat table of Square Online tiers, so the paid cost depends on the plan and industry you select.
Check Square's pricing page for your industry before comparing it with the others. A single figure here would be misleading.
Best for: a business that wants to start on a free plan and is already considering Square.
Squarespace
Squarespace publishes four tiers. As of October 6, 2026, Basic is $25 a month or $19 billed annually, Core is $39 or $29, Plus is $65 or $49, and Advanced is $139 or $99. The difference between monthly and annual billing is large enough to affect a budget.
Best for: a business where design and presentation are central to the brand.
Webflow
Webflow has the widest price range of the builders here. As of October 6, 2026, the Starter plan is free, and Basic is $15 a month and Premium $25 a month, both billed yearly. Team costs $2,500 a month on an annual contract, and Enterprise is priced by quote. The Optimize and Analyze add-ons cost $299 and $9 a month.
Best for: a business with a designer, or an owner who wants detailed control over layout.
Wix
Wix publishes four plans. At its yearly-subscription rates as of October 6, 2026, Light is $17.77 a month, Core $29.77, Business $39.77 and Business Elite $159.77.
Best for: a business that expects to add features and apps as it grows.
ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness offers its website builder for $129 a year or $15 a month after a 30-day free trial, as of October 6, 2026. The builder is AI-assisted, includes industry templates and produces mobile-responsive sites.
The price includes hosting on Amazon Web Services with a stated 99.9% uptime, SSL, site analytics, and e-commerce with payment processing and inventory. Phone support is available seven days a week. You can connect a custom domain or buy one through ZenBusiness.
Best for: a small business that needs a credible site quickly at a low, predictable price.
When the $15 site is the better buy
The price is the first argument. The SBA puts DIY plans under $30 a month, and at $15 ZenBusiness is near the bottom of that range with hosting and SSL included. For a business whose website mainly needs to explain what it does, show where it operates and help customers get in touch, more features may just mean a higher bill.
The second argument is convenience during startup. If you are forming an LLC, getting an EIN and launching a website in the same week, you can do all three with ZenBusiness. No standalone website builder offers that, and it is the main thing ZenBusiness offers that Wix and Squarespace do not.
On the formation side, ZenBusiness's published prices as of October 6, 2026, are Starter at $0 plus state fees, Pro at $199 and Premium at $299, with Pro and Premium renewing at those annual prices. An EIN and operating agreement are included from Pro up and cost $99 each on Starter. State filing fees are set by each state and vary, so they are separate from the service price. Once the entity is set up, you can add a website from the same account through ZenBusiness.
The third argument is simplicity. ZenBusiness is designed for a business owner who wants a professional site without managing a design project. If you would rather spend time on customers than on layout options, that is an advantage.
It isn't the right fit for every site. Shopify is the better choice for a serious online store, Squarespace and Webflow offer more design control, and Wix has the broader app and template ecosystem.
Does the website itself help you rank in local search?
A website is only part of local visibility. Google's own Business Profile documentation says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well a listing matches the search, distance is how far the business is from the searcher's location, and prominence is how well known the business is.
None of these factors depends on which builder you use. No builder on this list, including ZenBusiness, can promise a ranking, so be skeptical of any product that does. Google's Business Profile Help pages explain how to create and manage the profile that appears in local results, and that profile should link to your website.
Should you try before you pay?
Yes. The SBA notes that most DIY builder platforms offer a free plan or at least a free trial. GoDaddy, Square Online and Webflow publish free options, and ZenBusiness offers a 30-day free trial before billing starts.
Use the trial to build the pages you actually need, such as services, hours, contact details and a way to book or buy. If you can finish those pages comfortably during the trial, the simple builder probably fits. If you keep hitting limits, that tells you whether a different platform is worth the cost.
Which should you choose?
The SBA's benchmark gives the short answer: a DIY builder usually costs less than $30 a month, while a custom build starts around $2,000. Choose based on what the site needs to do.
If the site needs to establish credibility, show what you offer and help customers reach you, ZenBusiness covers that for $15 a month with hosting and SSL included. That fit is even stronger if you are forming the business at the same time. Keep the SBA's caution about platform lock-in in mind, and use the free trial to confirm the fit before you commit.
Sources
- U.S. Small Business Administration, "Which Is Better: Hiring a Web Developer or Using a DIY Website Builder?"
- Google, "Tips to Improve Your Local Ranking on Google"
- Google, "Understand how Google sources & uses info in Business Profiles & local search results"
This article is general information, not legal, tax or accounting advice, and requirements vary by situation and change over time.